On my first day in Iceland I was bursting! My thought: it's like the Isle of Skye on steroids. (If you've been to the Isle of Skye, that statement will floor you.)
The landscape is dramatic and diverse and unlike anywhere else in the world. There are volcanoes and lava fields, glaciers and glacial lagoons, geysers and hot springs, mountains and plateaus.
Steam rises up from the earth and cloud formations seem to reach the ground.
If nature is what you want to see, Iceland is an absolute must.
But, there's also the warmth of the people and culture. Watch for local cultural events to experience Iceland as Icelanders do.
Ah, but my purpose here is to help you plan a safe and exciting road trip. Let's get started.
I'm pleased to update this post with the support of Reykjavik Cars.
General Driving Advice for Iceland
Picking up the rental car involved more instructions than I've ever received before. Here is my list of the most important things to know about driving in Iceland. If you want to go deeper into driving advise for Iceland, definitely read this section from Reykjavik Cars blog.
- Stick or automatic transmission. Most cars in Iceland have standard transmissions. If you don't drive stick, make sure that you book an automatic. Learning to shift in a foreign country is not the best idea.
- Do not go into the high country with the wrong vehicle. Iceland's F-roads are unpaved roads leading into Iceland's interior, the high country. A 4×4 car is compulsory for F-road travel. However, which 4×4 will depend on the road your taking. Typically, regular cars with four-wheel drive are too low to the ground for these roads. Check with your rental company to help you choose the best vehicle for the route you plan to take.
- Conditions and rules can change. Readers should check official sources before driving. Please see the “Daily Checks” section below.
- Pay attention to the speed limits. They are strictly enforced and I saw a number of cars pulled over that were doing maybe 10-15 km/hr over the speed limit.
- Never pull over to the side of a road. Only use designated pullover spots. Why? Because the shoulders are almost non-existent and, I'm guessing, because it's a foggy country. Rather than white and grey cars, it would be helpful if all cars were red and yellow.
- Pay attention on single-lane bridges. Once you're away from Reykjavik you will encounter single-lane bridges. The rule is that the person that gets to the bridge first has the right-of-way.
- Open your doors carefully. I learned the merits of this advice the hard way. On a cliff overlooking the ocean I opened the door and the wind caught it and slammed it open so hard I thought it would come off its hinges. Apparently that has happened before.
- Don't bother with a car in Reykjavik. The city is small and walkable. Plus, there is a decent transit system. When I first booked my car, I booked it from the airport to be dropped off at the airport. When I checked in and the customer service person realized I was going to go into Reykjavik after the drop-off, she made the drop-off in the city. It cost me no more to drop the car there and saved us the cost of transit into the city.
- And then there are the studded tires. I've driven stick since I first learned to drive in my teens. I rarely take note of the tachometer because I can hear when it's time to shift gears. But with studded tires, which are needed in bad winter weather, I couldn't hear the revs of the engine. I often found myself cruising in third gear when I should have been in fifth. Yes, keep an eye on the tach.
Daily Checks Before You Drive Each Day
Before you set out each day, there are a few things to check.
- Road conditions. The road conditions can change quickly. Use road.is to get specific information on the route you have planned.
- Weather conditions. Use vedur.is to learn about the weather but, also, under the News section you'll be updated on any volcanic activity you should be aware of.
- Safety alerts. Safetravel.is is managed by the Icelandic Association for Search and Rescue. This site is full of valuable information covering clothing, hiking, biking, avalanche safety and crevasse maps.
Driving Route Iceland
Driving the full ring road is a classic Iceland road trip but at over 800 miles, or more than 1300 km, it requires at least a couple of weeks to cover well. Yes, it's only about 14 hours of driving, but if you want to do more than just see the landscape fly by, and want to spend a few days in the capital city of Reykjavik, I would recommend 12-14 days.
I had 8 full days in Iceland so I focused on the southeast coast. You can see my driving route in the solid line. It shows that I:
- started in Reykjavik.
- drove to Kirkjubæjarklaustur on arrival day.
- spent two days and three nights in that area exploring. As you can see on the map, I went farther east to Jökulsárlón and beyond to a museum celebrating Þórbergssetur, an Icelandic author.
- went to Geyser for two nights. I don't have an alternative for you but I don't think it was the best place to stay. There's not much there except for the geysers, which are pretty cool, and hiking. Gullfoss is close by. It is on what is called the Golden Circle in Iceland which basically covers highlights accessible from Reykjavik.
- stopped in Reykjavik for three nights. It's a small city with lots of tourist shopping. But there are also museums and a spectacular concert hall. Check out Reykjavik Culture Travel for some of their options.
