Thanks to a recent and astronomical investment into tourism, Iceland has quickly jumped to the top of pretty much everyone's bucket-lists: romantics, those that love nature, families, adventure junkies, photographers - anyone and everyone will find some reason to love Iceland.Car rental from Keflavik is an absolute must for all of these people, discover why - and more importantly, read some Keflavik car rental tips - in our latest blog post:
1. Why you must rent a car in Iceland
As passionate environmentalists, and minimalists, we're generally against cars - both owning them and using them as a mode of transport whilst travelling. However, Iceland is where we not only make an exception, we also insist that you rent a car in Iceland. Put simply, there is almost no other way to get around Iceland. There are no trains; public buses are rare and expensive and (other than car hire) that leaves just two options: hitchhiking and organised tours. Neither of those options are viable in Iceland - organised tours are almost always a lose-lose: expensive, unauthentic and, put frankly, boring.
Whilst we're normally giant advocates of hitchhiking and indeed spent an entire month hitchhiking Azores, we do not recommend it in Iceland, for two reasons. Firstly, as the name implies, Iceland is cold! A big part of hitchhiking is waiting around for a lift - you do not want to be doing that in subzero temperatures, or snow, or rain etc. Secondly, another big part of hitchhiking is freedom of time - you want to have all the time in the world to wait around, and not be constrained by time limits. With Iceland being a very expensive country to visit, you will be constrained by time limits, you'll want to book your flight away from Iceland well in advance (so you'll need to be back at the airport for a specific time), and you'll be budgeting hard for food and accommodation... long story short: trust us, car rental is the only option when it comes to getting around Iceland.
Whilst we're normally giant advocates of hitchhiking and indeed spent an entire month hitchhiking Azores, we do not recommend it in Iceland, for two reasons. Firstly, as the name implies, Iceland is cold! A big part of hitchhiking is waiting around for a lift - you do not want to be doing that in subzero temperatures, or snow, or rain etc. Secondly, another big part of hitchhiking is freedom of time - you want to have all the time in the world to wait around, and not be constrained by time limits. With Iceland being a very expensive country to visit, you will be constrained by time limits, you'll want to book your flight away from Iceland well in advance (so you'll need to be back at the airport for a specific time), and you'll be budgeting hard for food and accommodation... long story short: trust us, car rental is the only option when it comes to getting around Iceland.
2. Car Rental in Keflavik
Why rent a car from Keflavik?
So we've established that you must hire a car when you come to Iceland, but why must you look at car hire from Keflavik? Don't make the rookie mistake that many people make and confused Keflavik with Reykjavik. Reykjavik is the capital of Iceland and more than likely the place that you'll be spending your first night in Iceland. Keflavik is where the airport is located and more than likely the place that you'll be flying into. Keflavik and Reykjavik are actually 50km apart, that's about a 45 minute drive and something you most certainly cannot walk.
Many people make the mistake of hiring a car from Reykjavik, and then when they arrive in Keflavik they have no way to get to their car. Put simply: you must make sure that you chose a Keflavik car rental.
Prices of car hire in Keflavik
Prices are from £72 per day, depending on how big the car is that you want to drive. For example renting a Suzuki Vitara or similar will cost around £105.30 a day, a Renault Clio or similar will only be around £72.28 per day.
Keyflavik car rentals
All types of rental cars are available from economy to mini from compact to middle. For ease of driving we recommend an automatic, to save money (and the environment) go for a economy.
Tips When You Rent a Car in Keflavik
Renting a car in Keflavik follows the same rules as when you rent a car anywhere else on the planet:
- Check the car for bumps and scratches beforehand and note these with your server (to avoid having to pay for damages you didn't create afterwards)
- Make sure you have car insurance, health insurance and travel insurance
- Feel free to ask your server questions about how to use that specific car - how do you turn on the light etc
- Double check if your car is a diesel or petrol - don't fill up the car with the wrong thing!
3. Wrap Up & Some Driving Tips in IcelandOstensibly, it looks like it will be hard to drive in Iceland with the ice and the volcanos etc. But in reality, Iceland is a very easy and safe place to drive. The roads are new, everything is well signed and outside of Reykjavik there is basically no traffic. Here are some tips for driving in Keflavik and Iceland:
- in Iceland you drive on the right hand side of the road;
- the legal age to drive in Iceland is 17;
- but, to rent a car in Keflavik and Iceland you must be at least 20 and have held a driver's licence for at least a year;
- it's the law to have car lights on at all times whilst driving in Keflavik and indeed the whole of Iceland - yes that includes during the day!
- consider buying grit insurance - grit damage is very common in Iceland!
Well, that's about it - we have also made a vlog about renting a car in Iceland, enjoy! :)
ABOUTME
We overland. We eat plants and fungi. We live outside as much as possible. We are all connected. A female travel blogger overlanding and writing about ecotourism, ethical and sustainable travel, socially conscious travel and housesitting. An online travel magazine since 2015.
- in Iceland you drive on the right hand side of the road;
- the legal age to drive in Iceland is 17;
- but, to rent a car in Keflavik and Iceland you must be at least 20 and have held a driver's licence for at least a year;
- it's the law to have car lights on at all times whilst driving in Keflavik and indeed the whole of Iceland - yes that includes during the day!
- consider buying grit insurance - grit damage is very common in Iceland!
ABOUTME
We overland. We eat plants and fungi. We live outside as much as possible. We are all connected. A female travel blogger overlanding and writing about ecotourism, ethical and sustainable travel, socially conscious travel and housesitting. An online travel magazine since 2015.
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