Reviews for the Best Car Rentals in Iceland

The SUV with the tent on top was great. The kitchen boxes that are for rent could use some better pans (we bought some and left them in the box for the next person) but over all the things we rented worked out great. The company needs ALOT of help with the pick up, check out and in process though. I also had a question about adding something else on and I emailed 8 times and never got a response, I found the item elsewhere but the communication was not awesome. We waited over 45 minutes at the airport, finally the shuttle comes and you go to the location. There was 2 people working and they did not acknowledge that the other 6 parties had gotten there. There is no line or instruction and when you ask, they say they will get to you. After we get the car, the trip was great, everything worked and we had no problems. We got back to drop off the car and the office is full again, we ask if there is anything we need to do for check out and are told, again, they will get to us. we waited over a half an hour to turn the car in. Overall I suppose none of that is that big of a deal but it was frustrating and the company could make a line or acknowledge people as they come in so that people know what to do or expect. Also, while we were waiting to drop off the car, the phone rang 3 times and the employee told the person that was at the airport that the shuttle comes every 25 minutes the driver was at the location the entire time we were there, never left to go and pick people up. You can tell it is a newer company and they will likely figure these things out.

It was an extremely frustrating experience from start to end. We were to be picked up from the airport. After waiting for more than an hour, they show up and will only take two of us to the rental office while my 3 kids had to wait for the next pickups. Once in office, we had to wait 2 more hours only to be told that they don't have our motorhome and the dealer they were getting it from didn't get it as they had planned. So we were told to wait more until someone else returns their motorhome. After an hour more, they finally get the motorhome. It was a beaten up version of what was expected. The seats had big spots from previous spills so much so that no one would sit on that. We were given sheets to cover them. We were to check the motorhome to see if everything is working but we couldn't check anything. Water was not running in the taps since it needed the battery to be charged which will happen at night when we plug it in the electrical outlet of a campsite. The stoves were not working since they were on gas and viola, they do not provide you with any gas cylinders. We were told to buy our own gas cylinder from an N1 station, something that cost us $100. The freezer was either on gas or electricity/battery but since there was no electricity, the battery was discharged and no gas, it wasn't working. Now for the body condition, the windshield glass had huge cracks going in from both ends and the rest of the windows also had the glass cracked. It was a hazard condition to rent but since it was 1pm at that time, six hours since we landed and we had no other option and no where to go, we had to take the rental. The stove remained in a bad working condition throughout the rental. Sometimes one of the burners would light up after trying for a long time but the three burners never worked at the same time. It was the nastiest experience after paying top price for the rental.

We very much enjoyed our experience with North bound and Star. Communication was great, service was friendly, and the camper was perfect for an economical tour of the Island. I have rented cars in Iceland many times, and this was one of my best experiences. I will use them again.

The customer service at Lava Car Rental was very kind. They even drove us to a local bakery while we waited for the car. The van itself was nothing special. It didn't feel very clean or well built. It was reliable and got us all the way around the island, but it wasn't the most comfortable ever.

Negatives:
- We were initially not informed that MyCar Reykjavik office is not open on Weekends
- WiFi didn't work.
- Coming from the US, none of our credit cards has pins. MyCar didn't know that we need to buy prepaid cards at pumps. We were informed of this at a pump, but only after we run into problems for not having credit cards with pins.
Positives:
- The car served us well.
- On one occasion we run into a problem with starting the car. MyCar immediately answered our call, and helped.

The initial pickup at the airport wasn't fully easy, and I needed to call, which wasn't explained in the email. The rest of the process was quick and easy. The vehicle was clean and in good condition. No issues at all. Thank you!

We loved our little Jimny from A Car Rental- a great family-owned company. They had great prices, were communicative, flexible, friendly, and professional. We will be renting from them again next time we visit Iceland!

Would not recommend this company for your travels! The cars were not reliable! The clutch went out after about 4 hours and they tried to say it was a new clutch and we burned it out! Thank goodness my son-n-law knows a lot about cars and we did not pay for that. We also had trouble with another car so we spent a lot of down time waiting for the cars to be fixed! There has to be a better company to rent from then this one!

Our Mitsubishi Outlander (similar to the Rav4) was an excellent vehicle for our journey across Iceland, including F35. The personalized pickup and drop-off service was outstanding. On our last day, we had an issue with the driver's side window, but "A Car Rental" did not make an issue of this like large car rental companies might. Will definitely use them for our next trip.

Had a great experience with Northbound and Star Car Rental. Had no problems with the van and everything went very smoothly being picked up from and brought to the airport. Would definitely recommend paying a little extra for Wifi - helped us out a lot.

The trip was perfect. They picked me up at the airport and drove me to their facility. They walked me through all the features of the camper and answered all my questions. The service from Star Car Rental was exceptional! Everything was as advertised. The car got great gas mileage, which was a huge money saver. I highly recommend this company for any camping adventure in Iceland!!!! 5 star performance!
Thank you so much,
Bernie Duhamel(Colorado, USA)

The Toyota was very good but the collection experience from Lava cars was not. The car was not ready when we arrived and they didn’t have an alternative so we had to take it without being cleaned and with a sensor problem. We were delayed for an hour or so before we could take it and they were pretty inefficient.however, luckily the car worked Ok but we felt we should have been given a discount as it was very expensive. We won’t be using your company again. I shall go direct to the supplier so that I know who I am dealing with.

The car itself was ok, but we didnt like the standard inside the car. The bed was very narrow for two adults and it was made in a very simple way, that had not been repaired, so it was almost broken when we got the car. The table was also broken and the kitchen plates and knifes was dirty and very simple. I would suggest that Lava Car rental did more, to make the standard a bit better. It could easely be done, and make the experience much better. When we arrived at the office the young man who served us, made a mistake so we payed much more, than we should have done. As the islandic money wasnt normal to us, we didnt realise the mistake until 5 days later. When we came back we told it to another man from the staff, and he agreed that it was a mistake. We had payd the duble amount than we should have done. We wonder why the company had not been aware of the mistake themselves. I expect to have the money back during next week. Im sorry to say that I would not choose to rent a car at Lava car rental next time!

1st given a car with 190,000 miles on it. It died on the 1st day in the middle of nowhere. They did tow us another car but we had to sit by the road side for 5 hours losing a day of touring. That car (120,000 miles) lasted two days. They did drive another car to us. 3rd car was decent and lasted the rest of the trip.

The Car was as described and MyCar was very easy to deal with. Good customer support, efficient pickup and drop off and timely shuttles to and from the airport. I'd rent fro MyCar again.

I should say first that all the people we encountered at Nordic Car Rental were very nice and patient. However, it took way too long (several hours) from landing at the airport to finally driving off with our camper van. They appeared to be overwhelmed with the number of people arriving to get rentals, causing long waits to get picked up at the airport (my family and I had to separate and go in two separate trips), and waiting again at the rental counter. Waiting aside, the real problem was with the van itself. Even though we were 'upgraded' to a somewhat newer model, the van had a lot of problems. 1) The main door could not be closed completely. As a result, we had to put up with incessant beeping warnings telling us the door was open. When it would rain hard, water would also leak in through the cracks around the door, and also through a hole in the roof, getting parts of our sleeping area wet. 2) The passenger door also developed problems to the point where we stopped using it for fear it would break off, and instead, had everyone load in from the driver side. 3) The tires were all low on pressure, but one tire was dangerously low. After putting air in the tires we were thankful that the pressure seemed to hold. This is an obvious thing that should be checked before renting out any car! 4) One of the wiper blades appeared to be bent and was only making contact with half of its length. Luckily, I was able to reinstall it, and managed to get it to stay in place for the remainder of our trip. Again, something that obviously should have been checked before renting out a car in Iceland! Its true I probably should have called and tried to get a replacement, but as we were already several hours away before the problems started presenting themselves, we were reluctant to turn back. Driving such a vehicle in Iceland made me nervous (what if the door flung open with my kids in the back!), and added to the stress of the trip. I feel fortunate the engine, battery, and brakes didn't have any such problems. While we saved money by picking an older model vehicle, I did not expect basic functionality and safety to be compromised.

Not the car we ordered (Jeep with less space than Subaru)
Good help from Fara and the police-officers when of Vestmannayaer when we left our keys inside the locked car (how is that possible in 2021???)

The Duster was ideal for our purpose & coped with Iceland’s varied terrain very well.

We loved “Dusty”, the Dacia Duster! It was our friend and companion fir three weeks. Star Car Rental was responsive and friendly from beginning to end. They were wonderful to work with from the airport pickup to the hotel delivery after we turned in Dusty.

Had no issues whatsoever. Transport to/from the airport was seamless, the car was as described (though did have malfunction in the air conditioning), no issues with price or returning the car. Overall a positive experience.

When in Iceland having a proper mean of
transportation is a must. Since we wanted to really explore the island and extent our experience beyond the basic routine covered by majority of travel guides, we decided to take a 4x4 with roof tent option. It was an excellent choice. We had no issues with the car which was perfectly prepared for us by the good people from Icerental 4x4

Simple, but functional and fully equipped car with all necessary items for cooking and sleeping (good mattress and car heater included). Enough room for keeping stuff. Comfortable driving. During our 11-day trip we didn’t have any trouble at all, everything was just perfect.

The staff was nice and easy-going, we were picked up from airport and then driven back to airport.

Highly recommend this company: reasonable prices and great service!

Icerental 4x4 and Northbound were perfect for our 14-day car rental. Icerental 4x4 was quick to pick us up from the airport, as well as to respond to our pre-trip questions. The Suzuki Grand Vitara was great and got us through lots of adventures around Iceland, including into the Highlands. Great vehicle and service all around, very happy.

Car was excellent. I was comfortable sleeping in it and loved that it provided basic cooking items. The gas stove was easy to use as well.

My car rental experience with My Car was very good. It was very easy to rent and employees were very helpful even though I had to make changes to my reservation several times.
I got a 2021 Toyota Corolla Hybrid and it’s a great car to have In Iceland, very fuel efficient.

Not only was the process of booking and checking in easy and seamless, we also experienced a car breakdown in the middle of our trip for which they were able to literally bring us a replacement car within several hours. No hiccups, no hours of fighting on the phone - just righteous service for which they even had the problem diagnosed within one day! They were responsive to my queries leading up to my vacation, and I would certainly recommend their services!

I would highly recommend this rental company! Booking was easy and the car was affordable.

I rented a 2021 Toyota Yaris Hybrid, and the car was quite new and very clean. The company picked me up from the airport with no issues, and within 20 minutes I was on the road. There were absolutely no problems with the vehicle during the 10 days I had it.

Overall one of the best experiences I’ve had renting a car.

Great rental experience. We had some questions about extra equipment offered already before arriving in Iceland, and the call was very helpful in deciding what to pack with us. We were able to basically get everything extra with our car that we required for camping including the table, chairs and cooking equipment. The car was great - just what we needed for the ultimate Icelandic camping experience. The car tent was also great and super convenient to set up. The staff showed us everything - how to set it up and all. They also explained everything regarding toll routes and parking and forbidden routes. We decided to get extra insurance on the spot and I cannot stress enough that it's a good idea to get it. We had a scratch on the car from a little accident on the camping ground, and the staff were very understanding and explained everything regarding what insurance covers etc. Overall, super service and a great car and would definitely rent from this place again.

One look at that depressing waiting room after an international flight was enough to make us consider walking out, but for the lack of cars elsewhere. So we waited, and waited, and waited for over two hours. Rejected the first car: it was filthy inside with over 165,000 km. Second car offered was clean, but equally worn.
Electric warning light came on after first day, but didn't affect the drive. The car worked fine, as promised. Drop off was threatening to be another hour+, but a VERY sweet man hurried it along. In the end, all worked out, but we'll spend a little more and go with BLUE next time.

The car was great, no problems at all. And the customer service was kind and friendly. However we had to wait almost 90 minutes to pick up our car when we arrived, because they did not have a car available for us. And when we returned the car, it was not at all as long, maybe 30 minutes between the cue and then waiting for the shuttle to the airport. Perhaps they are understaffed.

The Northbound representative originally misunderstood my order and cancelled my car. When they booked it again, it was double the price. When I informed them, they ordered the car again and also gave me the original price. That is great customer service. We picked up the car, but it was not available so they upgraded our car. The experience at GO Car went well too! The person who checked us in was nice. I returned the car and everything was great!

The initial pick up was a mess. No one was there to shuttle us upon arrival despite clearly communicating our time of arrival. I had to turn on my cell roaming to call the shuttle driver, and he took his sweet time getting there. When he did get to the airport, about 5 other groups needed transport so he only took the drivers to the rental place. I had to go back to the airport to pick up my companion. The car itself, however, was in decent shape, and we completed the ring road without any problems.

Super convenient and loved that they had a car available at 6:30 AM when we arrived.

the “Duster” have plenty of room

Amazingly efficient and good experience.

Great experience working with MyCar. No issues with the car and was picked up and dropped off to the airport right away.

All good. The car could be in better shape:) but it worked well. All other experience is realy good!

The car was fine, perfect for our needs, however, a backup camera would be very nice.
As you're a new company and looking for suggestions:
Promote the mobile hotspot - it's great
Explain to people about using theparking app - it will probably save a lot of confusion, irritation and parking fines
I would suggest adding a small kiosk at the airport or providing a phone app so people can notify you when they are ready to be picked up.
Your website should clarify that the Reykjanesbær Office is only minutes from the airport, provide address, phone number and hours on the website

I think that's all I can think of - were it my company I would do these things - it's all about making things clear, easy and pleasant.

Thank you

I was a little disappointed because I got a Renault Clio instead of the VW Polo I had booked, but when I got used to it, it was OK.

As I later found out the prices are actually cheaper if you find other companies. I am currently 21 which really limits where I can rent a car from so I really had limited options but if this company is one of the top choices you are looking in the right place. Aside from that the service was good. I feel bad as I forgot his name but the first person I had picked up the car from was a nice gentleman that always had a smile on his face. He was definitely rushed as he was the only one working but was always really nice.

All was good for our trip for a part of 4 on the Ring Road. Easy pick up in Reykjavik after two days in the capital and return a week later at KEV airport, saving cost of taxi to airport.
JP - July 2021

It was great exactly what we needed.

General experience was pretty good! We didn't get picked up from the airport until about 2 hours after we had asked to be. The GPS system didn't work very well at all so I did end up using my phone. Seems like you should give the wifi hotspot for free instead of the GPS.

Excellent experience. Blue Car Rental had the best prices, and there were no surprises. The shuttle pickup at KEF airport was prompt, the staff was friendly and helpful, the wi-fi device worked perfectly for navigating, and things couldn't have gone more smoothly.

Hello Northbound team
Taking it short:
- customer support: 5 (excellent), although we didn't have to overuse it
- car: 5 (excellent), no problems, no surprises, trustworthy Suzuki Jimny
- pick up, drop off: 5 (excellent), on time

Thank you and regards
Adam

The car was well cleaned and quite new (2 y.o.) very easy to drive and there is a good amount od space to fit everything you want in there.

The car was great and the customer support from Northbound was excellent. They went the extra mile to make sure everything was great. Amazing customer service.

The car and rental process was great. Unfortunately it did leave a bad taste in the end. I returned the car 1 full day early and did not receive a refund for that day.

Evan

Great experience with renting the car! Super easy pickup and drop off. We had to change our dates and the reply from northbound was super quick and with no charge.

I was very satisfied with your outfit. The personnel were very knowledgeable and pleasant to deal with. The car however was not exactly what I expected. It looked worn and beat, and frankly I didn’t think it would make it around The Ring Road. But, it did, and so I was satisfied. Unfortunately I had an attack of kidney stones that forced me to cut my visit short and return home ten days early. That resulted of course in returning my rental to you early and the loss of ten days of use of the vehicle. Quite an expense for me. Up to the time of my kidney stone attack I had a great time accompanied by great weather.
Thanks Rick