Top Five Winter Driving Experiences
- Danielle Dybiec
- Dec 16
- 4 min read
My people from Pittsburgh know a thing or two about driving in winter because that town is nothing but steep hills and hairpin turns. I can still turn into an ice skid when I'm driving like it's second nature. But these winter driving schools are on another level.
These exclusive, luxury driving schools offer wild winter fun before you hit the ski slopes or relax in the spa back at your warm resort. If you love the snow, let's plan your test drive on one of these trips!
Excerpt of 12/3/2025 Virtuoso article by Jaclyn Trop can be found here.
Porsche in Finland, Mercedes-Benz in the Austrian Alps, and more ultra-luxe ice capades.
Helmeted, harnessed, and holding the wheel of a Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport, I rip around an icy racetrack at full throttle, kicking up a trail of snow flurries in my wake. It feels exhilarating and smooth, but if I’ve learned anything since checking into the Porsche Ice Experience just a couple of days earlier, it’s that one well-navigated corner does not make an ice-driving expert. There are still plenty more turns on the chilly circuits ahead.
The Porsche Arctic Center, a 76-acre snowy playground near the Levi Ski Resort in Finnish Lapland, features an array of automotive challenges carved into the frozen tundra – skid pads, slaloms, and racetracks among them. Luxury-car aficionados come here to master “the drift” (a technique that uses a car’s rear wheels to slide sideways in the absence of traction) under the aegis of Porsche’s pro driving instructors, many with motorsports accolades.
Porsche is just one of several luxury automakers that host immersive winter-driving retreats every year, teaching attendees to drift on custom-engineered ice tracks in far-flung fantasylands. Each pairs driving with luxury accommodations, fine dining, and leisure time on the slopes. Finnish Lapland – known for its alpine skiing, ephemeral candy-colored skies, and sugar-dusted firs – is popular among automakers such as Ferrari, McLaren, and Audi for its open space, substantial snowfall, and easy proximity to post-drive skiing. BMW and Mercedes-Benz opt for the Austrian Alps, while others set up camp near North America’s snowy peaks.
Travelers don’t have to be aspiring rally drivers to attend. Everyone from hobbyists to amateur pros comes for the expert instruction and snow-soaked joyrides. For me, it was the adrenaline-inducing appeal of safely pushing a high-performance car to its limits that led me to snap up my six-point seatbelt and slither into the roll cage. Over three days, Finnish rally driver Jussi Kumpumäki and his team taught me how to calibrate steering, brake in the snow, and initiate controlled slides through icy corners – or, as Kumpumäki likes to call it, “make the car dance.” Behind the wheel, I’m in control of this horsepower-belying automotive ballet.
Travelers who, like me, dream of putting their all-wheel-drive vehicles to the test when the snow falls can race to the top of the class at these ultra-luxe winter-driving experiences, which take place every year on various dates between January and March:
Porsche – Levi, Finland
The Porsche Arctic Center – 110 miles above the Arctic Circle – is home base for the Porsche Ice Experience, three days of expert instruction behind the wheel of the automaker’s sports cars, SUVs, and sedans. Travelers stay nearby at the base of Finland’s largest ski resort – convenient for hitting the slopes post-program – and students who ace their skills tests get to drive Porsche’s pièce de résistance, the 911 GT3 Cup race car.
Lamborghini – Montebello, Québec
Lamborghini’s two-day Esperienza Neve (“Snow Experience”) turns Montebello into a high-octane escapade, as travelers hone their skills behind the wheel of the automaker’s hybrid Temerario and Revuelto super sports cars and Urus SE super SUV on an ice track carved into the frozen Ottawa River. Don’t miss the evening welcome reception, which includes hot laps by Lamborghini’s pro drivers and an aperitivo on the ice track.
Mercedes-Benz – Saalfelden am Steinernen Meer, Austria
Mercedes-Benz’s Winter Experience on Ice programs take place in Swedish Lapland and near the base of Austria’s Kitzbühel Alps, where the automaker built a 1-million-square-foot ice arena. The experiences at the latter, which range from one to three days, give drivers ample opportunities to perfect slalom, emergency-braking, and controlled-drifting techniques behind the wheel of the automaker’s expansive lineup.
Bridgestone – Steamboat Springs, Colorado
At the Bridgestone Winter Driving School, drivers get behind the wheel of one of Toyota’s motorsports division’s rare, high-performance GR models on three purpose-built tracks with elevation changes, slippery surfaces, and thrilling banked turns. Before or after the daylong program, attendees can make different kinds of tracks at the nearby Steamboat Ski Resort.
BMW – Sölden, Austria
BMW’s one- or two-day M Snow Experiences put the automaker’s SUV, all-electric, and M Series models to the test in Sölden, the home of Europe’s highest automotive training ground (9,186 feet above sea level) and one of Austria’s most popular ski regions. A nearby Alpine resort provides travelers with a luxurious home base for skiing, snowboarding, or winding down from their high-speed pursuits at the spa.
Start planning inspired travel and read more about me and what I can do for you!
Nine Muses Travel designs journeys to inspire artists, arts lovers and the culturally curious.
Danielle Dybiec
Founder & President
WHY USE A TRAVEL ADVISOR?
Nine Muses Travel offers a premium experience with flights, guides, drivers, rental vehicles, and the best accommodations to maximize your time, with expert advice on how to get the most out of any destination. We can include amenities for you at the world's finest hotels, the BEST OF THE BEST!
Complimentary room upgrades at check-in, subject to availability
Complimentary daily breakfast
Early check-in / late check-out, subject to availability
Complimentary Wi-Fi
And more!
Nine Muses Travel works with exceptional suppliers who add unparalleled value:
Expert guides: artists, historians, naturalists, unique locals with insider tips & insights
Flexibility with your touring - See and do as much, or as little, as you prefer!
Custom-designed routings
Exclusive experiences
24/7 real-time support
Comprehensive travel protection plans
Comments