Updated September 2022.
Getting Around
The main international airport in Iceland is Keflavík International Airport (KEF). Play Airlines is a recent budget airline that provides great “layover” deals where one can spend 1-5 days in Iceland before flying to another destination.
The local airport is Reykjavik Airport (RKV) which has a few international flights, but is mostly domestic. For those who don’t want to rent a car or join a group bus tour, this would be an ideal way to fly around the country.
For more information about getting to/from the KEF airport, check out the Reykjavik page.
The local airport is Reykjavik Airport (RKV) which has a few international flights, but is mostly domestic. For those who don’t want to rent a car or join a group bus tour, this would be an ideal way to fly around the country.
For more information about getting to/from the KEF airport, check out the Reykjavik page.
Renting a Car
Iceland has a lot of great road infrastructure in place for buses and cars to drive on. Given how remote many of the places in Iceland are, one’s best bet to get around would be to either join a bus tour or to rent a car.
It is quite easy to rent a car and drive throughout Iceland. There are a multitude of different affordable rental car companies around KEF airport that one can walk to or take the bus shuttle. We had a great time with Lagoon Car Rental, a family-owned and operated local car rental company. They have the option of picking up at the KEF airport and dropping it off in their office in Reykjavik so we didn’t have to worry about parking, although there are plenty of street parking options if one is not staying in the city center.
For any car rental, I recommend buying the full insurance package, since there are many unpaved roads with potential rocky, pot-holed terrain. A 4x4 terrain vehicle is usually not necessary, unless one aims to try some of the more intense hikes.
In the summer months, when the weather is nice, one can do camper car rentals which allow you to either sleep in the tent on top of the car or in the back of the car. Many of the parks in Iceland have specific campsites for these camping cars. It’s a great experience to be out in nature and see the stars and/or Northern Lights. It’s more affordable than staying at hotels or hostels, but these camping cars can be gas-guzzlers.
For any car rental, I recommend buying the full insurance package, since there are many unpaved roads with potential rocky, pot-holed terrain. A 4x4 terrain vehicle is usually not necessary, unless one aims to try some of the more intense hikes.
In the summer months, when the weather is nice, one can do camper car rentals which allow you to either sleep in the tent on top of the car or in the back of the car. Many of the parks in Iceland have specific campsites for these camping cars. It’s a great experience to be out in nature and see the stars and/or Northern Lights. It’s more affordable than staying at hotels or hostels, but these camping cars can be gas-guzzlers.
Driving Tips Make sure to follow speed limits. There are hefty fines for anyone who drives even a few kilometers over the speed limit.
But to incentivize good driving, there are also speed scanners along the freeways that will flash happy faces and angry faces depending on the speed one is driving. Most of the roads are usually 1 or 2-lane roads, with a few bridges that are a single lane. Since many of these roads are in remote areas, there are no street lights, so be cautious while driving at night. |
Parking
Parking is readily available with lots of free street parking. At most parks and attractions, one will need to pay a one-time parking fee at the self-service booths. One can easily scan a QR code and pay from one’s phone, while others have kiosks with touch screens to enter in a license plate.
Fees usually range from 500 ISK to 1000 ISK (~3 - 6 USD)
Fees usually range from 500 ISK to 1000 ISK (~3 - 6 USD)
Gas and Gas Stations
Gas in Iceland can be on the pricier side (~8 – 10 USD/gallon), which is why many people opt to take a tour bus rather than pay for gas; however, it is nice to have more freedom. Gas stations are readily available alongside the road and can easily be found on Google Maps. One can pump gas anytime and use a credit card to pay.
WifiOne can either rent a portable Wifi device from the airport at different stands outside of baggage claim, or if you are renting a car, it can be an add-on to that package.
Since Iceland doesn’t have much reliable service, using these hotspots is the best method, especially when they offer unlimited Wifi daily. |
Currency Exchange
The best/only place we found to exchange currency was at the KEF airport. Generally, every place in Iceland we visited (even some of the rural areas), they all took card, so we never needed to use cash anywhere.
Northern Lights
One of the main reasons people come to Iceland is to see the beautiful Northern Lights. Without the light pollution and so many remote areas, the night sky is a sight to behold. The best time to visit to see them is from October through March (winter months), although one has a small chance to see them if they visit end of September or early April. To determine if one can see the magnificent Aurora Borealis, one should visit the official website that locals use to check the potential for the Northern Lights. The scale runs from 0 – 9 and usually anything above a 5 provides a high likelihood of seeing one. Note that wind speed and cloud cover can affect the visibility of the lights. Note: Cameras can usually capture images better than the human eye. If one sees a greenish smudge in the distance with a low forecast rating, switch to Night Mode on a phone to be able to see the lights better. Of course, there are multiple guides online for people more experienced at photography. |
FoodIceland isn’t known for their cuisine, but they do have some delicious options. From fresh fish/seafood to puffins and even whale(!), their food doesn’t disappoint.
In more rural areas, each town may only have one or two restaurants, but most hotels do have restaurants for dining. More fine dining restaurants will also offer multiple course meals. I highly recommend trying a Chef's Menu or a Secret Menu for some exquisite cuisine at reasonable prices. |