Rental Car Trip through Iceland

Explore the second largest island of Europe with a rental car

Probably the most comfortable way and the most beneficial way to do an Iceland road trip on your vacation is by hiring a rental car.  Scheduled daily stages and accommodations provide a relaxed setting, within which one can spend the holidays on the second largest island of Europe just as you wish: Stopping for the sandy beach, a volcano hike or a boat trip in a glacier lagoon - everything is possible.
After landing at Keflavik Airport, you can easily reach the first accommodation in Reykjavik by using the airport shuttle bus. The rental car companies deliver the car for your self-drive tour through Iceland right outside the door - and you're ready to go.

Traffic laws in Iceland

What you really need to know!

Left-hand traffic - yes or no? No. Since 1968 the Icelanders also drive on the right-hand side of the road. The most important road of the country is the Hringvegur (in English: “Ring street”), which goes all around the island and connects the most important places of the country.

The Icelanders differentiate: Major roads, minor roads, local access roads and highland roads. Attention: The latter are often only gravel roads on which you also have to do river crossings quite frequently. In addition, there are only limited fuel and rest facilities.

As a rule, in densely populated areas of Iceland there are petrol stations along the main traffic routes at intervals of about 80 km.
However, it can happen that these often-unmanned dispensers don’t accept payment by card – so it is best to only run the tank halfway empty at all times!

Attention:

When paying with your credit card in Iceland, you must always enter your PIN number!

Good to know

Streets and Numbers, Speed limits and Road signs

The streets of Iceland are numbered, the number gives information about your location. Based on that the roads numbered with a 6 lead through the western fjords, while the roads numbered with a 4 can be found in the area around Reykjavik and on the Reykjanes peninsula. Maximum permissible speeds are:

  • 50 km/h in the local area
  • 90 km/h on paved roads
  • 80 km/h on non-paved roads (Usually you need to drive slower anyway)

Two of the most important traffic signs to be followed are "MALBIK ENDAR" - reduce speed as the paved road ends soon - and: "EINBREID BRÚ" - slow down, a one-lane bridge is coming up!

Adventure trip through Iceland

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