Iceland is unlike any other country in the world. While that uniqueness is part of its magic, it also means visitors need to do a little extra research before making the journey. Iceland’s road signs, for example, deserve special attention given how quickly the roads and weather can change. You’ll find road signs here that you won’t find anywhere else, like those for blind rises, F-road markers, and even sheep crossings!
If you plan on exploring Iceland in one of our camper vans, we recommend getting familiar with these signs ahead of time so you can enjoy the journey safely. Below, we’ll provide a breakdown of Iceland’s unique road signs, including what they look like, what they mean, and where you’ll find them.
The Road Sign System in Iceland Explained
Like most systems in Nordic countries, the Iceland street signs system is highly organized, so you should get the hang of it quickly. Signs are broken down into these categories:
- Warning
- Prohibitory
- Mandatory
- Information and direction
- Services/amenities
Each sign category has its specific color code and shape. After a while, you’ll be able to identify them at a glance, even when fog or snow makes them harder to see. Further, most of the road signs in Iceland follow European conventions, so if you’ve traveled to other countries in the EU, you’ll already be familiar with many of the symbols.
Warning Signs You’ll See Most Often in Iceland
Once again, road conditions can change rapidly in Iceland, making warning signs essential to keeping drivers safe. Warning signs are triangular, with a red border and a yellow interior. In their center, you’ll see a black icon, indicating the specific hazard to look out for. Some examples of indicated hazards include:
- An upcoming tunnel
- Narrowing road
- Slippery surfaces
- Sheep crossing
- Loose gravel
- Steep descent
Some Icelandic roads cut through rural and remote areas, creating the need for even more unique signs, including:
- River crossings
- Geothermal features
- Wild reindeer
A good rule of thumb is to slow down and drive cautiously when you see a warning sign of any sort.
Driving on Gravel Roads: What the Signs Mean
One of the most common hazards drivers face in Iceland is the sudden change from smooth, paved roads to gravel roads. Failing to slow down on these roads can lead to skidding, fishtailing, or debris flying up and scratching your vehicle.
The loose gravel sign actually consists of two stacked Iceland traffic signs. The top sign is a warning sign, with a black exclamation point in the center. Beneath that, you’ll see a second sign with the image of a vehicle leaving a paved road and the words “Malbik Endar,” which loosely translates to “Paved road ends.”
It’s especially important to drive slowly when approaching curves, going over blind hills, or passing vehicles in gravel, because you can easily lose traction.
One-Lane Bridges and Priority Signs
Driving in Iceland, you’re bound to run into situations on the road when you won’t know who has the right of way, including one-lane bridges and roundabouts. If a one-way bridge or tunnel is coming up, you’ll typically see two posted signs. One is a round sign with the same coloring of a warning sign. In its center are two parallel arrows pointing in opposite directions. The black arrow indicates which lane has the right of way, and the red arrow indicates the lane that must wait for its turn.
Beneath the right-of-way sign, you might see a narrowing bridge sign. This will look like a vehicle driving through two lane markers that are narrow in the center with the words “Einbreið bru,” which means “single-lane bridge.”
Tourists should be familiar with these, some of the more confusing traffic signs in Iceland, before beginning their journey.
Iceland’s F-Road Signs and Mountain Route Warnings
To access certain sites, you’ll need to travel across rugged terrain, through river crossings, up steep inclines, and across mud and sand.
These roads will be marked with the F-road sign, indicating the need for an off-road-ready vehicle. If you see F-road signs along your desired route, then reserving a 4×4 camper rental in Iceland is crucial.
The F-road signs are harder to spot than other street signs in Iceland. Instead of a stand-alone F-Road sign, you’ll simply see the letter F in front of the road number on a regular road sign. For instance, Road 735 becomes F735 once it transitions into an F-road, alerting drivers that conditions ahead require a 4×4.
Prohibitory and Regulatory Signs Travelers Should Know
Prohibitory and regulatory signs exist to clearly tell you what you can’t do and what you must do in certain situations. These signs might indicate mandatory regulations such as:
- No stopping zones
- Speed limits
- No entry zones
- No u-turns
- Weight limits
Prohibitory signs are circular, white with a red border, sometimes a red slash, indicating what is not allowed.
Regulatory signs are circular with a blue background and the indicated action in white. For example, two white figures — an adult and a child — indicate that you must yield for pedestrians. Three arrows, oriented in a circle, indicate an upcoming roundabout.
Directional & Information Signs for Navigating Iceland’s Roads
If you plan on covering a lot of ground each day, we rely on directional and informational signs to help guide you along the right route. These signs help you follow the right route, spot upcoming towns, and plan your service stops. Of course, these are all especially useful when you’re exploring the country in one of our Iceland campers.
Green signs give high-level route guidance on Iceland’s main highways. You’ll see them when approaching key junctions or when major destinations like Reykjavík, Akureyri, or regional turnoffs are coming up. Out of the many Iceland driving signs you’ll see on the road, the green signs are the only ones meant to help you stay on course during long days of driving.
Yellow square signs point to local destinations such as towns, villages, viewpoints, and cultural landmarks. They’re especially common on secondary roads and around rural communities.
Blue square signs display services and amenities, with icons alerting you to fuel stations, food, restrooms, campsites, hotels, emergency services, and more. There’s even a charming pretzel icon that marks bakeries (a fan favorite among road-trippers).
When you’re traveling in one of our camper vans, we encourage you to use these directional and service signs to plan your stops and map out each day’s route.
Special Signs for Weather, Closures, and Natural Conditions
Since the weather in Iceland can change in an instant, Iceland’s system of road signs needs to be as adaptable as possible. So, instead of permanent road signs, Iceland uses digital message boards to provide drivers with real-time alerts about road closures, storm updates, icy roads, high winds, and sometimes even volcanic activity notices.
Some areas are known for regular high winds and do have standard warning signs. Here, you’ll see the triangular sign with the red border and yellow interior, and a black windsock icon in the center.
You’ll also find warning signs for icy roads. These triangular signs have a snowflake icon in their center to indicate a heavy snow area. Avalanche-prone zones are marked by triangular signs with the image of a falling avalanche. If you’re entering an area with volcanic activity, you’ll see eruption hazard signs, triangular signs with the image of an erupting volcano in the center.
If you’re planning a full travel day, make a habit of checking Road.Is before leaving for up-to-date road closure information.
Navigation Tools: How Road Signs Work With GPS & Maps
Combining several navigational tools is a great way to ensure the smoothest travel possible. Your GPS can guide the way, but it may not include some of the critical Iceland road signs we’ve discussed, so we always suggest bringing a paper map as well. Between remote areas and infrequent cell towers, you could lose access to your phone’s GPS app.
If you’re most comfortable with digital products, you can download offline maps to your phone. Most of our camper vans include a display screen and smartphone connectivity, so you can easily view navigation even in remote areas.
Stay Safe and Confident on Iceland’s Roads with Rent.is
Understanding Iceland’s signs is the best way to ensure you get to enjoy the scenery rather than worrying about fines and hazards. Our campers are designed for Iceland’s conditions, and we build them to offer stable handling, off-road capabilities, and winter-ready features so you can explore with confidence.
Whether you plan on staying on the steady Ring Road or heading into the highlands, we’re here to help you choose the ideal camper van for your journey — contact us anytime.
Now that you’re familiar with Iceland’s road signs, you’re ready to enjoy the flexible freedom that comes with camper van travel!
FAQ: Common Questions About Iceland Road Signs
Yellow road signs in Iceland are warning signs. They can indicate permanent or temporary hazards, such as high winds or slippery surfaces.
Road closures in Iceland are usually indicated via digital boards. You can also check Road.is for current road closure information.
F-road signs indicate highland and off-road regions where 4×4 vehicles are required.
Most road signs in Iceland consist of symbols rather than text. However, when words are present, they are in Icelandic.
Iceland’s many rural roads are beautiful but can present a range of hazards, including blind rises, sheep crossings, loose gravel, and one-lane bridges, so it’s important to drive slowly and stay alert.