car hire rental iceland waterfall

Car Hire Iceland

Iceland is a magical place full of winter wonders and experiences. Beautiful backdrops and landscapes that will take your breath away too small idyllic towns and villages that you will not want to leave will ensure that driving and exploring with booking a rent a car Iceland is a must for your trip. There is so much to experience in Iceland that you will want an uncomplicated way to get around. The roads are well made and maintained, so you can use your Iceland car hire to see everything from the Tectonic Plates in the Þingvellir National Park to sitting under the stars watching the Aurora Borealis, Iceland rental car is a handy way to get around this beautiful and immense country.

There are places of interest for the traveller to see in Iceland. Car hire Iceland lets you take in the history and its culture that the country has to offer. From the capital Reykjavik to Saudarkrokur, Iceland is a wonderful country for the traveller to explore. Rental car Iceland is popular and convenient method, you will need to book well in advance to get the dates and the type of car you desire.

A wish to explore the country you are visiting is really important so rent a car Iceland lets you take it easy along the roads of the country and also get from place to place in comfort and style. There are many options for car hire Iceland that you will want to decide early and get the most from your trip. If you want to take a tour the Golden Circle or a visit to the Blue Lagoon, it is easy to make a booking and the cars are modern and well-maintained. So don’t worry about your Iceland rental car experience – it will be just like driving your own car!

car hire rentals Iceland mountains and horse riders

The Country

Iceland is on most people’s ‘bucket list’ as one the top places to visit. Beautiful ice covered scenery to its volcanic mountains and gushing geysers and the warmth of its people is a big draw for tourists alike. And after all the hiking and exploring, relax and chill looking at the Northern Lights.  But first visit places such as –

  • Gullfoss – The Golden Falls
  • Snæfellsjökull National Park
  • Eyjafjallajökull – volcano
  • Dynjandi (Fjallfoss) – waterfalls

There are other cities and sights, as we will see later in this guide.

The country is home to approximately 350 thousand people, with Icelandic being the main spoken language. Iceland is an island in the North Atlantic sea covering 103,000 square kilometres (40,000 square miles), making it the most sparsely populated country in Europe.

Despite its name Iceland has mild winters with an average temperature of around 0°C. The weather in the country is temperate, with four distinct seasons.

The main traditional sport in Iceland is Glíma, which is a form of wrestling thought to have originated in medieval times. More modern popular sports are football, skiing, snowboarding and Telemark skiing.

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car hire rentals driving tips

Driving Tips

As with any new experience, you will need to know what you are letting yourself in for. Check all the rules of the road before you leave for Iceland to ensure you stay safe, do not draw attention to your hire car and making sure that nothing is left in the vehicle when it is unoccupied. Here are some of the more important ones –

  • The driver is responsible to make sure all occupants of the car wear seat belts at all times.
  • It is illegal for children under the age of 12 to travel in the front seat unless using a restraint system appropriate to size.
  • Iceland has a zero-tolerance policy with regards to drink driving. If a driver is caught, the driving licence can be suspended for four months and a penalty fine imposed of 100.000 ISK.
  • They drive on the right-hand side of the road in Iceland and overtake on the left.
  • You must carry an international driver licence (IDP) with you at all times while on the road in Iceland, legal age to drive a car in the country is 18.
  • Car headlights must be used at all times, day or night, when driving in Iceland
  • The use of a mobile phone while driving is prohibited and is a serious offence.
  • It is more than advisable to carry warning triangles, a first aid kit, headlight deflectors, spare bulbs, a fire extinguisher and a reflective jacket in Iceland.
  • If you’re in an accident, you MUST notify the Police and the car rental supplier and get an accident report for insurance purposes. Failure to do so may result in you footing the whole bill.
  • If you break down, you must put on your reflective jacket and place the reflective triangle behind the vehicle to warn other drivers. You must notify the rental car company and suppliers for advice and assistance.
  • The major cities can be very busy at rush hour so leave plenty of time for your journey
  • For updated information about which roads are open and their condition at any given time, visit road.is or call the number 1777 for information in English.
  • Off-road driving is illegal in Iceland and is punishable with high fines.
  • Iceland has a Ring Road that extends around the coast with a total length of 1,339 kilometres (832 miles).
  • The speed limit is 30-50 km/hour in populated areas.
  • The speed limit is 80 km/hour on gravel roads in rural areas.
  • The speed limit is 90 km/hour on paved roads.

Make sure you know what to do when driving in Iceland be safe and stay on the right side of the law.

car hire rentals airport luggage

Airports in Iceland

Iceland has transport links to the rest of the world through trade and other activities. Here are some of the busiest airports in Iceland –

  • Akureyri Airport
  • Reykjavík Airport
  • Keflavík International Airport
  • Ísafjörður Airport
  • Hornafjörður Airport
  • Sauðárkrókur Airport
  • Bíldudalur Airport

The best way to get the most from your car hire Iceland is to book from the airport so you know you have the transport you need. Do this in advance to get the best prices available.

When driving on the roads of the Iceland you want to be safe. You should research the rules of the road, as said before, but also have the following numbers programmed in your phone on case of emergency. For the police, ambulance and fire brigade is 112.

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