Renting a Car VS Taking a Bus Tour

RENTAL CAR

Iceland is SUPER road trip friendly. There are so many amazing sites to see right off the main road, Route 1, making it so easy to see so many things just by renting a car.

But renting a car in foreign country can be scary so let me lay it out for you:

You can pick up a rental car right from the airport, just like you would at any domestic airport in the US. You have to be careful choosing your car rental becuase there are some car rental companies that aren't actually located at the airport and they offer transfer or shuttle pick ups and take you up to 45 minutes from the airport to get your car, but that is such a hassle and drag, ammirite? I hate getting bamboozled by car rentals who say they are at the airport but aren't really.

Blue Car Rental is actually located at the airport, there is a little shuttle, but that's just to save you the hassle from carrying all your luggage. You literally ride the shuttle for 2 minutes. In fact you can SEE Blue Car Rental from the airport (check in doors), and if you walk it would take you literally 5 minutes. I actually do this all the time because I'm too impatient waiting for the shuttle 😆

Blue Car also has NO HIDDEN FEES!!! It's wild how many car rentals in Iceland make you pay an additional deposit on top of everything once you arrive to pick up the car. And you're left there like wtf... and it's like a big deposit too, like sometimes $500 and then I had to go and do extra work to get it back in the end. Just... NO. What a hassle and a scam.

Could I say more good things about Blue? hehe they only have new cars in their fleet, so that means you won't be left driving around Iceland with some old beater car, that will barely make it up a mountain. And their customer service is GREAT! Always there for roadside assistance, I have literally hear horror stories from tourists who used other rental companies and had a nightmare time when they ran into a flat tire or other car issues in the middle of Iceland.

If you use this link, you will get a discount on your rental car, applied at checkout.

PROS to renting a car in Iceland

• Freedom to travel anywhere at any time, meaning you can get away from large tourist crowds or wait as along as you need for the massive tour buses to leave a waterfall. This means you can book any tour you want as well, you aren't subject to a tour someone else has chosen for you.

• You can get off the beaten path and explore hidden gems that a normal tour might not visit. This means you can stay where ever you want, and explore more of Iceland. There are hotels and guest houses all around Iceland, making it easy to travel in all parts of Iceland.

• Cost Efficient. If you are traveling with friends, it's easier to split the cost of a car and gas, which might end up saving you money in the end!

• Comfort. I love over packing and having all my things with me and being able to access them at all times. Having your own car allows you to keep everything accessible at all times on your Iceland road trip.

CONS to renting a car in Iceland

• Unpredictable road and weather conditions. You've heard it a million times, the weather in Iceland is unpredictable. For the most part, Iceland does a good job of keeping roads plowed (in the winter) and close them if conditions or wind makes it unsafe. You might sometimes be driving in unfavorable conditions like wind or rain but it's fairly normal in Iceland and nothing to stress out if you are prepared.

• Liability. You can never control weather or other drivers in Iceland and accidents CAN happen. Of course we don't wish that on anyone, but if it does, you will be liable. I recommend getting the ZERO worries Insurance from Blue Car Rental so you don't have any issues.

Also Read: Helpful Apps and Websites to Know Before Visiting Iceland

and things to know before visiting Iceland for the first time

BUS TOURS

If you want the peace of mind of having a qualified driver guide, and don't want to stress about timing or plans or worry about what tours to book, then a guided bus tour is for you!

I recommend Arctic Adventures Multi-Day Tours tours to make the most of your time in Iceland. You will get to see so many highlights, make travel friends, and learn about local culture from your guide. I recommend this over taking multiple day tours from Reykjavik as there is truly so much to see in Iceland and some of the best parts are much further away from the city.

The great thing about Arctic Adventures is that they provide small group tours on a "mini-bus" or sprinter van. That way you're not 1 or 60 people on a massive greyhound, fighting for a good spot at each attraction. Their tours are very intimate and truly give you the real Icelandic feel even though you're on a "bus tour."

You can save 10% on your bus tour with Arctic Adventures by using code KYANA10 at the checkout.

If you want a more private tour for just your family, I would recommend Icelandic Roamers or Ice Pic Journeys. These are of course more pricey, but always worth it in my opinion.

PROS to booking a bus tour:

• no planning needed, you don't have to spend hours researching the best places to go, hotels deals, or what glacier hiking tour is the best. Arctic Adventures has got it all sorted out for you. They have booked everything for you, all you need to do is sit back and enjoy the ride

• having a personal driver, what's better than that!

• great opportunity to make travel friends! Especially on the multi-day trips, you form a bond like other when you spend hours traveling a new country together

• Cost Effective, at first the price of a multi-day tour can be a jumpscare. But when you consider that you don't have to rent a car, pay for gas, or hotels, then it's a pretty affordable way to see so much of Iceland.

• Peace of mind, never having to worry about the weather, or stressing about driving in snow storms, your bus driver always has your back!

CONS to booking a bus tour

• less freedom, you are at the will of the tour guide and operators travel plans

• time and travel restraint, you don't have control of how long to get to stay and explore at places. If you see a little restaurant you want to try in the middle of nowhere, you're likely not able to stop at it as the guide and driver have a master plan for the whole group. You won't get to explore that random road that looked like it lead to somewhere cool

So should you book a rental car or a bus tour in Iceland? It's completely up to you and your needs as a traveler. But I hope I have given you all the information you need to make a good and informed decision.

If you still don't know, and want to chat more about it, I'm happy to jump on a video call with you to answer all your questions or even make a personalized itinerary for you to make sure you don't miss a thing while you're in Iceland!

Check out my Iceland Guide with 300+ Things to do in Iceland + Map