How roads are built in Iceland. What you need to know about the roads in Iceland? List of cities on the Ring Road

Iceland is without a doubt the most unique and exciting place on the planet. This article was 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” there is an example of just one travel option with maps, attractions, travel time and other little things. We hope you find all this useful as you explore the most picturesque corners of Iceland by car.

ADVIСE

Before the start. One of the travel route options will be described below, but what do you have to do in Iceland? Mostly driving, walking and taking in the endless variety of stunning scenery. You are not going to Iceland to explore only Reykjavik, to spend your entire vacation in excursion 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 of the country, you should take the Icelandic Ring Road, which takes about 17 hours in total. 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 recommend going counterclockwise. This course will give you the opportunity to warm up. First there are fun adventures and sights, then more impressive ones, and at the very end of the journey - 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 hit the road. These are 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 fair number of travelers arrive in May and September.

Weather. If you come to Iceland at the height of the season, you will still find fairly 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 within five minutes you’re covered in a wave of cold rain.

If you are heading to Iceland for the fantastic snowy landscapes and northern lights, come in winter, but be prepared for the fact that getting around at this time of year will not be easy - some roads become completely impassable.

Road conditions. Icelandic Ring Road is open all year round. Some dirt and country roads are closed during heavy snowfalls or due to volcanic activity. All roads are open during high season. If you want to get to the most hidden attractions, plan your trip for May-August.

Light. Iceland is famous for its magnificent light, delighting tourists both in winter and summer. If in winter travelers try to track down and catch the northern lights through their camera lens, then in summer they are faced with an endlessly long sunset, lasting from 9 pm to 3 am.

After reading all of the above, you will probably decide to go to Iceland in the high season - in June-July. The disadvantage of this period is the presence of crowds of tourists occupying all the attractions. You can revel in the sight of one of them, and within a minute you will be accompanied by 30-40 people who arrived at the same place as you during the next bus tour.

You can forget about fully enjoying the view and taking high-quality photographs. Taking this into account, we would advise going to Iceland in August, when the crowds of tourists are thinning, the sun is still shining brightly, and there is no snow yet, as often happens in May.

What to take with you? In Iceland you need to have a few essential things with you. Of course, you need to take clothes, sunglasses, toiletries and other small items 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 traveling in any direction. The map shows all the roads of the country, including secondary ones, and upon arrival home it will remain as a souvenir. GPS coordinates can be quite useful in some cases, but they often cause confusion when cross-referencing Google place names. At the same time, if you don’t know the exact coordinates, some interesting sights may simply not be found, for example, this one - 63°27.400´N 19°22.130´W.

Google Maps extremely useful for planning your route and calculating the time you will spend on your trip. But there is one caveat. Google Maps shows paved roads very accurately, but almost impassable roads and even trails are only shown on printed maps.

Weather forecast. The weather in Iceland is extremely unpredictable, and there are two things you need to figure out before you go outside - whether it's raining and how cold it is.

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 as not to freeze in the piercing wind and heavy rain (and this can be done not just with warm, but with multi-layered clothes), and take off excess if it becomes too hot.

Money. Oddly enough, cash is not needed in Iceland. Every gas station, every restaurant and store accepts credit cards for payment. They are preferred even in the most isolated villages. You can easily spend your entire vacation in Iceland without touching any money. Naturally, just in case, it doesn’t 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 the car and not in a hotel, then a backpack is just what you need. If you plan to stay in hotels, a suitcase will work better, unless you get tired of carrying it from the hotel to the car in the morning, and repeating the process in reverse in the evening.

Where to stay. In Iceland, especially along the ring road, there are a huge number of 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 stumped by having to make another decision: where to stay - in a hotel or at a campsite. Both the first and second options have advantages. You decide.

Driving in Iceland. To explore Iceland well without getting too attached to bus tours And tourist groups, you will need a car. When choosing a car for a trip, pay attention to data such as capacity, power and fuel consumption. It doesn’t matter what the car looks like, as long as it has all-wheel drive.

Marking and speed. We must admit that driving in Iceland is quite an extreme activity. Even on a flat, sometimes arrow-like, ring road, you will sometimes get nervous. The problem is bandwidth. All Icelandic roads are very narrow, but people drive on them very quickly. You especially need to watch your speed while passing sharp turns on mobile homes and when traveling with buses. The surrounding beauty, which distracts attention, has an important influence on the driver.

Secondary roads. The ring road is always kept in excellent condition, but many other roads have the most unexpected surprises in store for you, 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 along inconvenient and difficult roads.

Broken tires and other emergencies. Always check the condition of your spare tire and be sure to take it with you, otherwise you risk getting yourself into a lot of trouble. It also doesn’t hurt to stock up on guarantees that the agency providing you with the 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 town. The problem is that there are roads on which cars rarely travel, and the nearest housing is sometimes quite far away.

Drive and transmission. If you're planning to venture deep into the fjords, overcome rough roads, and not have to worry about being stranded for about 4 hours from the nearest town, rent an SUV with all-wheel drive. Get the best car 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 those that may be needed at any time, for example, a camera, a windbreaker, food, etc., are stored in the cabin of the car. This way you can quickly get everything you need without wasting precious time.

THINGS TO DO?

There are tons of things to do in Iceland. Most of your time will be spent on things, events and attractions that you come across 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 excursion. If you dream of flying in a helicopter at least once in your life, do it in Iceland. The entertainment isn't cheap, but it's worth it.
The most famous company offering this 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 glaciers, but land on one of them and have a picnic there.

When planning a helicopter tour, weather is key, so allow a window of 1-3 days. It is best to take a flight 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 photographs directly from an airplane, you should keep in mind that a good picture will only turn out when you set the shutter speed to maximum, reduce the clarity (about 1/1200), set the aperture to F8 and adjust the ISO correctly to depending on lighting. For video, you need to take with you a lens with stabilization, a camera with autofocus, and ideally, one 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 the car in Iceland you're automatically doing a little hiking, 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 routes. For those who find such a route child's play, we suggest organizing a hike to Hornstrandir - you will definitely never forget this adventure.

In addition to hiking, there are many other activities in Iceland, such as horseback riding, all-terrain vehicle riding, diving and airplane flying. It all depends on what you prefer to do, but we would advise organizing your holiday in such a way that approximately 30% of the total time is spent on planned activities, and the rest of the time on exploration and adventure.

Food in Iceland. Despite the fact that many people whine about the fact that the food in Iceland is simply disgusting, and there is nothing to eat except boring hot dogs, we believe that local kitchen quite good, and most importantly unusual. If you don't eat at gas stations(the food here is exactly the same as at all other gas stations in the world), and if you try local delicacies in restaurants, cafes and hotel snack bars, you will understand that everything is not so shabby. But you must remember that along any route 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 even 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 your trip, you can find out in which city and which restaurants you will have lunch and dinner. Breakfast is usually served in the hotels where you spent the night.

Grocery stores. The size of grocery stores and the selection of goods directly depend on proximity major cities. In and around Reykjavik or Akureyri, 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 sell the most necessary products.

gas station. The cheapest food is sold at gas stations. Naturally, they serve hot dogs here, and they are really tasty, but you shouldn’t limit yourself to just this “dish”, otherwise you will join the clan of those who consider Icelandic cuisine monotonous and disgusting.

ROUTES

In this section we will take you deep into Iceland. No matter which direction you choose to explore the island, you will find incredible things to see along the way, as well as reckless and very positive adventures. Below we will describe a trip along the ring road, designed for 8-10 days. We will tell you what awaits you along the way, and you will have to choose for yourself what you want to see and where to visit.

Day 1: Keflavik-Vik
To get to Vik by nightfall, it is better to start the trip early in the morning. From Keflavik to Vik you can drive in 3 hours, but you will have to make several stops along the way. This is an excellent route to get used to Iceland itself and its pace of life.

Where to sleep: Icelandair Hotel Vik
Where to dine: Eldstó Art Cafe
Attractions: Along south coast is home to some of Iceland's most breathtaking attractions, many of which are close to Iceland's Golden Circle. There are also plenty of opportunities for serious adventure along this stretch of the route.

Skógafoss waterfall
Seljalandsfoss waterfall
Sólheimasandur plane crash site
Black Beach
Troll's Fingers Rocks
Arch of Dyrhoulaey
Swimming pool Seljavallalaug

Day 2: Vik-Höfn
On this day you will have to cover approximately the same distance as on the first day - approximately 3 hours on the road. This will give you plenty of 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 inaccessible.

Where to sleep: “Country Hotel Smyrlabjörg” or “Hotel Hofn”. The first one will amaze you with its quaint atmosphere, while the second one is perfect for replenishing supplies, as it is located in a port city.
Attractions: There are a lot of attractions on the way to Höfn, so you need to plan your visit in advance. Be sure to visit Skaftafell National Park. You will spend no more than an hour at places such as the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon or the Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon - this will be enough time for a full-fledged photo shoot.

Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon
Mossy Lava Rocks
Jokulsarlon Lagoon
Skaftafell National Park
Svartifoss waterfall
Landmannalaugar Valley
Ice caves

Day 3. Höfn Eilsstaðir
If you want, you can drive all the way to Lake Mývatn in just 6 hours on this day, but then you risk missing out on some interesting sights. The speed of travel 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 Mývatn straight away. If only one, then you can stop for the night in Eilsstadir.

Where to sleep: "Hotel Icelandair"
Where to dine: in the village of Djupivogur
Attractions: The route along the southeast coast, through the East Fjords, is perhaps one of the most underrated in Iceland. For some reason, all tourists are fixated on the Western Fjords, although the Eastern ones 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.

Seydisfjörður city
Dyrfjoll
Coast Laekjavik
Djupivogur village
Random coastal views

Day 4: Eylsstadir-Myvatn
If you stay overnight in Egilsstaðir, Mývatn is about 2 hours away, meaning there's 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 part of the route you will find one of the iconic sights of Iceland - Lake Myvatn. The extreme geothermal activity of the region has caused the earth to almost turn inside out, so you should explore not only the lake itself, but also the area around it, believe me, there are a lot of surprises waiting for you here. Mývatn looks especially impressive in the winter months, although the roads are often completely covered up. In any case, visit Dettifoss Waterfall (the filming location of Ridley Scott's Prometheus) and the City of Horses (a natural attraction that became the setting for episodes of Oblivion). Mývatn needs to be explored anyway. 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
Power plant Krafla
Viti Crater
Mývatn nature baths
Geothermal formations of Mount Namafjall
Hrossaborg or City of Horses
Hverfjall cone

Day 5: Myvatn-Hvammstangi
On this day you will have your longest trip, during which you will travel through Northern Iceland and reach the Westfjords. Along the way you will find two excellent hotels, several restaurants and grocery stores, and also 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 the more modest size of the rooms, but all the cottages are located separately from each other.
Where to dine: Geitafell restaurant in Hvammstangi.
Attractions: If you don't stop at the sights, then you will find typical Iceland with beautiful roads and unexpected scenery. But since the trip promises to be long, you will still want to make a few stops and photograph the beauty around you.

Akureyri
Aldejarfoss waterfall
Godafoss waterfall
Restaurant "Geitafell"

Day 6: Hvammstangi-Westfjords
Which direction you take along the West Fjords depends only on you. The only thing you need 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, and to do this you need to get a hotel room and have a good rest.

Where to sleep: Country hotel Heydalur is one of the best options for accommodation in the heart of the Westfjords. This cute little 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. There is another way to get here - by ferry from the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. While sailing you will see fewer fjords, but you will have the opportunity to explore other interesting places.
Attractions: The main attraction of the region remains the fjords, but which of them you can get to depends on the weather, so check and double-check the weather forecast before going deeper. Looking for real adventure, then take a hike to Hornstrandir. It is not possible to get here by car. Usually you can get to the reserve by ferry or on foot.

Lautrabjarg rocks
Hornstrandir Nature Reserve
Museum of Icelandic Magic and Witchcraft in Holmavik
Shipwreck "Gardar Ba 64"
Kirkjufell Mountain Church
Isafjörður
Ferry Baldur

Day 7: Westfjords-Thingvellir
You've almost reached the finish line. This trip will take you to Þingvellir National Park, located as close to Iceland's Golden Circle as possible. Depending on where you will be leaving from (Hellnar or Heidalur), you will spend from 2 to 5 hours on the road.

Where to sleep: “ION” is one of the most best hotels countries. 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 station.
Attractions: From the ION Hotel you can easily and quickly reach many of the attractions of the Golden Ring, the most the best option inspection of which will be a helicopter flight. As a rule, all the attractions included in the “ring” are crowded with tourists, and since you have already seen a lot, a short flight over them will be quite enough.

Hotel ION
Geyser
Gullfoss
Thingvellir

Day 8: Thingvellir-Reykjavik
Compared to all the ordeals you have endured in recent days, the trip from ION to Reykjavik will seem like a short and pleasant walk, because you will have to drive no more than half an hour.

Where to dine: "Grillmarket"
Night clubs: "Dolly", "Harlem", "b5"
Center Hotel Thingholt – perfect place for the last stop. It is surrounded by all the benefits of civilization: next to the hotel there are 4-5 nightclubs and the Grillmarket restaurant - 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 outskirts of the city, and explore Reykjavik itself on foot.

Helicopter excursion
Hallgrimskirkja Church
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 be prepared for the fact that there will be no less people there than in any water park in the world.

Olga Efimova, 33 years old, lives in Moscow, works as a legal consultant, and also writes two blogs - about music and travel. In May, I traveled around Iceland in the company of friends and shared my prepared 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, from the feeds of friends and acquaintances, Iceland with woolen horses, blue ice and Martian landscapes- and I decided to channel my envy towards them into a productive direction.

How to go?

It’s better to arrange your plane tickets in advance, because Iceland is not the kind of country you rush to a week before your trip. I bought my FinnAir tickets six months in advance, 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). We had to fly with a transfer: the road from Moscow to Helsinki took a little over an hour and a half, and the flight from Helsinki to Keflavik (the main airport of Reykjavik) took another 1.5 hours. Such advance planning has only one drawback - flights can be postponed, so my flights have been shifted more than once over the past six months, but not by more than an hour. Please also note that tickets may cost more during the high season, which runs from June to the end of September.


How to get around Iceland?

The best way to get around Iceland in May (and not only) is a rented car: Shuttle Buses They don’t walk long distances yet, hitchhiking is unreliable, and cycling at this time is too cold.

So, we (there were four of us) decided to rent a car. After studying the prices and rental conditions, I chose Autoeurope: we rented a Suzuki Grand Vitara from manual transmission(“mechanics” are 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 costs.

You can rent a car directly at the airport. An alternative is to get from the airport to Reykjavik by shuttle and rent a car in the city. Shuttle tickets can be purchased in advance on the Flybus website.

You can save money on a car if you book it at least three weeks before the trip, take your GPS (they charge extra money for it) and don’t drive recklessly on the roads (then you can take the minimum insurance). I also advise you to check that the driver has an international license, at least one year of experience and a backup driver in case of fatigue.




Roads in Iceland

The main thing you need to keep an eye on in Iceland if you decide to drive is the condition of the roads. Moreover, Icelanders have prudently created an entire resource dedicated to roads. Here you can find a complete road map indicating the type of surfaces, 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, the circular route No. 1 is paved with excellent asphalt (but not illuminated by lanterns: reflective poles along the edges of the road are used as lighting), while gravel roads and lava roads are a little more difficult and unpleasant to drive through, but all these are minor things. Gas stations are found quite often along the entire route; even in the middle of complete nowhere there will definitely be a deserted gas station accepting 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, it is worth taking a swimsuit and swimming trunks with you - in Iceland there are hot pools at every turn, and it would be a sin not to swim in them.

Planning to buy clothes on the spot is quite presumptuous: the dreams of purchasing an Icelandic sweater with deer, which I cherished before arriving in Iceland, were dashed by their prices (about 20,000 ISK, that is, about € 135), so it is also better to knit a sweater with deer in advance and bring it with you.

To further save money, you can take a minimum of bed linen and a towel with you, because you often have to pay extra for them at your accommodation.


Food

Food in Iceland is not very varied: 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 day per person on food.

The most important thing to remember about food and drink in Iceland is that alcohol is quite expensive there, and it is usually sold in separate stores. But the most popular chain of alcohol stores called Vinbudin can be found in almost every town.



Where to live in Iceland?

Two main options for searching budget housing in Iceland (in addition to booking.com):

1. Global network of hostels called HiHostels. Here you can find very cheap places in hostels; the most budget-friendly option is probably 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 for such a room ranges from €25 to €35 per night per person. In addition, you can buy a membership to the HiHostels club (when booking your first hostel or directly on the spot) and receive a 10% discount on accommodation in all hostels of this network.

2. Several farms, also united in a purely Icelandic network Farmholidays. Almost every such farm has horses grazing, and local livestock products are served for breakfast. Accommodation on farms will be a little more expensive than in a hostel, but it is usually worth it.

In most cases, we stayed in hostels of the HiHostels network, a couple of times at Farmholidays farms, and two more places were booked through traditional booking.com based on tips from friends who had traveled to Iceland.



Route

The travel route was repeatedly changed, redrawn several times in opposite directions, so I can safely call it hard-won. Meet: the result of many hours of effort, Iceland travel itinerary for 8 days.

If you doubt your driving skills or don’t 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 circular route No. 1, and the trip around the south of Iceland can be divided into 2 days, spending the night in Vik.

The time calculated by Google maps can be safely multiplied by 1.3-1.5, since they do not take into account possible road accidents, 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 nowhere to tents next to waterfalls. But I recommend changing at least some money to look at the Icelandic change with fish depicted on it.

We did not use any local communication, because two of the company had European SIM cards, but a preliminary survey showed that the cheapest type of communication in Iceland was the Siminn operator.


South of Iceland: what to do there?

Having reached Keflavik, we met a friend who was already waiting for us in a rental car, and went to Reykjavik, stopping along the way at the famous Blue Lagoon. It’s hardly worth swimming in the Blue Lagoon (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 truly beautiful.

Reykjavik, due to its capital city, is full of museums and pubs, which we did not go to, but we walked along the embankment at sunset and visited the main church of the capital, Hallgrimskirkja. Its tower, which can be reached by elevator for 800 kronor (€5.5), offers a classic view of Reykjavik with its colorful roofs.

The south of Iceland is richest in tourist attractions, so the trip to this part of the country was the most eventful. Here is the so-called Icelandic Golden ring, consisting of national park Thingvellir, the valleys of geysers, 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 an amazing view has benches with tables, so you always have the opportunity to have breakfast or drink something with a view, for example, of the volcano. You can see most of the beauty of Iceland for free, and next to the tourist spots 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 on the walls there are pictures about the national Icelandic wrestling - glima, according to the rules of which wrestlers grab each other by the harnesses and throw them to the floor (extremely educational).

After Skogafoss you can get to the most southern point Iceland - Cape Vik, where tourists usually stop for the first night of their 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 the 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 explore east coast Iceland.


East of Iceland: everything you wanted to know about glaciers

The eastern part of Iceland is full of glaciers, and you should take advantage of this: 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 there are 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 moderately difficult excursion, which started at 9 am and lasted about 4 hours (about €92 per person, including rental of the necessary equipment).

That day we spent the night in the town of Seydisfjörður, 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 Mývatn

You can safely set aside 2-3 days to visit Lake Myvatn and its surroundings, but we didn’t have them, so we explored all the beauties in a day and a half.

On the way to the lake, we stopped at two places: the Detifoss waterfall and the Viti crater, and around Lake Myvatn itself there was a ton of entertainment: the Namafjall fumaroles (one of the most impressive places in Iceland, where the products of volcanoes in the form of gas come out directly from the ground) , the Hverfjall crater, on the edge of which you can stand, looking at the area from above, the Dimmuborgir lava park and hot pools under open air Myvatn Baths, where swimming is more beautiful, less crowded and cheaper than in the Blue Lagoon (about € 25.5 per person).

If you are lucky with the weather, you can fly on an airplane from the local airfield. The views from the plane are stunning, and you can read more about the tour on the website. The price for a 20-minute flight is €105, but judging by the photos, it's worth every minute.

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 each).

The next day we drove through Iceland's second largest city, Akureyri, on the way to one of the country's most impressive waterfalls - Godafoss - in which, according to legend, the Icelanders drowned their pagan gods when they converted to Christianity. A good place chosen.

Our next overnight stop was our favorite: 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 see fur seals (if you are 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 witchcraft museum in Holmavik.

The most difficult and picturesque road awaited us in the western fjords: the route to Bildadulur via Isafjörður 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 a little further towards Isafjörður the next day, we found a seemingly unattractive (but equipped with a changing room) hot pool, a small waterfall and a herd of shy sheep. And then our path lay to Cape Latrabjarg, which is considered the largest habitat for puffins. Unfortunately, we didn’t see any 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 that you can climb inside and sit in the pilot’s seat, white sand beaches and a cafe where they serve free coffee.

You can get from the western fjords back to the mainland by ferry; the ferry goes from a place called Brjanslaekur to the town of Stykkisholmur. You can see prices and buy tickets in advance 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 considered to be an open-air hot bath, so don’t forget a hat and beer; room for four in Hostel Bildadulur (€ 37 per person) and Hostel Grundarfjordur (€ 26 per person).

We spent the next day driving to Reykjavik and in Snaefellsnes Park, stopping in towns along the way and gawking at Icelandic churches shaped like (according to the description) salted cod, walking near lighthouses and fooling around in a rugged 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).

Sooner or later, you have to fly to Iceland. Volcanoes, lava, craters, there’s something about it.

Briefly about the flight.
Departure from Sh-2 It was a routine day, we boarded the Malevich, drank champagne and had a delicious breakfast. The plane is fresh, the service is excellent, the seats are large, there is nothing to complain about. 2 hours later we landed in Sweden. At Stockholm airport, I recommend visiting the WIN BAR and having a snack with shrimp and avocado. Northern shrimp have a completely different, wonderful taste. Then we proceeded to the business lounge, where, having connected to wi-fi and pouring wine from the tap, we waited for our flight, nothing special, a rather average lounge. With some confusion and announcements in Swedish, we boarded the Icelandair B757 and took off. The service is not bad, the plane is quite old and... It flew normally, but the CRT TVs crawling out of the ceiling, the worn upholstery of the seats... Overall, a solid four. I would also like to note the delicious lamb on board, although I’m not sure if it’s offered in economy. When moving towards Iceland, no matter which city you go through, do not buy alcohol, etc. at the transfer airport. At Reykjavik airport, in the baggage claim area, there is a large Duty Free, where you can and should buy alcohol for the entire trip, because in the country it is much more expensive, the choice is not wide and is sold until 18:00. Don’t overdo it, the allowed import is 2 liters of strong spirits per person; at customs control they may ask you to open your bags! At the exit there was a guy waiting for us with a sign with my name on it, who took us to Defender. Very comfortably. While flying away, we left the Defender in the parking lot, the keys inside, the island... The peculiarity of Tax Free returns, which, in my opinion, reaches 24%, at Keflavik airport is the following: if you have things that require more than 5,000 CZK to be returned, then you must first present them to customs , and only then go to registration. Customs is located in the right corner on the first floor. If payments are less than 5,000, then you don’t need to show anything or go to customs, just get the money on the second floor, after check-in, baggage check-in and inspection. The business room, or Saga room in Swedish, is ordinary. There you can try local horse ham, a rare treat. The return flight on the same, slightly fresher B757, omelette, champagne, cinema, 3 hours flew by quickly. We flew from Stockholm on the Sergei Taneyev, had a delicious lunch and drink, the plane was fresh, the service was excellent, best!


At Keflavik airport a strong wind was waiting for us and the Defender was parked. I have heard and read many reviews, good and bad, about this legendary car. The best thing to do in such a situation is to form your own opinion. Let's start with landing - climbing, otherwise there's no other way to say it, it's not easy. The car was given without thresholds and I had to lift my leg to a height of more than a meter, while grabbing the steering wheel and pulling myself into the seat. Inside, everything is extremely ascetic, although, given that this is a new model, there was a panel of indicator lamps and a radio tape recorder. The radio is absolutely useless; while driving, behind the general noise, you still can’t hear it. While driving, the cabin is noisy, the rear door with the spare tire hanging on it is a highlight... The car is new, 2400 km mileage, I don’t understand why the door dangles like that. While on the move, the Defender is slow and slow, the brakes are disgusting, for the first few kilometers you had to press the pedal very hard and still the Defender stopped dangerously close to the bumper of the car in front. There is no air conditioning, but the ventilation is excellent, it blows from all the cracks, especially on the sides. Later, moving through the sands and lavas, with the doors and windows closed, the interior and all the things inside were covered with a thick layer of black dust, everything had to be washed and wiped. The driving position is pressed firmly against the door, the pedal assembly is shifted even more to the left, so that it is clear that where the clutch is located in cars with manual transmission, here is the brake. There is no platform for the left foot, the steering wheel is not adjustable, the heating is turned on by vertical sliders “a la VAZ 2106”... A pile of rumbling iron, clumsy and smelling of diesel fuel. 2666 km on it was not torture, but I was really tired. Moreover, its off-road qualities were not particularly needed; almost all the places where we got to, the RAV 4 and the like were sure to pull up. The roads, with the exception of a few places, are quite acceptable for SUVs and X6s.
The small horses that are found on every corner mixed with lamb are very common, there is nothing to say about them, they will all be eaten sooner or later, so it’s a bit of a pity for them. Icelanders say they are beautiful, it seems to me that they just haven’t seen beautiful horses. However, be careful on the roads, you cannot knock down lamb and horse meat, because it does not just walk around on its own, but has a very real owner with all the consequences. If you crush your bumper on a stone or cross a river with consequences for the body, do not say when returning the car that you hit an unlucky lamb, it’s better to talk about the stone, it will work out cheaper. In 90% of cases you will find yourself in Iceland in July-August. There may be no sun, moreover, there may be rain. Be sure to take a windbreaker/raincoat and a warm sweater or fleece with you. The temperature in the area of ​​the ring road rarely rises above 15 C, but in the center of the island it sometimes reaches 20 C. While walking about 5 km in the snow on one of the volcanoes at 20 C, I almost got burned and completely got my feet wet, but more on that later. There is basically only one road - No. 1. The length is approximately 1200 km. The local Moscow Ring Road around the island, let's call it iKAD. It can be different, from two-lane in one direction, to an ordinary dirt road, slippery and dangerous in the rain, and also dirty.






All other roads, going in different directions from the iKAD, are dirt, gravel, laid on frozen volcanic lava, sand and other non-asphalt surfaces. I don’t recommend traveling around Iceland in your own car, which is possible. Stones from under the wheels fly in all directions, the suspension is under serious stress, and you feel sorry for the car. Turns on gravel roads are slippery and the car often skids. 90% of bridges in Iceland are single lane! The one who is more polite or who arrived last is allowed to pass, in any case, there are no prescriptive signs.


All roads are numbered and it is difficult to miss the right turn. All sights are marked with a “command” sign taken from the MAS keyboard, or vice versa... In the north-west, I don’t recommend setting off on a journey with a half-empty tank, gas stations are found once every 100 km, especially since there are none to the side of the ring, it’s an extra time to refuel It won't be superfluous at all. All gas stations are automatic and serve only plastic cards; there is nowhere to insert cash. The refueling algorithm is as follows: insert the card, enter the PIN code, pick up the card, enter the amount you want to spend or, if available, press the button all the way, put on a disposable glove, insert the gun, refuel. Every gas station has a free car wash, where you can and should wash your glass, floor mats or car. Not all automatic gas stations operate 24 hours a day! The permitted speed in the circle is 90 km/h. Violates at 5-8 mph. They catch them on the move, both oncoming and passing. Sometimes they stand and simply take measurements, like we do, but not in the bushes, because there are few bushes there. The police cars are white, so you always slow down when a white car appears on the horizon. There are few trucks and buses on the roads, in the north you come across an oncoming car every 5-10 minutes, in principle, if it is asphalt, you can press your slipper, but this is your risk. I never found the permissible alcohol limit, so I drank in the evening and didn’t get a hangover in the morning. At lunch I allowed myself a glass of beer or a glass of wine, but I never knew whether I did the right thing or not. There is a clearing of cellular communications throughout the iKAD, but it is not at all necessary when driving inside the island along roads that allow you to see various Beautiful places. The entrance to many of them is marked with a 4x4 sign and a ban on driving with a trailer. I wouldn't say that these are roads that really require all-wheel drive. Almost everywhere you can drive a car, however, there are deep fords and large stones, it is better not to risk it.





The problem is not that you will break or drown your rental car, but how long you will wait for help, there is no connection... On the iKAD sometimes you come across signs warning about speed cameras being monitored. I saw the signs, but I didn’t notice the cameras, not even once. They either camouflage well or simply scare. In Reykjavik, at intersections, if there is no arrow at the traffic light, you can turn right on a red light. The most useful website about Iceland's roads is called www.road.is, check it every day, otherwise you risk ending up on a road closed to traffic. This happens in late spring. Information on the site is updated every 2 hours. There are about a hundred hotels on the island, 70 of them are in Reykjavik (I read it in one book) and this seems to be true. A more or less decent hotel chain is called Fosshotel www.fosshotel.is and is found throughout the iKAD. These are 3 or 2 stars, sometimes no stars at all. No air conditioning, no TV, no hot breakfast and foul-smelling water. Since Icelanders take hot water from numerous underground springs and geysers, it smells strongly of hydrogen sulfide or, in our opinion, rotten eggs... It is a serious test to brush your teeth with such water. However, the water around Reykjavik has no odor. No matter what the smell of the water, the linen is always clean, the lamb is tasty, and the Internet (sometimes wi-fi) is available. I do not recommend traveling around Iceland without prior hotel reservations. There are almost no vacancies in the north and northwest. The reason is the same, a catastrophic shortage of hotels, and tourists too. Many hotels are open from May to September... Be careful with hot water, its temperature in the taps reaches 80 C. In Reykjavik, I recommend the Grand Hotel Reykjavik www.grand.is, a beautiful modern hotel. Attention, alcohol in Iceland is sold in special stores. As a rule, there is only one such store in the city. Open until 18:00. Consider your time, at 18:01 they are no longer allowed in! Initially, we planned the following route: Reykjyavik – Pingvellir – Geysir – Gullfoss – Reykholt – Olafsvik – Stykkisholmur – Hvammstangi – Akureyri – Godafoss – Husavik – Dettifoss – Krafia – Myvatn – Askja – Kverkfjoll – Egilsstadir – Hornafjordur – Skaftafell – gar – Hella – Reykjyavik - Blue Lagoon Clinic
The route is not correct, unfortunately, there is nothing special to see in the northwest and north.
Reykjyavik


(photo in the rain and through the window)
The building with the blue dome is nothing more than a city boiler room (hello to Luzhkov). Each column has a reservoir of hot water heated by thermal waters. On the 6th floor of the boiler room there is a chic gourmet restaurant; its chefs have been awarded numerous awards, displayed on the floor below. Great view of the city. I recommend booking a table in advance.


Quite a lot has been said about Reykjavik, I won’t repeat it. I don’t support Jeremy Clarkson’s opinion that the most beautiful blondes in the world are here; apparently his place of residence leaves its mark. After the women of Great Britain, it won’t seem like that.
On the first day you should take the standard route Pingvellir – Geysir – Gullfoss. I recommend leaving at about 8 o’clock, so the weather should already be good and there should be a small number of tourists at the geysers. Pingvellir is the meeting point of two continental platforms. At the point where they meet, a rift is formed. If you are not going to move further around the island, then you will definitely be brought here. If you are moving on your own, move on, there is not much to see there. Moreover, you still have so many faults ahead... On the way towards the Geyser, I recommend turning onto road No. 365, you will cut 30 kilometers, you can drive in any weather in any car, there is nothing complicated there. The thermal geyser site consists of a dozen geysers. The most famous and largest Geyser works extremely rarely, Strokkur approximately every 4-5 minutes.


Next we head to the Golden Waterfall. The waterfall is beautiful and powerful, especially in sunny weather. It is useless to describe it in words.


In a cafe in the parking lot near the waterfall, we tried traditional Icelandic meat soup for the first time. Naturally with lamb, very tasty and nutritious, a lot of meat, I recommend it throughout the island in the future. Next, I acted a little risky, because I had to get to Reykholt and I didn’t want to go back for this. Having driven forward, after the waterfall, for several km, there will be an exit to the left, onto a dirt road. Unfortunately I don't remember the road number. As a guide, there is a 4x4 road and after the exit there are two small fords. This road connects with road No. 550. The landscape is so unearthly, the surface is so terrible, there are almost no signs, there are no oncoming signs either... An hour later, a specific depression set in, the feeling that we were lost and would die in this rocky desert did not pass the entire time we were driving along this dead to the world. I don’t even know, maybe it’s better to return and go through Reykjavik.


Having overcome hell in 3 hours, visiting a small but beautiful waterfall Hraunfossar, we have arrived in the city of Reykholt. You can stay there at the Fosshotel hotel. It is notable for its Russian waiter Anton and Wi-Fi access. Anton informed us that we were the first Russians in this hotel, we informed Anton that he was the first Russian in this hotel. That's where they parted ways. In the evening, order lamb at a restaurant.


In the morning we cut the route short; it was not possible to get to Olafsvik that day, because we had to spend the next night in Hvammstangi, and this is very far away. We started in Stykkisholmur, and we had to arrive there by 11:00, because at that time the excursion at the local port begins. The road is difficult, mostly dirt road and for quite a long time along the edge of a cliff. I’m still thinking whether to recommend this place for visiting or not. The 2-hour boat ride allowed us to see a variety of birds, including the famous parrot-like puffins. Try freshly caught shellfish and admire the unusual current in the middle of the ocean, but... decide for yourself. The road is not easy, and then you still have to go back along it. Personally, I try to never go back down a path that has already been taken. The photo shows almost everything that can be seen on the excursion and around.
















In Stykkisholmur, on the way to the port and back, there is a fish restaurant where you can dine on local fish.




Arriving in the city of Hvammstangi (already 450 km that day), we did not find our hotel there, moreover, there is no hotel in this city at all. It turns out that we were supposed to spend the night on a farm in the vicinity of the indicated town. Having become acquainted with this farm, we decided that we were not so tired yet; it would be better for us to spend the night in a car or in an open field, but not on the farm. Let's move on. If you still go to Hvammstangi and drive through it, then about 15 kilometers from it to the north there is a fur seal rookery. We didn't stay there, but we saw the information sign. It was already late, we wanted to sleep. There was nowhere to sleep. We decided to move on to Blonduos. There were several hotels in Blonduos, and, due to the lateness of the hour, we settled into one of them, not without difficulty. A local landmark is the closest cape to the west, from which you can see a lonely rock that looks surprisingly like an elephant. We should have seen it, but in the morning there was heavy fog, visibility was about 10 meters. The elephant did not appear to us.






Having waited by the sea for good weather, and without waiting, we drove on.
The next overnight stay was scheduled at the northern whale center Husavik. The pleasant town is famous for the best whale safaris on the island. Has a whale museum and a liquor store. Two offices on the pier offer 3-hour tours, with a 2-hour round trip. In general, the companies provide the same services, but I recommend the blue one, the Silvia boat, because they will dress you in waterproof overalls. And this is very important. In general, I think that the yellow and blue companies belong to the same owner, a local Jew...




The whale, if you're lucky, will show its tail and blow a few puffs of air. That's all, you are unlikely to see anything larger than in the photo.


A small digression about lamb.
In Iceland you have to eat lamb. If you love it, you will be surprised at how delicious it can be! If you don't love it, then you will love it. Lamb grazes everywhere you look. At the same time, he eats organic grass, drinks water from mountain rivers and runs a lot. All stores and gas stations sell marinated lamb in vacuum packaging, as well as disposable barbecues with charcoal. This is probably the ideal combination for lovers of tents and the smell of taiga, I haven’t tried it, but it looks delicious. Lamb is everywhere, it’s like the Internet in Iceland. In Reykjavik, in the port, there are many small fish establishments, where you can try whale kebab, and if your route does not go to the city of Koff, then try grilled lobster. Otherwise, wait until Koff. Tips are not accepted in Iceland; moreover, offering them is considered indecent. Surprisingly, I returned to this text for the second time and again on the plane. Yes, what am I talking about... Eat lamb, comrades, it's worth it.




Another waterfall on the way to Dettifoss


Road to Dettifoss through the national reserve




Dettifoss Waterfall is a must see in Iceland, in good weather it is beautiful despite the black and gloomy water it carries.






The next night was to be spent at the Skutustadir farm, near the town of Myvatn. Along the way you can visit the Hverfell plateau and get acquainted with " alien landscapes multi-colored hills." It should be noted that Icelandic photographers are familiar with Photoshop; in various publications and postcards, the colors, to put it mildly, are more saturated than they really are...






About 10 km from the plateau there is a seemingly active volcano Leirhnjukur. It is hot, slightly bubbling and smoking. It's a bit of a walk from the parking lot, but it's worth it, I recommend it.










Frightened by the upcoming overnight stay on a farm, we decided to look for a hotel in Muvatn and quickly found it, 4 stars - apparently the first and last hotel of this level away from Reykjavik. There was no free room and we, in a bad mood, moved around beautiful lake towards the overnight stay. Imagine our surprise when, at the Skutustadir farm, in addition to our guest house, found 2 more hotels, and in one of them a restaurant with a beautiful view of the lake. The guest house was clean and comfortable. The lamb was delicious as always, the wine was cool, the day was a success. Below is a photo of the lake, as you probably guessed, the lake was formed in the craters of old volcanoes. For breakfast, I recommend trying the local lava bread. Black and unusual.










The next morning we had to visit Lake Oskjuvatn, located in the crater of the Askja volcano. Or maybe that’s the name of the area surrounding the lake. There are no guides to Iceland in Russian... Absolutely, Armstrong trained there for 5 days before flying to the moon. The road passes through lava fields, cinder fields, fields of crushed stone, fields of huge stones, lava fields, cinder fields, fields of crushed stone, fields of huge stones and along rivers, rivers, rivers...












3 hours passed, having reached a dead end with a parking lot, we briskly set off on the road towards the lake. After about 500 meters, the cinder path turned into an ideal snow plateau, which had melted. After another 10 meters we fell down to our knees and our feet were completely wet. It was somehow not fun to return, the water was sloshing, after 20 minutes they stopped paying attention, the path was not close, 4-5 km.


I must say, the lake was worth it. It is beautiful, and in general there are two lakes. Which is round, seems to be warm, climbers bathe in it, because an ordinary person cannot get out of there. The second one is cold, they also bathe in it. I don't know who they are. Icebergs float there... I recommend the lakes, take waterproof shoes with you, and a bottle of white wine in your backpack. I only took wine, which pleasantly surprised my wife; my feet were wet...








We had to spend the night that evening in the city of Egilsstadir, the journey was not close, 3-4 hours, so we did not go to the Vatnajokull glacier and we did the right thing, because we arrived at the hotel late and very tired. Although they probably missed the glacier in vain. Below is a photo of the way back. It seems beautiful. But how tired you get from this, and how much dust there is in the cabin...



Ring Road (Iceland)

A section of the ring road in the vicinity of Borgarfjörður

ring road(ex. 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 areas of the country.

Almost along its entire length this road is two-lane. One lane in each direction. When she comes through big cities, the number of bands may 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.

Flux density varies greatly depending on location. Near Reykjavík, the road carries 5,000-10,000 cars, but in some sections there are fewer than 100 cars a day.

The highway was completed in 1974, in honor of the 1100th anniversary of the country's settlement. In 1974, Iceland's longest bridge was completed over the Skeidar River in South Iceland.

The road is popular among tourists, since it can be used to get to almost anywhere in the country and often opens good views to 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 Seyðisfjörður. South part roads are sometimes destroyed by flash floods caused by geothermal vents or volcanic eruptions.

Driving along the Ring Road

Although most of the road is paved, some sections have not been modified since the 1940s and are dangerous with blind turns and narrow bridges. In winter, ice and strong winds can make travel especially dangerous.

The permitted speed on the Road is 90 km/h on asphalt sections and 80 km/h on gravel sections.

List of cities on the Ring Road

  • Grundarchwerf
  • Bifrost
  • Reykjahlid
  • Breiddalsvik
  • Djupivogur
  • Kirkupayarklaysture
  • Skögar
  • Hella
  • Hveragerdi

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Iceland seems to be created for autotourism, and by jeep you can get to any point where a dirt “trail” leads. The most interesting area 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. There are no paid zones, paid attractions, paid parking near attractions, etc. anywhere.

National roads

Roads belonging to the national highway system administered by the Icelandic Road Administration. They are categorized as follows: S - Main roads - road #1, which connects Reykjavik to Reykjavik T - Secondary roads - tengivegi in translation - country roads (usually a two-digit number), usually more than 10 kilometers long H - Local roads, which provide access to private farms and do not correspond to the quality of tengivegi (usually a three-digit number) L – A road that does not belong to any of the above categories In short, there is nothing interesting here (in terms of driving!! don’t get me wrong), except for the contemplation of amazing sights after a comfortable ride in a good sedan.

Other roads

F – unpaved roads on which only 4x4 vehicles are allowed. Many with elements of river crossing ford

F roads with two-digit numbers are better - maybe smooth gravel without extreme conditions (Primary highland road); with three-digit numbers it is much more interesting; dotted line without number "jeep trail". It can be quite unpredictable.

There are more lovers relaxing holiday attract attractions in a relatively comfortable area on Ring Road No. 1 (Primary road). And for lovers of a real jeep trip, the most interesting things begin outside the main road, where the Icelandic Highland is. It's a short drive down a minor road and eventually the F-road begins. But these roads can be as treacherous as they are interesting. So let's be more careful here

Safety

Some statistics: in total, Iceland has 13 thousand kilometers, only 2.5 of which are F-roads. To travel along F-roads, even three-digit ones, no special training is required, but you need to have basic skills confidently. All you need is a good jeep, good tires, an extra can of fuel and you can grab some extra provisions…. If you've been taking photos for a long time, it gets dark, and you're still in the mountains. The worst thing that can happen on these roads is: fords (during the warm season, when glaciers melt, some rivers can be quite deep), sharp stones, lack of gas stations. The ground is stable enough that getting stuck in " quicksand» the probability is low. These are the most terrible fords 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 safe crossing of a ford (namely, a ford is a specially designated intersection of a road with a water hazard). 1. Wait for another car and check the depth and route of movement. 2. If the depth is great or it’s just scary, wait for a bigger car and ask to be dragged to the other side. 🙂

Estimated opening times for some of the most popular roads

When planning such a trip, you need to check whether the road is open on the resource www.vegagerdin.is or by calling 1777 Lakagígar (F206) – 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 enlargement shows how many “pioneers” there were today, which can give both confidence and make you think.

It would be good to check the weather so as not to drive around in vain Weather condition and forecast Don’t neglect traffic signs! Because in Iceland signs are established by precedent, so if the sign is there... it means it’s on point!! If there is a sign “falling meteorites” in the middle of an Icelandic field, be sure that this happened at least 1 time and the probability is high!

If something did happen

Siminn.is mobile operator coverage map

smartphone app 112 Iceland

Smartphone owners can feel more secure as the Icelandic Rescue Service (ICE-SAR) announces the launch of a program 112 Iceland(SOS Iceland) for tourists. The program allows you to both report that help is needed and regularly inform about your location, which, if necessary, facilitates the provision of assistance. The program works stably not only in networks with fast connections. A regular GSM connection is quite enough for work. You can download the program both on the website safetravel.is and through the iPhone App Store and Google’s Play Store for Android devices. In addition to the program, on the rescue service website you can (and if you want to go into some hole and are not sure, but “really want to” you need to!!) leave a plan for your trip indicating the target time of return. In case of non-return, rescuers will check to see if anything happened. Also, from the rescue service, for only 25 euros per week, you can get McMurdo FastFind, a satellite rescue “beacon” of the COSPAS-SARSAT system. A very useful and reliable thing, it works everywhere.

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