Landing at Keflavík International Airport after a long flight is usually the moment travelers start thinking about the road ahead. Getting your car rental in Iceland sorted quickly makes the rest of the trip fall into place, so knowing what to expect at pickup, on the road, and at drop-off saves a lot of guesswork.
Here’s a practical and helpful guide to renting a car in Iceland from the moment you land to the moment you hand the keys back, covering pickup, the driving habits worth knowing early, and how to avoid surprises at drop-off.
Picking Up Your Car Rental at Iceland Keflavík Airport
Most major providers, including Hertz, operate a desk right inside the KEF arrival hall, so there’s no shuttle bus or off-site transfer required before you get behind the wheel. Hertz’s KEF desk runs 24/7 during the summer season, and daily from 5:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. in winter, covering nearly every scheduled arrival.
To complete pickup for your car rental at Iceland Keflavík Airport, you’ll need:
- A valid driver’s license
- A credit card in the driver’s name
- A passport or national ID.
- An International Driving Permit, in case your licence is not in English
(Drivers as young as 20 can rent in select vehicle categories, though some larger or 4×4 models require the primary driver to be 23 or 25.)
If you’re arriving jet-lagged after an overnight flight, picking up your car rental right at the airport means you can head straight to your first stop instead of losing an hour to transfers.
What to Know Before Driving Your Car Rental in Keflavík
Iceland’s roads have a few habits that catch first-time visitors off guard, and most of them apply the moment your car rental in Keflavík leaves the airport lot.
- Headlights stay on at all times, day and night, by law.
- Off-road driving is illegal everywhere on the island, no matter how capable the vehicle, and carries serious fines.
- Many rural roads narrow down to single-lane bridges, where the first car to reach the bridge has the right of way.
- Sheep wander freely near roads during summer, particularly in farming areas outside the capital region, so slowing down through open countryside is worth doing as a habit rather than a reaction.
- Seat belts are required for every passenger, and mobile phone use behind the wheel is only permitted hands-free.
- Before you set out, you can review local driving rules and identify high- and low-risk areas before exploring.
Driving Tips for Car Rental in Iceland Keflavík and Beyond
Once you’re on the road, a few basics make the drive smoother and help you plan routes with confidence. Here’s what’s worth knowing before you go.
Know the speed limits
They stay consistent across the country, which makes route planning for any car rental in Iceland Keflavík trip fairly simple: 50 km/h (about 31 mph) in urban areas, 80 km/h on gravel roads, and 90 km/h on paved rural roads. Gravel stretches, marked with a warning sign, call for a slower pace and more following distance than paved roads.
Check conditions before you set out
Icelandic road conditions can change in the blink of an eye. Get real-time updates on closures (from portals like road.is), since these matter more in winter. You can also keep track of weather conditions at The Icelandic Met Office site (en.vedur.is) since strong winds can affect handling, especially in SUVs and larger vehicles.
Plan around shorter winter days
Between November and March, daylight runs short, sometimes as little as four to five hours in December. Studded or winter tires are fitted as standard on Hertz’s winter fleet to handle icy conditions, so the vehicle itself is ready even when the roads are trickier.
Returning Your Car Hire in Iceland Without Surprises
Most car rentals in Iceland run on a full-to-full fuel policy, meaning the car arrives with a full tank and should be returned the same way. Refueling before drop-off avoids an extra refueling charge plus a service fee, so it’s worth building a quick gas stop into your route back to the airport.
Give yourself a little extra time before your flight for the return process, particularly during busy summer mornings when several vehicles tend to arrive back around the same time.
A quick walk-around at drop-off, checking for any new marks the rental team should be aware of, helps close things out smoothly.
Make the Whole Trip Easier with Hertz
A car hire in Iceland sets the tone for the entire visit, since so much of the country’s best scenery, from waterfalls to black sand beaches, sits well outside what public transport or guided tours can reach on a fixed schedule.
Picking up a Hertz rental car right inside Keflavík Airport means you’re on the road within minutes of landing, with English-speaking staff, standard collision coverage, and a fleet built for Iceland’s conditions.
No matter if you’re picking a compact car for the Golden Circle or a 4×4 ready for the highlands, choosing the right vehicle at booking makes the drive from the airport, and everything after it, considerably smoother.