At Iceland Tours, we offer a wide range of car rental options as part of our self-drive tour packages. Your choice of rental car depends on the time of year, your planned route, and the number of people in your group. And let’s not forget the most important thing: your budget.

When you hire a car through Iceland Tours as part of a tour package, you always get basic liability insurance and collision damage waiver (CDW) as standard.

We also offer a choice between manual (stick-shift) and automatic hire cars. If you’re not used to driving a manual, we recommend you go with an automatic.

Here’s an overview of the types of rental vehicle we offer:

Please note that the images above are simply for illustration. The specs of your rental vehicle, including color, may vary.

If you prefer not to drive in Iceland, there are options such as multi-day tours from Reykjavík by bus and guided group tours.

That said, we think a road trip is the best way to see the country. Driving gives you the freedom to see what you want, when you want. Why not do the Golden Circle one day, then cruise down the south coast the next?

And even if you’re planning on staying in Reykjavík, having a rental car opens up the possibility of day trips into the Icelandic countryside.

You could also squeeze in a visit to the Blue Lagoon on your way to drop your rental car off at Keflavík International Airport.

The minimum age to rent a car in Iceland is 20, and 23 for jeeps and vans. You must have held your driver’s license for at least one year at the time of rental.

If your driver’s license is not in Latin script (for example, Russian or Chinese), you’ll need to apply for an International Driving Permit in your home country before coming to Iceland. You’ll need to show the permit along with your driver’s license when collecting your car.

Good to know: You’ll need a credit card (not a debit card, unfortunately) in the main driver’s name. This is for a security deposit in the case of any damage to the car or other additional fees, such as unpaid parking fines.

American Express, MasterCard, and VISA credit cards are accepted.

For all the info, see our guide to driving in Iceland.

In the unlikely event that extreme weather conditions prevent you from following your itinerary as planned, we’ll contact you and help reorganize your trip. Alternatively, you can contact us.

Our car rental partners rent out vehicles in periods of 24 hours. If you arrive in Iceland at an earlier time of day than you leave at the end of your trip, then you’ll need to pay for an extra 24-hour period.

This is often the case if you’re traveling from North America, as many flights land early in the morning in Iceland.

For example, if you pick up your car at 7:00 a.m., but drop it off at 11:00 a.m. on your last day, then a new 24-hour hour period begins at 7:00 a.m. on your last day.

When you customize your tour online with extra days in Reykjavík, the total price will not include car rental for those extra days.

If you’re happy to walk and use buses/taxis whilst you’re in town, you might not need your rental car. In that case, you can take the airport shuttle to the airport when it’s time to head home.

On the other hand, if you’d prefer to have your car even whilst in Reykjavík, let us know and we’ll reconfirm your online booking. The cost for the extra days of car rental will be added to the balance for your trip.

The price of extra days depends on the category of car you’ve chosen, the length of your trip, and your travel dates. 

If you want an exact figure before you book, simply get in touch with our customer service team and we’ll work out the total for you.

When you hire your car through Iceland Tours, you always get basic liability insurance and a collision damage waiver (CDW) included as standard.

Good to know: The collision damage waiver has an excess (deductible) that would need to be paid in the event of an accident. This amount varies depending on the type of rental car and our supplier. You have the option to pay extra to reduce the excess when you collect your car.

You also have the option to take out extra insurance to protect against damage from driving on gravel roads and ash. These extra policies can be bought from the car rental company in Iceland at the desk where you collect your key.

We advise everyone traveling to Iceland to take out personal travel insurance. That way, you’re covered for cancelations, lost or stolen items, medical costs, and costs of getting home if you need medical treatment.