Planning your route is essential to seeing all the places you want to visit. But leaving a little wiggle room in your itinerary for the unexpected is also necessary.
Be sure to check out the add-ons available for your rental car. These include premium insurance, prepaid fuel, extra driver allowance, 4G wifi, and more.
Table of Contents
Space
With plenty of space to fit five people and all their luggage, a minivan rental in Iceland is one of the best vehicles for a road trip in Iceland. Plus, many of these models are allowed on F-roads, enabling you to take more adventurous routes and see some of the more remote natural wonders Iceland offers.
You’ll also have enough room to store extra food, drinks, and snacks for the road, which is an excellent idea since you may need access to grocery stores while driving in Iceland. This way, you can save money and stay fueled for the long drives ahead.
It’s also good to purchase roadside assistance through your car rental company if something goes wrong while driving. This is especially important if you are traveling in winter when the weather can change from bright sunshine to heavy snow within minutes. Usually, these plans are available for an additional cost or included with the vehicle rental itself.
Comfort
As much as you should keep a tight itinerary with planned tours, stops, and activities, Iceland can be unpredictable. Weather can make or break a day’s activities; a hike might take longer than expected, or a road might be closed for construction. In such a case, it’s always good to have some wiggle room in your plan to adapt on the fly and enjoy your trip to the fullest.
One way to do this is by renting a minivan rental instead of a regular car. This will give you space to store additional clothing and accessories and a cooler to keep food or drinks chilled. It’s also worth keeping a bag of extra blankets and pillows in the car, too – you never know when you might need to bundle up and get comfortable after a long drive! Remember that the wind in Iceland can shake a car door loose, so it’s important to keep doors shut when you’re not entering or exiting. Be sure to stock up on groceries beforehand – prices are pretty expensive in Iceland.
Safety
While a road trip provides total freedom and flexibility, it can also be stressful on unfamiliar roads in a foreign country. It’s essential to plan, especially with the flexibility of a minivan rental in Iceland.
You can veer off the ring road and explore Iceland’s wilder regions if you want to – but only if conditions allow. It’s always best to leave some wiggle room in your itinerary to adapt to unexpected situations (weather or even something as simple as a delicious local restaurant that takes longer than expected).
In addition, it’s important to note that driving on Iceland’s two-lane roads can sometimes be dangerous and intimidating. It’s common courtesy to let drivers pass you but ensure that the car behind you has a safe distance before turning. Also, most rentals include a basic Collision Damage Waiver in their rates, but adding optional insurance packages to cover all your adventures on the road is a good idea. Be sure to ask about this!
Flexibility
Whether you’re looking for a zippy 5-day express tour, an action-packed 7-day sightseeing journey, or a leisurely 14-day itinerary, Iceland offers plenty of road trip options. Taking a self-drive ring road adventure is one of the best ways to see this fascinating country on your way, with all the freedom that comes with it.
You can make your route, stop for as long as you like, and indulge in Icelandic pastimes, such as hot spring bathing (which you should do). With the proper planning, your self-drive adventure will be a true highlight of your trip to this island country.
It is worth noting that basic CDW insurance is included in the rental rate but does not cover off-road driving. Therefore, if you plan to drive on F roads during your trip (which is possible in summer months when these are clear of snow), getting additional coverage with a 4×4 or a super-wrangler car is best. This is essential, as there are many stories about people who have ventured off the roads and damaged their vehicles.
Convenience
There are many Iceland road trips, from zippy 5-day express tours to action-packed 7-day sightseeing journeys or more leisurely adventures over a 14-day itinerary. Whichever way you want to see the country, it’s good to have a rough idea of what attractions you want to visit and in which order.
This helps you plan your route and determine the vehicles best suited to the terrain. For example, you will need a 4×4 vehicle if you plan to travel the Golden Circle, which is an excellent route for first-time visitors as it passes by some of Iceland’s most well-known natural wonders, such as the UNESCO-listed Thingvellir National Park, where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates are slowly splitting apart.
Also, while Iceland’s main roads are paved and often two-lane, many non-main roads are narrower, sometimes just wide enough for one car to pass. If you find yourself on one of these single-lane bridges or tunnels, it’s common courtesy to let the driver in front cross before pulling over to allow other cars to go by.
