Off-road Driving
Most visitors to the Vatnajökull National Park arrive by private or rental car or by coach.
All drivers must ensure that their vehicles are appropriate for the routes they will be following. Many rough roads or poor tracks are unsuitable or impassable for ordinary passenger cars. Drivers must also remember at all times that off-road driving is strictly prohibited (except when there is sufficient snow cover, and then only in altered cars, ATVs or snowmobiles).
Off-road driving can cause considerable damage to the countryside, as well as to vehicles, and it invalidates insurance policies. Cars frequently become bogged down in marshy areas, and extricating them can cause severe environmental damage.
Off-road accidents in the highlands can incur considerable financial costs.
Please remember that many of the most spectacular parts of the Vatnajökull National Park are best seen on foot.
A map showing the current condition of highland roads can be accessed on the website of the Icelandic Road Administration (www.vegagerd.is).
Websites with information on off-road driving:
Landvernd (The Icelandic Environment Association)
Ferdamálarád (The Icelandic Tourist Board)
The website of the Icelandic police.