Driving in Iceland: the back story

About Driving in Iceland: the back story

By the ULTIMATE Reykjavík Editorial Team

Editor-in-Chief: Jai Michael

Most visitors see Iceland from the road. The Golden Circle and the south coast are on good roads within a day of Reykjavík, but the weather changes fast, winter days are short and storms can close roads. The Icelandic Road Administration publishes road conditions on umferdin.is; the Met Office forecasts on vedur.is; and Safetravel, run by ICE-SAR, the search-and-rescue association, posts alerts. The mountain F-roads are only for four-wheel-drive vehicles, and only when they open in summer.

Before you set off

Check road conditions on umferdin.is, the forecast on vedur.is and alerts on safetravel.is.

In winter

Daylight is short and storms can close roads: plan short legs and keep your plans flexible.

Check umferdin.is, vedur.is and safetravel.is every morning before you drive.

On the beaches

At Reynisfjara and the other black-sand beaches, sneaker waves can sweep people out to sea: keep well back from the water.

Our advice: if you would rather not drive in winter, take a guided day tour.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Driving in Iceland: the back story before you go.