Iceland is full of natural beauty – towering mountains, beautiful lagoons and powerful volcanoes. To visit them you need to drive on long, winding roads that are laid over varied terrains which can play host to strong winds, snow and heavy rain throughout the year. These factors can lead to a variety of hazards you may not be used to. Although the nation is well equipped to help improve the road conditions, there are still areas that are high risk to travel around at certain times of the year. Here are some tips to keep you safe on your travels:
The best advice to start with is to plan your route and check for any safety and weather alerts that may affect your journey. Weather, construction work or even landslides could be factors that influence the route you take.
The type of vehicle that you drive may restrict where you can go. Highland roads in Iceland are not suitable for normal passenger cars: they must be 4x4s. This helps to deal with the terrain of the gravel paths up and down the mountains and volcanoes. If the road number has ‘F’ in front of it, then you need a 4×4.
Familiarise yourself with the road signs. Every country has signs that are for specific hazards or regulations, including some that you may not be familiar with. A guide to some of these signs and other safety information can be found here.
Choose safe spaces to take your photos. Stopping on the highway is very dangerous and off-road driving can lead to large fines. There are regular stopping points with beautiful views to safely take photos.
Following these tips will help give you the best knowledge to be prepared on your travels. Iceland has so many beautiful sights and we want you to see our sights as safely as possible!