Self drive vacations in Iceland

Tolkien, who was inspired by Icelandic mythology in all his works, created the Lord of the Rings. And even though you may not visit Iceland in search of elves and trolls, most people who choose to navigate their way across these dramatic landscapes do want to become Lord of the Ring. Given that the main road that takes you around the island is called the Ring Road, and master it they shall.

On tailor made vacations you can, of course, aim to do the full circuit or Ring Road, also known as Route 1. You can take on these 1,339km in a clockwise or anticlockwise direction, with your accommodation booked in advance to help things run smoothly. But either way is good. Although there is one Icelandic rule of thumb that is worth bearing in mind – if the weather is bad down south, head north. And vice versa. The road is generally really well maintained and well ploughed in winter but there are few hard shoulders. So beware in the chilliest months, if you are stepping out of the passenger side onto the side of the road to look at something gorgeous, because that bit won’t be ploughed and you could be up to your knees in snow as soon as you step out. The other thing you need to master is single lane bridges along this road, where you basically give way to whoever is closest to the start of the bridge. Pull over into the space provided and leave them plenty of space to pass you, but be careful not to swerve into deep snow when doing so. There are also some single lane tunnels through fjords but the sign will show you which person has right of way. And in general, always pull over slowly and safely into specific areas to take in the views and only park where you believe it is safe. Parking on the ring road is very dangerous in winter.