How and where to rent an inexpensive car in Iceland? Share experience

So, the whole population of Iceland consists of all of 330.000 people, Although the territory is just a little less than England. Iceland more than Portugal and two and a half times more than Denmark.

This is not exactly the island where you can see all the most beautiful sights in one day.

I’m in the lagoon yukulsarlon, which I highly recommend visiting. And it is not necessary to take an amphibian boat excursion.

Country Mountain, weather conditions change rapidly.

Main Attractions Iceland – glaciers, caves and cracks that cover the whole country.

Nature is amazingly beautiful and many people prefer to independently explore new places, for example, to go to a campaign tour of the glacier or in an ice cave.

In Iceland there is a ring road that grips around the island. This road is available for any type of vehicle and is the main tourist vein of Iceland.

Travel from one end of the country to another can take about 10 hours by car.

Popular attractions:

In Iceland, the main transport – auto. No trains, no underground transport, no trams. Buses also almost does not exist.

I highly recommend visiting the blue lagoon in Iceland

To save money on a ticket in a blue lagoon, it is better to purchase tickets in advance (for months to) online.

Read more about the best sights of Iceland and Read more about Blue Lagoon here.

If you are planning to rent a car not at the airport, And somewhere else, you can order a transfer to the city with a visit to the blue lagoon for 2 hours at one of the best tour of Iceland &# 8212; Iceland Travel.

No better way to explore this island at 100.000 square kilometers than by car!

I love traveling by car in Iceland, because it gives us freedom to choose your own route. You can choose unpopular attractions to visit and flexibility in doing what we are comfortable.

Moving along the island mainly on foot or by bike, as well as taxi, bus, ferry or plane.

The best way to get out of the city and explore nature, undoubtedly by car. Taxi in Iceland is very expensive and wonderful buses too. In addition, taxi drivers are very unhappy if they are asked to get to East Iceland.

For 15 minutes, a trip from the airport to the place of residence we paid Taxist 2,200 rubles

Therefore, in order to fully enjoy the beauty of the unique island and be independent &# 8212; It is best to rent a passenger car.

Where to rent a car in Iceland inexpensively, what company to choose ?

I would recommend the site &# 8212; Rentalcars.

They have a huge rolling market in Iceland.

On it you will find the most favorable prices for car rental in Iceland.

Comparing dozens of rental companies I was convinced that they often have more pleasant prices. Even foreign discount sites for renting auto prices for cars in Iceland above.

Rent a car in Iceland: prices

In Iceland, rental companies offer mainly cars with manual transmission:

• 5-seater 4WD SUV;
• Mini-trucks such as Subaru or Toyota;
• Cheaper 4 or 5-seater Yaris.

You can checkout the order in advance on the Rentalcars website and get an electronic voucher.

Offices of companies are located near Reykjavik airport. Between rolling companies near the airport runs Free bus.

The minimum age for renting a car in Iceland is 20 years, both under insurance conditions and safety.

The minimum age for the rental of 4WD or minibus is 23 years old. (25 or even 30 years old – depending on the category of car).

Car rental cost in Iceland

• Small cars, like &# 171; mini&# 187; come out approximately from 2.525 to 8.7771 rubles a day (from 38 to 132 US dollars) On the site inexpensive rental cars in Iceland: Rentalcars.
• All-wheel drive cars &# 8212; SUV from 4.505 rubles (This is our version of cars, booked on the Rentalcars website) and there are options up to 32.549 rubles per day (from 67.8 &# 8212; $ 489.7) .

Large discounts are used for longer leases, and summer prices are about 100% higher than in winter.

Average rental prices for a week in Iceland, in rubles:

• Hyundai I10 &# 8212; eighteen.813 rubles (September) / 17.622 ruble in winter ;
• Jusuki Jimny &# 8212; 63.440 ruble in the summer / 35.245 ruble in winter ;
• Honda CRV &# 8212; 77.538 ruble in the summer / 70.500 rubles in winter ;
• Nissan Pathfinder &# 8212; 91.636 rubles in the summer / 63.440 rubles in winter ;
• Hammer &# 8212; 77.538 rubles in the summer / 70.489 rubles in winter ;
• Motohoum (for 6 people) &# 8212; 155.076 rubles in the summer / 98.685 rubles in winter .

More prices, a suitable car for Iceland at competitive prices, pick up on the Rentalcars.Com

Fuel cost in Iceland

• Gas

What you need to know about car rental in Iceland?

Every year more and more tourists come to the country of ice. Despite the fact that in Iceland many car rental companies (mainly in Reykjavik), the best value options / efficacy are always quickly sold.

You want to be to those who caught the best offer, not?

If you know for sure what you are going to Iceland, order a car for half a year, especially if this is a high season!

The farther from the rental date you book, the cheaper will be the car rental of your car. In Iceland, there is no such transaction as the last sentence.

Do not postpone choose the best car option for traveling among more and save on rental &# 8212; Book a car immediately as it will be.

How can you save on car rental in Iceland? Lifehaki experienced

#1: You can further reduce your expenses by including several friends at your trip. You will win twice, sharing this amazing journey with your favorite people and reducing the cost of one person in transport.

# 2: You will need some things for this trip and they are much more expensive than if you buy them in your homeland. Iceland is very expensive compared to any country in which I was, so I think that we will take them from home you will help save on most of the fuel:

Cap, gloves and raincoats are required in Iceland (at any time of the year)

• Good waterproof jacket &# 8212; must be in you in Iceland. I was there in August, and although it was summer &# 8212; It was cool, sometimes it was raining and especially windy weather stands in the northern part of the island;
• Footwear for a hike in the mountains &# 8212; You need good Comfortable Couple, prices for them in Reykjavik were frightening;
• Gloves, waterproof pants and cap &# 8212; really right things even in the warm season;
• Thermos or boiler (working from the car) &# 8212; Sometimes you can walk on sights for several hours, not finding a place where you could buy a warming drink! We often used a boiler for water heating;
• GPS device &# 8212; You can save about 10-15 USD a day , Thus, it is better to bring your own and pick it back to the homeland, as we did;
• Heated sleeping bag, tent for temperature not higher than 0 degrees Celsius. When we started planning a journey for August for a month, we saw that housing in some places is incredibly expensive and decided to save on housing, spending a night several times in the tent, but very frozen in summer bedrooms for +10 degrees. As it turned out, a good option to spend the night in a car in a sleeping bag (in summer).

# 3: Take advantage of a discount on gasoline, which will surely give you when renting a car, how to gave us. This will help save every time 3 crowns on litter gasoline.

How can you protect yourself on the roads?

Beware of sheep, horses and birds

In the warm season in Iceland a lot of sheep. Once you leave the Golden Ring, you probably meet the sheep much more than people!

They can freely graze where they only wish, and this means that they sometimes crosses the roads.

These lambs met us on the road to Landmannalaugar Valley

Whenever you see the sheep nearby, I strongly recommend slowing down. Cute lamb can damage your car, or, as people told &# 8212; can turn over by car trying to avoid sheep.

The same applies to horses that sometimes move on pastures on the roads and even birds that fly low.

Think about refueling in advance

I remember well 250 kilometer plot, even on the ring road, where we did not meet benzokolonok.

Be sure to check where the following benzocolon is located. Do not forget about it! The GPS receiver in the car showed us where the nearest refueling station, it was really convenient!

Therefore, follow the fuel counter, even if you like to get into funny stories, it will not really be funny if you can not move your car in the middle of some kind of deserted road.

Check if your mileage restrictions have?

Remember that some car tenants impose restrictions on mileage. It can really bring inconvenience if you cross the large number of kilometers every day, and it can lead to an increase in the rental cost.

Do not forget to clarify and check this information from a car rental company.

Many rental companies offer two types of rent: Limited Mileage or Unlimited.

Typically, the difference in money between them is small and this is about the difference you would pay if you have made an extra 10 km.

Get ready for rapid weather changes

Let’s truth in the eye &# 8212; In Iceland, the weather changes quickly. It can be sunny moment, then heavy rain, and then fog.

Keep in mind that the safest way to deal with weather conditions in Iceland &# 8212; Currency current weather. Sometimes, maybe you will even have to stay for a few minutes, until the visibility returns or the wind does not fall.

In winter, in Iceland is very dangerous, in my opinion, travel by car. A huge amount of snow and wind can bury with wheels on the roof of a car in one night.

If you want to be aware of a sharp change of weather, visit Website: VegaRerdin.IS where it is directly updated on weather conditions and roads throughout the country.

When it is better to go on a journey through Iceland?

We ourselves traveled in Iceland in mid-August and during this period of time there were little rains, very pleasant weather throughout the day! All roads and attractions are open. In general, I recommend this period of year time for travel.

Stopped somewhere in Iceland to look at beautiful mountains

Of the minuses of traveling in Iceland in August &# 8212; abundance of tourists.

But if you want to avoid this and higher accommodation prices, I would recommend choosing a period after graduating from the summer season, say, v mid-September.

In Iceland on a small car

Iceland – a country of extensive costs, here people are very economical.

The first question to which the traveler is set &# 8212; What category auto take advantage?

In Iceland, there are special types of expensive class F or H, according to which the passage is allowed only on auto 4&# 215; 4, they are indicated on all road maps and road signs before entering.

In the event that the driver independently drove on the road F or H, it will be fined, and all his insurance is canceled.

On all other roads, including on the roads of the main excursion directions – the blue lagoon, the Golden Ring or next to Reykjavik, any kind of transport, even bicycles are allowed.

Our first car in Iceland &# 8212; Hyundai I10

Many travelers who first arrived in Iceland first take a jeep 4 rental&# 215; 4, which they were not needed, overpaying on rental, insurance and the cost of fuel in two, and even three times.

In Iceland on all-wheel drive car

For those who want to independently explore all the hard-to-reach places of the island, using the highland, difficult roads F and H, for which the passage is allowed only on cars 4&# 215; 4.

These roads are located in the center of the country, 400 &# 8212; 500 meters above sea level. They are mostly unsuitable for travel, many pass through glaciers and near active volcanoes.

Such roads are open roads only at a certain time of the year. More often &# 8212; Summer, some spring and autumn months.

Exception is Road F -Kailwegan 35, which goes to the mountain road immediately after the sign Gullfoss. This means that on this road you can ride cars 2×2 to Gulfoss waterfall in summer and winter (depending on road conditions).

In the photo, our Dacia Duster &# 8212; I have never failed for 9 days of traveling on it in Iceland:

On site: www.Road.IS You can see what kind of expensive are closed at the moment. They are marked with bright red.

All-wheel drive cars with which you can storm on F-roads:

• Suzuki Jimny for models 4&# 215; 4 / Suzuki Jimny 2013-2015;
• Suzuki Vitara 2016;
• Dacia Duster 2009 &# 8212; He, one of the most accessible variants of the all-wheel drive car;
• Suzuki Grand Vitara Automatic Models 4&# 215; 4 / Suzuki Grand Vitara 2012-2015;
• Toyota RAV4 automatic models 4&# 215; 4 / Toyota RAV4 2012-2016;
• Toyota Land Cruiser Automatic 4&# 215; 4 / Toyota Land Cruiser 2014-2015 Models and others.

Terms of rental

The tenant for renting a lease must submit:

1. Electronic car rental voucher (Internet obtained);
2. Passport;
3. An international driving license in English;
4. Valid national driver’s license, which was issued at least one year;
5. Credit card, the international standard.

My friend &# 8212; driver Anton in Iceland

The basic rules of design and delivery of rental cars:

1. Auto Rentals is obtained, the address specified in the voucher. On request, cars can be delivered at his place of residence, if it is stated in addition.
2. Auto supplied by charging scheme "full &# 8212; full "or" full – empty ".
3. Cars made after a thorough examination with fixations (It is desirable to additionally secure the photo – Movie) all from even the smallest scratch up the dirt in the cabin. Defects found must be scrupulously observed in the lease.
4. Auto returns to the place, which is indicated in the voucher also with careful fixation of the technical condition of cars.

the rent is not returned in cases where the tenant:

• It did not take cars under the agreement in due time;
• Returned cars under the contract ahead of schedule;
• I took the initiative to replace the car for a cheaper model.

Given that road for the surroundings of the capital – Mining class, It advised to take out additional insurance. It is necessary for the protection of gravel, especially if you plan to visit the south coast of Iceland or the Central Highlands.

Any damage to the tires, chassis or motor base are not covered by insurance.

We must remember that in case of emergency towing vehicle and the vehicle is not covered by insurance and should be covered by the client.

Companies block the deposit on a credit card (an average of 300 to 7000 Euro ), Which typically includes the cost of damages from the loss or damage of the vehicle.

Features of driving in Iceland: what pitfalls?

The roads in Iceland most fabulous and most beautiful

Parking in Iceland is mainly free. Paid parking is just in the center of Reykjavik and Akureyri, the center of the parking counters.

Parking areas in Reykjavik:

1. Red Zone:2.30 US dollar per hour . Mon-Fri 9: 00-18: 00. From 10:00 to 16:00. Free on Sundays.
2. Blue zone:1.25 US dollars per hour . Mon-Fri 9: 00-18: 00. From 10:00 to 16:00. Free on Sundays.
3. Green Zone:0.85 US dollars1st and 2nd hour, 0.5 US dollars after the 2nd hour. Mon-Fri 9: 00-18: 00. From 10:00 to 16:00. Free on Sundays.
4. Orange zone:1.25 US dollars per hour . Mon-Fri from 8:00 to 16:00.

Standard speed limits in Iceland:

• 50 km / h (31 miles per hour) within cities;
• 80 km / h (49 miles per hour) on dirt roads;
• 90 km / h (55 miles per hour) on all other potted roads.

Memo for drivers rental cars:

• Riding on the right side of the road.
• For all cars and buses in Iceland, be sure to wear seat belts;
• Children should sit in children’s seats corresponding to their age;
• Iceland roads, as a rule, only 1 or 2 bands;
• In the center of Reykjavik and the western part of the city there are several unilateral streets. In Iceland, there are several crossars with a circular motion mainly at the entrance to Reykjavik or nearby cities;
• The inner band always has the right to travel;
• Emergency number in Iceland &# 8212; 112;
• Highland roads are controlled by search and rescue teams. They regularly check the roads if someone needs help. The roads in Iceland have a regular movement, the locals quickly stop and offer assistance in the event of a broken car or another incident;
• It is forbidden to leave the car during breakage, help need to wait in place. The weather can suddenly change and become foggy, very cold and dangerous;
• Roads in Iceland free, The only paid road is the long tunnel HUALFJORDUR, about 6 euros. &# 171; sorry it is not transparent&# 187; &# 8212; I thought when I went in it.

Penalties for violation of traffic rules:

• For car drivers, the maximum content of blood alcohol is 0.5 ppm. In case the driver violates the first time, he faces a fine of 150-300 Euro , and the next penalty will increase to 960 Euro.
• According to the rules, drivers must use the Middle Light, no time. In case of violation of this rule – fine 30 Euro .
• Children under 6 years should be transported in a vehicle only on a special children’s seat.
• It is forbidden to talk on a mobile phone while driving a car. Penalty for violation is 30 Euro .

Blik counters:

• Many unilateral movement bridges, Especially on the federal highway R1.
• No priority road signs.
• Mutual courtesy on the roads is the main rule for drivers.
• At filling stations diesel fuel and gasoline (95 and 98).
• Many self-catering stations, Fuel can be paid through the car. They take both cash and credit cards. In Reykjavik, gas stations are open from 7.30 to 20.00. Some stations are open to 23.00. Outside the city, most of them are open to 22.00.
• You do not need to rent a all-wheel drive car, If you want to drive through any part of the Iceland ring road.
• On the roads you need to be very attentive, As the Northern Lights strongly distracts from the road.

Interesting places Iceland by car

Over 11 days, we traveled to the island of the whole and I decided to share with you my favorite sights for the trip all time.

List of the best attractions for visiting all-wheel drive cars in Iceland

Our car for 9 days of travel in Iceland &# 8212; All-wheel drive Dacia Duster

1. Valley of Riolitian Mountains Landmannalaugar (LandmannaLaugar) – one of the most picturesque places consisting of multicolored mountains (not fit in winter). Perhaps this is my favorite sight of the island. We stayed there in the mountains at night in a tent.
2. Lighthouse Byartargar (Bjargtangar) – an ideal place to feel free and picked up the fillers of impasses birds (not fit in winter).
3. Chocolate Mountains Kedlingarfyadl. Again, rearing there, you may have to stay for the night, t.To. To explore the mountains you need a few hours of going time time.
4. Mountain ridge Torsmerk. It is necessary to familiarize yourself in advance with the quality of the roads and choose the machine suitable for this place, it is possible to take a tour of the whole day and do not risk.

To get acquainted with all the top attractions of the island, I recommend to study my article about 50 sights of Iceland.

List of the best attractions for visiting a mini or other car (2&# 215; 2) in Iceland

Our baby Hyundai I10 was not suitable for 3 days of travel, when we wanted to hit the dirt road to the LandmannaLaugar Valley and I had to replace it with a all-wheel drive car

Here is my top 5 places in Iceland, which can be visited on an absolutely any car, starting with the category &# 171; mini&# 187 ;:

1. Waterfall SellandSfoss – I recommend to wear waterproof pants, raincoat and bypass the whole waterfall along the path. Feelings are awesome!;
2. Glacier yokulsarlon;
3. Great Geyser and Strokkur;
4. Cape Dirholai and Black Reinisfyar Beach;
5. Waterfall Skogafoss.

Below I make your route plan in which we did not visit only Western fjords &# 8212; This is an area with a unique mountain Hornbjarg and Westfirdar. And may not be marked some more attractions, one, two.

How much we spent just for rent a car, gasoline and extra. expenses? Reviews and experience on the trip.

We drove in 11 days travel by car 4.000 kilometers.

Fortunately, we returned both cars in the same condition in which they were taken, we were also without tire finish and washing.

Refrain of course both car full gasoline tank before surrender &# 8212; according to the rules.