10 Things You Should Know Before Driving in Iceland

Iceland is a beautiful country and chances are you are jumping on the bandwagon to travel to one of the most popular places to visit as of right now. Maybe you have to see the aurora borealis on your bucket list or just have an affinity towards nature or are interested in the foodie side of the land of fire and ice. Hopefully, you have already had time to read about what you should know about renting a car in Iceland before you read this post but nonetheless I thought I would give you a couple of tips to keep you safe and share what you should know about driving in Iceland.

Tip # 1

The wind in Iceland can be….well….gusty and quite strong. That is why it’s very important to keep a very tight grip on the door when you’re opening them. Also, I know you will want to jump out and take photos at random moments, but remember to close the door and not just leave the doors open as the wind can get a hold of the door and hyper-extend the door or another car could drive by and clip the door. That would be a terrible way to get started in your travels around Iceland. The wind also stirs up a lot of dirt and gravel or will blow the volcanic ash, so keep your eyes open and roll up your windows if the dirt/dust gets to be too much.

Tip # 2

The weather changes quickly in almost all areas of Iceland so even if the weather says it’s sunny and warm, you may journey through passes in the road that have strong winds, snow and ice. The weather is also substantially colder at night which is when most people go in search of the Northern Lights.

So, pay attention to the roadway as there may be black ice. It is required that all vehicles have their headlights on during the day and at night for extra safety. So, that might help with your vision but it also helps other drivers see you just in case you get caught in whiteout snow conditions.

Tip # 3

Pay attention to the roadway because animals and livestock roam freely in many parts of Iceland. Yield to any animals in the road and don’t honk your horn as it may scare them and they may jump on or into your car.

Tip # 4

Don’t drive off-road. All the standard roads are marked and you’ll know which ones are off-road. See tip # 6 for signage examples. Driving off-road damages the landscape of Iceland and Icelanders work very hard to keep the natural environment in pristine condition. So do them a solid and follow the rules.

Also, if you purchase the somewhat expensive rental car insurance, many of the companies do not cover damages that occur by going off-road and may even void your rental car coverage if they find out you went off-road.

Tip # 5

Drive at or below the speed limit. I believe the maximum speed in Iceland is 80-90km/h. As previously mentioned, the Iceland road conditions change rapidly due to weather changes and the roads have a lot of twists and turns so you have to exercise additional caution when driving in Iceland especially if using a manual stick shift. Even though the police seem a bit scarce, there still are police that will ticket you if you’re driving too fast. My rental car’s GPS had an audible beep that would let me know that I was driving too fast in a certain portion of the road. That was really helpful. I rented through Budget Car Rental.

Tip # 6

Understand and follow signage!

In conjunction with understanding signage, there are some points where there is a one-lane bridge. You need to yield if you don’t reach the bridge first. It may look like a two-lane bridge from afar but there will be signage leading up to the bridge to indicate it’s a single lane bridge. Once you see the signage, you should start slowing down just in case someone else is already crossing the bridge. You have to yield to traffic already on the bridge as only one car can go at a time.

Tip # 7

Don’t stop on the side of the road. There aren’t really many shoulders to pull off on but there are sometimes pull off stops at certain intervals. Although the roads may seem pretty vacant of other drivers, it’s just not safe to stop partially on/off the road or in the middle of the road to get a gander at the Icelandic horses just over the fence. This is also unsafe, illegal, and dangerous to you and other cars heading your way. You should ALWAYS find a safe place to park the car in a designated parking lot to take photos. 

And even though you may see the Icelandic horses close to the fences that you passed by on your drive, it is also not allowed to feed animals in fences such as horses and other animals. Photos seem to be okay though. 

Tip # 8

There are a lot of roundabouts a.k.a traffic circles mainly within the city limits. You have to yield to traffic in the roundabout. If there is traffic in the inner circle of the roundabout then yield until that traffic has passed where you are entering the roundabout as they may change lanes to exit the roundabout. This could cause you to collide with them if you enter too soon. If you aren’t leaving the roundabout, stay in the left/inner lane until you’re ready to exit.

Tip # 9

As always, please wear your seatbelt. I think a lot of people travel to Iceland and think it’s just like driving in their country of origin. There are a lot of twists and turns and blind corners among other hazards. Iceland has seen an increase in tourist deaths due to not using the seatbelt. It’s really simple guys….pull the seatbelt across your chest and waist and click it. It just might save your life.

Tip # 10

One last tip on paying attention, there are a few rivers that you may have to cross that do not have a paved bridge. If you’re not paying attention, you may blast into the river at full force and damage the engine which I’m pretty sure none of the optional car insurance covers. If you have to cross a river (which are normally on the F roads), drive in the lowest gear and drive slowly. Better yet, just don’t cross rivers to save you the trouble of getting into an emergency situation, possibly drowning if there is a flash flood, or having to pay for the engine/total loss of the rental vehicle which all of the above would ruin your vacation.

Helpful Tidbits

I also suggest downloading the 112 Iceland App if you’ll have cell service. Our rental GPS came with WiFi so we had WiFi everywhere we drove but if you don’t have Wifi but will have cell service, the 112 app can really be a lifesaver. If you happen to get into an emergency, you can just press the red emergency button within the app and your GPS location will be sent to a response center that will try to help get service dispatched to you to assist with your emergency. It’s also cool that there is a check-in button that saves your last 5 locations just in case you don’t check back in at the end of your trip. They can track backward and triangulate where you might be so they can search for you and pinpoint your location.

If you need a sim card to use while you’re traveling and want to have it before you leave your home country, I suggest Drimsim. It works in over 100+ countries and it saves time in having to get a sim card in every country you travel too. You just put the SIM card in and turn your phone on and your phone will automatically search for the carrier(s) that service the country you’re in. Just be sure to read the instructions and reach out to the help desk before you leave your home country if you need any help.

While you are driving along, if you are looking for some of the main sites to stop at along the way, please take a moment to read about the Top 10 Things to See While in Iceland and be sure to stop at the Harpa for an inside look. Safe travels!

If you prefer not to drive, then consider taking a guided tour where transportation is included.

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