Huge landscapes stretch between volcanoes and ice-capped mountains. Coastal roads snake round fjords, passing fishing villages, remoted church buildings and the odd sheep bleating on the roadside. Iceland’s countryside is as various as it’s grand.
It is also comparatively tiny – at roughly 40,000 sq miles, it is a tad smaller than the state of Ohio. However regardless of its dimension, Iceland is usually a tough nation to navigate. All these volcanic landscapes and fjords make for tough terrain, and the fickle climate patterns can throw the best-laid journey plans into disarray. Fortunately among the nation’s high spots are only a few miles from Reykjavik, that means that you could be not have to journey very far to see a few of Iceland’s most iconic sights.
However there’s additionally an entire nation on the market for exploring. From hiring your individual transportation to taking the bus, here is how one can get round Iceland.
Driving a automotive or camper is probably the most versatile approach to get round
Exploring Iceland by yourself 4 wheels offers you the liberty to journey at your individual tempo, and the community of roads is usually satisfactory with low site visitors. Route 1 (higher referred to as the Ring Highway) encircles the nation, with different paved or gravel roads spiraling into the remainder of the nation just like the roots of a vine. In the course of the summer time, a 2WD automotive is all it’s essential navigate Iceland’s important roads. Until you have got a 4WD, you need to keep away from the highlands or something prefixed with an F (resembling F88).
Taking coastal routes is an particularly scenic and pleasing approach to see the countryside, though navigating Iceland’s fjords can typically add an hour or extra to a visit. Many mountain roads shut within the winter, so plan forward. The Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration website posts common updates on closures.
Drivers from the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and most European nations should have a legitimate driver’s license from their dwelling nation. Many locations will settle for an Worldwide Driving Allow (IDP) offered by the auto affiliation of your own home nation.
Suggestions for renting a automotive: Renting a automotive is pretty easy in Iceland, though it pays to contemplate a number of issues like costs, insurance coverage and what to do within the occasion of a breakdown.
Worldwide rental companies like Europcar, Finances and Avis can be found. Nonetheless, native companies like Blue Car Rental, A Car Rental and Go Car Rental may be capable of present additional providers like wi-fi hotspots or included insurance coverage at higher charges. In Iceland, automotive rental prices are sometimes larger than in different nations, and it is price reserving upfront for a less expensive charge.
Relying on the place you are headed or while you’re touring, think about the extra gravel or sand and ash insurance coverage safety. Most insurance coverage insurance policies do not cowl some of these injury on common injury waivers, so for those who’re touring throughout autumn or spring when sand or ash storms may be significantly unhealthy, get this additional insurance coverage. Anybody heading out into the F-roads ought to think about gravel safety as effectively.
You’ll want to do an intensive inspection earlier than signing for the keys. As a consequence of Iceland’s gravel roads, bumps, scratches and dings are frequent. Notify the rental company and take pictures of something bigger than a fingernail.
Suggestions for renting a camper: Combining lodging and transportation prices into one expense, campers are a preferred method for vacationers to discover Iceland. Not like most lodging, Iceland’s campsites don’t must be pre-booked, so touring in a motor dwelling permits for an quantity of spontaneity.
Summer season is the most effective time to see Iceland in a camper. Throughout winter, most infrastructure that providers campers, resembling campsites and public bathing services, shut up store. Furthermore, winter climate can derail even the best-planned journey.
Most main rental companies supply some sort of motor dwelling, but it surely pays to go native. A cottage business of Icelandic camper rental corporations has sprouted up previously few years, providing all the pieces from family-sized behemoths to all-terrain setups outfitted for the highlands. Many corporations will throw in GPS or wi-fi hotspots, cooking gear or fishing tools. Frequent favorites embrace CampEasy or Go Campers.
Suggestions for filling up with gasoline: The rental agent will inform you which sort of gasoline to make use of (diesel vs gasoline), and normally there’s a sticker on the tank door for those who overlook. Gasoline stations are commonly spaced alongside Iceland’s important roads, however for those who’re touring into distant areas such because the highlands, make certain that you have got satisfactory gasoline beforehand. Most small gasoline stations are unstaffed and pumps are automated. All automated machines require a card with a PIN. In case you don’t have one, you should purchase a pay as you go card at an N1 station to make use of at automated pumps. Some US bank card corporations will concern a PIN; name yours to examine.
Familiarity with a automotive jack and how one can change a spare can go a great distance when a tire goes flat in the course of an extended and empty highway. If something occurs to your rental, name your rental company for assist.
Bus is an efficient choice for finances vacationers
Iceland’s bus networks are a hodgepodge of public bus routes and tourist-service routes, the latter of which runs solely through the summer time (usually July to August). Nonetheless, the bus community makes it doable to get round Iceland with out a automotive, which is a greater choice for vacationers on a finances.
Public buses serve most important cities and coastal areas
Iceland’s public bus providers are made up of Stræto, which almost circumnavigates the nation on the Ring Highway; Svaust within the east, which connects to the Straeto Ring Highway route at Egilsstaðir and Höfn; and West Iceland’s native bus traces. This community of routes providers most important cities across the coast, in addition to standard mountaineering areas.
Iceland’s public buses run year-round, however many scale back providers through the winter months, and a few cease altogether. Iceland’s fickle climate may trigger havoc on schedules and routes, so plan loads of time into your schedule if there are delays.
Scheduled vacationer buses have seasonal providers
All through the summer time, buses operated by varied tour corporations like Reykjavik Excursions, Volcano Huts and Iceland By Bus shuttle guests round highlights in Western Iceland. These bus routes can function sightseeing transportation or as a easy A-to-B service. Many buses are outfitted with GPS monitoring that means that you can monitor the place your bus is, and a few have onboard wi-fi as effectively.
Home flights are price contemplating in winter
Home flights are a fast however costly approach to navigate the nation. The primary home airports are in Reykjavik (be aware: not Keflavik, which is completely worldwide), Akureyri and Egilsstaðir.
Due largely to Iceland’s tough terrain, locals have adopted air journey as a mode of transportation nearly akin to nationwide bus or rail networks, particularly in winter. A full itemizing of airports, together with close by points of interest and parking info, may be discovered on the nationwide airport supplier, Isavia.
Biking is rewarding, however situations may be powerful
Across the coast, roads are typically flat and paved, and biking is a superb approach to see this a part of the nation. Be warned, although: Iceland’s climate may be hell to bike via, so be ready to face wind that appears perpetually towards you, chilly and torrential rain, and sand- and snowstorms, even in summer time.
A lot of the Ring Highway doesn’t have a lot of a tough shoulder, so that you’ll regularly be compelled to experience in site visitors (resembling it’s in Iceland). Nearly all of the Ring Highway is open to cyclists, besides for 2 stretches within the west – the Hvalfjörður Tunnel and the world round Reykjavik, the place the highway turns into a correct motorway. Most cyclists can full the Ring Highway in two weeks.
High suggestions for cyclists: Biking requirements like tire restore kits and spares may be simply present in Reykjavik, however they’ll roughly vanish outdoors of city. Ensure to top off earlier than departing. Most cyclists deliver their very own bikes to Iceland, however Reykjavik Bike Tours presents multi-day mountain bike leases that function touring bikes.
Boats and ferry providers make for pretty day journeys
Boats are mostly sightseeing choices for vacationers, heading out for a day on the water after which returning to the identical port of name. Nevertheless, there are a number of areas the place taking a ferry is the principle approach to get round. Most main routes carry autos as effectively.
Take the ferry from Reykjavik to the uninhabited island of Viðey
Leaving from Reykjavik, this ferry makes common journeys to uninhabited Viðey Island and its wealth of mountaineering trails, seabird colonies and historic buildings. Purchase tickets at ferry terminals at Skarfabakki and within the Previous Harbor (summer time solely). Vehicles should not allowed on Viðey Island.
Head out to Heimaey on the Vestmannaeyjar ferry to spot puffins
This route connects southwestern Iceland to Vestmannaeyjar, an archipelago of craggy sea cliffs with birdlife, together with hundreds of thousands of puffins that come right here to breed. The picturesque city of Heimaey is nestled inside a lava move that almost destroyed half the city within the Nineteen Seventies. Go to Herjólfur to e-book tickets.
Save time on the highway by taking the Brjánslækur ferry
This year-round ferry shaves off a major period of time touring to the Westfjords from the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. Departing from Stykkisholmur on the peninsula, the ferry stops at Flatey Island earlier than docking at Brjánslækur.
Go in direction of the Arctic Circle on the Grímsey ferry
Transporting vacationers to the Arctic Circle to view colonies of puffins, scenic cliffs and basalt rock formations, the ferry from Dalvík to Grímsey offers you about two to 5 hours price of exploring on the island earlier than it is time to head again. Or you’ll be able to in a single day at one of many island’s two guesthouses or the campground. Ebook tickets on-line with Samskip.
Expertise the relaxed island of Hrísey after a brief ferry experience
Simply reached from the mainland, Hrísey is a low-key escape (inhabitants: beneath 200) with spectacular views of Eyjafjörður within the central-north a part of Iceland. Departing from Árskógssandur seven occasions day by day, the ferry takes about quarter-hour. See the full schedule online.
