I think this is a very important video for many tourists. I know that most truckers are mad at tourists that can't drive at a constant speed, they see something interesting and slow down to about 50km/h and then speed up again to 100km/h and it makes it really hard for the truckers to overtake. I have also experienced tourists in the highlands where it is impossible to overtake unless the front car moves over. So if you are driving in the highlands and see a car behind you, he most likely wants to overtake you but also not stay in the dirt cloud trailing you. I would have liked to see you mention roundabouts in Iceland, as tourists cause the majority of accidents in them. Also you are required to keep your lights on all the time when driving in Iceland, lots of tourists just keep them in "auto" but it most of the time just leaves tiny lights on in the front of the car but none at the back. This can be really dangerous when driving in fog or at night.
Thank you for sharing this! A lot of good points there, I might have to do part 2 in the future, there's probably a lot of other things too we could come up with. This here is what I personally experienced a lot as once I almost crashed into the car that stopped behind the hill in the road. And agree with he situation with inconsistent speed is very common, it sometimes it is even hard to say if the person driving is even aware of the traffic behind him, slowing down, going from lane to lane, often feels dangerous to even try overtake the vehicle. Some people just need to be more thoughtful and realise they are not the only ones on the road. Hope this video will help with it at least just a little bit.
@@PeteDarrell1972 yep thats how it was for me but it was many years ago when the roads were in effect clear of tourist and much safer. On the South Road section the danger is cars just stopping anywhere they want without notice and not driving at a constant speed.
@@composedlight6850 Well, in my case it was April 2017. Kind of nobody on the road at all, and the only one stopping wherever for a view or a picture was me... ;-) The best part for me was the North Eastern part of the Rd No1, where it was just dirt road and wilderness... I don't know how it is today, but back in the days it was great to roam a wild and free country! ...
One more thing about the wind: be really careful when opening the car doors. If you are not careful, the wind will easily catch the door and literally rip it from your hand, damaging it in the process as it slams wide open. This is one of the things which are not covered by insurance in Iceland.
Thanks for the great tips. I'll be there end if September. Driving ring road. I'm from Canada so I'm at least ready for crazy weather. I'll be sure not to stop on the road since that drive me insane also. Good to know about the sheep and stopping at farmer field accesses for pictures. I wouldn't have thought of it. Well put together video and great english.
Thank you Jan! This was such an amazing video about driving in Iceland. Loved your suggestion of right indicator for the vehicle behind to overtake. I really don't want to drive too fast, but I also dont want to be an annoying driver for the people behind me!
Here's one I had no idea what to expect: Driving route 1 around 10pm in October, westbound from Hella. Convoy of large wide vehicles oncoming to me, with a single police escort and one support van. I couldn't tell from a distance, it was just a group of lights. Police car basically hogged the middle of the road, then moved into my side and forced me to stop. Thought we were being stopped for questioning. Police car drove away, then the convoy turned up and also hogged the middle lane. Think they were carrying prefab buildings or something. In UK, something like that needs at least two police cars to properly manage the traffic ahead of time.
yeah this is a very specific scenario, I wouldnt be really sure what to do either...I guess the best is to safely pull over like you did and see what's going on. i'm surprised there even was a police car, oftentimes they move a small houses here and dont even have any escort haha
Also forgot to mention: the police car had their flashing full beams on, which was badly disorienting and I didn't see what they were doing until very late. Until then, I thought the police were heading to some emergency and it was just a regular set of trucks. They should use more lighting to make the wide load more obvious.
Thank you Mary! Yes they are and it is a good thing, sometimes it seems like one could drive anywhere here especially in highlands where it is often just flats with packed dirt, but if everyone did that I can imagine it would have quite a negative impact with tire tracks everywhere. I also just hope that the rental companies are doing a good job in informing tourists about this.
Hi Jan, great video of Driving Tips and Unwritten Rules of driving in Iceland. Always enjoy seeing of of the scenery of Iceland in your videos. It is such a beautiful place to visit even with it's challenges. Just a friendly suggestion, that in English when you talk about Sheep, if you have 1 or 100 it is just referred to as Sheep. I am surprised that they don't have fenced areas for the Sheep as they could easily be hit by cars from being in the road.
Thank you Ben! And thank you for correcting me, I really appreciate it as I am still trying to improve my English. There are sometimes fenced areas too, but I feel like it often does the opposite : sheep manage to find way through the fence, rest of the sheep follows them and then the fence keeps them next to the road. So it often is a funny sight when you see the fence but all the sheep are on the wrong side of it.
I think it's no stress. Just do the trip in May if that's what work the best for you and leave highlands for some other time. If you do the whole ring road and maybe add westfjords region to it, you will have still soooo much to see and visit :)
I lived in Iceland in 2017, Mar-Oct, and had 'only' an old Toyota Avensis Station front wheel drive, but with studs for the legal season. Yes, driving in Iceland is hardcore, but I never got stucked. Just take the signs for real and use common sense and it should be fine. Sadly because of my car I was unable to explore the highlands, not even in mid 'summer', but all the rest of this beautiful, much to windy, country was easy to reach ... More people should see your info here, bc I know the regular tourists have no clue about the regulations and fines, especially when it comes to off road driving. Thanks Jan! ...
Thank you for sharing Pete! I think that having any car is essential here, can't imagine not having one here, it opens up so much opportunities for travel. To be honest, I do get stuck mainly just in the winter because of where I live, then in the summer I've been in cars that managed to get stuck in rough terrain in highlands. I used to have a truck and it was great for exploring highlands but for other 90% of the year I didn't need a car of this size so I sold it. Now i miss it and am thinking about buying one again haha. Yes I hope this video will help some people. I'd like to think rental companies are doing a good job in informing tourist about all those things, but from my experience it often doesn't seem like they do.
@@janiniceland Yeah, when I came to Iceland in March 2017, I first had no car for a couple of weeks what used to be a part of my working contract, that did suck. Nearest bus stop was in Graferholt, about 1.5 miles away from my home downhill, and you know how 'good' the bus connections are in Iceland... After I made enough pressure on my employer we bought this old Toyota, the cheapest driveable thing we could find in the Reykjavik area. But damn it, cars are really expensive in Iceland! For what we paid for that one I could have get easily at least 10 (!!) of the same in Germany. Ok, I know everything is extremly expensive and rare in Iceland... ;-) Without a car you can hardly go anywhere or see anything in Iceland, it's a must have! Here in UK I don't mind having no car. Public transport brings me everywhere at all times, at least here in the south England and London region... I used to have a truck myself, an old MB double cabin short bed, while living a long time in Portugal a while ago. Nothing better than a proper truck, especially when living in country side! When I moved away from Portugal to Germany where it wouldn't have passed the local MOT (TÜV) anyway, I sold it to Africa. Gosh, I miss that one... But to come back to talk about the informations about driving in Iceland... In my time I could see the government flyers informing and warning about it at nearly any public place. I got my first one at my Landsbankinn, but they're also at every tourist information centre and elsewhere. So actually tourists should know about it, if they dare to inform themself about the country they are currently in, but I know many don't... Iceland is a special place for me! There has been no other county I lived before, and I lived in many, that I hated and loved in the same way the same time than Iceland. Iceland is like my first girlfriend ever, a classic hate-love relation. I couldn't be with her nor without her so did she, but she stays always in my mind! If Iceland only would have better weather I would call it paradise, but than it probably would be over crowded as well... Cheers from London...
Thanks for all these amazing stories Pete! It sound like you travelled a lot. I think that everyone should try that at least once even if just for a month, in my opinion one just start looking at things differently and start appreciating what he has in live. I absolutely love the girlfriend/Iceland analogy. Somehow for me me though, the love side is still stronger and I guess that's why I am still here. That could change in the future if I discover a place I like even more, who knows. But man the weather here is really tough sometimes haha. Without that it would be probably too good.@@PeteDarrell1972
Yeah, I travelled a lot. I did grow up as a little boy in 3 countries already, Germany, Holland and Spain. Since then I could never really settle somewhere. Before 2000 I stopped making holidays like others do till date, instead I only take 'one way tickets' for a new destination. Usually by car (or better said trucks or vans & trailors), but for Iceland and the UK I did move by plane. Life is too short to wait for 'retirement' (who knows if someone makes it till then anyways?) to see and live the world. But I never made it out of Europe till now, apart from Iceland, where I obviously lived on the North American plate near Reykjavik... Actually I wanted to move to Vancouver Island, Canada after my stay in Iceland, but while my job there ended earlier than expected I needed to make new plans. So I ended up here in the UK for the moment. For a long, maybe too long. moment... ;-) But it's OK so far, I have some roots here anyway... I get you with your opinion on my girlfrind statement and I would be with you, if things were different. Most of my working life I maybe worked too hard on my body. In my 7 month in Iceland I had constantly pain in my neck and back, due to the cold and mainly the wind. I couldn't get dressed against it. It's somehow sad, while I actually love rough weather, but I obviously can't handle it anymore in the cold North. Iceland made me think twice, so Canada is cancelled (Not to talk about political reasons not to go there...). If I'm in mild, warm or hot climate, I feel perfectly fine. Maybe I make it some day somehow to go to South America, what is my plan all my life already anyway... ?! Just watched your latest video about your cabin home in the snow. Looks beautiful, but I can feel my neck already just by watching it... ;-) @@janiniceland
Thank you! Btw I agree with so much what you said. And I thhink it is amazing that you live your life like a one big adventure. It's true, everyone's planning for retirement like it's guaranteed...I wish more people saw it this way. The pain thing - i'ven actualy heard it from more than one person who's live here. It seemes that the cold can cause the stifness of the back muscles. I haven't esperienced it too much, but man still, the icelandic cold wind can really get under your skin haha. And to be honest, I've been playing with a thought of finding myself maybe a second -just a bit warmer home where I could escape perhaps the darkest winter months. Just having a van on Madeira or some of Canary Island could be really nice... well, will see what the future holds :)@@PeteDarrell1972
I miss Iceland already 😢 I did leave with Covid (picked up just before I left home) 😡 but I did manage the Snaefellsness trip, totally awesome ❤. Loved the ‘submarine’ analogy 🤣 I put my hand out once to steady myself, in the snow, well I ended up on my bum & couldn’t move for laughing. I did extricate myself 😅. Using common sense, I fear that is sadly lacking at times!
Oh no, I hope you will get better soon Kate. Snæfellsnes is absolutely amazing, I should plan a trip there some day soon! But all in all I hope you enjoyed your time here despite the covid. What was the weather like?
@@janiniceland I did enjoy my first 2 days although I was struggling from the beginning, but I think that was Covid 😏 not much fun when you’re on your own, the hotel were 😏 no help so I had to go out 2 days to get food 🎻🎻🎻🎻 lol The weather was fantastic, no rain & just the one dumping of snow. Once I get home to Australia I’ll see my doc & the Long Covid team & make a plan for the coming months. What this means is that I need 😜 to make another trip back to Iceland but I think that will be next year! Don’t worry as I’ll be keeping up to date with all things Iceland 🇮🇸
I'm visiting at the end of this month (October) from Canada and I am really looking forward to it. I will be renting a car so these are good things to keep in mind. I grew up in the prairies in Canada, so I am accustomed to winter driving in -35C and winds of 70-80kmh, so that may come in handy. One question I had, and just want clarification for, is your example of driving on the highway and signaling the car behind to pass you. As I do some casual racing at a local racetrack, the standard to tell someone to pass you is to signal in the direction that you want them to pass. So on a highway, if you were behind me, I'd signal to the left to say "pass me on my left". But it sounds like, from your example, that it would be the opposite - basically signaling to the right to say "I'm staying to the right". Is that correct? Thanks!
Hi Mike, yes that is correct, if I signal to the right, that means ,,I'm staying to the right, i'm aware you're behind me and it's safe to pass = no traffic in opposite direction or blind turn/hill ahead'' . As far as i know it's mostly used by truck drivers here as the roads here are narrow and it's 2 lane road all around the island (except for some parts in Reykjavík) and since there's often no way to see what's in front of them, this is the safe way to keep the traffic flowing. But also i've mostly seen only locals do that and since we have a mix of people from all around the world driving here, not everyone understands what it means (like you described, it means a different thing from your experience) If I want to let the car pass, sometimes I combine the blinker with moving closer to the outside lane, that seem's to do the trick. - Also if someone will give you this signal, my rule is to always take it with a grain of salt, double check and do the manoeuvre slowly.
@@janiniceland Awesome - makes sense. And because your explanation was so thorough, I have another question about traffic circles. I understand that the inner traffic has the right of way. My question is, if I am in the outer lane and a car in the inner lane wants to exit the circle, do I have to slow down and allow the car to cut to the right in front of me to allow them out of the circle? B) the second part to that is, if i am in the outer lane, does my lane automatically exit the circle at the next intersection, or can I bypass a traffic circle exit while in the outer lane? The reason I ask this is because all of the traffic circles in my city (which are very few), the outer lane doesn't continue all the way around the circle. It ends at each exit of the circle. That way, there's no chance of a car in the inner circle turning into the car in the outer lane because the car in the outer lane HAS to exit. I hope this makes sense.
@@Mike-mz9cm well, that is a clever system you've got going in your town! Simply put, If you're taking the first exit take the outer lane. 2nd, 3rd, 4th it's best to use inner lane. If you're in outer lane exiting later, inside lane always has a priority. It's tricky because this seems to be unwritten rules here and it's different in other parts of the world. And again since it's mix of all nationalities driving here, don't trust anyone on the road 😅 Luckily two lane roundabout as far as I know are only in the capital area and one in Akureyri
Thank you very much for the useful information! Myself and a group of friends are planning to visit Iceland in March 2025 for a short trip (around 8th-13th). We don't intend to go into the highlands, just the golden circle, the reynisfjara beach and the westfjords. I have a couple questions about this trip. Based upon our plans, would it be possible to do this with a 2WD vehicle, or is a 4x4 is required at this time of the year? Are the Westfjords easily accessible this time of the year?
Glad it's helpful :) Most fo the roads in Westfjords are accessible in March even with 2wd, unless you encounter some crazy weather (but that applies to any region of the island). But it is still a very snowy region with some mountain passes and so 4wd is still recommended especially for the safety. Just keep in mind that to drive around Westfjords alone is around 700-800km, so I would even consider plan b - don't go all the way to Reynisjara, but maybe visit Snæfellsnes peninsula on your way north instead. Then you can maybe better use your time (and have a little buffer in case of a storm) and then also take a ferry from from there from Stykkishólmur over the bay. Just an idea :)
@@janiniceland That's definitely a useful tip. If we were to not go north, but rather only the golden circle and the south coast, would it be advisable to rent a 2WD or a 4WD in March?
@@devvrath123 You can always manage in 2wd if the road are cleared and weather is good. But when the storm hits, you get snow and strong side wind, you will wish you had a 4wd haha. It is hard to say what weather you will get. Generally south doesnt get as much snow but still. It can be sunny and no snow, or it can be blizzard lasting days. If you're on the budget get a 2wd, be careful and don't drive anywhere if weather is bad, but if you want peace of mind, pay a little extra and get 4wd :)
Absolutely. :) According to icelandic law you have right to walk across any private or public land as long as you follow certain sub rules, which are however mostly a common sense like not leaving a garbage behind and so on. With biking there are certain trails which you're not allowed to bike on, but that's usually indicated by the sign at the trailhead
I have a van so when its windy like that it takes all the focus fighting the strong wind gusts. Sometimes you could even call it a free gym haha. I think the worts scenario is people driving large campervans who don't have any previous experience driving in windy conditions. There's always many of them per year we see flipped on the side.
you probably will not want to help me.. But im not a very rich person... im actually pretty poor but i planet a trip to iceland with my girlfriend. Id like to see the beauty of this place as much as i can but i do not have lots of money... I am an agriculture student and i love nature so much... But sadly i have so many questions that i need answered.. 1)why do people pay parking spots in places when there is infinite space to park at any point on the road? 2)What places can i go and see without paying for acomodadion or guides? can i see the glaciers alone? or visit any volcano? Can i swim in the techtonic plates without pauing for suit and entrances? And if not why?. I mean what type of law owns the entire continend and disallows us from doing so? Its just the first place on earth that i find that you are not allowed to walk werever you want or swim werever you like
a lot of good points here :) paid parkings is something that was introduced lately due to the rise of the tourism. They justify the parking fees by saying that it goes to toilets and building the infrastructure. It's a big topic im planning on discussing in future video. You can leave your car further away to avoid the fees (just make sure you're not parked on the road or driving offroad and leaving tire tracks in fragile soil and moss) You can go anywhere without the guide pretty much, but of course you're risking your life going for example alone on the glacier. You can see glaciers alone without a guide and get as close as you want to for example in south of Iceland. not sure about swimming between the tectonic plates, but maybe you will find a spot. a problem here is that a lot of the land, is being privately owned and then for example being rented to the companies. And so that creates a lot of friction in peoples approach to letting others do what they want. but you can always argue with iceland's ,,freedom to roam'' law which allows you to enter or cross any kind of private land. you can look it up if you want to know something about it :)
@@janiniceland i didnt expect you to actually answer. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH you are the most helpful channel. The internet sites you mentioned and everything probably will save my life. Most sites try to hide the maps because locals sell maps for 30€ to turists..Id really love to help your countrys economy as i consider it one of the most beautiful places in the world, but i hope you understand im a poor 22yo student and im spending my last penny to visit iceland. Thanks for your tips and your great work.
massively frustrating to see that potential photo and then have to drive a km or so to find somewhere to pull over- more lay-bys please Icelandic govt! As a tourist the tip is that the roads are all built like railway embankments meaning you cannot pull over like you can say in Scotland .. in Iceland you would roll the vehicle .. and the road camber can be counter to what you are used to at home, you really need both hands on the steering wheel
two great point here, thanks for sharing it! I mean, it's fine to pull over as long as there isn't a traffic and it is a long stretch of the road, the problem is that that's not always the case and people take a risk and stop in very sketchy places. LIke you said, would be great to see government to put more effort into rebuilding the current infractructure to suit the growing tourism.
I think this is a very important video for many tourists. I know that most truckers are mad at tourists that can't drive at a constant speed, they see something interesting and slow down to about 50km/h and then speed up again to 100km/h and it makes it really hard for the truckers to overtake. I have also experienced tourists in the highlands where it is impossible to overtake unless the front car moves over. So if you are driving in the highlands and see a car behind you, he most likely wants to overtake you but also not stay in the dirt cloud trailing you.
I would have liked to see you mention roundabouts in Iceland, as tourists cause the majority of accidents in them.
Also you are required to keep your lights on all the time when driving in Iceland, lots of tourists just keep them in "auto" but it most of the time just leaves tiny lights on in the front of the car but none at the back. This can be really dangerous when driving in fog or at night.
Thank you for sharing this! A lot of good points there, I might have to do part 2 in the future, there's probably a lot of other things too we could come up with. This here is what I personally experienced a lot as once I almost crashed into the car that stopped behind the hill in the road. And agree with he situation with inconsistent speed is very common, it sometimes it is even hard to say if the person driving is even aware of the traffic behind him, slowing down, going from lane to lane, often feels dangerous to even try overtake the vehicle. Some people just need to be more thoughtful and realise they are not the only ones on the road. Hope this video will help with it at least just a little bit.
i drove around iceland in 19 days...so fun
19 days , that's amazing, I am always happy for those who decide to take more time here, I feel like it make for more relaxing experience
19 days? Nice! I made my first Rd No.1 road trip all around in 3 days in April 2017.
Kind of a race not travel, still nice... ;-)
@@PeteDarrell1972 yep thats how it was for me but it was many years ago when the roads were in effect clear of tourist and much safer. On the South Road section the danger is cars just stopping anywhere they want without notice and not driving at a constant speed.
@@composedlight6850 Well, in my case it was April 2017. Kind of nobody on the road at all, and the only one stopping wherever for a view or a picture was me... ;-)
The best part for me was the North Eastern part of the Rd No1, where it was just dirt road and wilderness...
I don't know how it is today, but back in the days it was great to roam a wild and free country! ...
One more thing about the wind: be really careful when opening the car doors. If you are not careful, the wind will easily catch the door and literally rip it from your hand, damaging it in the process as it slams wide open. This is one of the things which are not covered by insurance in Iceland.
that's a great point. also happens surprisingly more often than I'd expect
Great info Jan,
Good tips and Common Sense, thanks again
thank you!
Thanks for the tips!
Thanks for the great tips. I'll be there end if September. Driving ring road. I'm from Canada so I'm at least ready for crazy weather. I'll be sure not to stop on the road since that drive me insane also. Good to know about the sheep and stopping at farmer field accesses for pictures. I wouldn't have thought of it.
Well put together video and great english.
thank you so much! enjoy your trip, September is really beautiful here :)
Thank you perfect timing.We head to Iceland in march and have hired a 4x4…..these tips will come in handy, especially the weather and road sites.
I'm happy if this helps at least a little bit :) enjoy your trip and I hope you will get some good weather!
Thank you Jan! This was such an amazing video about driving in Iceland. Loved your suggestion of right indicator for the vehicle behind to overtake. I really don't want to drive too fast, but I also dont want to be an annoying driver for the people behind me!
Glad it's helpful Nimesh! The main thing is to take it easy and enjoy it, driving here can be very relaxing when the weather is good :)
@@janiniceland Hoping to do so in mid September. Thank you for the video and reply.
👍very useful info! It is also good to know about the one lane tunnels and how to drive in them
Thank you Fanny! That's a good point, I will have to do part 2 sometime, there's still so much I can dive into😀
Here's one I had no idea what to expect: Driving route 1 around 10pm in October, westbound from Hella.
Convoy of large wide vehicles oncoming to me, with a single police escort and one support van.
I couldn't tell from a distance, it was just a group of lights.
Police car basically hogged the middle of the road, then moved into my side and forced me to stop. Thought we were being stopped for questioning.
Police car drove away, then the convoy turned up and also hogged the middle lane. Think they were carrying prefab buildings or something.
In UK, something like that needs at least two police cars to properly manage the traffic ahead of time.
yeah this is a very specific scenario, I wouldnt be really sure what to do either...I guess the best is to safely pull over like you did and see what's going on. i'm surprised there even was a police car, oftentimes they move a small houses here and dont even have any escort haha
Also forgot to mention: the police car had their flashing full beams on, which was badly disorienting and I didn't see what they were doing until very late.
Until then, I thought the police were heading to some emergency and it was just a regular set of trucks.
They should use more lighting to make the wide load more obvious.
So much useful information! People can use these tips no matter where they live or visit. The fines for off-road driving are very high! Thank, Jan!
Thank you Mary! Yes they are and it is a good thing, sometimes it seems like one could drive anywhere here especially in highlands where it is often just flats with packed dirt, but if everyone did that I can imagine it would have quite a negative impact with tire tracks everywhere. I also just hope that the rental companies are doing a good job in informing tourists about this.
Thanks, going next week, greetings from Sweden
Have a great trip! :)
Thanks
Hi Jan, great video of Driving Tips and Unwritten Rules of driving in Iceland. Always enjoy seeing of of the scenery of Iceland in your videos. It is such a beautiful place to visit even with it's challenges. Just a friendly suggestion, that in English when you talk about Sheep, if you have 1 or 100 it is just referred to as Sheep. I am surprised that they don't have fenced areas for the Sheep as they could easily be hit by cars from being in the road.
Thank you Ben! And thank you for correcting me, I really appreciate it as I am still trying to improve my English. There are sometimes fenced areas too, but I feel like it often does the opposite : sheep manage to find way through the fence, rest of the sheep follows them and then the fence keeps them next to the road. So it often is a funny sight when you see the fence but all the sheep are on the wrong side of it.
What are the mountains at the 3:00 mark of the video? I am leaving this Friday for Iceland and want to make sure to check them out!
This is Troll Peninsula, right next to town Dalvík. I also have a guide on my channel about this region :)
@@janiniceland Thats awesome! Thanks for the info! Im staying in Akureyri for 2 nights in part of the trip. I'll make sure to visit then!
Thank you so much for this video ❤❤❤
Glad you liked it :)
Yo, Jan!
We are planning a 14 day trip in May but I see the F-roads dont open before June. Are we missing out if we don't reschedule?
I think it's no stress. Just do the trip in May if that's what work the best for you and leave highlands for some other time. If you do the whole ring road and maybe add westfjords region to it, you will have still soooo much to see and visit :)
I lived in Iceland in 2017, Mar-Oct, and had 'only' an old Toyota Avensis Station front wheel drive, but with studs for the legal season. Yes, driving in Iceland is hardcore, but I never got stucked.
Just take the signs for real and use common sense and it should be fine. Sadly because of my car I was unable to explore the highlands, not even in mid 'summer', but all the rest of this beautiful, much to windy, country was easy to reach ...
More people should see your info here, bc I know the regular tourists have no clue about the regulations and fines, especially when it comes to off road driving.
Thanks Jan! ...
Thank you for sharing Pete! I think that having any car is essential here, can't imagine not having one here, it opens up so much opportunities for travel. To be honest, I do get stuck mainly just in the winter because of where I live, then in the summer I've been in cars that managed to get stuck in rough terrain in highlands. I used to have a truck and it was great for exploring highlands but for other 90% of the year I didn't need a car of this size so I sold it. Now i miss it and am thinking about buying one again haha.
Yes I hope this video will help some people. I'd like to think rental companies are doing a good job in informing tourist about all those things, but from my experience it often doesn't seem like they do.
@@janiniceland Yeah, when I came to Iceland in March 2017, I first had no car for a couple of weeks what used to be a part of my working contract, that did suck. Nearest bus stop was in Graferholt, about 1.5 miles away from my home downhill, and you know how 'good' the bus connections are in Iceland...
After I made enough pressure on my employer we bought this old Toyota, the cheapest driveable thing we could find in the Reykjavik area. But damn it, cars are really expensive in Iceland! For what we paid for that one I could have get easily at least 10 (!!) of the same in Germany. Ok, I know everything is extremly expensive and rare in Iceland... ;-)
Without a car you can hardly go anywhere or see anything in Iceland, it's a must have! Here in UK I don't mind having no car. Public transport brings me everywhere at all times, at least here in the south England and London region...
I used to have a truck myself, an old MB double cabin short bed, while living a long time in Portugal a while ago. Nothing better than a proper truck, especially when living in country side! When I moved away from Portugal to Germany where it wouldn't have passed the local MOT (TÜV) anyway, I sold it to Africa. Gosh, I miss that one...
But to come back to talk about the informations about driving in Iceland...
In my time I could see the government flyers informing and warning about it at nearly any public place. I got my first one at my Landsbankinn, but they're also at every tourist information centre and elsewhere. So actually tourists should know about it, if they dare to inform themself about the country they are currently in, but I know many don't...
Iceland is a special place for me! There has been no other county I lived before, and I lived in many, that I hated and loved in the same way the same time than Iceland. Iceland is like my first girlfriend ever, a classic hate-love relation. I couldn't be with her nor without her so did she, but she stays always in my mind!
If Iceland only would have better weather I would call it paradise, but than it probably would be over crowded as well...
Cheers from London...
Thanks for all these amazing stories Pete! It sound like you travelled a lot. I think that everyone should try that at least once even if just for a month, in my opinion one just start looking at things differently and start appreciating what he has in live.
I absolutely love the girlfriend/Iceland analogy. Somehow for me me though, the love side is still stronger and I guess that's why I am still here. That could change in the future if I discover a place I like even more, who knows. But man the weather here is really tough sometimes haha. Without that it would be probably too good.@@PeteDarrell1972
Yeah, I travelled a lot. I did grow up as a little boy in 3 countries already, Germany, Holland and Spain. Since then I could never really settle somewhere. Before 2000 I stopped making holidays like others do till date, instead I only take 'one way tickets' for a new destination. Usually by car (or better said trucks or vans & trailors), but for Iceland and the UK I did move by plane. Life is too short to wait for 'retirement' (who knows if someone makes it till then anyways?) to see and live the world. But I never made it out of Europe till now, apart from Iceland, where I obviously lived on the North American plate near Reykjavik...
Actually I wanted to move to Vancouver Island, Canada after my stay in Iceland, but while my job there ended earlier than expected I needed to make new plans. So I ended up here in the UK for the moment. For a long, maybe too long. moment... ;-) But it's OK so far, I have some roots here anyway...
I get you with your opinion on my girlfrind statement and I would be with you, if things were different. Most of my working life I maybe worked too hard on my body. In my 7 month in Iceland I had constantly pain in my neck and back, due to the cold and mainly the wind. I couldn't get dressed against it. It's somehow sad, while I actually love rough weather, but I obviously can't handle it anymore in the cold North. Iceland made me think twice, so Canada is cancelled (Not to talk about political reasons not to go there...). If I'm in mild, warm or hot climate, I feel perfectly fine. Maybe I make it some day somehow to go to South America, what is my plan all my life already anyway... ?!
Just watched your latest video about your cabin home in the snow. Looks beautiful, but I can feel my neck already just by watching it... ;-)
@@janiniceland
Thank you! Btw I agree with so much what you said. And I thhink it is amazing that you live your life like a one big adventure. It's true, everyone's planning for retirement like it's guaranteed...I wish more people saw it this way.
The pain thing - i'ven actualy heard it from more than one person who's live here. It seemes that the cold can cause the stifness of the back muscles. I haven't esperienced it too much, but man still, the icelandic cold wind can really get under your skin haha.
And to be honest, I've been playing with a thought of finding myself maybe a second -just a bit warmer home where I could escape perhaps the darkest winter months. Just having a van on Madeira or some of Canary Island could be really nice... well, will see what the future holds :)@@PeteDarrell1972
I miss Iceland already 😢 I did leave with Covid (picked up just before I left home) 😡 but I did manage the Snaefellsness trip, totally awesome ❤. Loved the ‘submarine’ analogy 🤣 I put my hand out once to steady myself, in the snow, well I ended up on my bum & couldn’t move for laughing. I did extricate myself 😅. Using common sense, I fear that is sadly lacking at times!
Oh no, I hope you will get better soon Kate. Snæfellsnes is absolutely amazing, I should plan a trip there some day soon! But all in all I hope you enjoyed your time here despite the covid. What was the weather like?
@@janiniceland I did enjoy my first 2 days although I was struggling from the beginning, but I think that was Covid 😏 not much fun when you’re on your own, the hotel were 😏 no help so I had to go out 2 days to get food 🎻🎻🎻🎻 lol The weather was fantastic, no rain & just the one dumping of snow. Once I get home to Australia I’ll see my doc & the Long Covid team & make a plan for the coming months. What this means is that I need 😜 to make another trip back to Iceland but I think that will be next year! Don’t worry as I’ll be keeping up to date with all things Iceland 🇮🇸
I'm visiting at the end of this month (October) from Canada and I am really looking forward to it. I will be renting a car so these are good things to keep in mind. I grew up in the prairies in Canada, so I am accustomed to winter driving in -35C and winds of 70-80kmh, so that may come in handy.
One question I had, and just want clarification for, is your example of driving on the highway and signaling the car behind to pass you. As I do some casual racing at a local racetrack, the standard to tell someone to pass you is to signal in the direction that you want them to pass. So on a highway, if you were behind me, I'd signal to the left to say "pass me on my left". But it sounds like, from your example, that it would be the opposite - basically signaling to the right to say "I'm staying to the right". Is that correct?
Thanks!
Hi Mike, yes that is correct, if I signal to the right, that means ,,I'm staying to the right, i'm aware you're behind me and it's safe to pass = no traffic in opposite direction or blind turn/hill ahead'' . As far as i know it's mostly used by truck drivers here as the roads here are narrow and it's 2 lane road all around the island (except for some parts in Reykjavík) and since there's often no way to see what's in front of them, this is the safe way to keep the traffic flowing. But also i've mostly seen only locals do that and since we have a mix of people from all around the world driving here, not everyone understands what it means (like you described, it means a different thing from your experience) If I want to let the car pass, sometimes I combine the blinker with moving closer to the outside lane, that seem's to do the trick.
- Also if someone will give you this signal, my rule is to always take it with a grain of salt, double check and do the manoeuvre slowly.
@@janiniceland Awesome - makes sense. And because your explanation was so thorough, I have another question about traffic circles. I understand that the inner traffic has the right of way.
My question is, if I am in the outer lane and a car in the inner lane wants to exit the circle, do I have to slow down and allow the car to cut to the right in front of me to allow them out of the circle?
B) the second part to that is, if i am in the outer lane, does my lane automatically exit the circle at the next intersection, or can I bypass a traffic circle exit while in the outer lane? The reason I ask this is because all of the traffic circles in my city (which are very few), the outer lane doesn't continue all the way around the circle. It ends at each exit of the circle. That way, there's no chance of a car in the inner circle turning into the car in the outer lane because the car in the outer lane HAS to exit.
I hope this makes sense.
@@Mike-mz9cm well, that is a clever system you've got going in your town!
Simply put, If you're taking the first exit take the outer lane. 2nd, 3rd, 4th it's best to use inner lane. If you're in outer lane exiting later, inside lane always has a priority.
It's tricky because this seems to be unwritten rules here and it's different in other parts of the world. And again since it's mix of all nationalities driving here, don't trust anyone on the road 😅
Luckily two lane roundabout as far as I know are only in the capital area and one in Akureyri
Thank you very much for the useful information! Myself and a group of friends are planning to visit Iceland in March 2025 for a short trip (around 8th-13th). We don't intend to go into the highlands, just the golden circle, the reynisfjara beach and the westfjords. I have a couple questions about this trip.
Based upon our plans, would it be possible to do this with a 2WD vehicle, or is a 4x4 is required at this time of the year? Are the Westfjords easily accessible this time of the year?
Glad it's helpful :) Most fo the roads in Westfjords are accessible in March even with 2wd, unless you encounter some crazy weather (but that applies to any region of the island). But it is still a very snowy region with some mountain passes and so 4wd is still recommended especially for the safety. Just keep in mind that to drive around Westfjords alone is around 700-800km, so I would even consider plan b - don't go all the way to Reynisjara, but maybe visit Snæfellsnes peninsula on your way north instead. Then you can maybe better use your time (and have a little buffer in case of a storm) and then also take a ferry from from there from Stykkishólmur over the bay. Just an idea :)
@@janiniceland That's definitely a useful tip. If we were to not go north, but rather only the golden circle and the south coast, would it be advisable to rent a 2WD or a 4WD in March?
@@devvrath123 You can always manage in 2wd if the road are cleared and weather is good. But when the storm hits, you get snow and strong side wind, you will wish you had a 4wd haha. It is hard to say what weather you will get. Generally south doesnt get as much snow but still. It can be sunny and no snow, or it can be blizzard lasting days. If you're on the budget get a 2wd, be careful and don't drive anywhere if weather is bad, but if you want peace of mind, pay a little extra and get 4wd :)
Hi there, how come we are unable to upload road.is application?
They used to have an app, but it's been discontinued. You can now only use the web version.
Can I leave the car in a parking and walk or bike to a place inaccessible by car, for example, to spend the afternoon there?
Absolutely. :) According to icelandic law you have right to walk across any private or public land as long as you follow certain sub rules, which are however mostly a common sense like not leaving a garbage behind and so on. With biking there are certain trails which you're not allowed to bike on, but that's usually indicated by the sign at the trailhead
@@janiniceland Thanks for the information, I will go on adventures on foot and I will leave the car in a parking lot 24/7 in the area where it is.
I live in Montana....first and for most.....!!!SLOW DOWN!!!
Those wind gusts can be offputting in a high sided vehicle. Better to choose a 4WD estate car from Volvo, Audi or Subaru.
I have a van so when its windy like that it takes all the focus fighting the strong wind gusts. Sometimes you could even call it a free gym haha. I think the worts scenario is people driving large campervans who don't have any previous experience driving in windy conditions. There's always many of them per year we see flipped on the side.
also the point that a lot of people forget to turn their headlights on whilst driving
that's true as well. Headlights are mandatory here all year around even though it doesn't get dark in the summer.
@@janiniceland its a sensible rule as well, I find its much easier to see cars with lights on when coming round a corner
@@AvgeekLMML I absolutely agree!
you probably will not want to help me.. But im not a very rich person... im actually pretty poor but i planet a trip to iceland with my girlfriend. Id like to see the beauty of this place as much as i can but i do not have lots of money... I am an agriculture student and i love nature so much...
But sadly i have so many questions that i need answered..
1)why do people pay parking spots in places when there is infinite space to park at any point on the road?
2)What places can i go and see without paying for acomodadion or guides?
can i see the glaciers alone? or visit any volcano?
Can i swim in the techtonic plates without pauing for suit and entrances? And if not why?. I mean what type of law owns the entire continend and disallows us from doing so?
Its just the first place on earth that i find that you are not allowed to walk werever you want or swim werever you like
a lot of good points here :)
paid parkings is something that was introduced lately due to the rise of the tourism. They justify the parking fees by saying that it goes to toilets and building the infrastructure. It's a big topic im planning on discussing in future video. You can leave your car further away to avoid the fees (just make sure you're not parked on the road or driving offroad and leaving tire tracks in fragile soil and moss)
You can go anywhere without the guide pretty much, but of course you're risking your life going for example alone on the glacier. You can see glaciers alone without a guide and get as close as you want to for example in south of Iceland.
not sure about swimming between the tectonic plates, but maybe you will find a spot.
a problem here is that a lot of the land, is being privately owned and then for example being rented to the companies. And so that creates a lot of friction in peoples approach to letting others do what they want.
but you can always argue with iceland's ,,freedom to roam'' law which allows you to enter or cross any kind of private land. you can look it up if you want to know something about it :)
@@janiniceland i didnt expect you to actually answer. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH you are the most helpful channel. The internet sites you mentioned and everything probably will save my life. Most sites try to hide the maps because locals sell maps for 30€ to turists..Id really love to help your countrys economy as i consider it one of the most beautiful places in the world, but i hope you understand im a poor 22yo student and im spending my last penny to visit iceland. Thanks for your tips and your great work.
massively frustrating to see that potential photo and then have to drive a km or so to find somewhere to pull over- more lay-bys please Icelandic govt!
As a tourist the tip is that the roads are all built like railway embankments meaning you cannot pull over like you can say in Scotland .. in Iceland you would roll the vehicle .. and the road camber can be counter to what you are used to at home, you really need both hands on the steering wheel
two great point here, thanks for sharing it! I mean, it's fine to pull over as long as there isn't a traffic and it is a long stretch of the road, the problem is that that's not always the case and people take a risk and stop in very sketchy places. LIke you said, would be great to see government to put more effort into rebuilding the current infractructure to suit the growing tourism.
@@janiniceland this is my 2nd visit - the first was less than a week, currently here for May.. and the biggest tip: Time, Iceland demands patience