Car Hire in Iceland

Iceland was made for the road trip. The famous Ring Road (Route 1) circles the entire island in 1,332 km, passing glaciers, waterfalls, volcanic landscapes, whale-watching bays, geothermal pools and the most dramatic coastline in Europe. There's no better way to experience the island's scale and raw beauty than to get behind the wheel and follow the road wherever it leads.

Best airports & pick-up locations

• Reykjavik (KEF) — Keflavík International Airport, 50 km from the capital. All major hire companies represented.
• Akureyri (AEY) — North Iceland hub. Useful for those driving one-way rather than completing the full ring.

Driving in Iceland

• Drive on the right. Speed limits: 90 km/h paved roads, 80 km/h gravel, 50 km/h urban.
• F-roads (Highland interior tracks) require 4WD and specific permission — a standard hire car cannot legally be driven on F-roads.
• Weather changes rapidly and without warning — monitor safetravel.is before any drive.
• Single-lane bridges and blind hilltops are common; approach with caution and use passing places.
• Never drive off-road — it's illegal and causes severe, irreversible damage to Iceland's fragile lava fields.

Local tips & best routes

The Ring Road full circuit takes 7–10 days at a relaxed pace. The Snæfellsnes Peninsula (Jules Verne's 'Journey to the Centre of the Earth') is arguably the most scenic day drive in the country. The Westfjords are remote, wild and staggeringly beautiful — the furthest most tourists get from the Ring Road and absolutely worth the effort.