People go to Iceland for natural beauties, and it just so happened that these beauties are often scattered quite far from each other. You need a car to get between them. Most Icelandic roads are well paved, however, if you want to look at some distant landmark, you may have to go along a less well-maintained road. Such in the country are classified with the letter F, they are called F-roads, or F roads.
It is believed that driving on F roads requires special courage and skill, and most importantly, it requires a good four-wheel drive jeep.
1.
Here is the First Highway - the ring road that surrounds all of Iceland. It's a great track, with no sharp turns or slopes, and good coverage for the entire 1,300km.
2. And this is the "good" road F. It's gravel and has a lot more twists and turns. But in general, it's nothing to worry about. Such roads may have a two-digit or three-digit number. If there are only two digits in the road number, then it is considered quite "simple", well-compacted, and generally safe. Three-digit roads are more difficult.
3. For example, there may be a coating not of gravel, but simply rammed earth. Or the terrain is more bumpy. Or something else. If you follow another car on such a road, be prepared to swallow someone else's dust.
4. As a rule, F roads pass through the Icelandic highlands in the center of the island. They are closed for the winter because they are covered with snow. Roads are opened "in summer" - or rather, starting from May or even late June, when most of the snow has already melted.
5. There will be a warning sign at the entrance to such a road. He will remind you that you can't drive off the road in Iceland (even off the class F road), that you need a four-wheel drive jeep for it, and that you have to cross rivers to ford.
6. Yes, most of these roads cross mountain rivers without any bridges. Here you are driving along the road, and suddenly, bam! river. And the road continues on the far shore, as if nothing had happened. Such rivers are often not very wide, but with a fairly strong current, and incomprehensible depth. The water is not very transparent, and it is not clear to the eye how deep the bottom is here - half a meter, a meter or two?
7. In such cases, if you are not confident in your abilities (or in your jeep), it is better to wait until someone with more cool car will make the move. By at least see how deep you have to go. Usually it is not as dangerous as it seems, but before the ford you are always nervous: "What if? .." - after all, they warn that no insurance covers river crossings.
8. If you come to the ford, and there is no one there except you, then you can try to remember which cars have been driving towards you for the last half hour. Most likely they did this crossing in the opposite direction. Surprisingly, people in cars boldly cut through some roads, hammering a bolt on the requirement to have a jeep. I have seen with my own eyes how some of them cross rivers. But I would not recommend doing this.
9. When you are convinced that the move is safe, you can do it yourself. Personally, I was very scared for the first time, I was nervous not like a child. But everything worked out, although a couple of times I saw water splashing through the hood, and I already imagined pictures of the flow of river water rushing into the engine. The main thing, they say, is to drive with low grip and not to rush.
10. Surprisingly, even some motorcyclists are not afraid of these fords!
11. But do not think that it is completely safe. On the way back we saw a stuck car. Now I don’t remember whether they were flooded with water, or they stalled in the mud, but they sat down firmly, and when we asked how we could help them, they replied that they had already called for help, and now they were waiting. The driver said that he had done several fords that day without problems, but here he did not calculate.
I won’t be surprised if one of my Russian readers thinks, “Are these F roads steep?! Yes, in our region you can meet something else on the federal highway! ..”
Iceland is, without a doubt, the most unique and exciting place on the planet. This article is written to make your trip to Iceland as interesting and comfortable as possible. It is divided into two parts: tips and routes. In "tips" we have collected special recommendations that are suitable for every traveler...
In "routes" - an example of only one travel option with maps, attractions, travel time and other little things. We hope you find all of this helpful as you explore Iceland's most scenic spots by car.
ADVIСE
Before the start. One of the travel itinerary options will be described below, but what do you have to do in Iceland in general? Mostly driving, walking and seeing an endless variety of stunning landscapes. You are going to Iceland not to see only Reykjavik, spend the whole vacation in a sightseeing bus and think only about safety, but to experience real adventures and see extraterrestrial landscapes (Iceland is often used as a testing ground for beta testing of various spacecraft) .
Icelandic Ring Road. If you want to see most countries, you must travel along the Icelandic Ring Road, the total travel time for which is about 17 hours. It is advisable to allocate 8-10 days for the trip. This will allow you to linger in the most interesting places.
When asked which direction is best to go, we advise you to go counterclockwise. This course will give you the opportunity to warm up. At first, entertaining adventures and sights await you, then more impressive ones, and at the very end of the path - an epic climax. Be sure to plan your route for the next day and adjust it depending on the weather and how you feel.
When to go? There are several factors that go into deciding when to start. This is the weather, lighting and the influx of tourists. These three things will directly affect whether you enjoy the trip or not. The high season in Iceland lasts from June to August. Also, a sufficient number of travelers come in May and September.
Weather. If you come to Iceland at the height of the season, you will still find quite comfortable air temperatures. However, you need to remember that the weather on the island is very capricious. Sometimes there are moments here when it's hot even in a T-shirt, and after five minutes a wave of cold rain covers you.
If you're heading to Iceland for fantastic snowy scenery and the Northern Lights, visit in the winter, but be prepared for the fact that this time of year it will not be easy to get around - some roads become completely impassable.
Road conditions. Icelandic ring road open all year round. Some dirt and country roads are closed during heavy snowfalls or due to volcanic activity. All roads are open during the high season. If you want to get to the most secluded sights, plan a trip for May-August.
Light. Iceland is famous for its magnificent light, which delights tourists both in winter and in summer. If in winter travelers try to track down and catch the northern lights in the lens of the camera, then in summer an endlessly long sunset awaits them, lasting from 9 pm to 3 am.
After reading all of the above, you will probably decide to go to Iceland during the high season - in June-July. The disadvantage of this period is the presence of crowds of tourists occupying all the sights. You can revel in the view of one of them, and in a minute you will be accompanied by 30-40 people who arrived at the same place as you during the next bus tour.
About to fully enjoy the view and make high quality photos you can forget. Given this, we would advise you to go to Iceland in August, when the crowds are thinning, the sun is still shining brightly, and there is no snow yet, as is often the case in May.
What to bring? In Iceland, you need to have a few irreplaceable things with you. Of course, you need to take clothes, sunglasses, toiletries and other little things with you, but the main thing is items and gadgets that will make your trip easier.
Map/GPS. If you don't really trust GPS-navigators, buy an ordinary map, which will be useful for a trip in any direction. All roads of the country, including minor ones, are marked on the map, and upon arrival home, it will remain as a souvenir. In some cases, GPS coordinates will be quite useful, but they are often confusing when cross-referenced to Google place names. However, if you do not know the exact coordinates, some interesting sights can simply not be found, for example, this one - 63°27.400´N 19°22.130´W.
Google Maps extremely useful for planning your itinerary and calculating the time you will spend on the trip. But there is one caveat. Hard-surfaced tracks are very accurately plotted on Google maps, and almost impassable roads and even trails are only on printed maps.
Weather forecast. The weather in Iceland is extremely unpredictable, and before you go out, you need to find out two things - is it raining and how cold is it.
Clothing and equipment. What clothes to wear and what to take with you is a personal decision for everyone. You need to remember the main rule: "layers, layers, layers." You need to dress in such a way that you do not freeze in biting winds and heavy rain (and not just warm clothes, but layered clothes cope with this), and take off too much if it gets too hot.
Money. Oddly enough, cash is not needed in Iceland. Every gas station, every restaurant and shop accepts credit cards. They are preferred even in the most isolated villages. An entire holiday in Iceland can easily be spent without touching money at all. Naturally, just in case, it does not hurt to put a couple of bills in your pocket, but not a wad of money.
Suitcase or backpack? The choice depends on how long you are going to Iceland. If you are going to walk a lot, sleep in a car, and not in a hotel, then a backpack is just what you need. If you are planning to stay in hotels, a suitcase is better, unless you get tired of carrying it from the hotel to the car in the morning, and repeat the action in reverse order in the evening.
Where to stay. In Iceland, especially along the ring road, there are great amount hotels and hostels, but in the high season they are all packed, so you need to plan an overnight stay and book a room in advance. You may be confused by the need to make one more decision: whether to stay at a hotel or at a campsite. There are advantages to both the first and the second option. You decide.
Driving in Iceland. To really explore Iceland without being tied down to bus tours and tour groups, you'll need a car. When choosing a car for a trip, pay attention to such data as capacity, power and fuel consumption. It doesn't matter what the car looks like, as long as it has all-wheel drive.
Markup and speed. It must be admitted that driving in Iceland is quite an extreme activity. Even on a flat, sometimes like an arrow, ring road, sometimes you will be nervous. The problem is the bandwidth. All Icelandic roads are too narrow, but they drive very fast. Especially for the speed must be monitored during the passage of sharp turns on motorhomes and when traveling with buses. An important influence on the driver is provided by the surrounding beauty, which disperses attention.
secondary roads. The ring road is always kept in excellent condition, but many other roads have the most unexpected surprises for you, ranging from the surface (mostly gravel) to the width - some roads do not exceed 2 meters in width. A considerable number of attractions are located away from the ring road, and they can only be reached by inconvenient and difficult roads.
Punctured tires and other emergencies. Always check the condition of the spare tire and be sure to carry it with you, otherwise you risk getting yourself a bunch of trouble. It also does not hurt to stock up on guarantees that the agency providing you with a car will come to the rescue in the event of an emergency. Usually they all promise this. In the worst case, you can stop a passing car and ask for a ride to the nearest locality. The problem is that there are roads on which cars drive extremely rarely, and the nearest housing is sometimes quite far away.
Drive and transmission. If you are going to get deep into the fjords, overcome broken roads and not worry about being stuck for 4 hours from the nearest settlement, rent an SUV with all-wheel drive. Take the most best car of all you can afford.
Trunk. It will be better if 1-2 seats remain free in the car. It is better to store suitcases and other things that you are unlikely to need on a trip in the trunk, and what you may need at any time, for example, a camera, a windbreaker, food, etc. - in the car. So you can quickly get everything you need, without wasting precious time in vain.
THINGS TO DO?
There are a lot of things to do in Iceland. Most of your time will be spent on things, events and sights that you will encounter completely by chance, but most of the entertainment and adventures are best planned in advance with the help of people who know a lot about it.
Helicopter tour. If you dream of flying in a helicopter at least once in your life, do it in Iceland. Entertainment is not cheap, but it's worth it.
The most famous company offering such an adventure is Norduflug, and its best pilot is Gisli Gislason. Book a tour called "Essential Iceland", during which you will fly over the Golden Circle, Pinglivir National Park and not only see the glaciers, but land on one of them and have a picnic there.
When planning a helicopter tour key value the weather has, so leave a window of 1-3 days. It is best to fly on the last day of your stay in Iceland - this will be the most impressive and memorable finale of the trip.
If you want to shoot video or take pictures directly from the aircraft, you should keep in mind that good picture it will only work when you set the shutter speed to maximum, reduce the sharpness (about 1/1200), set the aperture to F8 and adjust the ISO correctly depending on the lighting. For video, you need to bring a lens with stabilization, a camera with autofocus, and ideally with built-in ND filters. It is best to have two cameras with you - one for photos, the other for video.
Hiking. Every time you get out of your car in Iceland, you automatically take a short hike, but there are a few places where this concept makes more sense. One of them is the Skatfell glacier area, which has several exciting hiking trails. For those to whom such a route will seem like child's play, we suggest organizing a trip to Hornstrandir - you will definitely never forget this adventure.
except hiking, there are plenty of other activities in Iceland, such as horseback riding, ATV, diving and flying. It all depends on what you like to do more, but we would advise you to organize your vacation in such a way that approximately 30% of the total time is spent on planned activities, and the rest of the time is spent on exploration and adventure.
Food in Iceland. Despite the fact that many whine about the fact that the food in Iceland is simply disgusting, and there is nothing to eat except for boring hot dogs, we believe that the local cuisine is quite good, and most importantly, unusual. If you do not eat at gas stations (the food here is exactly the same as at all other gas stations in the world), but try local delicacies in restaurants, cafes and eateries at hotels, you will understand that everything is not so neglected. But you must not forget that along any of the routes you choose, there are unlikely to be a sufficient number of establishments offering quality food. In some places, you will have to spend hours looking for not just a restaurant, but at least a grocery store.
Hotel restaurants. This is perhaps the best option for timely and high-quality nutrition. Almost every city in the country has at least one hotel with a restaurant. Before the trip, you can find out in which city and in which of the restaurants you will have lunch and dinner. Breakfast is usually served at the hotels where you spent the night.
Grocery stores. The size of grocery stores and the choice of goods directly depend on proximity major cities. In Reykjavik or Akureyri itself and next to them, the shops are quite large, but all the rest are more like shops at gas stations. They do not have a huge selection of goods, and only the most necessary products are sold.
gas station. The cheapest food is sold at gas stations. Here, of course, they cook hot dogs, and they are really tasty, but you should not limit yourself to this “dish” only, otherwise you will join the clan of those who consider Icelandic cuisine to be monotonous and disgusting.
ROUTES
In this section, we will take you to the very depths of Iceland. No matter which direction you choose to explore the island, there are incredible things to do along the way, as well as reckless and very positive adventures. Below will be described a journey along the ring road, designed for 8-10 days. We will tell you what awaits you on the way, and you already have to choose what you want to see and where to go.
Day 1: Keflavik Vik
To get to Vik by night, it is better to start the trip early in the morning. You can drive from Keflavik to Vik in 3 hours, but you will have to make several stops along the way. This is a great route to get used to Iceland itself and its pace of life.
Where to sleep: "Icelandair Hotel Vik"
Where to dine: "Eldsto Art Cafe"
Attractions: Along south coast some of the most exciting sights are located, many of which are close to Iceland's Golden Ring. Also on this stretch of the path there are plenty of opportunities for serious adventures.
Skogafoss waterfall
Seljalandsfoss waterfall
Sólheimasandur plane crash site
Black Beach
Rocks Troll Fingers
Dyrholeey Arch
Seljavallalaug pool
Day 2: Vik Hoebn
On this day, you have to cover about the same distance as on the first day - about 3 hours on the way. This will give you enough time to explore the area and have at least one adventure. This part of Iceland is located at a considerable distance from Reykjavik and is still classified as hard to reach.
Where to sleep: "Country Hotel Smyrlabjörg" or "Hotel Hofn". The first one will amaze you with its quirky atmosphere, while the second one is perfect for replenishing supplies, as it is located in a port city.
Attractions: There are many sights on the way to Höfn, so it is necessary to plan their sightseeing in advance. Must visit national park Skaftafell. You will spend no more than an hour on places such as the Jokulsarlon glacial lagoon or the Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon - this time will be quite enough for a full-fledged photo session.
Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon
Mossy Lava Stones
Jokulsarlon Lagoon
Skaftafell National Park
Waterfall Svartifoss
Landmannalaugar Valley
ice caves
Day 3. Höfn-Egilsstadir
If you want, on this day you can drive all the way to Lake Myvatn in just 6 hours, but then you risk missing out on some interesting sights. The speed of movement also depends on how many nights you plan to spend at the lake. If there are two, then it is better to go from Höfn to Myvatn immediately. If one, then you can make a night stop in Egilsstadir.
Where to sleep: Hotel Icelandair
Where to dine: in the village of Djupivogur
Attractions: The route along the southeast coast, through the Eastfjords, is perhaps one of the most underrated in Iceland. For some reason, all tourists are fixated on the Westfjords, although the Eastfjords look no less beautiful, and the weather here is more stable than in the west. Moreover, if you wish, you can go far away from the ring road and drive along the entire coast through almost deserted places.
City of Seydisfjordur
Dyrfjoll
The coast of Laekjavik
Djupivogur village
Random coastal views
Day 4: Egilsstadir-Myvatn
If you stay overnight in Egilsstadir, you will reach Myvatn in about 2 hours, which means that you will have plenty of time for many stops along the way.
Where to sleep: "Vogafjós Guesthouse". This and other similar hotels are bucolic little farmhouses with a pleasant atmosphere and delicious food.
Attractions: On this section of the road, one of the iconic sights of Iceland awaits you - Lake Mývatn. Extreme geothermal activity in the region has turned the earth almost inside out, so you should not only explore the lake itself, but also the area around it, believe me, there are a lot of surprises waiting for you here. Myvatn looks especially impressive in the winter months, however, often the roads are completely covered. In any case, visit the Dettifoss Falls (the filming location of Ridley Scott's Prometheus) and the City of Horses (the natural attraction that became the backdrop for the Oblivion episodes). Myvatn must be explored in any case. Even if you don't have time, it's better to skip the Reykjavik tour and go straight to the lake.
Dettifoss waterfall
Lake Myvatn
Krafla Power Plant
Viti Crater
Myvatn natural baths
Geothermal formations of Mount Namafjall
Hrossaborg or City of Horses
Hverfjall cone
Day 5: Myvatn-Hvammstangi
On this day, you will have the longest trip, during which you will pass through Northern Iceland and get to the West Fjords. On the way you will find two excellent hotels, several restaurants and grocery stores, as well as visit the island's second largest city, Akureyri.
Where to sleep: "Hvammstangi Cottages" or "Hotel Bjarkalundur". Both hotels have their own characteristics. The first differs from the second in a more modest size of the rooms, but all the cottages are located separately from each other.
Where to have dinner: Geitafell restaurant in Hvammstangi.
Attractions: If you don't stop at the sights, then typical Iceland awaits you with beautiful roads and unexpected landscapes. But since the trip promises to be long, you will still want to make a few stops and take pictures of the surrounding beauty.
Akureyri
Aldeijarfoss waterfall
Godafoss waterfall
Restaurant "Geitafell"
Day 6: Hvammstangi-Westfjords
In which direction you move along the West Fjords, it depends only on you. The only thing to remember during the trip is that the roads are not ideal everywhere, and in order not to get lost, you need to have a map with you. Your goal should be to cover as much area as possible in your fjord exploration, which means getting a hotel room and having a good rest.
Where to sleep: Country hotel "Heydalur" - one of the best options for living in the heart of the Western Fjords. This small cute hotel is located in a picturesque river valley.
"Hotel Hellnar" is suitable for those who want to see petrels on the rocks of the westernmost point of Iceland and Europe - Lautrabjarg. You can get here in another way - by ferry from the Snaefellsnes peninsula. While sailing, you will see fewer fjords, but you will get the opportunity to explore other interesting places.
Attractions: The fjords remain the main attraction of the region, but which of them you can get to depends on the weather, so before you go deep, check and double-check the weather forecast. Looking for real adventure, then take a hike to Hornstrandir. It is not possible to get here by car. Usually the reserve is reached by ferry or on foot.
Rocks of Lautrabjarga
Hornstrandir Nature Reserve
Museum of Icelandic Magic and Witchcraft in Holmavik
Shipwreck of Gardar Ba 64
Mountain church Kirkjufell
Isafjordur
Ferry Baldur
Day 7: Westfjords-Thingvellir
You have almost reached the finish line. During this trip, you will reach the Thingvellir National Park, located as close as possible to the Golden Circle of Iceland. Depending on where you will be leaving from (from Hedlnar or Heidalur), you will spend from 2 to 5 hours on the way.
Where to sleep: ION is one of the best hotels in the country. Take some time to relax and look around. Not far from the hotel you will find some great hiking spots and a very photogenic power plant.
Attractions: From the ION hotel you can easily and quickly reach many attractions of the Golden Ring, the best option for exploring which is a helicopter flight. As a rule, all the sights included in the "ring" are packed with tourists, and since you have already seen a lot, a short flight over them will be enough.
ION Hotel
Geyser
Gullfoss
Thingvellir
Day 8: Thingvellir-Reykjavik
Compared to all the trials you've been through last days, the trip from ION to Reykjavik will seem like a short and pleasant walk, because you have to go no more than half an hour.
Where to have dinner: "Grill market"
Night clubs: "Dolly", "Harlem", "b5"
The Center Hotel Thingholt is a great place for a last stop. It is surrounded by all the benefits of civilization: next to the hotel there are 4-5 nightclubs and the restaurant "Grillmarket" - a great place for a late dinner.
Attractions: In the itinerary described above, we allocated only one night to visit Reykjavik. Many may disagree, but it is quite possible to thoroughly explore the Icelandic capital in just a day. Book a helicopter tour, during which you will see the surroundings of the city, and walk around Reykjavik itself.
Helicopter tour
Church of Hallgrimskirkja
Concert Hall "Harpa"
Central street Bankastraeti
Restaurant «Grillmarket»
Blue Lagoon
The last thing many people do in Iceland is visit the Blue Lagoon (about 45 minutes from Reykjavik, close to the airport). If you have never been there, do not miss this chance, but get ready for the fact that there will be no less people there than in any water park in the world.
Ring Road (Iceland)
Section of the ring road in the vicinity of Borgarfjordur
ring road(Isl. Þjóðvegur 1 or hringvegur listen)) is the main transport artery of Iceland. The length of the road is 1339 km. Its construction was completed in 1974. The road is of great interest to tourists, as it connects almost all populated places in the country.
This road is two-lane for almost its entire length. One lane in each direction. When it passes through major cities, the number of lanes can increase. Most small bridges are single lane and made of wood and/or steel. Most of the road is asphalt, but there are also gravel sections in the eastern part of the road.
The flux density is very location dependent. Near Reykjavik, 5,000-10,000 cars pass on the road, but in some sections less than 100 cars pass a day.
The highway was completed in 1974, in honor of the 1100th anniversary of the settlement of the country. In 1974, Iceland's longest bridge across the Skeidaru River in South Iceland was completed.
The road is popular among tourists, as it can be used to get to almost anywhere in the country and it often offers good views of the nature around. The route was especially popular with Icelandic families in the summer, but Lately it also attracts foreigners who rent cars or bring their own by ferry to Seydisfjordur. South part roads are sometimes destroyed due to flash floods caused by geothermal springs or volcanic eruptions.
Driving on the ring road
Although most of the road is paved, some sections have not been changed since the 1940s and are dangerous due to blind turns and narrow bridges. In winter, ice and strong winds can make the trip especially dangerous.
The speed limit on the Road is 90 km/h on asphalt and 80 km/h on gravel.
List of cities on the Ring Road
- Grundarkhverfi
- bifrost
- Reykjahlid
- Breiddalsvik
- Djupivogur
- Kirkjupayarklaystur
- Skögar
- Hella
- Hveragerdi
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010 .
See what "Ring Road (Iceland)" is in other dictionaries:
Ring road: Main Ring Road (Washington) Ring Road (Iceland) Great Ring Road (Kiev) Ring Road ( Leningrad region) Lipetsk ring road High-speed magnetic ring road ... ... Wikipedia
Ring road: Main ring road (Washington) Ring road (Iceland) Big ring road (Kiev) Ring road (Leningrad region) Lipetsk ring road High-speed magnetic ring road ... ... Wikipedia
Ring road: Main ring road (Washington) Ring road (Iceland) Big ring road (Kiev) Ring road (Leningrad region) Lipetsk ring road High-speed magnetic ring road ... ... Wikipedia
Olga Efimova, 33, lives in Moscow, works as a legal adviser, and also maintains two blogs - about music and travel. In May, I traveled around Iceland with friends and shared my travel plan with 34travel readers.
Why Iceland?
Because at least once in your life you had to look at the place where Björk was born and raised. In addition, Iceland with woolen horses, blue ice and Martian landscapes relentlessly poured from the tapes of friends and acquaintances - and I decided to direct envy towards them into a productive channel.
How to go?
It is better to take care of plane tickets in advance, because Iceland is not at all the country that people break into a week before the trip. I bought my FinnAir tickets for six months, they cost me $ 400 ( tickets from Vilnius with a transfer will cost about the same amount, however, you can buy a few weeks before the trip - 34travel). I had to fly with a transfer: the road from Moscow to Helsinki took a little more than an hour and a half, and from Helsinki to Keflavik (Reykjavik's main airport) it took another 1.5 hours to fly. Such advance planning has only one drawback - flights can be postponed, so my flights have been shifted more than once in six months, but not more than an hour. Please also note that tickets during the high season, which lasts from June to the end of September, may be more expensive.
How to get around in Iceland?
The best way to get around Iceland in May (and beyond) is by renting a car: regular buses don't run long distances yet, hitchhiking is unreliable, and cycling is too cold at this time.
So, we (and there were four of us) decided to rent a car. After studying the prices and conditions of rentals, I chose Autoeurope: we took Suzuki Grand Vitara with a manual transmission ("mechanics" is traditionally cheaper). Renting a car for 10 days with minimal insurance cost us €689 (about €172 per person). By the way, Iceland is considered the most expensive country in Europe in terms of car rental prices.
You can rent a car right at the airport. Alternatively, get from the airport to Reykjavik by shuttle, and take the car already in the city. Shuttle tickets can be purchased in advance on the Flybus website.
You can save on a car if you book it at least three weeks before the trip, grab your GPS (they charge extra money for it) and not drive recklessly on the roads (then you can take minimal insurance). I also advise you to check if the driver has international rights, at least one year of experience and a spare driver in case of fatigue.
Roads in Iceland
The main thing to keep an eye on in Iceland, if you decide to go by car, is the condition of the roads. Moreover, the Icelanders prudently created a whole resource dedicated to roads. Here you can find a complete road map indicating the type of coverage, find out which roads are closed today, and even look at the roads in real time using webcams.
In May, the weather and road conditions in Iceland are quite unpredictable, and a road that is still open today may turn out to be tightly closed tomorrow, so I highly recommend actively using these services.
As for the quality of the roads, circular track No. 1 is paved with excellent asphalt (but not illuminated by lanterns: reflective poles along the edges of the road are used as lighting here), while gravel roads and lava roads are a little more difficult and unpleasant to drive, but all these are trifles. Gas stations are encountered along the entire journey quite often, even in the middle of a full nowhere there will definitely be a deserted gas station that accepts bank cards. Because progress!
How to dress and what to take with you to Iceland?
So, in addition to the obvious warm windproof clothes and comfortable shoes, you should take a swimsuit and swimming trunks with you - in Iceland there are hot pools at every step, it’s a sin not to swim in them.
Planning to buy clothes on the spot is pretty presumptuous: dreams of buying an Icelandic reindeer sweater that I cherished before coming to Iceland were dashed against their prices (about 20,000 ISK, that is, about € 135), so it’s also better to knit a reindeer sweater in advance and bring with you.
For greater savings, you can take a minimum of bed linen and a towel with you, because you often have to pay extra for them in places of residence.
Food
Food in Iceland is not very diverse: just a lot of fish. Most often, during the trip, we cooked ourselves, using the kitchens of hotels and hostels, and went to cafes and restaurants about once every couple of days, so we spent an average of € 20 per person per day on food.
The most important thing to remember about eating and drinking in Iceland is that alcohol is quite expensive there, and it is usually sold in individual stores. But the most popular network liquor stores called Vinbudin can be found in almost every town.
Where to live in Iceland?
The two main options for finding budget accommodation in Iceland (besides booking.com):
1. A global network of hostels called HiHostels. Here you can find very cheap places in hostels, perhaps the most budgetary option is to take a room for 3-4 people if you are traveling with a group and are ready to spend the whole night with each other. The price of such a room ranges from € 25 to € 35 per night per person. In addition, you can buy a membership in the HiHostels club (when booking your first hostel or right on the spot) and get a 10% discount on accommodation in all hostels of this network.
2. Several farms, also united in a purely Icelandic network Farmholidays. Horses graze on almost every such farm, and local livestock products are served for breakfast. Farm accommodation will be slightly more expensive than a hostel, but it is usually worth it.
In most cases, we stayed in HiHostels hostels, a couple of times at Farmholidays farms, and booked two more places through traditional booking.com on the advice of friends who traveled to Iceland.
Route
The route of the journey has been repeatedly changed, redrawn several times in opposite directions, so I can safely call it hard-won. Meet: the result of many hours of effort, itinerary for Iceland for 8 days.
In case you doubt your driving skills or do not want to drive around Iceland at such a fast pace, then the trip to the western fjords can be left for the next trip, driving exclusively along the ring road No. 1, and the trip to the south of Iceland can be divided into 2 days, overnight in Vic.
Time calculated google maps, you can safely multiply by 1.3-1.5, since they do not take into account possible accidents on the roads, weather and other momentary details.
Money and other little things
Since Iceland is a developed and progressive country, you can do without cash here: bank cards are accepted everywhere, from gas stations in the middle of fucking nothing to tents next to waterfalls. But I recommend changing at least some money in order to look at the Icelandic trifle with the fish depicted on it.
We did not use any local communication, because two of the company had European SIM cards, however, a preliminary survey showed that the cheapest type of communication in Iceland is the Siminn operator.
South of Iceland: what to do there?
When we got to Keflavik, we met a friend who was already waiting for us in a rental car, and went to Reykjavik, stopping on the way to the famous Blue Lagoon. Swimming in the Blue Lagoon is hardly worth it (then you come across much more suitable places for this, with fewer tourists and significantly cheaper), but you definitely need to look at it, because the place is really beautiful.
In Reykjavik, due to its capital, there are a lot of museums and taverns that we didn’t go to, but we walked along the embankment at sunset and visited the main church of the capital Hallgrimskirkja. Accessible by a lift for 800 crowns (€5.5), its tower offers a classic view of Reykjavik with its colorful rooftops.
The south of Iceland is the richest in tourist places, so the trip through this part of the country was the most intense. Here is the so-called Icelandic Golden ring, consisting of national park Thingvellir, Geyser Valleys, Gullfoss Waterfall, Seljalandsfoss Waterfall (which can be walked around) and Skogafoss Waterfall (which can be viewed from above by climbing a ladder).
Almost every place that offers amazing views has benches with tables, so you always have the opportunity to have breakfast or drink something with a view, for example, of a volcano. You can see most of the beauties of Iceland for free, and next to the tourist points there will definitely be a coffee shop with friendly Icelanders. For example, near the valley of geysers there is a cafe Geysir, which sells excellent coffee, and pictures about the national Icelandic wrestling are hung on the walls - glima, according to the rules of which the wrestlers grab each other by the straps and throw them to the floor (extremely educational).
After Skogafoss you can get to the most south point Iceland - Cape Vik, where tourists usually stop for the first night on a trip and walk along the black sand beach.
We spent the night in Reykjavik in a triple room at the Reykjavik City hostel (€ 21 per person), and the next night was at Hof 1 Hotel, located between the Skaftafell glacier and the Glacier Lagoon (a room for four cost us € 46.5 per person). It was from there that on the second morning of the trip we went to inspect the eastern coast of Iceland.
East of Iceland: everything you wanted to know about glaciers
The eastern part of Iceland is full of glaciers, and this should be used: for example, you can go on a tour to the famous Skaftafell glacier and look at the places where Interstellar and Game of Thrones were filmed (in winter they lead excursions to the blue caves). You can choose a suitable tour and book it, for example, on the website of these guys Mountainguides. We planned this medium-difficulty excursion which started at 9 am and lasted about 4 hours (about €92 per person, including the rental of the necessary equipment).
That day we spent the night in the town of Seydisfjordur, which we had to get to in the evening snowstorm through a mountain pass, but it was all worth it to spend the night in the former hospital building. Here we again stayed in a room for four in a hostel called Seydisfjordur (it cost us € 25 per person).
North of Iceland: the wonders of Lake Myvatn
You can safely take 2-3 days to visit Lake Myvatn and its environs, but we didn’t have them, so we examined all the beauties in a day and a half.
On the way to the lake, we turned into two places: Detifoss waterfall and Viti crater, and around Lake Myvatn itself there is a whole lot of entertainment: Namafjall fumaroles (one of the most impressive places in Iceland, where the products of volcanic activity in the form of gas beat right out of the ground) , the Hverfjall crater, on the edge of which you can stand, looking at the area from above, the Dimmuborgir hardened lava park and hot pools under open sky Myvatn Baths, which are more beautiful, less crowded and cheaper to swim in than in the Blue Lagoon (approximately € 25.5 per person).
If you are lucky with the weather, you can fly by plane from the local airfield. The views from the plane are amazing, and you can read more about the tour on the website. The price of a 20-minute flight is €105, but judging by the photos, every minute is worth it.
That night we stayed in two rooms, a triple and a double, at the Skutustadir farm, which is a 5-minute drive from Dimmuborgir (and spent € 43 on it).
The next day we drove through Iceland's second largest city, Akureyri, on the way turning into one of the most impressive waterfalls in the country - Godafoss - in which, according to legend, the Icelanders drowned their pagan gods when they converted to Christianity. A good place have chosen.
The next place to spend the night was our favorite: it was the Hofsstadir farm. Iceland's friendliest horses, homemade yoghurts for breakfast and stunning sunsets are guaranteed. Two rooms for two cost us € 53 per person, as they say, shut up and take my money again.
West: seals and fjords
On the way to the western fjords, it is worth visiting Osar, where you can look at fur seals(if you're lucky, you can see them very close), the town of Skagastrond, which houses one of the most cosmic churches in Iceland, the town of Broddanes and the museum of witchcraft in Holmavik.
The most difficult and picturesque road was waiting on the western fjords: the route to Bildadulur through Isafjordur was closed, so we had to drive along the southern part of the fjords and overcome at least 5 mountain passes in a day. Driving the next day a little further towards Isafjordur, we found a no-man's-looking (however, equipped with a dressing room) hot pool, a small waterfall and a herd of shy sheep. And then our path lay on Cape Latrabjarg, which is considered the largest habitat for puffins. Unfortunately, we didn’t see dead ends, but the road to the cape is worth all the dead ends in the world: an abandoned rusting ship on the shore, a wingless plane, inside which you can climb and sit in the pilot’s chair, white sand beaches and a cafe where coffee is poured for free.
Get from the western fjords back to big land you can take a ferry, the ferry goes from a place called Brjanslaekur to the town of Stykkisholmur. You can see prices and buy tickets ahead of time on the website. We spent all three nights in the west of Iceland in hostels of the same chain: a mini-cottage in Saeberg (€ 25 per person), and the main advantage of this hostel is an open-air hot tub, so do not forget a hat and beer; a room for four in Bildadulur hostel (€ 37 per person) and Grundarfjordur hostel (€ 26 per person).
We spent the next day on the road to Reykjavik and in Snaefellsnes Park, stopping in the towns along the way and gazing at Icelandic churches shaped like (according to the description) salt cod, walking near lighthouses and fooling around in the harsh Icelandic playground. In the park, of course, there was a cafe with excellent coffee and pastries, from which you could look at the ocean and leaf through books about Icelandic horses. Although they say that from the shore of this park you can see puffins and whales (but we were not lucky again).
Facebook
Twitter
Google+
LinkedIn
Iceland seems to be created for autotourism, and you can take a jeep to any point in it, where a dirt “path” leads. The most interesting in terms of driving is the center of the island (Highland). And at the same time, for those who want to practice off-road, there are no restrictions on visiting any part of the island. Nowhere are there any paid zones, paid attractions, paid parking near attractions, etc.
national roads
Roads belonging to national system highway run by the Icelandic Highways. They are categorized as follows: S - Primary roads - road #1 that connects Reykjavik with Reykjavik T - Secondary roads - tengivegi in translation - country roads (usually a two-digit number), usually more than 10 kilometers long H - Local roads that provide access to private farms and are not of tengivegi quality (usually a three digit number) L - A road that does not belong to any of the above categories sights after a comfortable ride in a good sedan.
Other roads
F - unpaved roads where only 4x4s are allowed. Very many with elements of fording river crossings
F roads with two-digit numbers are better - maybe even gravel road without extreme (Primary highland road); with three-digit numbers is much more interesting; dotted line without number "jeep trail". It can be quite unpredictable.
Lovers over a relaxing holiday attract attractions in a relatively comfortable area on Ring Road No. 1 (Primary road). And for fans of a real jeep trip outside the main road, where the Icelandic Highland is, the most interesting begins. First, a short drive on a minor road, and in the end, the F-road begins. But these roads can be as treacherous as they are interesting. So let's be careful here.
Security
Some statistics: a total of 13 thousand kilometers in Iceland, only 2.5 of which are F-roads To travel on F-roads, even three-digit ones, no special training is required, but you need to be confident in basic skills. A good jeep is enough, good tires, an extra can of fuel and you can grab extra provisions .... If, nevertheless, you took pictures for a long time, it got dark, and you are still in the mountains. The worst thing that can be encountered on these roads is: fords (during the warm season, when glaciers melt, some rivers can be quite full-flowing), sharp stones, lack of gas stations. The ground is quite stable, so getting stuck in quicksand is low. Here are the most terrible fords of all that we came across. But the summer turned out to be cold ... 
There is a fairly simple rule for crossing fords according to Alexander www.rusring.net
Rules for the safe crossing of a ford (namely, a ford - a specially designated place for crossing a road with a water barrier). 1. Wait for another car and check out the depth and route. 2. If the depth is large or just scary - wait for a ba-a-a-a-large car and ask to be dragged to the other side. 🙂
Estimated opening times for some of the most popular roads
If you are going on such a trip, you need to check if the road is open on the www.vegagerdin.is resource or by calling 1777 Lakagígar (F206) - June 12 Fjallabaksleið nyrðri (Landmannalaugar, Eldgjá) (F208) - June 12 June Kjölur (Hveravellir) (F35) - June 11 Sprengisandur (F26) - June 27 Askja (F88) - June 20 Kverkfjöll (F902) - June 19 Uxahryggir (F52) - June 5 Kaldidalur (F550) - June 13
The magnification shows how many "pioneers" there were today, which can give both confidence and make you think. 
It would be nice to check the weather so as not to ride in vain Weather condition and forecast Do not neglect the signs traffic! Because in Iceland the signs are established as a precedent, so if the sign is ... it means on business !! If there is a sign "falling meteorites" in the middle of the Icelandic field, be sure that this happened at least 1 time and the probability is high! 
If something did happen
Coverage map mobile operator Siminn.is
smartphone app 112 Iceland
Smartphone users may feel more secure as Icelandic Rescue Service (ICE-SAR) launches program 112 Iceland(SOS Iceland) for tourists. The program allows you to both report that assistance is required and regularly inform about your location, which, if necessary, facilitates the provision of assistance. The program works stably not only in networks with a fast connection. Normal GSM connection is quite enough for work. You can download the program both on the site safetravel.is, and through the iPhone App Store and Google’s Play Store for Android devices. In addition to the program, on the website of the rescue service you can (and if you want to go into some hole and are not sure, but you really want to!) leave a plan of your trip indicating the control time of return. In case of non-return, the rescuers will check if anything happened. Also, in the rescue service, for only 25 euros per week, you can get McMurdo FastFind, a satellite rescue “beacon” of the COSPAS-SARSAT system. Very useful and reliable thing, works everywhere.
