Driving In Iceland | 31 Practical Tips, Road Rules, & Drives

Driving Iceland… whew, what a doozy…If you’ve ever heard that driving in Iceland is unlike driving in other places, you’ve heard it right! But don’t let that scare you away from hitting the land of fire and ice road trip style! Though you should know, to be safe on the road there are a few things to expect when driving in Iceland.

After our Iceland road trip, we honestly can’t imagine visiting the country in any other way.. well, maybe other than bringing our home on wheels with us.

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Should You Drive In Iceland

Deciding whether or not you should plan a self-drive Iceland road trip is based on a few factors. First and foremost, are you of the legal driving age in Iceland, and are you comfortable with driving in crazy Iceland driving conditions?

If the answer is yes to both of those, then YES!! Definitely take do a self-drive tour of Iceland! Driving Iceland yourself is the best way to see the country at your own pace, making sure your trip is just right for you!

Now, before you go on booking your Iceland rental car, be sure to read about driving safety, road rules, and more here!

Driving Iceland Tips | Safety

Be Prepared For Single Lane Bridges

These bad boys are everywhere. Like for reals, everywhere. While driving down the main highway soaking in those Icelandic views, keep an eye out for single-lane bridges. If you find a short one, obviously don’t go on it while another vehicle is coming at ya, but the longer one-lane bridges have pull-outs throughout.

Use the pullouts on the longer one-lane bridges, by pulling into the pullout on your side of the road, or waiting in the middle of the road at one for the oncoming vehicle to pass you in the pullout on their side.

Drive The Comfortable Speed For You

Don’t go so slow that you’re causing a hazard for the drivers around you, but do drive at a speed you feel comfortable. – Especially if you’re visiting Iceland in the winter!

We had so many people fly past us while we were driving, however, in our little dinky rental car, we didn’t feel comfortable taking on the icy roads too fast.

Be Aware Of The Wind

Oh. My. Goodness. The wind in Iceland is no joke. Huge gusts of wind will come out of nowhere, and make you swerve all over the place. Driving down the highway, there are signs that say when to expect wind.. Take these things seriously and drive with two hands on the wheel!

When opening and closing car doors, also keep the wind in mind! There were a few times where our rental car door got nearly ripped out of my hand from the wind. The wind can be so bad that there’s even extra “wind protection insurance” offered for rental cars!

Avoid Driving At Night

With the wind and crazy weather patterns in Iceland, we suggest not driving at night. Adding darkness to the already different road conditions just adds to the level of stress behind the wheel.

If driving in Iceland in December or other winter months, be sure to take into consideration the shorter days, making it get dark much earlier than most people are used to!

If you must drive at night in Iceland, do pack food, warm clothes, and water with you.. just in case you get stuck somewhere!

People Will Pass You.. Way Too Close For Comfort

Holy smokes, when people pass, they often leave only centimeters between you and them. Every single time we got passed we were so nervous. Prepare yourself this by paying attention to people in your rearview, and then again, gripping the wheel with both hands when they begin to pass.

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Ignore The People Tailgating You | It’s Bound To Happen

Coming from the same idea of people passing you, you’re also bound to be tailgated. Regardless of how fast or slow you drive, someone else is always going to be in a hurry to get somewhere and will ride your butt.

Hold your ground, continue driving at the speed you feel comfortable, and when there’s a safe pullout space, you can pull over to let them pass. Don’t let these people bug you, keep remember you’re in Iceland, and just enjoy those views!

Only Pull Off For Photos When There’s A Packed Shoulder

With a picture perfect landscape around every corner, you’ll want to stop for pictures. Only pull off when it’s safe. Look for packed shoulders so you don’t ruin the terrain, be sure to give enough time for the people behind you to brake too, and for the love of all things good…

..use your blinker!

About Driving In Iceland

Do Not Drive Off-Road

Offroad driving in Iceland is 100% illegal. Not only is it not safe to drive offroad in Iceland, but it’s not good for the environment either, causing damage that can last for decades in Iceland’s pristine nature.

Do not under any circumstances drive offroad. If you choose to do so, you face thousands of dollars in fines. Remember, you’re going to Iceland to enjoy the pristine nature, not ruin it!

Keep in mind gravel roads in Iceland are not considered offroad driving. If you stick to an actual marked gravel road or f-road in Iceland, that’s okay. Just be sure to stick to the road itself!

Always Have Your Headlights On | It’s The Law

Yes, even in the daylight, it’s the law to always have your headlights on in Iceland. Maybe because the weather can change so abruptly, who knows.. regardless, just do it to avoid getting a ticket!

When our rental car agency picked us up from the airport, they actually got pulled over on the way out of the airport because he forgot to put the lights on. He rolled away without a ticket, but we’re sure if it was one of us driving, there would have been a ticket handed out. And, yes, we’re glaring over here that the police are just lurking outside the airport to catch the tourist who doesn’t know about the headlight rule!

READ MORE | Renting A Car in Iceland

Download An Offline Map of Iceland

With the remoteness of a lot of places in Iceland, we found that we often didn’t have service. Download an offline map like maps.me or a google map straight from the app to ensure you can make your way around the island.

More Websites for your Trip to Iceland

Iceland’s Driving Side Is The Right

For some, this is innate… for us coming from the U.K., we had to adjust our brains and really think every time we turned onto a new road… and Heather maybe just once or twice went to the wrong side of the car to get in.. ha

Drive on the right side of the road in Iceland, always! And only use pullouts on one lane roads that are on the right side of you!

Driving In Iceland License

You can drive in Iceland with a valid driver’s license from your home country that you’ve held for at least one year.

If renting a car in Iceland, keep in mind you need to be 21 years of age, and older for renting 4×4’s.

Iceland Speed Limits

Speed limits in Iceland are shown in kilometers per hour. Do not go over these speed limits, as road conditions in Iceland cause many car accidents to tourists that end in fatalities.

The speed limit in Iceland differs depending on what type of road you’re on. Be advised, that although the speed limit may be high, road conditions or curves in the roads, single lane bridges, or blind summits may cause you to slow down. Be aware of your surroundings and be comfortable driving under the speed limit too!

Urban Areas & Built Up Areas // 50 km/h or 31 mph
Gravel Rural Roads // 80 km/h or 49 mph
Paved Rural Roads // 90 km/h or 55 mph

While you won’t find too many police officers monitoring the roads for speed, you will find speed cameras scattered throughout Iceland. There are warning signs that drivers are approaching speed cameras, and if you choose to ignore those signs, you’ll get a nice little picture taken and a hefty speeding fine sent straight to your car rental company!

Cell Phone Use Is Prohibited

You cannot use your handheld cell phone device while driving in Iceland. Be sure to set your map on your phone before you actually begin driving, or have someone as a designated navigator in the car with you!

Seat Belts Must Be Worn

Seat belts are mandatory for all passengers in the vehicle.

Zero Tolerance For Drinking And Driving

Not sure why you would want to drive after drinking any amount of alcohol, but in Iceland, even a hint of alcohol in your system makes you an illegal driver. There is zero tolerance for drinking and driving in Iceland.

Toll Roads In Iceland

Hvalfjord Tunnel is the only toll road in Iceland, and it sits just north of Reykjavik on the ring road. To avoid this toll, you can drive around the fjord instead.

If you opt to take the toll tunnel, it costs 1,500 ISK or roughly 11 USD (in April 2020). You can pay this toll online here.

Driving In Iceland Rental Car Tips

This is a quick guide to frequently asked questions about rental cars in Iceland. To learn more about renting a car in Iceland, check out our Iceland car rental post, made specifically with you in mind!

Don’t Pay The Extra Insurance

Collision damage waivers. Wind insurance. Snow and ice insurance. Gravel and ash insurance. The different kinds of extra car rental insurance are insane. And honestly, if you don’t have the peace of mind of being 100% covered with a travel credit card, I wouldn’t blame you for taking up all the extra insurance the rental agencies offer.

BUT.. this would be sooooo expensive!

Instead, just get a travel credit card that covers all extra insurances like our favorite, the Chase Sapphire Visa. You can deny all extra car insurance coverage when you book and pay for your rental card with this credit card, saving you loads of money and giving you extra peace of mind!

**If you’re driving your own vehicle in Iceland, you simply need a green card to prove your insurance. Otherwise, you’ll need to purchase a third party insurance.

Do You Need A 4×4 Rental Car In Iceland?

Needing a 4×4 in Iceland completely depends on where you want to visit. If visiting Iceland in the winter, you do not need to rent a 4×4 to travel on the normal roads. Snow tires are required with car rentals, and a normal car will be fine in the winter with snow tires and roads being plowed.

If however, you plan on driving on f-roads in Iceland, you will need an all wheel drive vehicle (4×4). It’s worth noting that most car rental insurance plans do not cover the damage to the underside of a vehicle when 4x4ing.

Renting A Car In Iceland Age Restrictions

To rent a car in Iceland you must be at least 21 years of age. However, with that age restriction comes a young driver’s fee with some rental car companies. You must also note that with some car rental agencies, you have to be older to rent a 4×4 vehicle.

Driving In Iceland Tips | Fuel

Fill Up Often

While we never had a problem with gas, we found that in some areas there were pretty long stretches of road without a gas station. While you don’t need to stop at every station you see, don’t let your tank get below a quarter full!

In the rural areas of Iceland, we’ve read that you should actually not let your tank get below half a tank — this grants you the ability to travel down dirt roads maybe a bit further with the peace of mind that you’ll have enough gas!

Generally, petrol stations are open from 7:30 am until 8:00 pm. Keep this in mind when finding fuel.

You Need A Gas Card

Unless you’re using a card with a pin to fill up the tank, you’re going to need a gas card. You can buy these at gas stations, then pre-load them with money to use at the pump.

Filling stations in Iceland aren’t tended to 24/7, so be sure to have a usable card before the gas attendants leave for the day!

Green = Diesel

If visiting Iceland from the United States, you need to pay special attention to the gas pumps! The green gas pumps are diesel while the black is regular unleaded fuel. This is the complete opposite from the US, and you certainly don’t want to end up filling up with the wrong gas!

Driving Iceland In Winter

Snow Tires Or Similar Required

If ferrying your own vehicle to Iceland in the winter, be sure to have snow tires or something similar with you. Snow tires or the like are required for all vehicles in the winter.

If renting a car in Iceland, know that some rental car agencies will highlight the fact they provide snow tires. Don’t be fooled, this is a requirement for them to provide. So even if it’s not highlighted in your rental, know you will get them! Just be sure to check to make sure they have all the studs and a good 3mm of tread on them. If they aren’t up to par, as for a vehicle with better tires.

Short Days = Shorter Distances Planned

Driving Iceland winter time means you’ll not have very long days. Be sure to plan accordingly. Know that daylight hours in Iceland during the winter can be as little as 5 hours a day! Be sure to plan for shorter driving distances in the winter to ensure you don’t have to drive in the dark.

Gravel “F” Roads Close Often

While most of the paved roads in Iceland are plowed and open throughout the winter, a lot of the “f” roads are not, and we even ran into segments of the Iceland Golden Circle not being plowed when we visited in January. Be sure to check the current up-to-date road closures here — it’s a map and is super helpful!

If planning driving Iceland in winter, be prepared to not be able to access all the remote areas of the county.

Snowplows And Windscreen Chips

We kid you not, we got plummeted with rocks from a snow plow causing multiple chips in a big knick out of our windscreen. And this wasn’t due to following to close to a snowplow. The plow was actually on the opposite side of the road driving towards us.

We were so worried we would have to pay for damage, but our rental agency was really nice about it and even after pointing it out to them, we didn’t have to pay for anything.

There’s not much you can do to avoid damage from oncoming traffic, but be sure to keep your distance from vehicles and snowplows in front of you, so you don’t get a damaged vehicle from rocks they kick up!

Scenic Routes Driving Around Iceland

Last Minute Trip to Iceland | impromptu trip to the land of fire and ice | Iceland | vlog#4

Driving The Iceland Golden Circle

Driving Iceland’s Golden Circle is at the top of a lot of people’s bucket lists. Iceland’s Golden Circle boasts gorgeous views, hot springs, gysers, and a heck of a lot of tourists! But hey, if you want to see it.. more power to you!

Keep in mind, driving Iceland’s Golden Circle in the winter may not be an option — as it wasn’t for us. The roads were not plowed and we were only safely able to visit the hot spring in the area.

Reykjavik to Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon

So we technically didn’t drive from Reykjavik, because in 100% honesty, we didn’t even visit Reykjavik! We aren’t big on the city side of places, and want to head straight to the nature.. so that’s just what we did. We drove from the airport to Hverager∂i and then onward to the Glacier Lagoon. This is a great route to take if you’ve only got 7-10 days in Iceland.

There are loads of hot springs, waterfalls, pretty beaches, and cute villages to explore on this route!

Southern Iceland Hot Spring Tour

Stopping in at five hot springs in the south of Iceland, you could do just a Southern Iceland hot spring tour and be as happy as can be. You’ll see Icelandic ponies, waterfalls, and gorgeous scenery while hopping from hot spring to hot spring. Check out these five southern Iceland hot springs to visit while driving in Iceland.

Driving Iceland’s Ring Road

While it may seem like a great idea to drive Iceland’s ring road.. do not do so unless you have ample time, or are visiting in the summer with long daylight hours! Iceland’s ring road, the road circumnavigating Iceland is a total of 1,322 kilometers or just over 820 miles.

That’s a daunting drive taking it straight, but considering that you want to actually explore the country you’re visiting… this drive would take some serious time.

When deciding to drive the entire ring road or not, be sure to keep in mind poor winter weather road conditions, daylight hours during your visit, and stopping time for hikes, scenic viewpoints, and food!

Driving in Iceland can be an intimidating feat. But remember, the freedom you’re given with a car is so worth it! Keep these twelve driving tips in mind when you hit the road! If you think we’ve left anything out, let us know in the comments below.