DRIVING THE SOUTH COAST OF ICELAND: WHAT IT IS REALLY LIKE (BY RECENT VISITORS)

Let me guess… You’re either planning or have already booked your dream trip to Iceland and are wondering what it’s really like to drive along its raw and rugged South Coast?

Well, you’ve come to the right place! I’ll be honest, I had so many nerves about driving in Iceland before our trip. I spent hours trawling through forums trying to work out exactly what to expect (maybe a little obsessively) 😅.

As it turns out, there really wasn’t much to worry about!

In this guide, I’ll share everything we learned from driving Iceland’s South Coast ourselves, from road conditions and weather to fuel stops, speed limits and a few things we wish we’d known beforehand.

So, if you’re a bit of an over-thinker like me, hopefully this guide will put your mind at ease and leave you feeling excited to hit the road! 🤗

DON’T WAIT FOR THE CAR RENTAL SHUTTLE BUS AT KEFLAVIK AIRPORT

Outside Keflavík Airport arrivals, you’ll see signs for the free airport shuttle serving the nearby rental car companies.

But before joining the queue, check where your rental company is actually located. If it’s within the airport grounds and you’re happy walking with your luggage, I’d honestly recommend skipping the shuttle altogether!

Compare Keflavík Airport car rentals ↗

The area around Keflavík Airport is surprisingly compact, with many rental offices just a few minutes away on foot.

For example, ours (Alamo / Enterprise) was one of the furthest away and still only took around 9 minutes (650 metres) to reach just across a car park.

We ended up waiting around 20 minutes for a new shuttle bus driver to arrive. In hindsight, we’d have reached the rental desk much sooner by walking, and beaten a whole busload of passengers to the queue!

OUR EXPERIENCE WITH ALAMO / ENTERPRISE CAR RENTAL IN ICELAND

We had a great experience with Alamo / Enterprise. The staff were really chilled out, with none of that “don’t you dare scratch the car” attitude we’ve had elsewhere! 😅

They also have two Orkan fuel pumps right outside the office, making it really easy to top up before returning your car.

driving-south-coast-iceland-guide — Liam was our designated driver across Iceland. Me? Passenger princess / chief navigator 😉 *Photo by Jordie.*

🗺️ Plan your full adventure with our 5 day Iceland road trip itinerary ↗
💤 Northern lights in luxury? Stay at Tiny Glass Lodge ↗
💤 Northern lights in an igloo? Stay at Aurora Igloo in Hella ↗

🇮🇸 See all our Iceland travel guides ↗

TO AVOID LOTS OF TRAFFIC, HEAD DOWN TOWARDS GRINDAVIK FIRST INSTEAD OF REYKJAVIK

Start making headway towards the South Coast. We’d suggest taking the slightly longer (+10 minute) route through Grindavík instead of heading up to Reykjavik. See route here.

Benefit 1: This way is a lot quieter with far less people on the road, with only a few small roundabouts to deal with.

Benefit 2: You’ll get to drive through the steaming lava fields affected by the most recent volcano eruption, seeing firsthand the green mossy fields suddenly turn to deep black! The road is now all smoothed out, so no worries there.

Benefit 3: 20 minutes from the airport, you’ll actually drive straight past Iceland’s famous Blue Lagoon!

Find the best rental car for your Iceland trip ↗

Driving towards Grindavik in Iceland, empty road with blackened steaming lava fields either side. — Driving through the still steaming lava fields en-route to Grindavík from Iceland’s 2023 volcanic eruption. And yet – not a pothole in sight (take note UK!!) *Photo by Jordie.*

ICELAND’S SOUTH COAST MAIN ROAD (HIGHWAY 1) IS A WELL-MAINTAINED SINGLE CARRIAGEWAY

Highway 1 (the Ring Road) along Iceland’s South Coast is predominantly a simple single-carriageway road, and we were genuinely surprised by how well maintained it was!

It’s fully paved and incredibly smooth. We literally did not see a pothole the entire way. Even around areas affected by recent volcanic activity, the roads were immaculate. Honestly… it puts our UK roads to shame! 😂

Driving Highway 1 on Iceland South coast showing how immaculate and smooth the roads are — I mean, just look at how immaculate Highway 1 is! And the scenery, of course. *Photo by Jordie.*

Driving Highway 1 on Iceland South coast with a large glacier in front of us — Still the same near the far end of Iceland’s South coast, this is about 30 minutes away from Jökulsárlón. *Photo by Jordie.*

BUT, THERE’S NOT MANY PLACES TO PULLOVER

One thing we quickly noticed along Iceland’s South Coast is that there aren’t many places to safely pull over.

The road is often slightly raised above the surrounding landscape, lined with reflective yellow poles and with little to no hard shoulder.

So before setting off on longer stretches, make sure you’ve got everything you need – drinks, snacks etc – as you can’t always just pull over whenever you want.

Check rental car availability in Iceland for your dates ↗

Driving Highway 1 on Iceland South coast with a large mountain in front of us — This photo is the perfect example! The road is slightly raised above the landscape, with reflective yellow poles and virtually no shoulder, a very common sight along the South Coast. *Photo by Jordie.*

AND IT ALL DEPENDS ON WHEN YOU GO TOO

That said, well-maintained roads don’t necessarily mean easy driving conditions! Iceland’s famously unpredictable weather can quickly bring wind, rain, ice or snow into the equation.

SUMMER IS YOUR SAFEST BET FOR EASIER DRIVING
If you’re nervous about driving, summer (June to August) is your safest bet, with no typical winter snow and ice to contend with and much longer daylight hours. It’s one of Iceland’s most busiest tourist seasons for this reason.

Reserve your Iceland rental car with Booking.com ↗

The incredible glacier mountains you will see driving along Iceland's South Coast towards Jokularson. — Insane glacier-capped mountain, seen driving back along Iceland’s South Coast not long after leaving Jökulsárlón. *Photo by Jordie.*

LATE SEPTEMBER / EARLY OCTOBER FOR SAFER ROADS AND CHANCE OF NORTHERN LIGHTS
We visited in late September / early October and found it a brilliant sweet spot. It was early enough that we experienced mostly clear, snow-free roads, but late enough for Northern Lights season to have begun.

And yes, we saw them! A lot of them!! 🌌🤩

A young woman standing beneath a dazzling northern lights display at the Tiny Glass Lodge at Selfoss, Iceland. — The northern lights we saw staying at **Tiny Glass Lodge** in Iceland.

Of course, Icelandic weather is never guaranteed, so always check the road / weather conditions daily before setting off.

From our experience, even with no snow or ice, Iceland’s weather could change in minutes. We’d be driving in glorious sunshine one minute, chucking it down with rain the next!

If this happens, simply slow down, take your time and drive at a speed you feel comfortable with. Other drivers can pass you when it’s safe to do so.

And look on the bright side. All that sunshine and rain creates some EPIC rainbows, you’re in for a treat! 🌈

Book your Iceland rental car with free cancellation ↗

Driving Highway 1 on Iceland South coast with a huge rainbow in front of us — Iceland is often called “land of rainbows” – and we absolutely can see why!! *Photo by Jordie.*

ALSO, DON’T LET YOUR DOORS FLY OPEN

One thing we were repeatedly warned about was Iceland’s seriously strong winds. Whenever you open your car door, keep a firm hold of it and never let it swing open freely.

A powerful gust can apparently damage or even bend the door backwards. Definitely don’t want THAT as a repair bill at the end of your trip! 😅

We personally didn’t experience winds anywhere near this strong, but it’s obviously something that can happen.

The very scenic drive / road towards Fjaðrárgljúfur in South Iceland — Incredibly scenic road on the run up to Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon! *Photo by Jordie.*

ORKAN PETROL IS THE MAIN FUEL SUPPLIER (EASILY RECOGNISABLE BEING BRIGHT PINK!)

Orkan is one of the main fuel station brands you’ll see along Iceland’s South Coast – and it’s impossible to miss thanks to its bright pink branding! 👇🏼

The Orkan petrol station in Vik, South Iceland. The stations are self-service and very easy to use.

Fuelling up is super straightforward too. The pumps are self-service and touchscreen, with an English language option.

Simply select your fuel, pay by card at the pump (hold your card there for around 3 seconds if using contactless) and fill up. No need to go inside and pay.

The fuel types are easy to distinguish: 95 petrol has a green nozzle, while diesel is black.

💡 We also spotted N1 fuel stations along the South Coast, but in our experience, Orkan was the main one we saw.

Compare Iceland car rental prices here ↗

A close up of the payment keypad at the Orkan petrol station in Vik, Iceland for the purpose of showing the easy interface. — Took a quick photo of the payment keypad at the Orkan petrol station in Vik to show you how user-friendly it is. *Photo by Jordie.*

A close up of all the available petrol / diesel pumps at the Orkan petrol in Vik, Iceland — Even the petrol / diesel pumps are very easy to tell apart. *Photo by Jordie.*

BEFORE YOU GO! HERE’S A FEW MORE HELPFUL DRIVING TIPS IN ICELAND

Finally, here are a few extra helpful driving notes we scribbled down that are worth knowing before you hit the road:

🚗 Drive on the right: As with most European countries, Iceland drives on the right-hand side of the road.

🌉 You’ll encounter lots of single-lane bridges: Highway 1 crosses plenty of small rivers via one-lane bridges. There seems to be no priority direction. Slow down and the vehicle closest to the bridge usually crosses first, using common sense and courtesy.

🚐 Expect lots of campervans: Campervans are everywhere along the South Coast, so you definitely won’t be the only tourist navigating Highway 1!

🚦 The main speed limit is 90 kmph: On paved rural roads it’s generally 90 kmph, dropping to 50 kmoh through towns and sometimes 70 kmph on approach. We loved the little signs showing a crossed-out town silhouette to tell you you’re leaving the built-up area!

💡 Headlights stay on: You’re required to drive with your headlights on at all times, including during daylight. Our rental car did this automatically.

🅿️ Budget for attraction parking: We found 1,000 ISK (around £6) to be a common parking charge at major South Coast attractions. Payment is usually digital. We mostly used the Parka app, but we remember Seljalandsfoss randomly used Check-It instead.

A sign at Fjaðrárgljúfur
disclosing parking charges via the Parka app — Parking charge sign at Fjaðrárgljúfur, hosted by the Parka app. *Photo by Jordie.*

The Check-It parking sign at Seljalandsfoss — Check-It parking sign at Seljalandsfoss waterfall. You don’t need an app for this one, just to scan the QR. *Photo by Jordie.*

FINAL THOUGHTS: DRIVING ICELAND’S SOUTH COAST HIGHWAY

So – after all the worrying I did beforehand, driving Iceland’s South Coast was honestly so much easier than I’d built it up to be! 😅

Highway 1 is straightforward and incredibly well maintained, but timing is key.

Driving in summer (June to August) or the milder shoulder months is obviously a very different experience to tackling Iceland’s roads in the depths of winter!

Hopefully this guide has put your mind at ease too and giving you a much better idea what to expect.

If in doubt, take your time, keep an eye on the weather and enjoy the drive – and the INSANE scenery! 🤩

Have the most amazing time in Iceland! 🇮🇸 If you found this guide helpful, we’d love to hear from you! Get in touch with us at hello@theflainstravel.com.

A photo of Jordie, the author of this specific blog post and owner of the wesbite.

This blog post was written by Jordie Flain!

Founder of TheFlainsTravel.com

A travel-obsessed Sagittarius creating honest, easy-to-follow guides. Powered by tea, chocolate and a slightly concerning amount of tomato ketchup.

READY TO BOOK?

Best flight deals here.

Your perfect hotel here.

Epic tours here.

Car rental deals here.

UK travel cover here.

OR…

Back to “Iceland”

Back to Home Page