One of the most requested questions we get in our socials and via email from clients is - What is the best car for winter for my Iceland car rental? 

Short answer: The one that gives you a winter-ready 4x4, proper tyres, full cover with zero excess, and real humans on hand when the weather decides to audition for a Nordic thriller. 

Longer answer - Check it out below:

TL;DR for frosty planners

Pick a 4x4 with quality winter tyres. Studded tyres are typically allowed in winter, and reputable fleets switch to winter rubber for the season. Always confirm before you book. Start with local guidance at road.is and daily forecasts at the Icelandic Met Office, en.vedur.is.

F-roads are a summer fling. In winter you stick to ploughed roads like the Ring Road and the Golden Circle. Check status and webcams on road.is road conditions and its webcams.

Headlights on, always. It is the law in Iceland to drive with lights on at all times. See safety basics at SafeTravel.is.

Speed limits are modest for good reasons. Expect 50 km/h in towns, 80 on rural gravel, and 90 on paved rural roads. Drive to conditions and review tips on SafeTravel.is.

Plan around daylight. In December Reykjavík offers roughly four to five hours of usable light. Check sunrise and sunset for your dates at timeanddate.com/sun/iceland/reykjavik.

Which car actually works in Icelandic winter?

Traction that does not panic. Choose a 4x4 SUV with proper winter tyres. Studded tyres are commonly fitted in season and help on black ice. If you are new to Icelandic roads, keep road.is and en.vedur.is bookmarked. - Pro tip - All our cars have winter tirues from November to April, as the law states.

Dacia Duster - The budget and capable 4x4

If you are watching your budget yet want proper winter capability, the Dacia Duster diesel 4x4 manual is the sweet spot. It is compact for Reykjavík streets and tight guesthouse car parks, but has the ground clearance and four-wheel traction you want when roads are slick or freshly ploughed. The diesel engine sips fuel on longer Ring Road legs, which matters when distances stack up between fuel stops in the north. Many travelers also prefer the control of a manual gearbox on icy approaches to viewpoints or when easing down a snowy driveway, and the Duster makes that feel natural and predictable.

Kia Sportage/Toyota Rav4 - The winter duo

If you prefer an automatic and a bit more refinement, look at the proven all-wheel-drive crossovers. The Toyota RAV4 and the Kia Sportage are excellent winter companions that balance comfort with confidence. Both offer stable AWD systems that react quickly when a gust hits you on a coastal causeway or when you meet black ice on a shaded bend. They are easy to live with for long days, their cabins warm up quickly, and the automatics remove the stress of stop-and-go traffic at city lights or slow convoys behind snowploughs. These are the cars many first-time winter visitors choose, because they feel familiar to drive yet are built for exactly the weather Iceland throws at you. On a typical day you might start in drizzle near Keflavík, see sleet on Hellisheiði, then sunshine in the south coast rain shadow, and an AWD automatic just smooths it all out.

Toyota LandCruiser 250 and Kia Sorento - Best in cold class

Traveling with a bigger group, lots of camera gear, or child seats calls for something more substantial. The seven-seat Kia Sorento gives families flexible seating and a calm ride on longer hops between towns, while keeping winter manners tidy on slushy tarmac. For maximum capability on challenging days, the Toyota Land Cruiser 250 brings serious 4x4 hardware and a high seating position that keeps you relaxed when visibility drops and snow drifts start forming along the verges. These larger SUVs are also a smart pick if your itinerary includes gravel access roads to guesthouses or viewpoints, since the extra clearance helps avoid scraping packed snow ruts. Remember that mountain F-roads are closed in winter and should not be attempted, yet even on maintained routes the extra stability of a full-size 4x4 is reassuring when the forecast turns lively.

What else is best in winter?

Coverage that is genuinely all-inclusive. Iceland has gravel, ash, side winds and single-lane bridges. A plan that includes gravel, sand and ash protection with zero excess saves both money and worry. This is a core promise of Zero Car Rental.

Backup that answers at midnight. If weather or a warning light interrupts your aurora hunt, 24/7 roadside assistance with no deductible keeps the trip on track. Zero includes this in the price and explains why local support matters here: 2025’s Best Car Rental Iceland: 10 reasons to choose a local company.

Where can you realistically drive in winter?

Golden Circle and South Coast are the classic winter routes. Roads are maintained year-round, but closures happen in storms. Check Vegagerðin for road conditions, webcams, and the Icelandic Met Office for weather alerts.

F-roads to the Highlands are seasonal and generally open June to September. Winter plans should not include them. Learn about seasonal access on road.is.

Off-road driving is illegal. Stay on marked roads for your safety and to protect fragile landscapes. Review the do’s and don’ts at SafeTravel.is.

Two smart winter road trip plans

Option A: 4 to 5 days on the South Coast with an ice cave finale

Day 1 KEF airport to Reykjavík, optional Blue Lagoon stop. KEF to the Blue Lagoon is about 20 minutes by car, then continue to Reykjavík. Prebook if you want a soak: bluelagoon.com. KEF to Reykjavík is roughly 50 km and takes about 45 minutes in normal conditions. If you prefer to settle in the city first, keep an eye on weather at en.vedur.is.

Day 2 Golden Circle loop from Reykjavík. Þingvellir, Geysir, Gullfoss is a perfect winter sampler. Start with the national park at thingvellir.is, and plan the loop around daylight. 

Day 3 Reykjavík or Hella to Vík. Reykjavík to Vík is about 184–186 km and 2.5 to 3 hours without stops. The highlights are Seljalandsfoss, Skógafoss, Dyrhólaey and Reynisfjara. Please keep well back from the surf at Reynisfjara and read the guidance on sneaker waves at SafeTravel.is.

Day 4 Vík to Skaftafell and Jökulsárlón. Vík to Skaftafell is roughly 140 km and about 2 hours. Skaftafell to Jökulsárlón is about 55–57 km and around 45–50 minutes. For background on the area, see the national park’s Skaftafell page: vatnajokulsthjodgardur.is/en/areas/skaftafell. Book a guided ice cave tour if conditions allow. Most natural ice cave tours run roughly November to Marc - We have a full guide here on how to plan a self drive to the ice caves.

Day 5 Return west. Aim to drive in daylight. Build a buffer for wind or snow closures and verify before set-off 

Hotel ideas along this route. Reykjavík has many boutique options near Laugavegur for easy dining. Hella or Hvolsvöllur offer countryside hotels with hot tubs and dark skies. Vík has several modern hotels near the village. Between Skaftafell and Jökulsárlón you will find glacier-view guesthouses

Option B: 6 to 7 days adding Snæfellsnes

Add one or two nights on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula before or after the South Coast. Roads are usually kept open, but wind can be a pain some times!

How to schedule your winter days without racing the sun

Plan around daylight and aim for one base-to-base drive plus one or two key sights per day. Know the default limits (50 km/h in towns, 80 on rural gravel, 90 on rural paved), but treat them as ceilings when roads are slick. Keep your lights on at all times and never stop on the road for photos. For more ideas on northern lights hunting on Snaefellsnes, we got you covered here.

Safety check for Reynisfjara

Reynisfjara’s black sand is spectacular and dangerous. Sneaker waves can surge much higher than expected. Stay well above the wet line, face the sea, and follow on-site warnings. Read beach-specific advice on why this is the deadliest beach in Iceland here.

Why Zero is the best car rental Iceland option for winter

All-inclusive pricing with zero excess means gravel, sand and ash coverage is included, so a wind-pushed pebble does not become a saga. See what this covers with Zero Car Rental.

Roadside assistance included 24/7 with no deductible is there if a warning light blinks in Höfn at 23:00. Learn why local support matters in this overview: 10 reasons to choose a local company.

Winter-ready fleet plus unlimited mileage lets you choose the right 4x4 for your route and roam without counting kilometres. Browse options at zerocar.is.

Seamless pickup at KEF with real staff on site means you can collect keys from the keybox 24/7, and there are always staff at the KEF office to help if you have questions or need assistance with the keyboxes. Find the KEF office here: Google Maps location. City pickups in Reykjavík are available too at the Reykjavík office location.

Packing list that wins winter

Bring microspikes or clip-on traction for walking to waterfalls, warm layers plus a waterproof outer shell, spare gloves, a thermos, and a headlamp for short daylight windows. Add a battery bank for your phone, a paper map as backup, sunglasses for low bright sun on snow, and a credit card with PIN for pay-at-pump fuel.

Recommended daily driving times

In mid-winter aim for 3 to 4 hours of driving per day and keep the rest for sightseeing in daylight. As a guide, Reykjavík to Vík is around 2.5 to 3 hours in fair conditions, Vík to Skaftafell is about 2 hours, and Skaftafell to Jökulsárlón is about 45–50 minutes, but always check road.is and en.vedur.is before you go.