Driving is on the right with overtaking on the left. Iceland has more than 8,000 miles of roads but less than 3,000 miles of them being paved. Therefore when you go into the interior of the country you should prepare yourself for a bumpy ride and plan which kind of vehicle you are going to rent accordingly. At certain times of year the roads in Iceland become impassable and you may want to avoid them completely, or take a four wheel drive car.
Landmannalaugar is one of those places of natural beauty where having an off road vehicle is recommended, though these get snapped up quickly and should be rented well in advance. Always take advice from locals who know the roads and take particular care when crossing fords. Having a weather report is vital as conditions can deteriorate quickly and you should plan your petrol and rest stops into your trip. It is forbidden to drive off road and on certain marked tracks. You must always give right of way to domestic animals and always take care when passing horses. Pay attention to the signs in Iceland as paved roads often become gravel roads and you need to change your sped accordingly, especially when this happens on steep and windy roads where one wrong turn could send you off a cliff. High wind speeds are also responsible for many of the accidents in Iceland.
The opening hours of gas stations in Iceland vary but most are open 12 hours per day from 8am to 8pm with some closing at 10pm and even 11pm. If you have a credit card you can usually buy petrol 24 hours a day from the machines. It is not permitted to drive a rental car outside of Iceland; however you may be allowed to rent a car in Norway and take it to Iceland on the ferry. Car rental prices in Iceland are relatively high in conjunction with the high prices across the country.
Don't move your car (unless it is in a dangerous position which might lead to another accident) and wait for the police to arrive. You can call them on 112. It is a legal requirement to carry a warning triangle and this should be used if necessary. In the meantime swap insurance information and addresses with the other driver. If you have a camera handy take pictures of the accident for police and insurance purposes. You should give a copy of the police report to your insurance company.
All passengers must wear seatbelts. Having your headlights on while driving is also mandatory while it is illegal to drive while talking on a mobile phone.
There is one main highway in Iceland which goes from Reykjavik all the way along the coast. It is called the Route 1 Ring Road and you can't miss it.
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Fuel costs about ISK185 per litre which is 1.02 Euros.
The drinking limit is 0.05% and the minimum fine is ISK 70,000 or 386 Euros.
You need to have your driving licence, your passport, some proof of insurance (including third party fire and liability insurance) and your vehicle registration information.
For visitors foreign driving licenses are valid in Iceland.
- Motor oil - motor olia
- Entrance - inngangur
- Detour - krokaleid blylaust bensin
- Diesel - disilolia
- Hospital - spitali
- Police - logregla
- Police Station - logreglustod
- Parking - bilastaedi
- Highway – hradbraut
- Road goes from being paved to Gravel - malbik endar (change your speed down accordingly)
- Unleaded petrol - blylaust bensin
- Gas station - bensinstod
- Exit – otgangur
- One lane bridge – einbreio bru (you should give way to cars already on the bridge)
Toll roads are known as 'toll vegur' in Icelandic. The only toll road in Iceland is at the Hvalfjudor Tunnel which costs ISK 1,000.
- 50 kilometres per hour in built up areas.
- 80 kilometres per hour on open roads.
- 90 kilometres per hour on highways. 90 kilometres per hour is the maximum speed limit and should never be exceeded in Iceland as the penalties are steep.
The conversion from kilometres to miles per hour is one kilometre = 0.62 miles per hour. Therefore the speed in Icelandic built up areas is 31 miles per hour.
To drive in Iceland you should be17 years of age though most rental companies require you to be over 21 years of age with a minimum of one year's driving experience. This can go up to 25 years of age if you are wanting to hire an off road vehicle.
The emergency services number is 112, but if it is not urgent you can call the Reykjavik police on 4141000. In Reykjavik you can also call for a doctor or ambulance on 1770. The Embassy of the United States of America in Iceland is at Laufasvegur 21, Reykjavik, 09728. They can be contacted by phone on 354-562-9100 or by fax on 354-562-9139.
In Reykjavik the parking is metered with the usual time limits being two hours. Finding a parking space in Reykjavik is not difficult and there are numerous multi storey car parks which can be used.