How to Stay Connected in Iceland: A Guide to Mobile Connectivity

Staying connected while travelling in Iceland is more straightforward than many visitors expect, though the country's remote highland interiors and distant peninsulas do present some genuine coverage challenges. Understanding how Iceland's mobile networks work before you arrive will save you a great deal of frustration, especially if you're planning to drive the Ring Road or venture into the Westfjords or Highlands.

Iceland's Mobile Network Overview

Iceland has three main mobile operators: Síminn, Nova, and Vodafone Iceland. All three provide excellent 4G coverage across the populated coastal areas, the Ring Road, and most major tourist destinations. Coverage diminishes significantly in the Highlands and across some of the more remote peninsula roads, where you may find yourself relying on 2G or having no signal at all for extended stretches.

Should You Use Roaming or Buy a Local SIM?

If you're travelling from within the European Economic Area, your home operator's roaming allowances should work seamlessly in Iceland, as Icelandic networks participate in EU-style roaming agreements despite Iceland not being an EU member state. Visitors from the UK, USA, Canada, or Australia will generally find roaming costs expensive unless their plan specifically includes Iceland. In those cases, purchasing a local prepaid SIM card on arrival is almost always the more economical choice.

Where to Buy a Local SIM Card

Keflavík International Airport arrivals hall (Síminn and Nova have desks here)
Reykjavík city centre phone shops and electronics stores
Petrol stations across the Ring Road carry top-up cards
N1 and Orkan petrol station chains stock SIM cards and data top-ups

A tourist SIM card with 10–20GB of data typically costs between 2,000 and 4,000 ISK (approximately £12–£24), making it excellent value for a week-long trip.

Practical Tips for Staying Connected

Download offline maps on Google Maps or Maps.me before leaving populated areas, as GPS works independently of mobile data
The Safetravel app for Iceland (112 Iceland) uses GPS tracking and works even with limited connectivity, which is important for safety in remote areas
Most cafés, guesthouses, and hotels across Iceland offer free Wi-Fi, so you can conserve mobile data by connecting when available
Hotspots and camping huts in the Highlands often have Wi-Fi, though connection speeds vary considerably
Road condition updates via road.is can be accessed offline if downloaded in advance

Coverage on the Ring Road and Remote Areas

The Ring Road (Route 1) has reliable 4G coverage for the vast majority of its 1,332-kilometre circuit, with only a handful of short gaps in very remote stretches of the east and north. Secondary roads and F-roads into the Highlands are a different matter entirely. The central Highlands, including routes like the Kjölur and Sprengisandur roads, can have no mobile signal for many hours at a time.

For Highland travel, a satellite communicator such as a Garmin inReach is strongly recommended as a safety backup, regardless of which mobile plan you carry.

eSIM Options for Iceland

eSIM technology has made connectivity considerably easier for modern travellers. Several international providers including Airalo, Holafly, and Nomad offer Iceland-specific eSIM plans that can be purchased and activated before you depart, with competitive data rates and no physical SIM swapping required. If your phone supports eSIM, this is often the most convenient option for short to medium-length visits.

With a little preparation, staying connected in Iceland is entirely manageable. The combination of a reliable local SIM, offline maps, and the 112 Iceland app will keep you both connected and safe throughout your travels, even when venturing well beyond the tourist trail.