Driving conditions in December

It's not a good idea.

There are indeed no guard rails on most of the Ring Road. You can check out
Google Street View and see for yourself. Just about any road outside of Reykjavik
is two lanes. The Ring Road is built a few feet up a bit from the surrounding area,
so if you drive off the road and the ground is soft, you might not be able to get
back on. If the winds are high and you're driving an SUV, that is risky.

As you may already know, gas stations are not that frequent, and an SUV will
suck gasoline. You will need to keep the tank full at all times (a chip&pin
credit card will come in handy).

Someone else may be able to comment about how fast the roads get cleared in
the case of snow.

If you have the time to wait out any bad weather, then it could work, but there are
lots of risks.

How many of you are there? Renting a large SUV seems like asking for trouble.

Having winter driving experience is great, but the big danger in Iceland is not ice and snow, it's the wind. It can get very windy in the winter.

This is a terrible idea. Four of our trips to Iceland have been in the winter and I would never attempt this, FWiW. As mentioned, the wind is a huge factor and couple that with snow, ice and no shoulder/no guard rails that could easily turn into a harrowing drive. There are great ways to explore the country in winter, but not this.

If you want more input from locals, post on the TripAdvisor Iceland forum. That is, if you still think you want to do this drive after the very wise input from the first three people on this forum.

We were there in a January. Took a ring road tour. Ice was 1-2” thick on roads. Walking from the bus was like an ice rink in parking lots. I would never drive under those conditions. The bus was slipping backwards down inclines. You did not even need the wind but that would not help at all. Ever fall on ice? There is your broken wrist, arm, elbow or head injury. You will go down so fast you cannot believe it.

I think everyone else has made this point but…bad idea. Some stretches of that road are suuupppeer isolated and if you got into trouble…well, you could be in real trouble. Additionally, I didn’t have cell service for all of that drive. Better to fly to Akureyri (allow cushion time returning to Reykjavik in terms of weather) and rent a vehicle there, even if it cost more.

The last time I visited in late November there was a storm coming in that day and the girl next to me on my flight into Reykjavik (college age) was planning on driving it…I did everything I could to convince her otherwise. I still wonder what happened to her.

Incidentally, we had a private day tour in Akureyri that trip and stopped like 3 times to see if tourists needed assistance who had skidded off the side of the road. At one point we had to call Icelandic rescue for one of them (everyone was safe, they were just super stuck and hadn’t contacted help yet)… and it was gonna be hours because half the troops were committed already to finding some guy who had gotten lost hunting for ptarmigan. So…If the weather is bad make sure you get studded tires and 4WD. Don’t mess around. It’s doable but you gotta be smart.

My comment is from someone who has lived in Fargo and Choteau, MT so I’m no stranger to winter driving. Just for context.

I certainly would agree with what all the folks above have already mentioned. They offer sound advice and I would listen to those words of caution. One other factor I would call to the OP’s attention - by early December the days will be very short. Limited daylight, and so much of the driving could be after sunset (or before sunrise). Especially as one travels north.

One additional thing to consider. They close the roads when conditions are dangerous. So if you're in Akureyri, for example, and there's a storm that causes the road to close and your flight home is the next day..... Well, just something to think about.

Hello all, just wanted to close the loop on this thread and let you all know we have reconsidered our plans to drive to Akureyri, and instead will fly. I will trust they know how to fly in (or reschedule if need be due to ) inclement weather. Thanks everyone for their sage advise. Cheers, Rich

Great news! I appreciate that you took the comments as they were intended, to be helpful and not mean:). Enjoy your trip!