If you're renting a car for a road trip, you'll encounter two types of situations:

• In cities (Reykjavik, Akureyri): paid parking with colour-coded zones and meters.
• At natural and tourist sites: most major sites now charge 1 000 ISK (1 000 €) per car per day.

Outside these zones — along Ring Road 1 or on mountain tracks (F-roads) — you can generally park freely, as long as you don't block the road or park on fragile vegetation.

If you haven't rented a car yet, check out our guide to car rental in Iceland to avoid the common pitfalls.

Reykjavik divides its city centre into 4 parking zones, identified by colour. The closer you get to the centre, the more expensive it is — and the harder it is to find a space.

All zones are free on Sundays and public holidays. Hours vary by zone.

To avoid the most expensive zones, park in the P4 orange zone on the outskirts and walk or take the bus into the centre. Covered car parks are also available in the city centre (Hlemmur, Kolaportið) — often cheaper than P1 for stays over 2 hours.

Tip: some Bónus supermarkets have car parks you can use even without shopping.

In Iceland, you have several options for paying for parking. The mobile app is by far the most convenient — and the cheapest, since you only pay for the exact time you use.

The city of Reykjavik officially accepts four apps: EasyPark, Parka, SíminnPay and Verna. In practice, you only need two:

EasyPark — the most widely used app for city parking. Register your plate, start the session and stop it when you leave — you only pay for the actual time. Works in all P1 to P4 zones in Reykjavik, as well as Akureyri, Selfoss and across 20+ countries in Europe.

Parka — the tourist site app. Virtually every major paid natural site uses it (Geysir, Skógafoss, Jökulsárlón, Kirkjufell...). It also works for city parking. One app for your entire road trip.

Some sites (including Seljalandsfoss and Þingvellir) use checkit.is: scan a QR code on the sign and pay by card directly from your browser — no app needed.

Good news: you have until midnight the same evening to pay. If you have no signal on site, you can pay later from your accommodation or campsite.

Landmannalaugar requires mandatory booking in high season (20 June – 14 September, between 9am and 4pm). Book your spot at parka.is before you go.

Parking meters accept bank cards (contactless or chip) in almost all zones. Coins are still accepted on some older machines — but be aware that not all give change.

To download the apps as soon as you land, an eSIM like Yesim gives you network access in seconds without changing your SIM card.

For everything about money and payments in Iceland, check out our guide to money in Iceland.

As of May 2026, over 45 sites across Iceland now charge for parking. That number has almost doubled in three years. The goal is twofold: fund trail maintenance and manage visitor numbers. Fees are generally charged per car per day, regardless of how many passengers.

For Golden Circle sites like Þingvellir and Geysir, check out our Golden Circle guide to plan your day. And for Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon, find all the details in our complete guide.

Keflavik International Airport (KEF) — now officially called Keflavik Airport — has 3 parking zones with very different rates. For short stays, P1 and P2 are close to the terminal but expensive. For trips longer than 3 days, P3 with its shuttle is significantly cheaper.

An alternative to parking: opt for a private transfer or the FlyBus shuttle from Reykjavik. This avoids parking costs for longer trips. To plan your arrival, check out our guide on transport from Keflavik.

• Solid yellow line on the roadside = no parking
• Crossed P sign = absolute no-parking zone
• Blue lines in the city centre = time-limited, payment required during zone hours
• Orange bollards = resident-only zones — prohibited for visitors
• F-road areas = no specific markings; only park on rocky or gravel surfaces, never on vegetation

Iceland has just one toll: the Vaðlaheiðargöng tunnel, near Akureyri in the north. It costs 2 110 ISK (2 110 €) per passage for a standard car.

There's no barrier — the system uses automatic number plate recognition. You must pay at veggjald.is within 24 hours of passing through. If you're renting a car, your rental company may settle the toll on your behalf — and charge additional admin fees.

Since 1 January 2026, all vehicles driving in Iceland pay a kilometre tax of 6,95 ISK (6,95 €)/km (~5 cents/km). It replaces the old fuel taxes.

• Applies to all vehicles: petrol, diesel, electric
• For a road trip of 200-300 km/day → around €10 to €15 extra per day
• If you rent a car, this tax is charged by the rental company on the final bill
• The odometer is read when you return the vehicle

Factor this into your budget: for a 10-day road trip covering 2,000 km, expect around 13 900 ISK (13 900 €) in additional kilometre tax.

Since 2015, wild camping has been banned in Iceland, including overnight van parking at tourist site car parks. This rule is increasingly strictly enforced in protected national park areas.

For everything about petrol stations, fuel and Icelandic roads, check out our guide to petrol stations in Iceland.

If you're travelling by campervan or converted van, the parking rules are the same as for a regular car — with additional important restrictions for overnight stays.

Since 2015, wild camping is banned in Iceland. This rule also applies to overnight van parking at tourist site car parks. Legal options:

• Official campsites: the simplest solution. Many accept campervans and offer electric hook-ups.
• Private land: with written permission from the landowner.
• Municipal motorhome areas: some towns have created dedicated zones. Ask at local tourist offices.

To find all official campsites and plan your itinerary, check out our Iceland camping guide.