Solo driving in Iceland in late March
I'm from San Francisco and am planning to visit Iceland March 22nd - 31st. My goal is to do a lot of photography at Vík and Jökulsárlón. I decided to rent a car instead of joining tour groups. I am planning on rending a small 2WD rental car with snow tires.
I have a couple of questions regarding driving:
1) I looked at the Iceland road conditions map at http://www.road.is/travel-info/road-conditions-and-weather/south-east-iceland/se1.html and some of the roads along the south shore are slippery with spots of ice. Will this be a great risk to my small 2WD rental car? If the roads are blue/yellow should I be driving on them?
2) Will there be any risk that snow will completely shut off the roads? What would you recommend in terms of booking tours/hotels early in light of that risk?
Best Answer
1) 2WD rental car with "proper" tires (which you will definitely get) should be perfectly fine. I personally drove the whole ringroad few times in this part of the year, with lots of snow, ice, wind and other catastrophes with no problems at all. However, always be prepared for the worst!!! Weather here is extremely tricky and very difficult to predict. I would definitely recommend you to take a small shovel just in case you stuck in some snow :) Also, mountain roads (those one marked with "F" before the number) are in this part of a year with a car like that a strict NO-NO!
Some websites which you could find helpful are: official iclenadic meteorological office and safetravel website.
2) Biggest risk of shutting the roads (at least the ringroad) are massive floods which don't happen during this time of year, so if you stick to ringroad, you should be fine.
However, for your own safety, I would suggest you to be aware of all the phone numbers you will need on your journey. If you intend to hike around highlands by yourself, inform someone about your plan and let people aware that you are going to a specific location.
Drive safely and responsible and enjoy the Iceland's beauties ;)
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Is it easy to drive in Iceland in March?
Driving in Iceland in March is also a lot easier than the Winter Months thanks to the Weather. With Lighter Days and less snow, driving is so much more safer and enjoyable. If you want to take unforgettable pictures on your Iceland Trip, March a great time to go.Can you Ring Road Iceland in March?
This past March, I embarked on a 7-day Iceland Road Trip around the \u201cRing Road\u201d with Sebrin from The Clumsy Traveler and Carly from Light Travels. Circling the entire island in seven days can be difficult, especially in March when there may be snow and ice, but with proper planning, it is entirely possible.Do I need a 4x4 in Iceland in March?
If you plan on exploring the Highlands, you absolutely need a 4-wheel drive in Iceland. If you're just going to make your way around the Ring Road, you don't. And if you're coming between the winter months of November to March, I would recommend a 4WD vehicle.Is it easy to self drive in Iceland?
Driving in Iceland really isn't scary or difficult and it is actually one of the more enjoyable countries to travel in! Before you hit the road, make sure you have enough gas and program your GPS so you don't get lost!March in Iceland | ULTIMATE travel guide
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Answer 2
You should be fine with snow tires (as long as you are not going too fast), also on the roads marked with "spots of ice" and "slippery". Be careful when entering one-way bridges and drive according to the road conditions and the risk should be minimal.
It's very unlikely that snow would completely shut off the main roads, so I wouldn't worry about booking tours/hotels early because of that.
Answer 3
Will this be a great risk to my small 2WD rental car? If the roads are blue/yellow should I be driving on them?
2WD is not a great risk in end of March if you stick just to ring road. Mountain roads without 4WD is pretty high risk. Some rental companies explicitly mention NOT to drive in mountain roads with their 2WD. You can still do it but if something bad happens, their insurance will NOT cover it (from one of my past experience).
Will there be any risk that snow will completely shut off the roads? What would you recommend in terms of booking tours/hotels early in light of that risk?
If you stick to ring road, there's very less chance that snow will completely shut off roads. It's relatively safe to book hotels early (and save!) if you are staying near ring road.
PS: I'm going to Iceland in late March too :)
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