Do you need to rent a car in Tromso, and if so, which agency? I tell you everything!

It’s time to get ready for your vacation in Tromso. And to do that, you’ll need to answer a whole host of questions, not least about your car. Knowing whether to rent a car (and from whom) is just as important as wondering which nice hotel to choose or what the best activities are in Tromso. Basically, it’s a fundamental question. But it also depends on what you want to do on your vacation.

We’ll talk about this later, but it’s not essential to rent a car, because you can get by just fine without one, thanks to the many agencies, public transport (although it’s not great) and a whole host of activities.

But renting a car gives you the flexibility and freedom to discover great places, like this week-long itinerary around Tromso.

On the other hand, if you want to rent a car, you need to pay attention to the following points:

• if you’re coming in winter, driving on snow is special– read the following article to find out how to drive in Tromso
• book in advance, as prices rise rapidly with the increase in tourist numbers
• compare absolutely, to find the best prices, to avoid bad agencies, and also to compare comparators, as they have different commercial agreements (we’ll see later, but I use Rental Cars and Discover Cars, which are super reliable)
• there’s no such thing as the “best rental company”, as long as you take the usual precautions (photos at the beginning and end), provide unlimited mileage and check the reviews on the comparators
• and insurance is highly recommended, especially if you’re not used to driving in these conditions 🙂

So let’s get on with it!

Do you need a car to discover Tromso and the surrounding area?

Not easy easy easy! Well, actually, you can discover Tromso without a car, do all the activities, discover the main places, enjoy the city. You can have fun, you can visit, in short, a car isn’t essential, but it does have many advantages:

• flexibility and independence– you can do what you want, when you want! and that’s the big advantage
• the tours generally go to the same 2 places to visit the region, but with a car you can go there for less, and above all you can discover new places (the Lyngen Alps in particular)
• you can go Northern Lights-hunting on your own, although I’d advise you to take a guide for the first evening, to put you in the best conditions and get all the information you need.

So basically, you go where you want and you’re less dependent on agencies. It’s not bad!

In what situations do you need to rent a car?

That’s more complicated. I’m not going to tell you to get a car just to have one. If it doesn’t serve you, if you don’t dare, then it’s not useful. Let’s break it down:

• If you’re coming in summer, then yes, I’d really advise you to take a car, because you’ll be enjoying the great outdoors. Given that there are no real activities, no auroras, we’re here to enjoy nature. And public transport is almost non-existent, so you won’t be able to get to the hikes and most beautiful places without a car.
• If you have daily activities, something planned with agencies, outings (e.g. dog sledding, boat trips, snowmobiling…), then it’s not necessarily worth renting a car.
  • EXCEPT if you plan to go hunting at dawn every night! you can go by car.
  • then you can take a guide every night. It’s expensive but practical!
• If you have no experience of driving on snow and don’t feel like it, then don’t force yourself. In the following article I explain the difficulties of driving in Tromso. I don’t want to discourage you, it can be done, but you really have to be careful.
• If you don’t have a driver’s license, well, we’re not going to force you 😀
• Important : if you want to stay outside the city of Tromso, more into the nature, you absolutely need a car

Also, renting a car allows you to stay outside the city center and even outside the city, in the nature. Because transportation outside Tromso is not the best, by car you can access some beautiful accommodations near Tromso like houses by the sea, beautiful lodges… so if you don’t have a lot of activities starting from the city center, that could be a good option !

Where can you rent a car in Tromso?

Well this is the easiest question because… there is no right answer! I’ve rented dozens of times in Tromso, and from absolutely everyone. I had a slight preference for Europcar because they’re French, but they’ve gone out of business.

So I’ve used Hertz as much as Avis/Budget, and lately I’ve been using Alamo and Enterprise.

Quite honestly, because each time I’m careful, everything goes well. In other words, I take photos of the car, compare them with the report and contact them if there’s a difference. This not only protects you, but also shows them that they can’t fool you.

So I’d say they’re all serious except… Thrifty. This is the low-cost version of Hertz, and yes it seems like low-cost. The prices are low because the vehicles aren’t great and the mileage is low. And they charge you a fortune per extra kilometer, so in the end the bill will be much more painful than expected (that’s experience speaking for itself).

That’s another advantage of using the comparators: they give you a rating for each agency, so you can see if it’s a good deal or not (there are detailed reviews too, which is super useful).

In terms of price, they’re all equivalent, but it depends on the period. I did a lot of simulations to write this article. Sometimes Hertz is the cheapest, sometimes Avis, sometimes Alamo. I’m really unable to say “this company is the cheapest”. Because nothing is obvious. Each company has its own algos that are a tad complicated to understand 😀

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Compare for the best prices!

The car rental market is so opaque and incomprehensible that I don’t recommend jumping at the first offer. There are many factors at play. The agency, of course, the type of car, but also the dates. From one day to the next, things can vary. The duration too, and the cookies.

So you have to compare. And rather than stuffing yourself with sites one by one: use the comparators!

Comparators… compare (yes, I know, thank you for the obvious) agencies according to a whole host of criteria, and make it very easy for you to choose. You’ll also be able to see the agencies’ ratings, which is really important if you don’t want to fall for any of the shenanigans.

But (or else it’s too simple), you also need to compare the comparators! Because each comparator has its own agreements with the agencies and offers its own prices. So, on a given date, for a given destination, A may be more attractive than B, but for another destination, it’ll be B that’s more attractive.

So I use at least two comparators:

• Discover Cars
• Rental Cars

Here’s a price comparison for the same search. You can see that here Rental Cars has more choice in relatively correct prices, the two companies do not put the same agencies forward (I sorted from cheapest to most expensive).

So here I don’t want to say “hey use this one rather than that one”, but that you should use both (these but it works with others, if you trust elsewhere)

How much does a car rental in Tromso cost?

Quite honestly, prices vary enormously and tend to go up. Before (the good old days!) it was quite easy to rent a car for €30 a day, even in high season. It was bieeeeen!

Nowadays, if you book in advance :

• In low season: between 30 and 40€ for a 208 or Golf type car
• In high season: between 70 and 80€ for a Corolla or equivalent

So we’re not far from doubling the price depending on the season.

Here are some examples (one week in early December, one week in mid-February) to illustrate the price difference.

Bear in mind that if you don’t book in advance, in February/March/Christmas it can easily rise to over €100 a day!

Extra costs and Autopass

All the rental cars have the Autopass tag. Your car needs it to automatically :

• pay the urban toll in Tromso
• pay the ferries and some tunnels

You will be charged at the end of the rental, by the company. You don’t need to do anything.

Also if you rent a car, don’t forget the other costs : 

• gasoil is quite expensive here (around 21NOK per liter)
• you need to pay to park your car in Tromso
• fines are really expensive!

Do I need insurance in Tromso?

Yes, quite simply. Well, if it’s your first time, if you’re not used to driving in the snow or in stormy weather, frankly yes, it’s essential, because as indicated in the following article, driving in Tromso involves a few dangers. Mind you, I’m not saying you’re going to make a mistake, but it can be a bit hair-raising (even for those of us who are used to it).

Insurance is not particularly expensive compared with the price of the car, usually between €5 and €10 a day, depending on the level of cover.

So I’d say an extra €70 over a week is the price of peace of mind

Should I rent through the comparators or directly on the agency websites?

Unless you have discounts, promotions, Amex deals or that kind of club, it’s usually much more profitable to rent through the comparators (as I said above, I use Discover Cars and Rental Cars).

Indeed, the comparators have their own commercial agreements with the various agencies and can therefore offer discounts.

Then, when I get an interesting result on one of the comparators, I take a look at the site (if the comparator tells me it’s at Hertz, then I look directly at their site). But it’s really rare that I find a better deal directly than via the comparators.

I did a very quick example on a search in Tromso, between the comparator and the live result. There’s a big difference, as you can see below.

Don’t rent from an agency at the last minute!

No, renting at the last minute won’t get you a better price – quite the contrary. So my advice would really be to book in advance. And not a few days in advance, but several weeks or even more, as soon as you know the date of your stay. Otherwise you run the risk of running into several problems (which I’ve already experienced, of course):

• there are no more cars available. This can happen, especially now that Europcar has closed, the number of visitors is increasing and sometimes there are events such as NATO military reunions.
• prices go through the roof. Ah yes, the last minute costs more unfortunately. I’ve seen people get cars for 200€ a day by picking them up on arrival at the airport, but I got 90€.

By booking in advance, you can be sure of “more or less” correct prices (everything is relative here :D). But it sure doesn’t leave room for spontaneity!

What type of car should I rent?

On Tromso’s roads, ANY CAR will do, as long as you don’t take a back road, don’t go out in a storm, and don’t go off-roading.

We see quite a few Yaris, 208s, Polos and Golfs. And having owned one, it does the job most of the time.

Is an SUV necessary? It’s useful in terms of comfort and space, especially if, like me, you’ve got a lot of camera gear to carry, or children (I prefer camera gear 😀 ). If you have an SUV, then it will normally be 4×4. With a lot of rentals, I have to admit I’m partial to the RAV4!

The 4×4 is useful in case of heavy snow. But most people don’t go out at that time. However, it’s reassuring, and SUVs also have the advantage of being higher than a conventional car.

For example, last winter I had a super Skoda Octavia station wagon, fantastic to drive, but low. So, as there’s a lot of snow where I live, I got stuck a couple of times! But then again, if you don’t splurge, it shouldn’t happen to you 🙂

Do I need an electric car?

That depends on one thing: are you going to be doing a lot of kilometers in winter, especially chasing the northern lights?

Because although the advertised autonomies are nice, in winter, with the cold, that’s not the case at all. It’s down to 200km. And it’s not uncommon, especially on the roads south of Tromso, to drive 200km without seeing a charger.

On the other hand, if it’s a normal daily visit, taking a little time to recharge in Kvaloya or in urban areas, there’s no need to worry! Electric cars are cheaper to rent and cheaper to run, as electricity isn’t particularly expensive here.

But if, like me, you go out into the pampas every night, then I wouldn’t recommend it.

Hybrids, on the other hand, aren’t bad – Toyota’s fuel consumption is dreadful!

Are winter tires included?

They are compulsory, so your rental car is bound to have winter tires and 100% studded tires, which is very practical.

If you arrive before the obligation, in September or early October for example, you’ll have 4-season tires, which will do the trick. But if you see that it’s freezing, you can ask for your tires to be changed.

Find out the best car for driving in Tromsø !

Renting between private individuals, an interesting option

Here we also have Getaround, the private car rental site. I use it sometimes, it’s good, it works, it’s not particularly expensive. By the way, this link gives you €15 off your first rental.

Getaround lets private individuals rent out their cars for a few hours, days or weeks. So you have access to a pretty interesting catalog of cars, some of them cheaper than traditional rentals.

However, there’s a catch. Mileage is limited (and not just a little!), so if you want to do a lot of driving, sightseeing and seeing the aurora, beware, as the extra kilometer is expensive (50c, so if you go over 200km, that’s an extra 100€!).

So if you don’t plan to drive too much, this is a good opportunity, especially if you book at the last minute 🙂 But be careful with the extra kilometers!

Don’t forget the basics of winter driving

To make a long story short, as I’ve already developed all this in the article on the specifics of driving in Tromso, here are a few recommendations to follow:

• keep a safe distance, as braking on snow or ice takes much longer
• don’t make any abrupt movements, sudden braking or sharp bends, as these will cause the car to lose grip
• so you need to anticipate a lot
• don’t take the plunge when there’s a snowstorm, even if there’s a clear sky to see the aurora from 100km away; if you’re not used to it, you’re liable to have problems
• the roads are well-maintained, but that’s because the snowploughs come and go all the time, so watch out for them 🙂
• don’t park on the road to take a photo – it’s extremely dangerous, even for 2 seconds. Park on the clear side of the road.
• watch out for animals on the road, day and night

In conclusion

So there you have it, I hope I’ve given you a good insight into car hire and the extras. If you’re comfortable, I really recommend renting to have the freedom to go where you want (or almost). And so that you can go hunting at dawn on your own (although I always recommend taking a guide on the first night).

But it’s not essential – taking a car for the sake of taking a car is pointless. If you don’t feel like it, that’s okay 🙂 You can have fun without a car and enjoy the activities and scenery via the agencies. It’s just more expensive and less flexible.

So if you’re going to rent a car, I insist that you compare prices and book in advance. It will save you money. And given the price of travel, saving a little is good for you 😀

Find out the best car for driving in Tromsø !

Additional resources for discovering Tromso

• Everything you need to know about Tromso – in this article, I’ll give you all the information you need to prepare your stay.
• Where to stay in and around Tromso – from hotels with great breakfasts to apartments in the center of town or nice hotels in the countryside, the choice is yours!
• A week’s itinerary in Tromso – discover the best of Tromso in winter with these recommendations. And if you want to discover the whole north in 2 weeks, this is the itinerary for you!
• What to do in Tromso in winter – discover the best activities under the snow, such as dog sledding, snowmobiling, ice fishing…
• The best northern lights guides – here’s a selection of the best northern lights agencies in Tromso, to help you avoid the pitfalls.
• Where to see the northern lights in Tromso – a small selection of 10 places to see the aurora in complete tranquillity
• What’s the best time to go to Tromso – month by month I give you the pros and cons of Tromso
• Dog sledding in Tromso – which are the best agencies? I tell you everything!
• See whales and orcas in Tromso – there are more and more boats, I help you to see more clearly and show you the good service providers.
• Snowmobiling in Tromso – ditto, a top activity, but beware: you need a driver’s license!