Tips

30
Dec
2023
Campervan or Car in Iceland? A Big Comparison

Campervan or Car in Iceland? A Big Comparison

Should you rent a campervan or a car with hotels in Iceland? This is the dilemma many Icelandic visitors face. Those renting a campervan or RV typically stay in campsites to be more flexible and to save money. On the other hand, those renting a car often combine it with staying in hotels or hostels.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of renting a car vs. renting a campervan in Iceland? In short, hotels win clearly when it comes to comfort, but a top choice for those seeking higher flexibility and a lower price is campervans. But your final decision should come down to many more factors.

We’ve tried both camping in a campervan as well as renting a car and staying in hotels over our numerous Icelandic trips. Yet, people ask us this very same question over and over. That’s why we wrote this detailed comparison of all the pros and cons of a campervan vs. a hotel.

This website may contain affiliate links and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps us cover running costs of this website.

Campervan vs. Hotel + Car

Here’s a short comparison of hotels vs. campervans in Iceland:

  • Flexibility: with a campervan, you have full freedom VS. with hotels, you are fixed to a specific place that has to be booked in advance
  • Comfort: a campervan is not quite comfortable in many aspects VS. hotels are definitely very comfortable
  • Price: a campervan and staying in campsites in Iceland is cheaper VS. hotels combined with a car rental
  • Driving: a campervan is bigger, so it’s more difficult to drive VS. the 4×4 capabilities are typically better for non-camper jeeps and cars
  • Winter: camping in winter in Iceland is harsh and limited VS. hotels typically operate all year round in the same way
  • Meals: in a campervan, you have more room to eat and picnic VS. dining out in a normal car is a bit cumbersome, but possible

How to Choose the Best Car for Iceland?

Campervan Pros and Cons

4x4 campervan iceland

4×4 Campervan by Go Campers. 5% discount code: EPICICELAND on all Go Campers campervans

Pros

  1. Full freedom. You can go wherever you want and whenever you want. Being fixated on a specific hotel on a specific day for your entire trip can be frustrating. With a campervan, you are not fixed to anything! Just find the closest campsite when the end of your day is nearing, and you’re done.
  2. Campervan can be cheaper. At least compared to hotels with a rental car. Of course, there are various campervans and various cars/hotels, but this is generally true.
  3. The vibe is great. Imagine waking up, and the first thing you see is a giant waterfall. Yes, that’s entirely possible in Iceland in a campervan.
  4. Free shelter. When the weather turns sour, it’s much more pleasant to spend your time in a campervan compared to a standard car.
  5. Everything at hand. All your things are at hand. They can’t be anywhere else. This can also be a disadvantage, though 🙂
campervan vs car iceland

Campervan vs. Car? This is how it looks inside a CampEasy campervan.

Cons

  1. Comfort is limited. As the space in a campervan is. Also, the heating will never match the one in a hotel. And so will not the bed quality.
  2. It can still be a lot cheaper. If you rent a normal car and camp in a tent in campsites, instead of camping inside of a campervan.
  3. Setting up the beds and tables. When you have to do this twice or three times a day and 14 days in a row, this will not be your favorite activity anymore.
  4. Hygiene is more complicated. Imagine going for a toilet in the middle of the night in the wind and rain at a campsite. This was the thing I hated the most about campervanning in Iceland.
  5. The campervan is not a jeep. It’s impossible to visit hard-to-access places in a campervan. Not even in a 4×4 campervan! Several places in the highlands, like Þórsmörk or central Highlands, are impassable for all campervans.
  6. Winter can be unpleasant. Most of the Icelandic campsites are closed in winter, or their facilities are closed, and you can just sleep there over. Add to that a much colder, windier, and rainier weather, and all the remnants of comfort are gone.

Hotel with Car Pros and Cons

adventure hotel geirland iceland view

The main advantage of a hotel vs a campervan in Iceland is comfort, comfort, and comfort.

Pros

  1. Convenience and comfort. Warm bed, enough space, shower, toilet, oftentimes breakfast included. You know what I mean. Comfort is the bread and butter of staying in hotels or hostels and renting a car in Iceland. And it often beats all the other criteria.
  2. You can go anywhere. You can rent any car you wish, including a super jeep. This means you are free to access any part of Iceland, including all of the Highlands.
  3. Priceless in winter. As we already mentioned, Icelandic winter can be harsh. When staying in a hotel, the only thing you have to care about is getting to the hotel. The rest is taken care of by the hotel staff.
  4. Hotels are often the only restaurant in town. They sometimes even have a hot tub or a pool!
campervan or car iceland

Campervan or Car in Iceland? This is what a large car in front of the Icelandic cabin looks like.

Cons

  1. Price tag. Hotels and hostels are significantly more expensive than campsites.
  2. You have to book them in advance. Iceland has limited accommodation availability, especially in summer. Everyone will recommend you book hotels in advance. However, this limits your flexibility a lot. Free cancellation is typically available only seven or more days before the scheduled stay date.
  3. Plan changes are virtually impossible. If you want to change your plans for whatever reason, be it bad weather, it’s very difficult with hotels already booked. You can do it only partially. Entirely reversing the course of your trip is off the table.
  4. Sticking to hotel hours. You can check-in, check out, and have breakfast only at designated hours. Don’t like them? Well, you don’t have a choice, only to accept them.

Check out all the Discounts on Cars and Campervans and Guided Tours in Iceland

Price Comparison

f575 snaefellsnes iceland

Modified Land Cruiser by e.g. MyCar can pass almost anything

We will now make a real-life comparison of how much it costs to rent a campervan and stay at a campsite VS. how much you will pay for renting a car and staying in a hotel.

Let’s assume two travelers visit Iceland for seven days in July, and they plan to stay along the south coast. They either rent a cheaper 2wd car (Toyota Yaris) and stay in cheap hotels OR they rent a cheaper campervan and stay in campsites.

Renting a car and staying in hotels consists of the following major expenses:

  • Car rental (roughly 90USD/day)
  • Car insurance (roughly 35USD/day)
  • Gas (roughly 25USD/day)
  • Accommodation (roughly 180USD/day)

This adds up to around 330 USD per day per two travelers. So, on average, renting a car with hotels in Iceland costs 330USD per day for a couple.

thingeyri campsite sunset

Picturesque sunset at Þingeyri campsite

Now, here is a cost breakdown when renting a campervan and staying in campsites:

  • Campervan rental (roughly 200USD/day)
  • Campervan insurance (roughly 45USD/day)
  • Gas (roughly 30USD/day)
  • Campsite (roughly 35USD/day)

This sums to 310 USD per day per two travelers. So again, on average, renting a campervan and staying in campsites in Iceland costs about 310USD per day for a couple.

In this particular case, you would save 6% when renting a campervan compared to a car with hotels.

The difference is not huge, though, and can easily be reversed. 4×4 campervans are much more expensive, so in that case, it can be more expensive to rent a campervan and stay in campsites, compared to renting a 4×4 car and staying in a hotel.

In summary, whether it’s cheaper to rent a campervan and camp or to stay in hotels really depends on a particular offer, the type of campervan, and the level of the hotel.

Campervan can be cheaper but also more expensive. There’s no simple answer to this.

Season

iceland winter 4x4 car

Yes, 4×4 car may be very useful in winter in Iceland

Summer

Campervans are most comfortable in summer. That’s the time of the year when you either don’t need the heating at all in Iceland or you need it just during the night.

Secondly, in summer, all campsites are open. This gives you a lot of choices on where to park your campervan.

Thirdly, Icelandic weather is mildest in summer. This means that enjoying a picnic, camping, or overlanding in general is the most pleasant from June to September.

Winter

Camping in winter portrays an entirely different picture. Most of the campsites are either fully closed, or their shower, kitchen, and toilet facilities can be closed. You need to carefully plan for which campsite to choose.

Moreover, the weather is, on average, much harsher in winter or outside of summer. This makes any type of campervanning quite a challenge.

Our Experience

Fellabær camp rooftop tent

Waking up on a beautiful sunny morning in a rooftop tent in Fellabær camp, before our trip to Askja

We tried both a campervan combined with camping and a car with hotels several times when visiting Iceland and both of them had their advantages and disadvantages.

Campervan

During our first trip to Iceland, we rented one of the cheapest “campervans” out there – a car with a rooftop tent. Our aim was to save money, enjoy an authentic Icelandic atmosphere, and be fully flexible. You can read in detail about our rooftop tent car rental experience.

We loved it on nice, sunny days and when campsites were not fully booked. We also enjoyed the full freedom to choose when and where to end our day.

However, we hated arriving at a campsite in the rain and wind, walking through the wet grass and mud in the middle of the night to get to the toilet, and waking up due to cold feet and noses.

Those are the bright and dark sides of a campervan.

hellissandur campsite

Hellissandur campsite on a foggy, rainy evening

Hotels

Our preferred option is to book cheap hotels or hostels and rent a large 4×4 car or a super jeep to explore every inch of Iceland we want without any limits.

This is what we’ve done most of the time after trying a campervan. We love sleeping in a warm hostel room in a proper bed after an exhausting day of exploration. We enjoy a proper shower and toilet and don’t want to bother waiting in a campsite in a shower queue.

What we don’t like about hotels is the inability to change plans last minute. This typically means some days may be wasted due to unfavorable weather, or we need to drive many more miles a day, which can be tiring.

Campervan vs. Motorhome

campervan or motorhome iceland

Campervan vs. Motorhome battle. This is a great RV/Motorhome by Geysir Car Rental, 5% discount code: EPICICELAND

There’s one more option worth considering when visiting Iceland. And that’s renting an RV or, in other words, a Motorhome.

The difference between an RV/Motorhome and a Campervan is that an RV/Motorhome is much bigger than a campervan and has all the facilities like a toilet, shower, and kitchen inside. These are also the main advantages of an RV/Motorhome.

Best Motorhome rental in Iceland? That’s McRent according to reviews.

A quick comparison of an RV/motorhome and a campervan:

  Campervan RV / Motorhome
Price cheaper more expensive
Winter possible not recommended
F-roads, Highlands possible with 4x4 no
Clutch manual / automatic Manual
Parking and Handling easy difficult
Space small huge
Toilet no yes
Shower no yes
Comfortably Sleeps 2-4 people 2-6 people

Motorhome Pros and Cons

motorhome vs campervan iceland

The best Motorhome rental in Iceland is most likely McRent Iceland.

Pros

  1. More spacious. Option for bigger groups willing to stay together or those who value space.
  2. A hotel on wheels. Especially hygiene amenities are a huge plus.

Cons

  1. More expensive than a campervan, but overall affordability depends on the number of people using it and on a particular model.
  2. A motorhome is big, so you can’t easily park it. Also, forget about the Highlands. Motorhomes are not allowed to enter, except the specially modified ones (e.g. Unimog), which are not available for rent in Iceland.
  3. You have to handle the sewage and electricity on a daily basis.

FAQ

Landmannalaugar Brennisteinsalda campsite

Landmannalaugar Brennisteinsalda campsite on a summer evening

Is it cheaper to rent a campervan than to rent a car?

It is typically slightly cheaper to rent a campervan, but this depends on a specific deal and on the model of a campervan, the model of a car, and the type of accommodation you choose.

What is the cheapest way to visit Iceland?

By far the cheapest way to explore Iceland is to rent a standard car and stay in campsites in your own tent.

Should you rent a campervan in Iceland?

You should rent a campervan in Iceland if you want to be flexible, enjoy camping, and are willing to sacrifice the comfort of a hotel room.

Should you rent a motorhome in Iceland?

You should rent a motorhome in Iceland if you prefer spacious RVs with all the facilities and you plan to drive only on main, paved roads around Iceland.

lava car rental campervan

Campervan by Lava Car Rental. Free WiFi discount code on Lava Car Rental: EPICWIFI

Do you have to reserve the campsites in advance?

Most of the Icelandic campsites have enough space, and you don’t need to reserve them in advance.

Can you rent a campervan in winter in Iceland?

Yes, you can rent a campervan in winter in Iceland, but traveling in a campervan in winter is significantly less pleasant due to cold weather and most of the campsites being closed.

Can you visit the Icelandic Highlands with a campervan?

Yes, you can visit some easier-to-reach areas in the Icelandic Highlands with a 4×4 campervan. You can’t visit hard-to-access parts of the highlands, though.

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epic iceland facebook group ask questions or get inspired in our community

Posted by Igor in Tips, 2 comments
12
Jul
2023
Guided Tours or Rent a Car in Iceland?

Guided Tours or Rent a Car in Iceland?

Should you rent a car and self-drive around Iceland or take guided tours? The answer is not straightforward and depends on what you want, what your budget is, and what type of comfort you expect.

Guided tours vs. renting a car is a dilemma many travelers face when visiting Iceland. It’s also one of the most frequent questions we are getting about Iceland. That’s why we decided to write a detailed comparison of both of these options, covering all aspects you should consider.

We’ve personally tried both choices several times over the past years and we have our personal favorite. But let the facts speak for themselves 🙂

Guided Tours vs. Self-Drive

Here’s a quick comparison of renting a car vs. taking tours in Iceland:

Guided Tours Self-Drive
Plans They plan everything for you You have to plan everything
Freedom You have to follow the group all the time You can go wherever you want and whenever you want
Price Typically 30% to 100% more expensive Cheaper, when accounting for all expenses
Safety Icelandic guide will handle all the safety for you You have to drive and follow all the warnings yourself
Crowds Most of the tours will take you to touristy places You can try to find the non-touristy spots yourself
Pace Tours set the fixed pace of their excursions You can slow down, speed up or skip places as you want
Winter Local guide handles driving and weather issues You have to follow the road and weather info yourself
F-roads Easy to access with guide's super jeep Hard to access with a rental car

This website may contain affiliate links and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps us cover running costs of this website.

Self-Drive Pros and Cons

Pros

  1. You are your own boss. Feels like this place is too crowded? You are free to leave whenever you want. Want to stay your entire trip in the north? Why not, just do it. Was it too tiring yesterday, and you would rather spend a day in a hot spring? Go for it.
  2. It’s cheaper. Some argue it’s not, but we are sure it is cheaper to book everything yourself. Considerably cheaper.
  3. Higher privacy. You don’t have to follow any group. Privacy is all yours.
  4. Crowds and timing. You can arrive early in the morning or late in the evening at a potentially crowded spot to avoid these crowds.
  5. Weather flexibility. You can change your itinerary at any time based on the current weather forecast. Is it raining in the south? You can visit the West! And vice versa.

Cons

  1. You have to plan. What car to rent, which company to choose, what insurance to take, where to go, where to eat, where to stop for the toilet. You know what I’m saying.
  2. You are responsible for yourself. You have to follow the road conditions, weather forecasts, all Icelandic rules, etc. There’s no excuse for not knowing any of these.
  3. You need to drive. Well. Driving in Iceland can be difficult if you are not used to driving in the countryside. And it’s especially difficult in winter when roads are icy or full of snow.
  4. Handling winter is challenging. The more so if you have to handle it alone without a local.

Guided Tours Pros and Cons

Pros

  1. Everything is planned for you. The next stop, meal pauses, toilet pauses, parking, stop lengths, and more.
  2. A knowledgeable guide. You will learn much more about Iceland from a local guide than by reading signposts next to the most famous attractions.
  3. A helpful guide. A guide will quickly explain to you where you may go and where you shouldn’t. He’s your walking guidebook and rulebook.
  4. A worry-free trip. The tour company handles literally everything, so you have to do virtually nothing. Including potentially tricky driving.

Cons

  1. You pay for the guide and organization. Due to that, guided tours are more expensive.
  2. You can’t change the schedule. You have to stick to what is planned for you, no matter what.
  3. You have to follow the group and be on time.
  4. Chances are, you won’t be alone. Tour companies rarely go to really off-the-beaten-path places. Except for pricier Super Jeep tours.

nice travel guided tour

Multi-day guided tour in Iceland by NiceTravel, 5% discount code: EPICICELAND

Price Comparison

Let’s assume two travelers in July are considering taking a 7-day ring road guided tour or renting a Dacia Duster (cheaper 4×4), self-driving, and staying in hostels.

A self-drive trip consists of the following major expenses:

  • Car rental (roughly 130USD/day)
  • Car insurance (roughly 35USD/day)
  • Gas (roughly 25USD/day)
  • Accommodation (roughly 180USD/day)

This adds up to around 370 USD per day per two travelers, with meals and optional tours excluded.

A guided multi-day tour would cost you around 250-300 USD per day per person, i.e., on average, about 550 USD per couple.

Using this specific example, a guided tour in Iceland is roughly 50% more expensive than a rental car with a self-drive.

Fellabær camp rooftop tent

Us Renting a car and self-driving around Iceland

Day Tours vs Multi-Day Tours

You can take two different types of tours in Iceland – a Day tour or a Multi-Day tour.

Day Tours

A day tour lasts just one day, leaves from one place, and arrives back at the very same place. 90% of the day tours in Iceland start and end in Reykjavik. Transport may or may not be included in the day tour.

Some examples of fantastic Icelandic day tours are:

north sailing whale watching

Whale-watching Day Tour by North Sailing from Husavik, 10% discount code: EPICICELAND

Multi-Day Tours

A multi-day tour lasts at least two days. This means, it always includes also accommodation! That’s the main reason why it’s more expensive than two separate day tours. A multi-day tour, of course, also includes all the transportation. Meals and optional add-on tours are typically not included in the price.

Some examples of excellent Icelandic multi-day tours include:

arctic adventures multi day guided tour

Amazing multi-day guided tours by Arctic Adventures, 5% discount code: in our newsletter

Season

The month you plan your trip for is an important factor in deciding between renting a car and taking a guided tour. Winter in Iceland is notoriously known due to unpredictable weather. This makes winter driving difficult, especially for those with no winter driving experience.

Summer

Are you planning your trip for the summer months of June, July, or August? This is the time when all campsites are open, and roads are the easiest to drive. So, if you are unsure about driving in Iceland, better visit the country in summer.

What should you consider in summer when it comes to self-drive vs. guided tours?

  • A lot of tourists everywhere.
  • Frequent and unpredictable rain, fog, and wind.
  • Campsites are open, and roads are much easier to drive compared to winter.

f261 iceland

Self-drive in Iceland on F261 in the highlands with our “super jeep” Modified Land Cruiser

Winter

On the other hand, if you want to observe the northern lights and you plan your trip to take place in winter, you should take special care. Get yourself ready for possible:

  • Road closures. You may not get to your next accommodation.
  • Snow, black ice, wind, rain, and weather alerts.
  • More frequent plan changes.
  • Shorter daylight hours.

Trip type

Another factor worth considering when choosing between guided tours and renting a car is how you want to spend your time.

Seeing the Main Highlights

If your aim is to experience mainly the most well-known spots in Iceland, you should be well off taking a guided tour. Are you looking for a Golden Circle, South Coast, Blue Lagoon, or the Ring Road in 7 days? All of these are perfectly covered by tour companies.

When visiting the main attractions, you will see basically the same with the tour company as well as when going by yourself. That means plus one point for guided excursions in this case.

iceland winter 4x4 car

We decided to rent a car and self-drive also in winter. This requires winter driving experience, some flexibility, and a bit more planning.

Seeing the Remote Places

If you want to primarily explore the Icelandic hidden gems, you would be better off renting a car and going on your own. Another option is to take pricier super jeep tours or hire a private guide. That is by far the most expensive option.

Harder-to-access places, or the spots off the classical tourists’ routes, are typically omitted by guided group tours in Iceland. There are several reasons why it might be so:

  • It simply takes too much time to reach them.
  • There is no infrastructure nearby (toilets, restaurants, etc.).
  • They may not be as shiningly beautiful compared to the places everyone visits.

Atmosphere

If you are more sociable and you instead enjoy talking to other people than sitting somewhere alone, you would most likely enjoy guided tours much more, opposite to self-drive. Icelandic tours are typically reasonably limited when it comes to the number of attendees. A typical guest limit is 19 persons, but it, of course, varies among companies.

local guide ice cave tour

Fantastic Vatnajokull Ice Cave and Glacier hike tours by Local Guide, 5% discount code: EPICICELAND

On the other hand, if you came to Iceland for its remoteness and isolation, bus excursions most likely wouldn’t be your thing. Iceland is a great country if you want to enjoy silence and some time to spend just with your fellow travelers and no one else. There are many places around the island where you will be alone. But only in case you rent a car and self-drive.

Our Experience

Long story short, our ideal combo is to rent a car, explore Iceland on our own by self-driving, and occasionally take day tours where it makes sense. Why?

Well, we are young, adventurous, and enjoy freedom and flexibility. Moreover, the biggest part of Iceland’s charm, for us, includes experiencing remote places far away from everybody else.

Some of our favorite activities include hiking somewhere in the middle of Iceland at a place nobody would Google or bathing in a wild hot spring that used to serve as a sheep-cleaning facility.

F235 towards Langisjór

Driving by yourself around Iceland may be magical and tough at the same time

On the other hand, for some activities in Iceland, like hiking glaciers, visiting ice caves, or watching whales in the open ocean, you must take a tour with a professional guide. And we happily do that! In that case, we prefer really small groups, sometimes also called “semi-private,” and rather pay a bit more to not be on the bus with 30 other people.

That being said, not everybody is like us! I can imagine many visitors simply don’t enjoy wild and dirty hot springs without any dressing rooms. So, please choose whether to go for guided tours or rent a car in Iceland based on your personal preferences.

FAQ

Is it better to drive or take tours in Iceland?

If you prefer freedom, flexibility, fewer crowds and want to save some buck, then self-drive may be your best choice in Iceland. On the other hand, if you don’t want to plan anything, want a local guide or you are visiting in winter and don’t have a winter driving experience, then taking tours might be your best option.

Is it cheaper to rent a car or buy guided tours in Iceland?

Most of the time, renting a car is significantly cheaper than buying guided tours in Iceland. It’s typically 30% to 100% cheaper to rent a car.

Remember, though, that for some activities like ice caves, glacier hikes, whale-watching, or snowmobiles, you must take a guided day tour, and there’s no other option.

thorsmork winter super jeep tour

Best super jeep day tours in Iceland are run by Midgard Adventure, 10% discount code: EPICICELAND10

Do you need a guided tour in Iceland?

You have to take guided tours in Iceland only for specific activities, like whale-watching, hiking a glacier, visiting an ice cave, riding a snowmobile, an ATV, or a horse. You don’t need to take guided tours for sightseeing, driving, and hiking around Iceland. But you can, of course, use guided tours if you don’t want to plan or explore independently also for sightseeing.

Are guided tours in Iceland worth it?

Most of the guided tours in Iceland are of very high quality with friendly and knowledgeable local guides, so they surely are worth experiencing. The tours are not cheap in Iceland, though, so you need to decide which tours to take based on your budget and preference.

Should you rent a car in Iceland?

You can easily rent and drive a car in Iceland if you are used to driving in the countryside. Iceland’s main roads are paved and well-maintained one-lane roads. In winter, they often get icy and snowy, though, so you need a winter driving experience to stay safe.

When should you rather buy guided tours in Iceland?

You should buy guided tours in Iceland if you don’t want to plan anything or drive and you prefer an experienced local guide to take control of everything.

snowmobiling from gullfoss

Best Snowmobiling day tours in Iceland are offered by Mountaineers of Iceland, 5% discount code: see here

Is driving in winter in Iceland safe?

Driving in Iceland in winter requires a winter driving experience. Icelandic roads are fully paved and well-maintained, but in winter, they often become slippery or covered with a snow layer.

Do guided tours take you to hidden gems?

Most of the time, only super jeep tours in Iceland will take you to the so-called “hidden gems”. These are the places far away from the usual touristy routes, that are hard to access.

What are the Best Guided tours in Iceland?

There are many fantastic guided tours and fabulous tour companies in Iceland with top reviews. We wrote a list of the best summer guided tours in Iceland, where we feature only such companies. We also wrote a list of the best winter guided tours in Iceland with the same criteria to include only the best providers.

What is the best way to travel around Iceland?

The cheapest and most flexible way to travel around Iceland is to rent a car and stay in various accommodations around the country. Another great option is to rent a campervan if you like camping and don’t want to book lodgings in advance.

If you don’t want to plan or care much about your trip, or if you are visiting in winter without any winter driving experience, then the safest way to travel around Iceland will be to take guided tours from Reykjavik or multi-day guided tours around Iceland.

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epic iceland facebook group ask questions or get inspired in our community

Posted by Igor in Tips, 10 comments
08
Jan
2022
Icelandic road system

Icelandic road system

The Icelandic road system is pretty simple, yet very interesting. And so are most of the Icelandic roads. Stunningly beautiful, yet sometimes pretty difficult to drive through. The more difficult roads you go for, usually, also the more beautiful the surrounding landscapes are. For difficult roads (F-roads and dirt tracks) you have to prepare thoroughly in advance, though. And to do that, it’s also good to understand the Icelandic road system.

Important read: How to choose the proper car for Iceland.

Icelandic road system explained

In the most simplified words possible – the more digits the road contains, the more difficult it is 🙂 If the road doesn’t even have a number, then it’s probably even the most difficult and unmaintained one.

The ring road

The ring road – the road no. 1. This is the main and the most famous road which leads around the entire Iceland. In good weather, you may drive it in any car.

iceland ring road

Somewhere on the ring road.

The 2-digit roads

The two-digit roads, e.g. 54. These are the turns/detours from the ring road. Still paved and well-maintained roads. Sometimes may be steeper and narrower (e.g. in Westfjords). In winter, it’s highly recommended to drive a 4×4 car on them.

Dynjandi Vestfjarðavegur road 60

Road 60, or Vestfjarðavegur in Westfjords towards Dynjandi waterfall

The 3-digit roads

The three-digit roads, e.g. 939. These are the roads of worse quality / terrain / maintenance compared to the ring road and the two-digit roads. Usually, these are “dirty” roads, where you drive on the dust, or some kind of gravel, but they are still passable with a 2-wheel drive car in good weather conditions. That can’t be said about worse weather conditions, though – and winter. Always use a 4×4 when driving in worse conditions on three-digit roads.

road 643 near Arneshreppur

Overview of Strandavegur, a.k.a. road 643

The three-digit roads vary in quality highly. Sometimes they have a lot of potholes and washboards. Sometimes they are narrow and steep. Sometimes they are just straight, good-quality roads that are just not completely paved. The three-digit roads never contain unbridged river crossings, though.

Enjoy car rental discounts and tour discounts in Iceland for our readers.

F-roads

F-roads, e.g. F905. The most famous Icelandic roads are undoubtedly F-roads. Some are afraid about driving on them, some love them. All of you have probably read a lot about F-roads already so I’m not gonna go into general info.

Shortly, F-roads are highland roads that are too remote or too difficult to be paved or regularly maintained. Very often they contain unbridged river crossings of various sizes (though, not always, e.g. F985, F946, F347, …). F-roads may be (and often are) difficult also in many other aspects – steep, narrow, big holes, bad grip, big gravel, sharp stones, uneven ground, etc.

f899 flateyjardalsvegur iceland

F899 Flateyjardalsvegur

It’s compulsory to drive the F-roads only with 4×4 cars. F-roads are also officially open only in summer (usually July and August). It’s possible to drive the F-roads also outside of summer, however, there is no winter service, which means they are not maintained and most of the time they are virtually impossible to drive on. Outside of the summer, most of the F-roads are passable only by huge super jeeps and experienced drivers. Snow is one of the biggest road dangers in Iceland. See below the section explaining the difference between “impassable”, “closed” and “no winter service” road.

F-roads also often get closed due to bad weather, bad road conditions, too much rain etc. – see the section below – road alerts and weather alerts.

Most of the car rental insurance packages also do not cover many common damages which occur on F-roads (such as damaging the undercarriage/chassis of your vehicle). For example, there is only one company – Lotus car rental – which insures you also for water damage / river crossings. No other company does this!

Luckily, there’s an external insurance provider which can insure you against everything (except river crossings) for an affordable price, which we always use when renting cars in Iceland. RentalCover gives you better coverage for a lower price compared to local insurance packages. If you are interested in more details about how car rental insurance works in Iceland, we wrote an article about how to choose the best car rental insurance in Iceland.

We also wrote a detailed list of all F-roads to help you navigate through beautiful and difficult Icelandic highland roads.

f985 vatnajokull glacier

F985 Vatnajokull glacier

Dirt tracks

Dirt tracks, e.g. Krakatindur. “Dirt tracks” is not the official name. It’s a term I use for unpaved non-F-roads which are still considered to be roads and are perfectly legal to drive on (in a proper vehicle and conditions). Most of them, you will not find on Google maps. But you should find all of them on the Icelandic map Iskort.

If the road isn’t marked as a “road” on this map and it doesn’t lead to any settlement/hut then it is forbidden to drive through it and it’s considered off-road driving (see the section below).

emstrur track markarfljotsgljufur

Some well-known dirt tracks in the south include the Krakatindur track (Krakatindsleið), Skaelingar track, Hungurfit track, and several more. The list is pretty long, though. We list some of the dirt tracks in our List of all F-roads. Most of these tracks do have names and if you arrive at their beginning you will find a metal or wooden sign next to it pointing towards a final destination (which is usually a hut or some locally well-known place).

These dirt tracks are the least maintained and often the most difficult Icelandic roads. Some insurance packages are not applicable at all. They are covered by RentalCover insurance packages, though. That’s why we always use RentalCover for insurance when renting cars in Iceland. These tracks are often steep, uneven, full of potholes, may contain big river crossings, there’s often no network coverage and the traffic is very scarce, meaning if anything happens, any help may be far away.

Skælingar blautulon track langisjor iceland

Between Skælingar track and Blautulón track to Langisjór

Moreover, many car rental companies explicitly forbid you to drive on Icelandic tracks. Even with 4×4 cars, it’s often forbidden. F-roads are allowed, but not dirt tracks. Always ask your car rental company and/or read your rental car terms and conditions! If you rent a super jeep, however, these tracks are usually allowed to drive on.

  1. Please, be very careful and prepare well in advance when driving dirt tracks.
  2. Never go during weather or road alerts.
  3. Don’t go outside of summer.
  4. Have backup plans ready, enough food and water.
  5. Most importantly, take a proper car – a super jeep.
  6. Ask someone, ideally a ranger, before going.
  7. Study the tracks in guides like our List of all F-roads.
  8. And if you are not willing to put up all these efforts, then definitely DON’T DRIVE them yourself, take a specific guided tour or a private super jeep tour!

Read our guide on how to choose the best insurance for your car rental in Iceland.

Road alerts and weather alerts

The most important thing to look at – and to begin with – are the weather and road alerts. You can find most of these summarized on the website www.safetravel.is. Weather-related alerts are also to be found on en.vedur.is. Road-related warnings are displayed on road.is.

Please always CHECK THESE FIRST. If everything is OK, then proceed with the planning of your trip further. These alerts appear all year round in various forms, so please read them daily.

f207 around laki craters

F207 around Laki craters in rainy weather

For example, during our stay in August, it rained a bit more for 3 days and some of the roads became impassable even in the middle of the summer. We planned to cross the country via F26, only to realize the day before the trip that it was marked impassable due to high water level in the Hagakvisl river. We had to change our plans, but better to change your plans than to get your 50 000 Eur worth car rental drown in the river. Or worse – to end up in the river yourself.

The other day there was a strong wind warning for the Snaefelssnes peninsula, hence we decided not to travel there. All of these warnings are useful and can help you save time, nerves, health and money.

Impassable vs. Closed vs. No winter service

This is often mistaken by visitors. Usually, it goes like this:

Tourist: “F249 is impassable.“

Icelander: “Impassable doesn’t mean closed.“

Tourist: “What? But it’s impassable, isn’t it?“

closed impassable road iceland

The difference between the a) closed, b) impassable and c) no winter service road in Iceland

Let’s clear this up:

  • Impassable – this means the road is impassable for a typical visitor with a typical 4×4 car, i.e. impassable for virtually all tourists. But not for Icelanders with a super jeep and local experience. It is NOT forbidden to drive this road. BUT, the chances are (99%) you would not be able to drive it without help. An Icelandic guide can take you here, or you can use a special convoy service or a private sit-in guide. Even they can do it only in good conditions. Please don’t drive the impassable road yourself alone, you can die. 
  • No winter service – this is very similar to “Impassable”, but it’s softer. No winter service means the road is NOT closed. BUT, (if this is the F-road) the chances are (50-90%) you would not be able to drive it without help. There may be 1-meter deep snow, fast-flowing unbridged rivers, or simply anything else because the road just isn’t maintained at all. Again, An Icelandic guide can take you here, or you can use a special convoy service or a private sit-in guide. Please don’t drive the “no winter service” F-road yourself alone, you can get injured. If it’s not an F-road, it’s slightly better but still can be dangerous to drive.
  • Closed – this is the only official sign which really makes it illegal to drive the road. No one can drive the closed road under any circumstances.
iceland snow f-road

This is how an F-road in great condition looks like when it snows

Off-road driving

Off-road driving is illegal and strictly forbidden in Iceland. This is rule number one. If you drive off the road, you may get a hefty fine of several tens of thousands of Euros/Dollars. The reason is, Icelandic nature is very fragile, and if you e.g. drive through the moss, it may die completely and never grow again. But not everyone understands what off-road driving actually means.

What is off-road driving

  • If you drive away from any road – be it normal road, F-road, or any official Icelandic track
  • If there’s a puddle/water in the middle of the road and you drive away from the road (e.g. on a moss) to avoid it
  • Look at the picture below which depicts it nicely:
off-road driving iceland

What is off-road driving in Iceland?

What is NOT off-road driving

  • Driving through a puddle in the middle of the road
  • Driving on the impassable / no winter service road (if you really stick to the actual road, if not, it’s illegal driving!)
  • Driving on the dirt track which is not on Google Maps and it’s not even an F-road, but it’s on Icelandic maps  
hekla f-road iceland

The final ascent of the Hekla track.

The main roads and F-roads are not the only legal roads to drive on in Iceland. There are also “dirt tracks”, usually a road with clear tracks and a sign pointing to their endpoint (e.g. “Hekla”). It’s OK to drive there – BUT – they are usually very difficult (more than F-roads), require a big car and you will drive there entirely on your own responsibility. Check your car rental terms, the chances are it’s forbidden to drive a dirt track unless you rented a super jeep. More on the dirt tracks above.

If there are tracks on the ground, which you cannot find on any maps, nor a local Icelandic map and the tracks don’t lead to any hut / settlement, then this is illegal off-road driving and you are forbidden to do it. Hence, a good rule of thumb is – if you can’t find the road on any map – don’t drive there!

krakatindur track near hekla

Krakatindur track near Hekla. Watch out for your car’s ground clearance!

Free maps of Icelandic roads

The easiest and most accessible set of maps for Iceland – available also for a free offline download – is Google maps. If you find the road on Google maps, 99% of the time you may drive there (of course except for road alerts and weather alerts which Google doesn’t have). Google maps don’t have all the Icelandic roads though and aren’t entirely precise. That’s why it’s good to combine them with local Icelandic maps:

Vegasja

vegasja.vegagerdin.is/eng/ is a great, updated, official source of all regular Icelandic roads and F-roads. This is a good and precise set of local Icelandic maps. It doesn’t have dirt tracks marked on it, though.

vegasja local online map iceland

Vegasja – local updated online map of Iceland

Iskort

vefsja.iskort.is/ is probably the best set of online Icelandic maps I’ve found. They were recommended to me by my friend Haraldur – thank you for that. This map contains also almost all dirt tracks and thus is the most comprehensive Icelandic map source you may possibly find.

iskort local icelandic map

Iskort is the best local Icelandic map with all roads and dirt tracks.

Karta GPS

A great Icelandic road map mobile app is available also for free offline download. Content-wise it’s one of the greatest and you can use it as a navigation! It contains almost all of the roads, including dirt tracks and even a lot of hiking trails! Graphically, it’s maybe not that pleasant compared to the options above, but it serves its purpose well.

Videos of Icelandic roads

We tried to record all of the drives we made in Iceland recently. Subscribe to our Epic Iceland YouTube channel and get the newest videos first.

Our friend Ervin makes wonderful F-road driving videos as well. He has a pretty successful F-road YouTube channel himself, definitely follow him!

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Posted by Igor in Tips, 14 comments
26
Dec
2021
How to find a nice weather in Iceland?

How to find a nice weather in Iceland?

The aim of this guide is to help you assess the weather conditions at a particular place during your visit in Iceland. It works best in the summer season (June to September), although we believe there’s a lot of useful info also for the other seasons. Always check first the safetravel.is website and road.is for any travel and road warnings – these are priority number one.

In the winter, please additionally to all rules below – carefully consider also snow conditions and shorter daylight hours.

vestrahorn in rain iceland

Vestrahorn in rain

Beginner’s mistakes in the Icelandic weather forecast

1. “The forecast shows rain all of the time!”

Us: OK, what did you look at?

He: “What, what? The forecast!”

Us: OK, but what forecast? 🙂

He: “Like what, what? On google”.

The forecast on Google is from weather.com and this forecast sucks entirely. It usually shows rain everywhere almost all of the time, because there’s a CHANCE it can rain. Yes, there’s a chance everywhere and all of the time in Iceland that it can rain 🙂 But such a forecast is useless. Please when looking at the forecast, look at the official Icelandic meteorological office website en.vedur.is. This is the most precise forecast.

2. “I looked at en.vedur.is and it shows rain in the south!”

OK, once again, what did you look at? This general country forecast?

iceland weather forecast

General local Icelandic weather forecast screen

This is a good indication of the entire weather situation in the country, but the weather may change rapidly also LOCALLY. In order to find out what the weather might be at your points of interest, look at the regional/local forecast of the specific place you plan to visit.

3. “I looked at the specific place where I plan to go at en.vedur.is and it shows rain!”

OK, good, and did you look at the intensity of the rain? Did you look specifically at the rain forecast itself, not just a general weather forecast? There’s a section called “precipitation” at en.vedur.is which you should study precisely.

heavy rain forecast iceland

Your best chances for no rain are at Snaefellsnes. Although, it may rain there as well, of course, but probably less than elsewhere.

4. “I looked at the weather forecast and the next week should be beautiful”

OK, good for you, but please don’t rely on a 1-week ahead forecast. This is simply too long for Iceland to hold without changes. It’s more than possible that the 1-week ahead forecast will change entirely. Unfortunately, it is not possible to plan according to the weather that far ahead. In our experience, the forecast becomes very reliable some 1-2 days before the planned date.

5. “The forecast for Fimmvorduhals hike for tomorrow shows nice weather and no rain”

OK, great. The chances are, you are all set for the beautiful day. But never forget to check the WIND as well. The wind may be very strong and dangerous, especially in the mountains. If the weather is generally nice in the summer, the wind usually isn’t that strong. But it may be. So please, better make sure and check the specific wind forecast as well.

Where to find the precise Icelandic weather forecast

In the above lines, we tried to present some examples of how NOT to look at the Icelandic weather forecast. We also mentioned some ways how the forecast can be improved. Let’s summarize them here. So, in the first place – where to find the precise Icelandic weather forecast? At en.vedur.is. This is the official forecasting website of the Icelandic meteorological office and you will hardly find any better for Iceland.

Next thing – don’t look just at the general forecast – icons of sun/clouds/rain, temperature, wind speed. Go more into detail.

Firstly, search for the location of your interest and look at that particular region:

iceland forecast regions

Regional forecast

Secondly, look at the dedicated precipitation forecast and then at the dedicated wind forecast. These are the most precise estimates of rain and wind throughout the country and at your place of interest. We were surprised to realize how many visitors don’t know about these two forecasts at all:

rain and wind forecast iceland

LEFT: This is how a “rain forecast” may look like in detail. Many places with no rain at all! RIGHT: a bit windy weather, better avoid Snaefellsnes!

Thirdly, don’t plan too much ahead (like 1-week or more). The most precise and reliable forecasts are the ones 1-2 days before the desired date.

Fourthly, look at the evolution in time. If the forecast shows no rain just during a particular hour, but rain during all other times, the chances are you will experience rain anyway. On the other hand, if the forecast shows rain just at a particular hour and no rain for the rest of the day, the chances are you will not experience rain at all.

How to read the Icelandic weather forecast

Let’s say you plan to do the Fimmvorduhals hike the day after tomorrow (as we planned here). How to find out as precisely as possible what weather to expect?

First of all, let’s precisely locate the Fimmvorduhals trail in the map of en.vedur.is. After short research you should realize it’s about here:

fimmvorduhals weather forecast

Fimmvorduhals hike located on a general weather forecast map

This (and a few kilometers around) is the place you should be looking at in all of the forecasts. So let’s now locate it in the more detailed regional forecast at en.vedur.is:

fimmvorduhals weather forecast

Fimmvorduhals hike located on a local weather forecast map.

Better, but we still don’t know where exactly the rain showers will be and what the wind will be like. So let’s firstly look at the rain forecast:

fimmvorduhals rain forecast evolution

Fimmvorduhals rain forecast evolution

What we aim for is no rain (default brown-pinkish ground color) or little rain (occasional yellow color). Anything other is just a stronger rain. Always scroll in time throughout your desired day. If there’s no rain at all during all different times, the chances are there will be no rain also in reality.

In the example above, there’s actually no rain at the Fimmvorduhals pass at all. There’s a lot of rain nearby, though. Thus, the chances are, that most likely there should be no rain – if the rain area doesn’t move to the west. Now let’s do the same also with the wind forecast:

fimmvorduhals wind forecast evolution

Fimmvorduhals wind forecast evolution

Here we aim for the lightest green color. The darker it gets, the worse. Ideally, it should stay at green, or at worse blue – this is already a considerable wind you will feel. Anything worse might be already dangerous. Same as with the rain forecast, please analyze the wind throughout the day. In the example above the wind should be fine.

What if it rains everywhere?

If you look at the detailed local forecast – as we described above – most of the time you are able to find places with little or no rain. This is the strategy we used and thanks to it experienced almost no rain during our last 18-day long trip. Even if the forecast stated rain for most of the country.

Sveinstindur near Langisjor

Upper part of the hike on Sveinstindur near Langisjor lake on a foggy day with slight rain

Nevertheless, sometimes there are really days when it simply rains almost everywhere and almost during the entire day. Does it mean your day is completely lost then? Not at all. Although your options are a bit narrowed down, you still have plenty of them. We wrote an entire article about what to do when it rains in Iceland.

Weather and road alerts

The most important thing to look at – and to begin with – is the weather and road alerts. You can find most of these summarized on the website www.safetravel.is. Weather-related alerts are also to be found on en.vedur.is. Road-related warnings are displayed on road.is.

Please always CHECK THESE FIRST. If everything is OK, then proceed with the planning of your trip further. These alerts appear all year round in various forms, so please read them daily.

For example, during our stay in August, it rained a bit more for 3 days and some of the roads became impassable even in the middle of the summer. We planned to cross the country via F26, only to realize the day before the trip that it was marked impassable due to the high water level in the Hagakvisl river. We had to change our plans, but better to change your plans than to get your 50 000 Eur worth car rental drown in the river. Or worse – to end up in the river yourself.

iceland august impassable road

The road F26 becomes impassable in August due to heavy rain.

The other day there was a strong wind warning for the Snaefellsnes peninsula, hence we decided not to travel there. All of these warnings are useful and can help you save time, nerves, health, and money.

We hope this guide helped you at least a little bit with the planning of your trip. If you have any questions or ideas, always feel free to post them in the comments section.

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Posted by Igor in Guide, Tips, 11 comments
23
Dec
2020
How to cross rivers – 2025 guide

How to cross rivers – 2025 guide

River crossings are the main challenge of Icelandic F-roads. If it wasn’t for them, 95% of F-roads would be easy to pass. However, they do exist and create a significant obstacle. Improper river crossings may cause huge and expensive damages to your car. In extreme situations, even your life may be at stake. That being said – prepare thoroughly for your river crossings! Here is a detailed guide on how to cross a river in Iceland.

With river crossings, it all comes down to HOW, WHERE and WITH WHAT.

By HOW I mean general rules for a safe river fording. It’s essential to adhere to them, no matter how big your car is.

By WHERE I mean where are you crossing. What is the type of river? How big is it? What is the season? How much did it rain recently?

By WITH WHAT I mean the type of vehicle you are operating. Generally said, the bigger the better – but it’s more complicated.

How to safely cross Icelandic rivers? (HOW)

  1. Make a plan. Do you have a proper car? What types of rivers are in your way? Are you equipped sufficiently? Think before.
  2. Check the road conditions. If they say impassable, don’t even try it yourself. Isak 4×4 can help you with their Convoy driver or sit-in guide. If they say passable, read further. What does it mean passable, impassable, and no winter service? Here is the explanation of Icelandic road states.
  3. Examine the river.
    • So you arrived at the river. If you can see with your eyes that it’s a small river or even just a pond, you may usually proceed with passing. What’s a small river? Read below in “WHERE“.
    • If you can’t assess the depth with your eyes, find out physically. Go into the river. How are you supposed to do that in ice-cold water? Get inspired by how we’ve done it.
    • Alternatively, wait for someone else (ideally with a similar car) to pass.
  4. Compare the river to your car. The essential thing is, whether your air intake is high enough above the water level. But that’s not the only thing. See below in “WITH WHAT“.
  5. Stay inside yellow markers. Those mark the area allowed for crossing (and usually also shallowest). They are situated on the borders of a passable area.
  6. Go for the shallowest part.
    • If it’s a medium-sized or even a bigger river, it’s really important to cross it through the shallowest part. This is usually NOT the exact middle of the river crossing, but rather its sides.
    • This is usually NOT where the river is calm – that’s typically the deep part. Better find a part where you can see the stream of river running into pebbles and cross on that pebbles.
  7. Turn 4×4 mode on.
  8. Drive slowly.
    • First, max second gear, around 10kph to create a little “wave” around your car. Ride that wave.
    • If you drive too quickly, water will splash into your engine and your car may be dead. See below in “WITH WHAT“.
  9. Don’t stop. Don’t switch gears. If you do, you may not get the car going again. Don’t get scared by your car shaking inside the river, just go steady.
  10. Down the stream. If it’s possible, go with the stream, not against it. This will lower the chances the water will get into your engine.
  11. Stay near the rope. Sometimes there’s a rope in the river. It’s not there by coincidence. Rangers installed it there typically to indicate the shallowest part. Drive near the rope, this should be the best spot to cross the river.

Don’t want to fear paying for your drowned car? Use Lotus! Now with our 5% discount.

What types of river crossings are in Iceland? (WHERE)

The basic categorization can be made according to the depth of the river crossing.

  1. PONDS
    • Up to 20cm / 8 inches.
    • If the depth of a river crossing is this shallow, you don’t have to bother much about crossing at all. It’s doable with any car, even with a 2wd one.
  2. SMALL
    • 20 to 40cm / 8-16 inches.
    • Here some ground clearance of your car starts to make sense. I consider 40cm to be still a small river but it’s already a non-trivial crossing. If you do it wrong, you may end up like this.
  3. MEDIUM
    • 40 to 70cm / 16 to 28 inches.
    • This is already some decent river crossing. You will probably not get drowned but you may waste your car easily.
    • It’s still a manageable crossing though, even for beginners! You just have to adhere to river crossing rules strictly and drive a proper car.
    • Examples: F208 south, F235, F224, F910 
  4. BIG
    • More than 70cm / 28 inches.
    • I would avoid these at all costs if I was a river crossing beginner. Not only may you waste your car, but you could also get yourself seriously injured, if not killed.
    • You need to have a combination of a) proper car, b) adhering to river crossing rules, and c) experience
    • Examples: F233, F249, sometimes F26, F88, F210 

The depth of the river is the single most important factor when it comes to a river crossing. There are of course several other aspects influencing your fording:

  • Has it rained heavily for a few days? Add some centimeters on top of your expected river depth.
  • Is it just early summer? Glacial rivers will have substantially more water compared to the late summer.
  • What is the riverbed like? Is it stony or muddy? If it’s muddy, it will be harder for you to ford.

What car do I need to cross rivers? (WITH WHAT)

Ok now you know HOW to cross and WHERE will you be crossing. It’s time to get to WITH WHAT. A right car is essential. But how are you supposed to know what car is the right one? Of course, we are talking only about 4wd/4×4 now:

  1. The bigger the ground clearance (and wheels), the better. Because of several reasons. Firstly, your air intake will be higher (see below). Secondly, the chances you will get stuck in a river are lower. Thirdly, the chances, you will damage your undercarriage are lower.
  2. The higher the air intake, the better. Study this one carefully. The main risk with river crossings is flooding your engine with water (then the engine usually becomes dead). This happens once the water reaches an air intake of your car. The water level should be AT LEAST 10cm/4inch below your air intake!
  3. The stronger engine, the better. Inside rivers, some additional horsepower may only help. BUT – use your horsepower on the lowest/2nd lowest gear only when crossing the rivers!
  4. Snorkel is a plus. If your car has a snorkel installed, it basically deals with point number 2. It adds considerable height to your air intake. It’s not everything, though. You may have a snorkel, but with the too-low ground clearance, you could still get stuck in a bigger river.

Read our car choosing guide.

When there are only PONDS in your way, you may basically choose any car.

When there are SMALL RIVERS in your way, ideally choose any SUV or 4wd car.

When there are already MEDIUM RIVERS in your way, choose your car wisely and better opt for at least a medium-sized SUV.

When there are BIG RIVERS in your way, either avoid them at all or if you really want to, then choose the super-jeep.

We also offer you FREE discount codes for several Icelandic car rental companies.

Example of the correct river crossing

f233 correct river crossing

Correct river crossing of Sydri Ofaera river on F233

Every river crossing in Iceland is specific, and road F233 is a nice example of it. Syðri-Ófæra river crossing is the biggest obstacle of the notoriously known F-road Álftavatnskrókur or F233. Sydri Ofaera is typically a big river and also a very specific and unmarked river fording. The correct crossing is not obvious at first glance, but locals know it well.

The trick is, you should NOT ford straight. Rather, you have to drive in a U-shaped pattern. BUT – not to the east where the river is deep, but to the west, where it is shallow. OK, and why not go straight? Because there are huge boulders in the way that could easily stop even a super jeep.

Example of how NOT to cross the river

The video below from our friend Lucas is a nice example of how NOT to cross the river in Iceland. The driver has done nearly everything wrong:

  1. Drove through the deepest point (middle), instead of the shallowest parts (both sides where the ropes are)
  2. The river depth was too deep for Dacia Duster (in the middle), the car almost died and the driver was just lucky the engine started again.
  3. Blocked the road for another car, taking pictures and even being rude to them!
  4. Driving too fast through the second river crossing.

Below is a beautiful example of possibly the biggest mistake you should avoid when crossing rivers in Iceland. Never go fast! You will flood your engine this way. Exactly as the guy below flooded his engine. The car was dead within a second.



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Posted by Igor in Guide, Tips, 44 comments
10
Oct
2020
Iceland vs. Google Maps

Iceland vs. Google Maps

Ever relied on Google Maps? Never? You probably lie. We live in a world where we simply got used to Google Maps taking us anywhere we want without any need to use a classical old-fashioned map. So will you be fine using just Google Maps in Iceland? It turns out that, in most of the cases, yes.

How do Google Maps work in Iceland?

Google maps work pretty well in Iceland. I’ve read articles stating that you shouldn’t rely on Google maps in Iceland – both in terms of maps precision and estimated times. Neither of those is true, however. I found Google maps really useful and precise and could almost always rely on their precision and estimated times.

Lysuholslaug hot spring map

Lýsuhólslaug hot spring as indicated on Google Maps. The road to it does exist, though.

When it comes to road tracking precision, just once during our trip Google couldn’t recognize a road we were driving on. It was a short part of the road of the length of a few hundreds of meters heading to a hot spring spot in Snæfellsnes peninsula (Lýsuhólslaug). Other than that, all kinds of road, including F-roads and even some no-name roads were covered well.

You don’t even need a working internet, because you may download the maps in offline mode at home and just use them after arrival. Even though we had a free wi-fi included in our car rental (and our smartphones with a European internet coverage) there were often times when our trip led us to areas without any internet or any cell phone network coverage. So definitely download the maps in offline mode, you will use them!

What about F-roads vs. Google Maps?

In terms of precision of the estimated times, again I’ve read a lot of articles saying that times stated on Google maps especially on F-roads are underestimated and you should prepare for longer driving than suggested by Google. And I again disagree. For us, ON AVERAGE, the route estimates by Google were correct. It all depends on your driving skills though. There were times when I was much quicker compared to Google maps estimates and vice versa, there were times when we were a bit slower. However, I consider myself a faster driver and we’ve encountered many drivers driving much more slowly and carefully than me and, in this case, naturally, your journey will take longer.

F235 towards Langisjór

F235 towards Langisjór as indicated on Google Maps

An important note one may forget about – the time estimates are without stops or photo-pauses! Definitely count on them when making an itinerary, you will be doing a lot of them.

You won’t find river crossings on Google Maps

An important thing to consider when planning Icelandic trips are river crossings. River crossings may affect your trip plans considerably. So plan precisely and in advance.

Where to find river crossings then, if not on Google Maps? You can find info about most of the river crossings in our list of F-roads and really specific details about each river crossing we’ve done in our journey diary.

Google maps time estimates on F-roads

Google maps are pretty much quite precise in time estimates, even when it comes to F-roads. This means if you are planning your trip, you may more or less rely on Google time estimates. There are a few caveats though.

Google maps time estimate is an estimate under standard conditions. This usually assumes, for example, normal weather, crossing the rivers immediately, etc. So what are the other things you need to account for other than standard conditions?

  1. Worse weather. This means anything from heavy rain, through a huge fog, to strong wind. Incorporate these into your estimates.
  2. Proper car. You need to drive a 4×4 car on all F-roads. However, 2 different 4×4 cars may be as different as night and day.
  3. Your driving skills. I’ve seen many much slower drivers when driving in Iceland. But I’ve also seen some much quicker. I would say I’m somewhere in the middle then, and I aligned with Google times quite well.
  4. River crossings. If you don’t know the river you are crossing, or if you are just inexperienced, you should take enough time to examine the river.
  5. Tourists. Yes, in high season there may even be a traffic jam on some F-roads. This may slow you down. Or maybe you will be the cause of the traffic jam? 🙂
  6. Pauses. You’re gonna make MANY of them. To eat, to take a picture, to go use the toilet, etc. Calculate with these as well.

Are Icelandic hiking trails marked in Google Maps?

As you would probably guess, in the majority of cases, the answer is negative. When it comes to hiking trails, you basically have these 3 options:

  1. Try to Google them somewhere on the internet (success rate <50%) or use a blog like this
  2. Buy a map once you come to Iceland or your place of interest. There may or may not be the map that you need though
  3. Don’t search or buy anything. Come and improvise. Well, this one doesn’t go along with planning much.

Askja hiking map

Askja area hiking map

Posted by Igor in Tips, 3 comments
10
Oct
2020
Should You Rent a Rooftop Tent Car in Iceland?

Should You Rent a Rooftop Tent Car in Iceland?

Renting a rooftop tent car in Iceland may sound like an unconventional option, but it’s definitely one worth trying! It will give you a huge flexibility, plus a sense of adventure, and for a very affordable price.

A rooftop tent car rental is not without any drawbacks, though. We rented it on our first trip to Iceland and we share all our experiences below.

Why we rented a Rooftop tent car

We wanted to see a huge number of places and we wanted to be flexible with our plans in case of weather changes. That’s why we ruled out staying at hotels or guesthouses because you have to book those in advance to be sure to have a place. We also ruled out staying in a classical tent, because of the hassle of travelling with it in the aircraft, setting it up every evening, setting it down every morning and being vulnerable to severe weather. And we didn’t own any expensive high-end tent suitable for Iceland.

Hence, we chose a logical option – a car with a rooftop tent. The rooftop tent gave us the flexibility we needed because we could simply arrive at any camping site we wanted. At the same time setting up/down the rooftop tent was really quick and convenient. Not to mention the rooftop tent being a really high-end tent, water and windproof (not for 100% but at least compared to other tents).

Rooftop tent in Vik camp

Going to sleep in a rooftop tent in Vik campsite

The rooftop tent version of Dacia Duster was about 200Eur more expensive for 11 days than the no-tent version, which was still bearable, given that the minimum price per person for a 1-night stay in a hotel/guesthouse is around 40-50Eur. With a rooftop tent option, you get a mattress with cover and pillows with covers included and you have to bring your own sleeping bags and blankets.

The main pros of a rooftop tent

  • flexibility (you can “last minute” decide where to camp)
  • easy setup (compared to a classical tent, here it takes literally tens of seconds)
  • price compared to hotels (9eur/person/night tent rental + camping price vs min. 40-50eur in a hotel/guest house)
  • quality compared to standard tents (the Columbus tent holds better in rain/wind compared to others)
  • comfort compared to standard tents (high-quality mattress, good zipping system, and the fact that it sits on the roof of the car because it isolates you from the cold coming from the ground)

The main cons of a rooftop tent

  • comfort compared to hotels/guesthouses; yes, this is the biggest one; it’s still a tent so you have to bring good sleeping bags and even then your comfort will be much lower compared to a room – whether we talk about cold weather, need to go out for a toilet/shower or simply the act of changing your clothes 🙂 or eating your breakfast; you have to get used to the camping style, but where else than in Iceland?!
  • price compared to standard tents (if you bring your own, you can save those 200eur/11days)
inside of Columbus rooftop tent

Interior of our Columbus rooftop tent rented via Lotus Car rental

Best Rooftop Tent Car Rentals in Iceland

We highly recommend renting a rooftop tent car with one of the car rental companies below:

  1. Lotus Car Rental, 5% discount code: epicicelandd5
  2. Go Campers, 5% discount code: EPICICELAND
  3. Geysir Car Rental, 5% discount code: EPICICELAND

Why?

  • They all have great reviews on Google, Facebook, Northbound, etc.
  • They are all locally owned companies with friendly local staff
  • They are all reliable and will never scam you for fake damages

A Rooftop Tent Car vs. Other Accommodation Options

The 4 main accommodation options for your Icelandic road trip are:

  1. Hotels, hostels, guesthouses
    • +comfortable
    • +choose any car
    • -most expensive
    • -low to no flexibility
  2. Camping in the classical tent
    • +cheapest
    • +flexible
    • +choose any car
    • -setting the tent up/down
    • -not very comfortable
  3. Camping in the rooftop tent of your car
    • +flexible
    • +easy setting up/down
    • some car types compatible
    • middle-value option
    • middle-comfort option
  4. Camping in a campervan
    • +flexible
    • +easy setup/down
    • +quite comfortable
    • -more expensive
    • -only small/medium 4wd campervans

Our experience with a car with a rooftop tent

My main fear before the trip about our rooftop tent had been whether the mattress and pillows would be comfortable enough. We soon found out the answer – yes, they definitely were. My girlfriend’s main fear had been whether it won’t be too cold for her in the tent and whether the tent is big enough for her (she’s 183cm tall).

Regarding her height – yes, the tent was big enough. However, I would say 2-3cm more in height (i.e. over 185cm) and your comfort will start to decrease with each additional centimetre of yours. It’s definitely possible to sleep even if you are taller though.

Rooftop tent in Vik camp

Going to sleep in a rooftop tent in Vik campsite

With regards to the fear of feeling cold, her fear turned out to be legitimate (at least for her). Only after I handed her my father’s sleeping bag for -15°C temperatures and she started to wear 4 layers (yes, 4) of clothes as pyjamas, she finally started to feel warm. But that’s women I guess, as I used a -5°C sleeping bag (I would say this is a minimum for Iceland even in summer) and I could comfortably sleep in just 1 layer of thin pyjamas.

If you are like me, and you want to check every detail about the rooftop tent, you may do so here.

And what about tent vs. rain?

Maybe one additional little tent advice. Set up your tent thoroughly in case of rain, it can be really heavy in Iceland. We made a mistake of not thinking hard enough and it cost us a wet interior of the tent and 1-2days of getting it dry again. What exactly happened?

The tent has 2 layers of “isolation fabric” against rain and cold at the bottom on its sides (see picture below). The inner layer is supposed to be tucked between the mattress and the bottom part of the construction of the interior of the tent, or simply said – tucked INSIDE into tent. The outer layer, on the other hand, is supposed to be left OUTSIDE floating in the air a little, so that rain can slip outside by pouring on it. We made a mistake of tucking both 2 layers inside of the tent, which resulted in water slowly pouring to the bottom of our tent, causing the mattress to be partially wet.

Columbus rooftop tent rain isolation

Columbus rooftop tent provided by Lotus car rental and its rain isolation layers

The next day we woke up, we had to bring everything out of the tent, including a huge mattress and isolation material below the mattress and get everything to be dry, which can naturally take hours in Icelandic weather conditions. Dumb mistake, so please don’t make it yourself.

It’s also good to set up your tent so that its shell part of the roof is facing the wind. As wind here in Iceland may become quite strong it’s naturally better when it blows into the shell than into the fabric. Overall tent experience has, however, been very cool for me (a bit less for my girlfriend) and I definitely don’t regret choosing this option for our intense summer trip.

Posted by Igor in Tips, 10 comments
08
Oct
2020
When to go to Iceland

When to go to Iceland

Quick summary on when to go

Do you want to see everything in the best weather possible for the cost of more tourists and higher prices? Go in July, August or first half of September.

Do you want to see most of the places with fewer tourists and you don’t care much about highlands? Go in the second half of April, in May, June or second half of September.

Do you want to see Iceland covered in snow with northern lights and little tourists? You don’t care about cold weather and not seeing Highlands? Go anytime from October to March.

Weather seasons in Iceland

There’s no perfect period. Period 🙂 You should choose one according to your priorities.

Some argue that the best time to go is June – not so many tourists, the weather gets warmer, BUT most of the F-roads are usually still closed.

Some argue that the best time to go is September – tourists start to disappear, weather is still fine, F-roads should be open. BUT weather tends to deteriorate quickly and the same applies to F-roads – you are leaving accessibility of beautiful places more to a chance.

thingeyri campsite sunset

Picturesque sunset at Þingeyri campsite

Weather-wise you may choose from the 3 basic options for your trip:

1. Full season (15th June – 15th September)

➕ F-roads open (more into July/August)

➕ Warmest

➕ All beautiful places accessible

➖ Most touristy

➖ Highest prices

➖ No northern lights

2. Shoulder season (April – 15th June, 15th September – October)

➕ much fewer tourists

➕ best prices

❔ some F-roads may be open, most closed

❔ chance to see northern lights (April, May, October)

➖ several beautiful places may be inaccessible

➖ much colder weather (especially outside June/July)

3. Winter season (November – March)

➕ less tourists

➕ northern lights

➕ good prices

➖ F-roads closed

➖ Cold and Windy as in… Iceland

➖ many beautiful places inaccessible

When did we go and why

We decided to travel from 1st of August until the 13th of August. The weather was supposed to be the best (or in Iceland better said – the least bad). Days were supposed to be long. Last but not least, due to Covid-19 still harming a big part of the world significantly it was also supposed to be less touristy than usually. All of these were true in reality. And most importantly – all of the F-roads should be accessible.

We were lucky with the weather, having only 2-3 rainy days, and even during these days, the rain was only mild, not heavy. We had some 2-3 nights with really heavy rain, (one resulting in our tent getting wet due to our mistake), which is still better than a heavy rain throughout the day. Rest of the days were cloudy or sunny or a combination of those, which was just perfect. I’ve created several backup plans in case of bad weather (i.e. heavy rain or heavy fog) but luckily, I didn’t have to trigger any of these.

Sveinstindur near Langisjor

The upper part of the hike on Sveinstindur near Langisjor lake on a foggy day with slight rain

What to be prepared for in summer

The rule of thumb for Iceland is simple. Weather can be ANY. Cold. Sunny. Windy. Rainy. Foggy. Clear. Cloudy. Snowing. Yes, in summer. We had many nice days, but, when it rained, it rained A LOT. We both had waterproof clothes which were wet anyway after more than 30 minutes of Icelandic rain, so be prepared for this. Either buy a really, really high-quality waterproof stuff (and even then trips under heavy rain aren’t very comfortable) or adjust your plans accordingly. To help you with that, for each place of interest mentioned in this blog I noted whether the experience is worth visiting even when the weather is bad or whether I recommend waiting for better weather to enjoy it to the fullest.

F208 Fjallabaksleið Nyrðri north

F208 road from Landmannalaugar towards F26 on a cloudy day

Next thing to be prepared for is the cold weather. Iceland is a cold country. During nights temperature occasionally reached 4-5°C even in August and in mountain areas it even slipped below 0°C, so be prepared for that! No thin and cheap sleeping bags or tents. Temperatures are supposed to peak at the turn of July and August (you may look it up on many sites like this one) and the sooner (or the later) you go, they will only be lower.

The same applies for a rainfall, just the through is in June and the sooner or the later you go it will only increase. The next big advantage of a summer visit is long days. Both when going to sleep at around 11 pm and when waking up at around 6 am we still had daylight on (although in the evening it was a bit darker but still the visibility was OK). This may be very important, because you can arrive at your sights of interest even in the evening and still experience all of their beauty, maybe even all by yourself.

Kirkjufell on a rainy day

Kirkjufell in Snæfellsnes peninsula on a rainy day

When to go? It’s all about the balance

Choosing a time to visit Iceland is all about balance. Everybody knows the weather patterns, so logically, the biggest number of tourists come when the weather is the best (from June to August). At the end of the day, it’s up to you to find a balance between a potential number of tourists and favourable weather. Our situation was slightly different due to Covid-19 changing the situation with tourism in the summer of 2020, so we were lucky to see the island in the high season with a reasonable number of tourists.

Posted by Igor in Tips, 10 comments
04
Oct
2020
How to avoid tourists?

How to avoid tourists?

“Iceland off the beaten path.”

“Hidden gems in Iceland.”

“Iceland’s best-kept secrets.”

Everybody Googles these headlines. Everybody wants to have a private, remote experience. Nobody enjoys crowds of tourists, shouting, leaving litter, and waiting in queues for pictures…

We’ve recently written a fresh piece titled 25 Off The Beaten Path Places in Iceland Nobody Writes About which you may like!

Well, Iceland is one of the few places around the world where it’s still possible to experience “remoteness”. But, it’s getting worse each year. Covid definitely helped with over-tourism a bit. The everlasting question still remains, though:

How to avoid tourists?

Be creative. We offer you inspiration, how.

sigoldugljufur canyon

Sigoldugljufur canyon. A remote, magical, non-touristy place.

1. Pick non-touristy places

Googling for phrases like hidden gems, off the beaten track or best-kept secrets usually won’t work. Once it’s easy to Google it will be also crowded. So how to find non-touristy places?

Go for Highlands!

We write a lot about best places in the Icelandic Highlands, because exactly these are amazing, remote places with a true Icelandic atmosphere! Check out our Icelandic Highlands inspiration.

when to visit iceland

When to visit Iceland? (click to enlarge)

Our touristy index

Use our touristy index. Our site is a pretty new website and it’s a real niche one.

We’ve also covered a touristy index for all of our:

Google a lot

Google for places with few reviews.

“Travel around google maps” to arrive at spots that you may find interesting, there are many of them in Iceland.

seljalandsfoss tourists

Tourists near Seljalandsfoss in February

2. Go for hard-to-access places

If a place is hard to access it usually discourages the majority of visitors. This includes, but is not limited to:

  • Being far away from any campsites or hotels
  • Challenging river crossings are in the way
  • The road to the place is steep, unpaved, or even not marked on the map
  • The place is not even accessible by car

4X4 car only

The way we chose when searching for secluded places was to focus on sights accessible only by 4×4 vehicles. This way we eliminated at least all those who are not friends with driving on F-roads. And it’s a great adventure as well.

If you opt for extensive highlands driving, as we did, be well prepared, though:

Study the F-roads you plan to drive on.

Respect all river crossing rules.

Choose your car wisely.

Hike

Going for a hike is another interesting option, although not such a comfortable one, due to Icelandic ice-cold weather even in summer. This is also the reason why you very rarely meet crowds on longer hikes. In Iceland, you have countless possibilities of where to go hiking. One of the most popular ones include areas of:

And literally hundreds and hundreds of less-known ones.

Use a ferry

Why not use a ferry? This brings another discomfort to many travelers – you have to carry all of your equipment, you have to plan well for where to leave your car etc, etc. And at the same time, these are the reasons why areas only accessible by ferry are usually the least crowded ones.

One great and most well-known example of this in Iceland is the Hornstrandir Nature reserve. It’s accessible only by ferry and it’s one of the very few places almost untouched by heavy tourism.

Sveinstindur near Langisjor

The upper part of the hike on Sveinstindur near Langisjor lake on a foggy day with slight rain

Take a super jeep tour

There are numerous great super jeep tours in Iceland in the south (we offer a 10% discount for the best ones! Check out the link on the left) and also in the north (10% promo code: EPICICELAND). This is one of the most expensive options, but definitely the safest one. Some of the dangerous F-roads you simply don’t want to drive yourself. At least not, if you don’t have enough 4×4 experience or if you don’t study them really well in advance. Short on time or experience (or both) and want to see remote places? Go for a super jeep tour.

It’s also possible to rent a super jeep yourself. Not cheap, but very useful for F-roads. You still need to have enough 4×4 experience, know how to cross rivers, study the roads you go to in advance, and check the road conditions. Car is not everything!

touristy sapphire ice cave iceland

Sapphire ice cave with tourists in the background

3. Come in a shoulder season

Well, well. This is an eternal trade-off. You come off-season and you will freeze to death or you will get blown by a heavy wind. You come in a peak season with the best weather and you will be rammed by crowds of tourists. Sadly, it’s not much different in Iceland. Hence, it’s all about the trade-off and you are the final decision maker, what is most important to you.

It’s still useful to understand Icelandic seasons to make an informed decision. The sweet spot seems to be somewhere between May and September. According to your taste of course.

For example, during our first visit to Iceland, luckily to the Covid pandemic, there was a year-long-lasting shoulder season.

Reynisfjara beach

Reynisfjara beach at 9 pm in the evening

4. Choose non-peak times

This is an easy trick that is definitely doable in summer. Why in summer? The daylight is very long in Iceland during the summer. During its peak at the end of June, it starts around 3 AM in the morning and ends around midnight.

Monthly tourists in Iceland

Tourist count by months

Thus, your easy trick may be to visit the usually most crowded places either very soon, near sunrise, or very late, near sunset. It’s not forbidden to visit beautiful places any time of the day, but also during the night. So if you are up to it, just rent a proper car and go!

Langisjór campsite

This was supposed to be Langisjór campsite according to maps. It just turned out to be a remote place with nobody there.

5. Stay away from campsites

And bigger villages. Or pick the remote ones.

While Icelandic campsites are usually well maintained and spending nights there is typically a pleasant experience, this is where most of the tourists concentrate. Because it’s cheap. Because it’s accessible.

Option number one is to Google campsites that are either remote or not well known (for example measured by a number of Google reviews).

Option number two is to opt for private accommodation in guesthouses, hostels, or hotels. These are usually small family-run places that cannot accommodate huge crowds.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:

epic iceland facebook group ask questions or get inspired in our community

Posted by Igor in Guide, Tips, 2 comments
03
Oct
2020
Best car rental insurance in Iceland: 2025 guide

Best car rental insurance in Iceland: 2025 guide

This is the preliminary version of the article. We hope to add more insurance providers in the near future, especially for our US-based friends. Share with us what you find to be the best value-for-money car rental insurance for Iceland in the comments, in our FB group, or write us an email!

Me, you, and probably 99.9% of other Icelandic visitors have already wondered, how to choose the best insurance for their car rental in Iceland. The task is not easy, because insurance options vary widely and are not unified across car rental providers. There are, however, multiple common features for every car rental insurance. The same applies to common threats. So let’s summarize all of these and then look at the available options.

This website may contain affiliate links and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps us cover running costs of this website.

TLDR – tell me the best insurance!

To simplify it the most, if you prefer full coverage, I suggest the following:

Compare the price and the content of the full (a.k.a. “platinum”) insurance offered by your Icelandic car rental company to Lotus and RentalCover below and choose for yourself. Personally, we always use Lotus or RentalCover. These two offer the best level of insurance for a price (usually) comparable with anyone else:

  • Lotus car rental with their Platinum insurance covers EVERYTHING including river crossings. You can support us by using a 5% discount for Lotus with promo code: epicicelandd5
  • RentalCover, a top-notch external insurer insures you against everything except river crossings, usually for a much lower price compared to the car rental companies

Beware! Even full platinum insurance packages most of the time don’t cover water damage / river crossing (we know only of 2 companies that do – Lotus and Blue car), and even many other damage types like undercarriage or doors and windows.

For example, as of 1.4.2025, one of the most popular car rental companies in Iceland offers platinum insurance for a 7-day Dacia Duster trip for 350USD. However, their platinum insurance does NOT cover:
-undercarriage, wind, tires, windows, water damages

You can have a better level of coverage for a lower price with RentalCover. RentalCover’s 4×4 insurance (for non-US citizens) covers everything except river crossings for, in this example, 170USD / 150Eur.

best car insurance iceland

A full picture is not that easy though, there are more things to consider. Don’t want to buy full Icelandic car rental insurance? Or do you just want to understand the details? Well my friend, then read below…

What are the risks of a car rental in Iceland?

  1. Collision – damages to your car
  2. Collision – damages to someone else’s car
  3. Someone steals your car
  4. Loose gravel hits your car
  5. Sand or ash damages your car (engine or anything else)
  6. You damage the undercarriage / chassis of your car
  7. You damage the tire
  8. You damage the windows
  9. You damage the doors (e.g.: wind overthrows them)
  10. Water damages your car (engine or anything else)
  11. Animals damage your car
  12. Car can’t move and you need towing

Yes, all of this can actually happen when you drive in Iceland. Yes, all of this is usually charged separately (excluded from the basic insurance). Is it likely it will happen? Well, most of the time no, but this obviously depends on your driving skills. One thing is certain – there are more threats on Icelandic roads than on a typical American / European road (I said typical, for sure there are some more dangerous roads).

Important: How to choose the best car for Iceland?

So do we just want to scare you so that you buy our insurance? No 🙂 It’s just good to be prepared and set the expectations right so that you can choose for yourself.

What types of insurance are in Iceland?

Rule number one – always check the insurance conditions of your car rental company! Too difficult to understand? Well, obviously… But, what you can generally expect is the following:

  • What’s included in the basic price is usually only the compulsory insurance (see below)
  • For some of the damages not included in compulsory insurance, you may buy an optional insurance

Compulsory insurance

There are two types of insurance that are compulsory for every car rental company in Iceland. This basically means you will always get these two included in the basic price:

  • Collision damage waiver
  • Third-Party Liability Insurance

1. The collision damage waiver (CDW)

The CDW covers costs for case (1) – damages to your car if there’s a collision. BUT. Almost always you have to pay as well. This is called “the deductible”, “the driver’s liability” or “the excess”.  So the usual example goes like this: there’s a CDW with 300 000 ISK deductible, which means, you will pay ALL damages up to 300 000 ISK (2350 USD). If the damage is bigger, you will not pay the rest.

Secondly, the CDW will usually not cover many types of damages. Usually, all of the bullet points (3) to (12) above are not covered. To insure against them, you have to either buy optional insurance or buy completely different insurance.

2. The third-party liability insurance (TPL)

The TPL covers costs for case (2) – damages to someone else’s car if there’s a collision. You don’t pay anything in this case. These damages are covered by TPL.

car rental iceland insurance

Optional insurance

Well, we’ve covered 2 cases out of 12 so far, what about the rest? Car rental companies offer to cover SOME of those as optional insurance. The word “some” is very important here because only very few companies cover most of them and we know only of Lotus and Blue Car.

What are the typical optional insurance options in Iceland?

1. The super collision damage waiver (SCDW)

Do you remember how we talked about “the deductible”, “the driver’s liability” or “the excess”? That’s the money you may pay if you damage your rental car. The SCDW lowers this amount. If you buy this optional insurance, you will pay a lower (sometimes even zero) deductible in case of an accident.

3. The theft protection (TP)

This covers costs for case (3), i.e. someone stealing your car. Usually, there is no deductible, so you usually don’t pay anything if it happens. It’s worth mentioning, though, that car thefts are very rare in Iceland.

4. The gravel protection (GP)

If I had to take just one optional insurance in Iceland, it would be gravel protection.  Gravel is everywhere in Iceland. And most of the gravel is on F-roads. Which you should see because they are beautiful! This is the type of damage that happens almost always. So better be insured against it 🙂

5. The sand and ash protection (SAAP)

Although this sounds like insurance against volcanic ash, that is not its main purpose. There are several sand fields in Iceland, most of them in the South. They are mostly exposed to the wind after the snow thaws, i.e. in February, March, and April. Now imagine what happens if the wind blows enough sand into your engine? Nothing good 🙂 That’s where the SAAP comes in. Do you need it in summer? Usually no, but no one can rule out that sand will get into your engine in some cases.

Some car rental companies offer more optional insurance, but for the typical company, the list usually ends here. So, we’ve covered 5 out of 12 cases now! What about the rest?

Important: How to choose the best car for Iceland?

These are the less typical optional insurance options in Iceland:

6. The undercarriage / chassis insurance

Imagine driving over big rocks on some of the F-roads, for example when heading to Askja. It’s not that hard to hit the undercarriage, a.k.a. chassis of your vehicle and to damage it. Most of the insurance packages do not cover this! You have to either buy the optional undercarriage insurance or buy different insurance that will cover that.

7. The tire insurance

Unfortunately, even damage to tires is excluded from basic insurance packages most of the time. This means, should anything happen to your tire (or sometimes even a wheel), you will be fully responsible for that. Unless you buy optional insurance or different insurance which will cover all of these.

8. The window insurance

The same applies to windows. This is usually a separate “insurance item”. That means, anything happens to windows – you are fully responsible for that and will pay for that. Unless you buy optional insurance or different insurance which will cover all of these.

9. The door insurance

Even doors are usually excluded from basic insurance and even many optional insurance packages. The damage to doors is pretty common in Iceland, mostly due to strong wind and people not taking enough care when opening and closing their doors. You may insure against the door damage by buying optional insurance or different insurance which will cover all of these.

10. The water insurance

If you want to drive F-roads with river crossings, this is one of the most important points. Car rental companies don’t cover water damage, not even in their platinum packages! As of now, we know only about Lotus car rental, which does cover water damage. Recently Blue car also joined to become the second company to cover river crossings.

A PROMO CODE epicicelandd5 will get you a 5% discount with Lotus and us a small commission at no extra cost to you.

What does this mean? Well, if you cross the river on an F-road, and let’s say the water gets into your engine, your engine may die. And you may remain stuck in the water. And you will be paying for towing + new engine. How much can a new engine cost? Well, easily even 10 000 USD!

A 5% Blue car discount link will save you money on your car rental and earn us a small commission at no extra cost to you. 

“So what should I do??” Well, either go for Lotus with water insurance (and, please, even in this case study carefully the river crossings!!) or take special caution and try to avoid bigger river crossings. We wrote a list of all F-roads with the size of their river crossings described (this may change in time though! always check conditions at the time of your trip).

road 63 bildudalsvegur

Road 63 Bíldudalsvegur

11. The animal encounter insurance

Yes, this doesn’t happen often, but seldom it does. During our trip, we’d actually met more sheep than tourists 🙂 And sheep often don’t act logically, some being really stubborn getting at the road at the most inconvenient time. This, in the first place, means, take special care not to harm animals in Iceland!

If, in any case, an animal damages your car somehow (hopefully nothing happens to the animal, let’s rather picture a scenario of an angry sheep scratching your car), you will be fully responsible for that. Unless you buy optional insurance or different insurance which will cover all of these.

12. The towing insurance

Got stuck in the river? Stuck on the rock? Stuck in the sand? Is your engine dead? Did you collide and your car can’t move? You will need towing. And towing isn’t cheap. And is charged separately. Unless you buy optional insurance or different insurance which will cover all of these.

iceland car rental insurance

What insurance should I choose?

The most common damages

Now, if you read all of this, here’s a little reward for you 🙂 What is in our opinion the most common damage happening to rental cars in Iceland? Well, if I had to pick Top 3, it would be 1) gravel damage, 2) water damage (if you go for F-roads with river crossings), 3) classical collision of any kind.

What happens less often, but still happens are the door damage (due to wind), tire damage (of course tires are under pressure on Icelandic roads, though this isn’t that expensive damage), and damage to the undercarriage of your car (if you aren’t careful enough).

What usually does not happen are thefts, animal encounters or window damages, and sand/ash getting into your engine outside of spring. 

Trip scenarios

Reykjavik and south 

Going just around Reykjavik, golden circle, and the south? Well, then you don’t need the water damage insurance. Also, gravel hitting your car, you damaging the undercarriage, or animals damaging your car are not very likely. Of course, anything may happen, though.

This means that usually, just basic compulsory insurance is enough. For peace of mind, you may take Gravel protection, Sand and Ash protection, and/or Super collision damage waiver if you feel unsure. Look at RentalCover how much they charge for insurance – it may be cheaper than buying insurance from your car rental company and cover you better.

Usually cheaper RentalCover will cover everything except water damage.

Ring road or winter trip

The ring road is long and winter is more dangerous, so I would generally recommend slightly better insurance. It’s better to have Gravel protection, Sand and Ash protection, and Super collision damage waiver. Some other options like Tire insurance, Window insurance, Door insurance or Towing insurance may be viable for your peace of mind as well, not necessary though. If you are not going for F-roads, water insurance is unnecessary.

Highlands with simple F-roads 

Going for highlands, F-roads, and gravel roads with no or just small river crossings? Well, then you probably need to be insured against everything mentioned in the article, except river crossings (water damage).

I suggest you first read well full/platinum insurance conditions of your car rental company. If they include all of the damages I mentioned in the article (usually they don’t), then compare their price against RentalCover. This external provider covers everything except water damage for a very good price.

Want to have covered everything, including water damage? Lotus car rental will cover it with their platinum insurance!

Highlands with more difficult F-roads

Going for highlands, F-roads, and gravel roads with medium river crossings? Get all available insurance, especially the one for water damage, undercarriage, and gravel!

There’s only 1 car rental company which we know about, that covers you against everything mentioned in this article, including river crossing. That is Lotus car rental. You can have a 5% discount for booking with them with our promo code: “epicicelandd5“

Alternatively, you may take special caution, avoid big river crossings and go for an insurance package without water insurance. In that case, I suggest you first read well full/platinum insurance conditions of your car rental company. If they include all of the damages I mentioned in the article (usually they don’t), then compare their price against RentalCover. This external provider covers everything except water damage for a very good price.

How to find out which roads have difficult river crossings? We’ve made a list of F-roads for you!

How does RentalCover work?

RentalCover is, in our opinion, the best 3rd party insurance provider for car rentals around the world, who will insure your Icelandic car rental. 

You need to buy insurance any day BEFORE the trip. If any accident or damage happens during your trip, this is the procedure to follow:

  1. Create documentation of the accident (photos, notes)
  2. Notify your car rental company immediately
  3. Pay for the damages to your car rental company – require confirmation for that!
  4. Send the documentation (photos, notes, your written communication with car rental company, confirmation of your payment) to RentalCover
  5. RentalCover will pay you for the damage

The main advantage of a third-party provider like RentalCover is most of the time the better price and better insurance coverage. 

The main disadvantage is that you have to pay for the damage first, and you will get the money back afterward. 

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Posted by Igor in Guide, Roads, Tips, 60 comments