Every winter I hear the same line: "you need a 4x4 for Vytina". For the main roads to villages in Arcadia you don't. On most days a normal car with the right tyres is enough, with snow socks or chains in the boot for when the snow starts to settle.

What a 4x4 does and what it doesn't

Four-wheel drive helps you pull away and climb, because it sends power to all four wheels. It gives you nothing extra when you brake or turn, because there the car is held only by its tyres.

That is why a 4x4 on summer tyres will climb a snowy hill more easily than a two-wheel-drive car, and will slide just the same on the way down. An ordinary front-wheel-drive car on winter tyres is safer than that.

What the Traffic Police accept

From October to April, when the authorities order it for a road, you must carry anti-skid equipment. The Traffic Police and Civil Protection decide according to the weather, and anyone who does not comply is fined.

Anti-skid equipment means snow chains, snow socks, or winter tyres marked M+S that also carry the mountain and snowflake symbol.

The rules have changed in recent years. Before you set off, check the Traffic Police announcements for the day you travel.

Chains, snow socks or winter tyres

Snow chains

They grip better than anything else on packed snow and ice. But you have to stop to fit them, drive slowly, and take them off as soon as the road clears. If you have never fitted them, the first time should not be at the side of the road with frozen hands, so try them at home first.

Snow socks

These are fabric covers that go over the tyre. They go on in a few minutes and take up little space. They are meant for getting through a difficult stretch, because on clear tarmac they wear out quickly.

Winter tyres

They work all winter without you doing anything. Their rubber stays soft in the cold and their tread holds on snow and on wet roads. For anyone who drives up to the mountains often, they are the least effort.

The roads of mountain Arcadia

The main roads from Tripoli to Vytina, Dimitsana and Stemnitsa are cleared, and on winter tyres you get through on most days without trouble. The road to the Mainalo ski centre and the roads through the fir forest climb higher and hold the snow for longer.

When it snows heavily, the Traffic Police may require anti-skid equipment or close a road for a few hours. If you are already up there, you wait for it to reopen.

Before you set off

  • Check the Traffic Police announcements and the forecast for the altitude you are going to, not for Tripoli.
  • Fill the tank. If you get stuck in a queue, the heating needs fuel.
  • Leave early, so that you arrive in daylight.
  • Keep an ice scraper, water, gloves and a phone charger in the car.
  • Learn how the snow socks or chains go on before you need them.

If you are renting a car

Before you sign, ask what tyres the car has and whether it will come with anti-skid equipment. Ask for it to be written in the rental agreement that they are provided. A rental car on summer tyres with an empty boot is no good for the mountains in January.

Our cars that go up to the mountains have winter tyres and snow socks on board. If you are coming without a car, we hand it over to you at the bus station in Tripoli. See car rental for mountain Arcadia.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a 4x4 for Vytina and Dimitsana in winter?

For the main roads, no. On most days a car on winter tyres is enough.

Do snow socks count as anti-skid equipment?

Yes, along with snow chains and winter tyres that carry the M+S marking and the mountain and snowflake symbol.

When is anti-skid equipment compulsory?

From October to April, when the authorities order it for a road. Check the Traffic Police announcements on the day you travel.

Not sure whether you can get through today?

Call us on +30 697 367 7817 before you set off. We are in Tripoli and we know what state the roads are in.