In the first part of this post, I shared some general facts about Iceland, how to get there, the Icelandic language, and tips for organizing accommodations if you’re planning a road trip. Now, I’ll continue with general advice for planning your trip.

A Trip to Iceland- Local Currency: Card or Cash? 

The local currency is the Icelandic krona (ISK), but there’s no need to exchange cash—cards are accepted everywhere. At most, you’ll be asked whether you want to pay in Icelandic krona or euros. Go with the krona, as converting to other currencies is more complicated and still goes through the ISK.

Approximately 100 ISK is 0.66 EUR, or 1 EUR is about 152 ISK.

Tip & Trick: To easily calculate prices, install the EasyCurrency app and convert to euros and EUR on the go. 

However, we did encounter one place where only local coins were accepted— the restroom at Dyrhólaey. You can’t pass through the turnstile without them, and there’s no way to exchange or withdraw cash on-site.

Tip & Trick: An American tourist showed us how to get in—by slightly pushing the turnstile from the inside out, you can sneak through the gap. Desperate times call for desperate measures!

A Trip to Iceland- Car Rental 

Local car rental companies offer excellent service and are often more affordable than global brands, so I recommend using them.

Advice: Get insurance that covers damage from gravel. You’ll be driving on a lot of unpaved roads covered in volcanic gravel, and it’s best to rent a 4×4 vehicle. 

We rented from Geysir and chose a Dacia Duster, which performed perfectly. You can pick up and drop off the car without interacting with staff. They also provide regular updates on road conditions. For example, when we faced a glacial flood (yes, glacier, not a volcano), they kept us informed on road closures and reopenings. They sent us all kinds of information from the meteorological office.

The contract is signed and sent electronically, including photos of existing scratches, dents, and windshield cracks, so you can track which damages are yours. Even so, they advise taking your own pictures for peace of mind.

Tip & Trick: When booking and picking up your car, check if it’s a hybrid. One family of our group didn’t realize theirs was a hybrid until they noticed how quickly the fuel tank emptied. They didn’t have time to find a charging station and constantly had to look for gas stations. 

Advice: Regularly check road conditions, especially for potential volcanic eruptions, floods, and overall weather conditions.

A Trip to Iceland- The Internet Coverage 

Unless you venture into remote, off-the-beaten-path places with no tourists, you won’t have trouble accessing mobile internet under normal conditions. However, in extreme weather, the signal might be lost. Every restaurant, hotel, guesthouse, and apartment offers free Wi-Fi.

A Trip to Iceland- Fueling Up the Car 

Advice: If you’re on a road trip, plan ahead and check where you can refuel along the way, so you’re not caught by surprise when your fuel runs low. 

Tip & Trick: When refueling, you pay directly at the pump with your card. The machine pre-blocks 30,000 ISK (around 200 EUR), then you choose how many liters to fill, and the remaining funds are refunded to your card. 

Gas stations are brightly colored to ensure visibility in all weather conditions.

A Trip to Iceland- Parking

Tips & Tricks: Download the Parka app. It allows you to pay for parking or public garages anywhere in Iceland. 

How to use Parka: You’ll need your car’s license plate number and a registered payment card. Select where you want to park and estimate your departure time to stop the charge automatically. Make sure to check out to log your parking time. At popular tourist spots, the app immediately blocks 1,000 ISK.

If you’re not into apps, almost every location has a booth where you can pay for parking with an easy-to-navigate user interface.

Advice: When booking accommodations in Reykjavik, check ahead if parking is available. If not, carefully review the rules for parking zones.

If you’re exploring Iceland’s exotic nature, local lifestyle, and culture, you’ll find even more advice and tips in the next post.

A Trip to Iceland- How to book your stay?

I recommend that you check the packages that the hotel offers on their website because they are very affordable. But for your convenience, I have also put a box on booking.com. Compare the prices and choose an option.

Booking.com

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If you need to rent a car, you can reserve it here, in the box of the largest booking platform, below.