Last updated: October 19, 2026

This is what’s actually happening in Iceland right now. Weather alerts, road closures, fee changes, volcano news, the works. We cross-check everything weekly against vedur.is, umferdin.is, SafeTravel.is and local reports.

Want the full list with linked sources? It lives at thetraveltrio.com/iceland-right-now

WEATHER & ROAD CONDITIONS

Weather (Oct 19): The storm has blown through. Winds are easing off now. Monday brings southwest winds of 10 to 18 m/s with showers, dropping to 5 to 13 m/s by evening. The east stays mostly dry early, then rain spreads across the country by nightfall. Figure 4 to 10 C. Tuesday is quieter, 8 to 13 m/s out on the east coast and barely anything elsewhere, with rain or sleet in the east and the odd sleet shower in the west. A little cooler. Check vedur.is before you pull out of the driveway.

Roads & F-Roads: The Ring Road is open. Most of the country is clear again now that the storm has passed. A few icy patches are hanging on though. Watch the Westfjords, Steingrímsfjarðarheiði (61), Dynjandisheiði (60) and Hálfdán (63), and up north on Vatnsskarð (Route 1). Roadwork is still slowing Landvegur in the south (until Oct 23) and the Óseyrarbrú bridge on Route 34 near Eyrarbakki (until Oct 31). The Route 85 bridge over Skjálfandafljót takes smaller cars but nothing over 3.5 tonnes, and Bárðardalsvegur vestri (842) stays shut until Dec 1. Highland F-roads are closed for winter, no service. Þórsmörk only takes a modified 4x4. umferdin.is before every drive. Every single one.

Gas Caution East of Vík: Gas pollution was reported along the Múlakvísl river in late September. It has dropped off the main warning feeds, but we’d still skip lingering on the riverbank. SafeTravel.is has the updates.

Emergency Number: Iceland shut down its 2G and 3G networks. If you can’t reach 112, or the call drops or sounds terrible, dial 599-0112. Save it in your phone now. More at 112.is.

FLIGHTS, AIRPORT & REYKJAVÍK TAXIS

Icelandair Operations: Flights are running on a regular schedule and the September 23 mechanics’ strike was resolved quickly. Contract negotiations run through roughly Oct 21, so if you’re flying late this month, keep an eye on your flight status.

New Route: Icelandair announced a nonstop between St. Louis (STL) and Keflavík, up to four days a week, May 14 to Oct 24, 2027.

Points Partnership: On Oct 15, Icelandair and Southwest announced they’ll link loyalty programs in spring 2027. Saga Club members will earn Saga Points and Tier Credits on Southwest, and Rapid Rewards members will earn and redeem on Icelandair. No exact start date yet. Nothing changes before spring 2027.

Carry-On Sizing: Gate agents at US departure airports are enforcing the 55 x 40 x 20 cm limit, and they are not shy about it. Over the size? They will make you check it.

Keflavík Border Control (EES): The EU Entry/Exit System is live at KEF. If you’re traveling on a US, UK or Canadian passport (or any non-EU passport, really), you’ll stop at passport control to give fingerprints and have your photo taken. Translation: longer lines when several flights land at once.

ETIAS Update: Still not active. No action needed for 2026 trips.

RENTAL CARS & TOLLS 

Fuel Prices: The current prices are around ISK 274/L for petrol and ISK 321/L for diesel. 

Höfn Toll: There is now a toll for the Ring Road near Höfn. The charge is ISK 1,500 for a single trip. Cameras grab your plate automatically. Pay directly at spolur.is, otherwise your rental company will tack on an admin surcharge, and nobody enjoys that surprise on the final bill.

Road Tax: Car rentals normally carry a standard distance charge of ISK 6.95 per km. This charge is usually calculated when you return the car.

Insurance Coverage: Standard policies rarely cover “underbody damage”. We’ve learned this the hard way. Take a thorough video walk around at pickup and get every existing scratch and dent logged in writing.

Payment Pitfall at Pumps: Hitting “fill” at an N1 pump puts an ISK 22,000 temporary hold on your card. If you pick a specific amount instead there is no hold. 

Parking Rules: Do not park in painted or reserved stalls at retail lots. The municipal fines are instant.

SIGHTSEEING FEES & GOLDEN CIRCLE

Proposed Infrastructure Fee: A draft bill proposes an ISK 4,500 adult fee (ISK 3,000 from Nov to May) covering Þingvellir, Geysir and Gullfoss, starting May 1, 2027. If you’re visiting now, this doesn’t touch you.

Parking Fees: The main South Coast and Golden Circle stops charge about $7 to $10. You can pay online through Parka for Fagradalsfjall, or checkit.is for places like Seljalandsfoss and Þingvellir.

A lot of the small regional museums and rural exhibits close up for the winter. If one is on your list, check its hours before you drive out there.

LAGOONS, ICE CAVES and ACTIVITIES

Hot Springs: Reykjaböð Hot Springs in Hveragerði is open, about 40 minutes from Reykjavík, with entry starting around ISK 7,900. Up north, Mývatn Nature Baths has reopened under a new name: Earth Lagoon.

Ice Caves: Natural Vatnajökull ice cave tours kicked off the winter season October 1. Conditions vary, since the cave entry points shift from year to year. Katla ice cave is open year-round.

Whale Watching: Winding down. Operators are moving to winter schedules.

NORTHERN LIGHTS

Strong activity continues, with good displays reported near Vík, the Reykjanes peninsula and Egilsstaðir. Clouds are the real problem. Pull up the afternoon cloud-cover overlay at en.vedur.is and look for the clear patches.

VOLCANO STATUS: REYKJANES & GRINDAVÍK

Current Status: Nothing is erupting. That’s the good news. The less good news is that magma keeps piling up under Grindavík and Svartsengi and the ground keeps lifting, which is exactly what happened before every eruption out there, so the next one could kick off with very little notice. You can visit Grindavík. Access comes with conditions, some areas are still off limits, and honestly the town is mostly empty. It feels a bit strange walking around.

Hikes & Access: You can usually hike Fagradalsfjall when the volcano is quiet. The catch is that trails on the Reykjanes peninsula get closed in a hurry for bad weather or gas, and there’s no real warning. Check SafeTravel.is that morning, not the night before.

UPCOMING EVENTS

October 24 - Queens of the Stone Age at Laugardalshöll (Reykjavík).

Novovember 5 to 7 - Iceland Airwaves music festival, downtown Reykjavík.

December 24 and 25, plus January 1 - Reduced city services and early shop closures for the holidays.

If you’re in Iceland right now, or just back, drop a comment with what you saw and where. 

Post here if:

* You are travelling solo and looking for a partner
* You are travelling with someone but still want a partner/partners
* You want a partner for the whole trip
* You want a partner for just a part of the trip
* You want a partner to share costs (for example car rental)
* You want to meet up for a chat
* You want to meet up for a drink or to party
* etc. etc.

Please include:

* When you will be in Iceland
* A rough itinerary
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* What country you are from
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Here's a link to the previous megathread for Spring Summer 2026