Self Drive Iceland- The Route, The Car

Welcome Back!!

Thanks for finding another blog focusing on the what to do's while adventuring in Iceland! 

You took that plane that flew you, how many hours? For me it will take 5 hours or so to get to this wonderful island! So what now? You are finding yourself in this amazing BUT foreign country! It is okay, breathe, relax, because this is that sort of country that you do not mind getting lost in! This adventure will impact your life and you will be finding yourself engaged in exploring! So let's get right down to what this blog is about! ROADS ROADS ROADS and your best pal for your trip!  

Last time I briefly went over how to build an Itinerary. Today I will further that discussion into how I built my Iceland Itinerary through the West of Iceland. I will be renting a car and driving the Ring Road and I will through these blogs be posting what my daily plans will be.

Ring Road:

A proper Iceland adventure involves traveling the Island, whether it is hiking through the heart of the Island, or driving using the famous Ring Road. Iceland offers a wonderful adventure and one of the best ways to truly experience Iceland and see the stunningly amazing scenery is to drive. The only way to drive, is around the Ring Road.

 The Ring Road is the adventure I am taking.

Beautiful Scenic Drive Starts Here 

Some people when they first arrive through Keflavik International Airport in Iceland tend to get their rental car and head straight to the Golden Circle in the South when doing a road trip. Counter clockwise tends to be the popular route when driving around the Island I have noticed. I however am going clockwise, their is no wrong way to go. I am saving the 'Golden Circle' for near the end of my road trip.

When To Go:

I am going in the shoulder season, May is a great time to be in Iceland, the whales start arriving, the sea birds as well. Flowers begin to bloom, it is a dry month with little rain and the sun is already out longer. The Icelandic winters see 4 to 5 hours of sun, by May, sunrises around 5:30 AM and set's close to Midnight. For this reason you will not get to see the Northern Lights as the night is never really dark and the midnight sun is coming and is in full effect by June.

For further information on when you should visit Iceland follow this link. (iheartreykjavik-when-is-the-best-time-to-visit-Iceland) However, for a road trip, you should look at going between May - September.

The winter is dangerous with unpredictable weather, some roads will be closed and this has included part of the Ring Road in the past. Roads will be icy, and if a snow storm hits.... Well.... Driver Beware.

Calm winter day on Ring Road . Make sure to have a 4 x 4 if you want to attempt winter driving in Iceland. Be safe.

Renting A Car:

You will want to go with a reputable car company before heading off on this approximately 1,332 km (828 mi) road around Iceland.




Ring Road Iceland- The Ring Road of Iceland and some towns it connects: (1) Reykjavík; (2) Borgarnes; (3) Blönduós; (4) Akureyri; (5) Egilsstaðir; (6) Höfn; (7) Selfoss

So this is the road that sees many travelers a year take. The high season for tourists visiting the Island starts in Mid-June through to August.

Above is a picture showing the ring road, I myself will be traveling off the road ring at points during the drive, I wouldn't be surprised if you want to do the same when you see my reasons for adventuring off the beaten path.

So as I mentioned in my 7 steps blog making connections is important, those forums I mentioned are worth reading. Lots of former travelers to Iceland will stay on these forums to offer advice for other curious travelers. The socially active/helpful traveler tends to in general pop in to these forms time to time within a few months after they get back if not, they may hang longer and possibly up to a year to help others on the forum. If you do some digging it won't be hard to find horror stories when it comes to rental companies in Iceland. Some companies have left a bad taste into the mouth of travelers. Don't worry though, I to did a lot of digging and Blue Car Rental has great feed back from travelers.

So now that I have given a recommendation for a trusted car rental company it is time to pick your car.
I am going with a FWD, Kia Ceed Sportswagon, manual. There is three of us so this car offers some good room to store luggage.

Note-This car CANNOT travel the F-Roads of Iceland. F-Roads in Iceland are the routes that travel through the heart of Iceland. As I will be sticking more to the Ring Road I did not see reason to need a car with that purpose. If you do plan to take F-Roads then be sure to pick up a car that is a 4x4.

Our Route:

At the top I posted the map of the Ring Road, I however mentioned I will be traveling a bit off the beaten path. Below shows me my route as well as the day I will be in that area.

Music Makes The Drive Better:

As you saw from the above pictures, the car I will be traveling with offers USB, and that is important in today's age where most music we have are stored in our many devices that all have (usually) a USP connector.
I still suggest making some CD's as well.

Music is important, especially on a road trip. Music sets the mood, so choose your songs wisely and make sure to keep in mind your fellow companions who are sharing the car with you. People have different taste so just make sure the music is okay with others. Take turns playing everyone's music.

Next time on Dave's Blog, Driving West Iceland (and wild camping?)