All-season tyres in Geneva: enough for winter?

According to the TCS, all-season tyres marked with the snowflake are recognised as winter tyres in Switzerland and mainly suit drivers who cover few kilometres, in town. Motorway driving in summer or winter sports trips in a loaded car: two sets remain preferable. In Geneva, AZ Carrosserie fits and balances your tyres, in the same workshop as the bodywork.

Does an all-season tyre count as a winter tyre?

Yes, if it carries the right symbol. The TCS notes that the all-season tyres in its test marked with the snowflake on a three-peak mountain are recognised as winter tyres in Switzerland, as in the European Union. Source: TCS, all-season tyre test 2026, in French, read on 15.10.2026.

Before relying on your tyres for the cold season, look for that symbol on the sidewall. A tyre that does not carry it remains a summer tyre by this marker, whatever name appears on the purchase label.

Who are all-season tyres enough for?

The TCS describes a precise profile: few kilometres a year, mostly urban trips, a town where snow stays rare. In that case, a single set fitted all year round saves the spring change and the autumn one. Source: TCS, press release on its 2026 all-season tyre test, in French, read on 15.10.2026.

That portrait looks like many Geneva cars: the Saturday shopping, the school run, the office car park. It looks less like the car that heads onto the motorway every week or drives up to the chalet as soon as the first snow falls.

When is it better to keep two sets of tyres?

The same TCS press release names two uses where summer tyres and winter tyres remain preferable: a lot of motorway driving in hot weather, and trips to winter sports with a loaded car. The reason lies in versatility itself: a tyre made for the whole year is measured, each season, against a tyre designed for that season alone. Source: TCS, press release on its 2026 all-season tyre test, in French, read on 15.10.2026.

Ask yourself two questions before choosing:

how many times each winter the car leaves the lowlands with a full boot;
how many long summer trips it makes on the motorway.

If the answer is “often” to either, two sets are worth it. The timing of the autumn change is covered in our article on switching to winter tyres in Geneva.

What tread depth should you watch with all-season tyres?

A tyre fitted all year round wears without a break. The TCS states that in spring an all-season tyre must still have 3 mm of tread, and it recommends at least 4 mm going into autumn. Source: TCS, all-season tyre test 2026, in French, read on 15.10.2026.

These markers match those of FEDRO (OFROU): the law sets the minimum at 1.6 millimetres, and the office recommends driving in winter only on tyres with at least 4 millimetres. Source: OFROU, “Pneus d’hiver : d’octobre à Pâques”, in French, read on 07.10.2026.

As there is no longer a seasonal change to remind you, check the tread yourself at the start of every autumn.

How do you choose a model without getting it wrong?

The TCS publishes its tests every year, and it advises choosing only tyres that earned at least the rating “recommended” in them. Source: TCS, press release on its 2026 all-season tyre test, in French, read on 15.10.2026.

Its latest test judges the results disappointing, with a single model that is really convincing; it adds that, depending on how you drive, a tyre with a lower rating can still be the right choice. Source: TCS, all-season tyre test 2026, in French, read on 15.10.2026.

To find out what the workshop can fit on your car, call it on 076 429 04 12 with the make, the model and the size printed on the sidewall. At AZ Carrosserie, every tyre change includes fitting, balancing and a pressure check. The details are on the Tyres and brakes page.

Where is the workshop?

The workshop is at Avenue Pictet-de-Rochemont 33ter, 1207 Genève, in Eaux-Vives. Open Monday to Friday, 7.30 am – 12 noon and 1 pm – 5.30 pm. Bodywork, tyres, braking and broken glass are handled by the same workshop: one call, one file. 34 Google reviews, 5.0 out of 5 as of 19.10.2026: the workshop’s Google listing. For a simple question, write from the Contact page.