How to get around Iceland?

Going around Iceland on a low budget

If you have more time than money, hitchhiking in Iceland may be a good option. Iceland is indeed considered a safe country, so the risk of getting into trouble using this means of transport is very low.

However, be aware that it can take a long time for a car to hitchhike. I saw people staying and waiting in the same place for several hours. In addition, this transport solution will surely limit you to the most famous touristic points of interest near the N1 road (the main circular road that goes around Iceland).

Using public transportation is also a quite cheaper way to move in Iceland. It is very comprehensive and you will be able to reach most of the interesting places.

The site www.publictransport.is details different transportation lines available in Iceland. You can also download there the transportation map below.

To organize a specific journey, this site will also be useful for you : www.straeto.is

Going around Iceland on a higher budget

If your time is limited, you should rent your own vehicle. The roads in Iceland are good in general, and without much traffic in the vast majority of places. In addition, parking spaces are often available near the most interesting tourist sites.

However, renting a car in Iceland is quite expensive, even for small and simple models. If you want to access the center of the island, the Landmannalaugar region for example, you will need to rent a much more expensive 4×4 vehicle, because you will have to cross small rivers (fords). In addition to this, certain roads called “F-road” are prohibited for “normal” vehicles (not 4×4), so you may be fined in case of police check.

If you look for a vehicle in which you can sleep, price will be more expensive but you will save the money on the accommodation. I will detail this kind of car in the accommodation section.

Taxi is also an alternative for short journey, but they are telatively very expensive.

If you drive in Iceland, you will have to check roads condition because depending on the weather (snow, wind, rain), they can be closed. To be fully aware of the roads condition in Iceland, a great website to use is www.road.is.

Keflavik airport is the primary Icelandic international airport so you will most likely arrive there. Consequently, you may  rent a car from the airport or maybe first reach the capital Reykjavik which is not too far (about 50 km).

To rent a car near the airport, you have the choice between many rental cars companies.

To reach Reykjavik, the fastest (around 45 mn) and simplest way is to use one of the direct shuttle bus from Keflavik airport. You can use the convenient Flybus shuttle for example. 40 minutes after each flight arrival, you can take one of these bus to the capital.

If you are looking for a cheaper alternative, you could also use public transportation (bus n°55). However it’s much longer and there are less departure times.

Finally, you will find all costs for rental cars, gasoline and public transportation in the last section of this page “How to get around Iceland”: Life costs in Iceland.

If you don’t want to use any of the transportation options presented above, you can also use excursion services. From Reykjavik, you have plenty of excursions possibilities to reach almost all the sites of Iceland. You can have a look to the ideas just below:

If you want to try other fun transportation means in Iceland, have a look to the propositions below:

According to the Institute for Economics and Peace, Iceland holds the 1^st position of the Global Peace Index (GPI), which measures the relative position of countries’ peacefulness. So that’s pretty unlikely that you would get mugged in Iceland.

Nevertheless, risks are present and come precisely from why you are coming to Iceland: its indomitable nature. Indeed, extreme weather conditions and particular dangerous areas in Iceland have killed many people over the years. Among the most dangerous situations you can encounter in Iceland, we can list:

^ Powerful waves on the beaches: even if you don’t swim directly in the very cold sea water (I’m sure you will avoid that in Iceland), just getting close to the sea can be very dangerous. I was very surprised by the unpredictability of the waves in Iceland. You can have normal waves for 15 minutes and suddenly, you have a very powerful one that sweeps the whole beach. It has happened that elderly people and children have been drowned at sea because of these waves.

^ Walking on the ice: either you could fall in the icy water if you “play” on the iceberg or you could fall into a pit if you walk on the glacier without professional support.

^ Weather changes, hiking in Iceland is one of the best ways to discover the island, but you need to be prepared for drastic and unexpected climate changes. Make sure you are wearing the right clothes and have enough food and water.

^ Dangerous roads: because of the rain or snow, they can indeed be slippery. Another risk is to get stuck in a ford while trying to cross it. Personally, I felt safe in general, but I happened to have a few scares on isolated roads sometimes. Pay attention to sheeps, and to other animals that are even more unpredictable: tourists taking photos at the roadside. 😅

Nevertheless, accidents can always happen during your trips. In Iceland, path are often slippery, and hiking or glacier walk can be very intense, especially if you get lost. So I advise you to be well insured for this trip. In case of problem, citizens of European Union countries will have to present their European Health Insurance Card to be reimbursed for medical interventions. For non-EU citizens, they will be charged in full at hospitals and clinics. If you have a premium credit card (“Gold”, …), don’t forget to check the conditions of the travel insurance oftenly included.

One more time, above all, never underestimate the weather in this island, it can really influence your travel, hence do not forget to regularly check the weather on this website: www.vedur.is

To get more up-to-date information about potential risks in Iceland, you can check these reliable websites:

• ^ www.safetravel.is
• ^ www.gov.uk

Finally, in case of emergency, Dial 112 for Police / Ambulance / Fire.

You can find all types of accommodation in Iceland, from the smallest campsites or hostels to luxury hotels. Depending on the region you visit, the offer will be very different. In my experience, I had more difficulties to find places to sleep at short notice in the eastern region of Iceland than in the western part.

Your accommodation choice should be made depending on your budget, your need for comfort and your willingness to be flexible. 

Hostels, airbnb and hotels

If you don’t mind shared bathroom and sometime noisy neighbours, hostels are comfortable and cheap places to stay. More of that, in some hostels near Keflavik airport, you will be able to find food such as pasta or cereals (not opened packets off course 😅) left in the kitchens by backpackers who leave the country. First time I came to Iceland, I arrived very late at night and booked to a hotel close to the airport. In the shared kitchen, I salvaged gas cylinders to do fire along my trip. When I left the country, I also left my remaining food for the next travelers.

Airbnb is also a good alternative and the offer is quite diversified here. Nevertheless, airbnb being very popular nowadays, you probably better book in advance your rooms. 

For higher standards and comfort, hotel will be probably the best solution. Nevertheless, they can be very pricey and you also need to book in advance, especially in regions where the hotel offer is low.

These 3 types of accommodation therefore have the advantage of being comfortable, but are relatively expensive and force you to follow a route day by day.

You can find the information about this place and other hotel accommodations in my Iceland travel guide ebook or printed.

Go camping in Iceland

For flexibility, go camping in Iceland is one of the best solutions because you don’t really need to book in advance your place in the campsite. If the weather changes or if you want to stay longer in some spots you really like, go camping give you this flexibility to adapt your journey.

More of that, camping sites in Iceland are usually available, you can arrive there at almost any time, even in the night like I did. There are indeed nearly 200 campsites open from June to mid-September.

However, nights can be cold in Iceland, even in summer. The temperature can be close to 0°c so be equipped with warm sleeping bags and clothes. Comfort can be tough depending on the campsites. Electric plugs are not always available in sufficient number or showers are sometime functioning only with cold water.

Nevertheless, even if some nights were tough, I found amazing campsites with beautiful landscape across the country as you can see below.

Finally, be aware that you can’t camp anywhere you want in Iceland. Since 2016, a law prohibits to camp outside of a campground, a designated area or without the permission of the landowner.

You can find information about these nice campsites and a map in my Iceland travel guide in ebook or paper (check now the free trial version 🤩).

Camper van in Iceland

Even more flexible, you can rent a camper van, in which you can sleep so you don’t really need to be every night in a real campsite. The only problem about this kind of vehicle is that they are usually not 4×4, so it will very difficult (even forbidden for some roads) to reach some places.

If you can afford it, 4×4 vehicle with a caravan or a tent above is the best option (but it’s very expensive!). To take showers, one of the solutions is to go to one of the numerous swimming pools of Iceland.

Traditionnal Icelandic dishes and drinks

Iceland being an island, fish and seafood are of course part of the local gastronomy. In many Icelandic restaurants, you will often find the dish: “fish of the day”. It is often haddock, salmon, cod, or monkfish. I went to very few restaurants as it is expensive, but it was all the times very good experiences.

You can find information about the restaurants I went in my Iceland travel guide in ebook or paper format. Otherwise, to find good restaurants in Iceland, I simply advise you to use TripAdvisor. There is no better solution that propose you so much up-to-date reviews and information on restaurants.

^ Lamb is also the basis of many dishes, grilled or in stew, you will have many different options to taste it.

^ Skyr, the traditional Icelandic dairy product which is to me close to yogurt, is also a cheap dessert you should try.

^ Brennivín is the traditional spirit of Iceland, it is made of fermented grain, potato mash, and caraway seeds.

How to save money on food in Iceland?

Best way to save money on food is to cook yourself obviously, so either you get an accommodation with a kitchen or you bring your cooking kit and prepare your food outside. In fact, you don’t need much to cook outside: a camping stove, one pot and cutlery. You will buy your gas cylinder locally in Iceland as you can’t bring this kind of stuff in the plane.

To buy food, the insider’s tip in Iceland is to go to the supermarkets BONUS. It is well known for its cheap products. KRONAN is also another discount supermarket chain but there are less of them spread all over the island.

As you will probably start your trip from Keflavik Airport, near Reykjavik, you’d better buy and store food in your car, or camping van, because you won’t find these supermarkets everywhere in Iceland (see map).

If you don’t want to cook, then you also have cheap fast-food restaurants with sandwichs, pizzas, or hot dogs, but it’s still quite expensive for what it is! For inexpensive meals, good in taste and for your health, I recommend the “soup of the day” sold at N1 petrol stations. It can be soup with meat, pasta or potatoes inside. They change the type of soups everyday and more of that, you can take as much bread as you need and you can refill several times your plate (ideal for big eaters 😋).