Taking a rental car on a ferry in Iceland

Our rules for ferries

Two clauses of our rental terms decide it. In plain words:

• Domestic ferries are allowed, at your own risk (clause 25): you don't need our consent to take the car on a ferry within Iceland.
• No cover option covers damage at sea (clause 36(j)): no waiver at any level, MAX included, covers damage while the car is on a ferry or otherwise carried by sea, including sea spray. You pay the full repair cost, up to the value of the car, plus the €150 damage administration fee (clauses 13 and 40(m)).
• The car stays in Iceland (clause 25): it may not leave the country without our prior written consent, and no waiver covers damage during travel abroad without it.

Iceland's domestic ferries at a glance

Vegagerðin, the Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration, subsidizes the operation of five domestic ferry routes after a tender. Its list of ferries shows which ones carry cars:

Herjólfur to the Westman Islands (Vestmannaeyjar)

Herjólfur carries passengers and cars between the mainland and Heimaey, the largest of the Westman Islands and the only one inhabited, several times a day all year. It normally sails from Landeyjahöfn on the south coast; when that harbor can't be used, it sails from Þorlákshöfn instead.

• The drive: Herjólfur says any ordinary car can reach Landeyjahöfn, no 4×4 needed. From Keflavík Airport, allow at least 1 h 55 min at 90 km/h before stops; see Driving times from KEF.
• Booking and check-in: Herjólfur recommends always booking ahead. Add the car to your ticket: cars are priced by length (under or over 5 m), and you state whether the vehicle is lower or higher than 2.10 m. On the 2026 price list, a car under 5 m costs ISK 4,050 and an adult ISK 2,700; children under 12 travel free. Be at check-in at least 30 minutes before departure; boarding closes 5 minutes before.
• Days in Þorlákshöfn: there are two sailings a day each way, and bookings on those sailings move automatically. Vegagerðin says fewer trips are made in winter because of weather and waves. Parking at Herjólfur's terminals is free, but its notice of November 2026 advises against leaving a vehicle at either harbor at this time of year: if you cross on foot and come back to Þorlákshöfn, a car left at Landeyjahöfn is 107 km away by road.

Baldur across Breiðafjörður to the Westfjords

The ferry Baldur, run by Ferjuleiðir, carries passengers, cargo and cars all year between Stykkishólmur on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula and Brjánslækur in the southern Westfjords, in about 2 h 10 min, which saves a long drive. It calls at Flatey on the way, but only for foot passengers and cargo: you can't drive off there.

• Getting there: Stykkishólmur is 215 km from Keflavík Airport and 172 km from Reykjavík, paved all the way; see Snæfellsnes by car.
• Booking: the ship takes about 46 vehicles, so add the car when you book, and note it if the car is wider than 2 m or longer than 5 m. On the 2026–27 price list, a car up to 5 m costs ISK 6,300 one way, driver not included, and an adult ISK 6,300.
• Check the schedule first: in autumn 2026, Baldur went into dry dock in Hafnarfjörður, expected to last until late November, and from 30 October only a passenger boat sailed to Flatey (sailing schedule). Without the ferry, the Westfjords are a long drive: Ísafjörður is 498 km from Keflavík Airport, paved all the way.

Hrísey and Grímsey in North Iceland

Two ferries leave from harbors near Akureyri, 431 km from Keflavík Airport (see North Iceland by car):

• Sævar to Hrísey sails from Árskógssandur all year; the crossing takes about 15 min. Vegagerðin lists it for passengers and freight, not cars, so plan to cross on foot, and ask the operator if you think you need a vehicle. Be at the harbor at least 15 minutes before departure (Sævar).
• Sæfari to Grímsey sails from Dalvík on set days all year; the crossing takes 3 to 3.5 hours. It does carry cars, but a car space can only be booked by phone or email, before noon on the last working day before departure, and the car must be at the harbor an hour before departure (Sæfari).

The ferry to the Faroe Islands and Denmark

A seasonal car ferry sails from Seyðisfjörður in East Iceland to Tórshavn in the Faroe Islands and Hirtshals in Denmark (Smyril Line). Our rental terms don't allow the car to leave Iceland without our prior written consent (clause 25), and no waiver covers damage during travel abroad without it, so this ferry is not part of a normal rental with us.

Before you board

• On the car deck: follow the crew. Herjólfur's terms ask drivers to switch off the engine, set the handbrake, leave the car in gear or in Park, lock it and switch off the alarm, then leave the car deck; you may not go back to the car during the crossing without the crew's permission.
• Check the car before and after: take photos before you drive on board. If you find new damage after the crossing, report it to the ferry company in writing before you leave the port (Herjólfur's terms require written notice of visible damage by then) and call us at once on +354 779 9499; see Accident & breakdown.
• Fuel and roads: fill up before you drive to the port, so a delay or a move to Þorlákshöfn doesn't leave you short (see Fuel & paying at the pump), and check the roads on umferdin.is.

Questions about rental cars on Iceland's ferries