Iceland summary
Key facts
Official language(s)
Currency
Population
Time zone
Calling code
Drive on the
Member of the EU
Icelandic
Icelandic Krona
319,756
GMT
354
Right
No
Local weather
Reykjavik
-
Sat-2° | 5° -
Sun2° | 2° - Mon3° | 8°
- Tue3° | 7°
Speed limits
- Motorways:
- 90kmh (55mph)
- Open roads:
- 80/90kmh (50/55mph)
- Towns:
- 50kmh(30mph)
Road Safety
-
Alcohol limit:
- 50mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood
-
Use of mobile phone whilst driving:
- It is illegal to use a hand held mobile phone when driving
- Only permitted if using hand free equipment
-
Seat belts:
- Compulsory for front and rear seat passengers where fitted
- Children under 12 years are not permitted to sit in the front of the vehicle unless an appropriate child restraint seat is fitted
-
Traffic lights regulations:
- Red – Stop
- Amber – Slow down
- Green – Go
Costs
- Road tolls:
- There is a toll to be paid for the tunnel under Hvalfjordur
- On the spot fines:
- On the spot fines may be imposed by a police official, but as a rule they are not allowed to collect payment
- Payment must be made at a police station
General motoring advice
- Rush hour in built up areas:
- Reykjavík only
- 0730-0900hrs
- 1630-1800hrs
- Fuel:
- Many of the larger fuel stations are open 24 hrs and others in more rural areas are open between 0700hrs and 2100hrs
- Weekend opening hours tend to be limited
- Some of the larger fuel stations have pumps which accept cash
- Leaded petrol is NOT widely available
- Unleaded super octane contains additives that make it suitable for cars not converted to using unleaded petrol
- Parking advice:
- Finding an empty parking space should not be a problem
- Parking meters are a common sight in downtown Reykjavik, most offering a 2hour limit
- There are a few parking garages in Reykjavik but they are not as common elsewhere in Iceland
- Ask the Agent at the National Car Rental location for advice on local parking rules and regulations