Rental Cars in Iceland

Experience Iceland with a rental car on one of our self-drive tours. The mouth-watering scenery is an adventure in itself, with volcanic craters, lava flows, hot springs and geysers, glaciers and stunning waterfalls offering a new view around every corner. For individual travellers the best holiday can be achieved on a self-drive tour with rental car or campers. You can find a good selection of self drive tours in our holiday packages. If you desire, we will check if we can exchange the included rental car category for another. 

The road system in Iceland is extensive, nevertheless some roads are more challenging to negotiate. About 70% of the roads are tarmaced, including ring road No. 1. Some areas have gravel roads with potholes or tracks. Roads with one- or two-digit numbers are no problem for normal cars.

Rental car information

Driving across the highlands, where the roads have 3-digit numbers, has to be planned differently since the highlands are uninhabited and services are not readily available. These highland routes can only be mastered in 4-wheel drive vehicles. Furthermore, we have compiled general information for you on the topics of driving in Iceland and environmentally friendly travel in Iceland.

See the actual road conditions always updated by the Icelandic Road Administration and view our detailed Map of Iceland.

Fuel Discount - N1 petrol stations

N1 logoNew: If you rent a car, motorhome or camper from our partner Europcar / Höldur, you will receive a fuel discount card for the N1 petrol stations in Iceland. The offer also applies to our self drive tours. Save up to 3 ISK per liter!

 

 

Rental Car Categories

Here, you can find an overview of the different rental car categories, which we can offer you for your rental car adventure in Iceland. If you would like to book a rental car as a single element (without flight or accomodation), you can find the list of the daily rates here.

Category Z or Z1

Model: Kia Picanto, Toyota Aygo or similar, Cat. Z1 (Automatic)

Seats: 4 - recommended for trips with max. 2 people

Doors: 3

Luggage: 1-2 small to medium sized suitcases

Suitable for highlands: no

Category A

Model: VW Polo, Toyota Yaris, Suzuki Swift or similar

Seats: 4 - recommended for trips with max. 3 people

Doors: 5

Luggage: 2-3 small to medium sized suitcases

Suitable for highlands: no

Rental Car category A

Category B or B1

Model: VW Golf, Kia Ceed, Toyota Auris or similar, Cat. B1 (Automatic)

Seats: 5 - recommended for trips with max. 3 people

Doors: 5

Luggage: 3 small to medium sized suitcases

Suitable for highlands: no

Category N, N1 or D1

Model: Kia Ceed Sportswagon, Skoda Octavia or similar, Cat. N1 (Automatic), Cat. D1 4x4 (Automatic)

Seats: 5 - recommended for trips with max. 4 people

Doors: 5

Luggage: 5 small to medium sized suitcases

Suitable for highlands: no

Rental Car category n or DD

category FG

Model: Dacia Duster 4x4 or similar

Seats: 5 - recommended for trips with max. 4 people

Doors: 5

Luggage: 4 small to medium sized suitcases

Suitable for highlands: yes

category G or G1

Model: Toyota Rav 4x4, Kia Sportage 4x4 or similar, Cat. G1 (Automatic)

Seats: 5 - recommended for trips with max. 4 people

Doors: 5

Luggage: 4 small to medium sized suitcases

Suitable for highlands: yes

Rental Car category GG

Category H1 (Automatic)

Model: Kia Sorento 4x4 or similar

Seats: 5 - recommended for trips with max. 4 people

Doors: 5

Luggage: 5 small to medium sized suitcases

Suitable for highlands: yes

Category I1 (Automatic)

Model: Toyota Landcruiser 4x4, Toyota Highlander 4x4 or similar

Seats: 5- recommended for trips with max. 5 people

Doors: 5

Luggage: 5 small to medium sized suitcases

Suitable for highlands: yes

Rental Car category I1

Category RR (Automatic)

Model: VW Touareg 4x4 or similar

Seats: 5- recommended for trips with max. 4 people

Doors: 5

Luggage: 4 small to medium sized suitcases

Suitable for highlands: yes

Category K

Model: Land Rover Defender 4x4 or similar

Seats: 7 - recommended for trips with max. 5-7 people

Doors: 5

Luggage: 5+ suitcases (additional storage on the roof)

Suitable for highlands: yes

Rental Car category K

category j

Model: Renault Trafic or similar

Seats: 9- recommended for trips with max. 9 people

Doors: 5

Luggage: 4 small to medium sized suitcases

Suitable for highlands: no

category jj

Model: Volkswagen Caravelle 4x4, Toyota Hiace 4x4 or similar

Seats: 9 - recommended for trips with max. 9 people

Doors: 6

Luggage: 6 small to medium sized suitcases

Suitable for highlands: yes

rental car category JJ

rental car information

Terms of Lease

a) Categories: The advertised models are just examples for the size of the vehicles and may vary. It is not possible, to reserve a specific model.

b) Driving off the beaten track is strictly prohibited in Iceland. Those drives are not insured and may result in high punishments.

c) The minimum rental period is 1 day/24h. The lease is calculated by every partially fractured 24hours. The time of the pick-up is essential for the beginning of the renting.

d) The date of the pick-up determines the season and is essential for the price of the whole tenancy.

e) When picking-up the rental car a valid credit card (Visa, Mastercard, Diners Club, Eurocard), which is issued on the main tenant, needs to be deposited for security reasons.

f) Driving license/Driver: minimum age: 20 years with at least 1 year of driving experience.

g) The CDW-insurance (excess of GBP 1.120,- for all categories without 4x4 (incl. cat. D), for all other categories GBP 2.043,-) covers all damage except for damage to undersurface and wheels as also damage which were conducted by driving through rivers, wild animals or sand storms. Additional insurance possible, please have a look at point Insurance.

h) Gas is not included in the rental price. You can find current prices under www.gsmbensin.is. Every rental car needs to be delivered with a full tank, otherwise the credit card is charged with 25% added on pump price.

The current terms of lease of Europcar apply, which you will get and sign at the pick-up of the rental car.

 

Insurance

The following insurance coverage (with excess) is included in all bookings:

- CDW-Insurance: included
- Part insurance cover: included
- Liability insurance: included
- Theft insurance: included
- Passenger insurance: included
- Excess in case of damage/theft: cat. Z-D: GBP 1.120, other cat.: GBP 2.043,-
- Excess in case of breakage of glass of windows or front shield: cat. Z-D: GBP 296,- other cat.: GBP 550,-

 

Additional Insurance

Different additional insurances exist which reduce excess or covers other damages:

1) S-CDW-Insurance (bookable at pick-up)
Offered by Europcar. Reduction of excess to:
rental car without 4-wheel drive (incl. D): GBP 296 - GBP 9 per day
rental car with 4x4/campers: GBP 550 - GBP 13 per day

Also the excess for rockfall damage to spotlight and breakage of glass of windows and front shield will be reduced to GBP 144 (cat. Z-D) respectively GBP 237 (other cat.). All damages named in g) under terms of lease are still excluded.

2) Additional insurance sand and ashes (SADW)
Covers all damages, which might originate from sand or ash storms (bookable in advance or at pick-up).
Rate for all categories: GBP 11 per day (excess: GBP 144)



 

 

Additional Fees

- Additional driver: £ 20
- One-way rental cat. Z-D: £ 108
- One-way rental other cat.: £ 169
- GPS-Navigation System: Included (own contribution in case of damage/loss: GBP 500)
- Baby/Infant Seat: £ 6 per day/max. £ 35

Motorhomes and campers in Iceland

Another alternative to travel through Iceland are camper vans and motorhomes such as the pick-up four-wheel drive motorhomes that are suitable for the highlands or the comfortable Fiat Ducato which can be used to travel around Iceland easily, starting from the airport Keflavik. This are good and cheap alternative to explore Iceland. Around Iceland you can find over 100 campsites, most of them open from 15th May to 15th September.

On the following pages you can find more information about motorhomes and campers as well as our travel packages motorhomes and campers in Iceland.

 

Roads in Iceland

You can drive on the ring road no.1 throughout the whole year. Also in the winter time, the road will always be freed from snow. It is possible that the highland roads will be closed from mid of September to end of June as rivers and mud make them impassable. If those roads will be open to traffic, they can only be managed by 4-wheel drive vehicles; it is a good advice, to drive only together with another vehicle on some of those roads.

Signpost in Iceland

Driving in the highlands

The highland routes are open from around mid June to mid September depending on the climate and river conditions. Information on road conditions is provided by the Icelandic Ministry of Transport and larger petrol stations. Petrol stations are often spread far apart, so we recommend that you travel with the necessary petrol supply. Overnight stays in the highlands have to be planned before departure, as there are only a few huts with sleeping bag accommodation. These should definitely be booked in advance. Non-bridged rivers and brooks require your utmost concentration. Glacier rivers can be especially dangerous, since they can change instantly.

If you are travelling alone, you should only cross glacier rivers when another vehicle is in sight. More about our holiday packages with highland routes!

An alternative would be guided super-jeep tours. These tours have experienced drivers and are specially equipped, suitable for highland vehicles. With those tours you can explore the highlands throughout the whole year. If you would like information regarding super-jeep tours, just contact us.