Before we went to Iceland, I found myself going down the rabbit hole of gas station information and how to get gas. From how to pay, which handle to use, gas cards, unmanned stations, how many gas stations are even available…I started to make myself really stressed out since we were doing a road trip there! So today, I hope I will remove some of the stress for you if you’re planning to hire a car and drive yourself around Iceland.
First, we never had an issue finding a gas station. We drove around the Ring Road, Golden Circle, and Snaefellsnes Peninsula, and we saw plenty of N1, Orkan, and Olis stations. Some stations are staffed inside, and some are simply pumps with no indoor facilities. While I would recommend getting gas frequently (we never let it get below half a tank), I would not get too nervous about being unable to find a place to fill up.
Second, if you’re from the United States, you may be used to diesel handles being green and the gasoline handles being black. In Iceland, that color code is reversed, so you’ll need the green handle for regular gas, and black is for diesel. The good news is your rental car will likely have plenty of stickers and notes explaining that for you! I didn’t take photos of the gas stations, but if you watch our videos like this one, you can see for yourself what the gas pumps are like!
Now let’s talk about how to pay. With your rental car, you might get a discount fob. We got one for Olis with our Blue car rental. When you go to the pump, you’ll have options to put a certain amount in, or fill up. If you choose to fill up, the station may put a several hundred dollar hold on your card for several days, so I advise you not to choose that option unless you have a budget with money to spare for up to a week or so. In our experience, though, any extra funds were returned by the next day. We did need a PIN for our cards at the pump, but both debit and credit worked fine for us. In addition, you can purchase pre-paid cards for specific gas stations, but we never used that option. Talk to an attendant if you need more information about the pre-paid gas cards.
Now that you’ve gotten some fuel for your car, you should visit the inside of the gas stations with staff! From hot dogs to baked goods, fun candy and snacks to warm drinks, the gas stations in Iceland had more options than I was used to back home. More than once, we enjoyed a sit down lunch inside the gas stations. Each one had a different take on the pylsur, and some had locally made baked goods, soaps, knitted goods and more. If you’re craving a little bit of local flavor, the gas stations are a pretty fun and inexpensive way to find that experience.
Getting gas was not nearly as complicated as some of the online discussions made it sound. Have a card with a PIN, don’t choose the fill up option unless you’re prepared to have your funds on hold, and use the correct colored handle! If you have questions, just ask. In fact, we ended up talking to a local Icelander who was a truck driver, and he gave us all the ins and outs right at the pump. It was a helpful experience for us, and he was excited to practice his English as well! If you still have questions, please comment or send me an email! Happy traveling everyone.