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Hiching Hitching to and around the Myvatn area is very easy. Myvatn is a very tourist spot in the summertime. You can easily move around the lake to see the main atractions, and you can also hitch to Krafla volcano and to Namaskard colorful colourful springs (which are a few minutes from the lake). Another famous spot is Askja, but this is very difficult mountain road, and as such there is very little daily traffic. The weather is very dramatic at this place with absolutely no facilities, in hundreds of kms around.
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Note that in the summer time (June-August), it can be very easy to get a ride. Many Icelanders, and even more tourists in rented cars, are driving around the small country, and are always happy to pick you up.
Iceland has a popular carpooling [http://www.samferda.net/ carpooling website], which is particularly useful for finding a ride to the remoter corners of the country.
== General things to remember! ==
The Icelandic society is extremely safe but that doesn't mean that hitchhiking is without danger here. Nature is unforgiving, that is something I've heard from locals allot. Even in the summer you can still be caught by a snowstorm and beware not to be dropped in the middle of nowhere unless you know the weather and you have a tent and a good sleepingbagsleeping bag!! Vegardin.Is is and Vedur.is should be your first website to go to when you have acces access to internet. You can always ask about it in the fuelstations petrol stations or your driver will know as well.ALWAYS '''Always''' (and I mean ALWAYS this '''''really''''' means '''''always''''') tell people where you are going!! The emergency number is '''112'''.
== Hitching to Iceland ==
In [[Hanstholm]] (during high season) or [[Esbjerg]] (low season) ([[Denmark]]), there is a [[hitchhiking a boat|ferry]] of the Faroese [http://www.smyril-line.com/ "Smyril Line"] that goes every Saturday (Tuesdays during high season) to [[Seyðisfjörður]] (in the east of Iceland) via [[Tórshavn]] ([[Faeroe Islands|Faroe Islands]]).
There hasn't been any account of people who hitched the ferry, but there are tariffs for cars including two or four persons. This should mean that there is at least in theory the possibility to travel with somebody on the ferry for free. The regular fares are quite reasonable for a 48-hour trip though - from €55 eur 55 to €107 eur 107 (as of 2010, ''plus couchette/berth'') depending on the season. There are no trucks on board, they leave containers at the port and they are picked up at the arrival by other trucks. There are many more people going between Denmark and the Faroe Faeroe Islands than from there to Iceland. As a single traveller, you can easily find a ride on board, especially on the way back from Iceland. A possibility to pay less is to buy a ticket to the Faroes Faeroe Islands only, and do the rest of the trip for free. Once in Tórshavn, you have to get off the ferry for about 8 hours, and then come back. In order to go back on board, you have to show your key card at a desk with an old lady, but if there are people waiting, you can just walk by and nobody will give you trouble. Your key card to the cabin will most likely still work, and in fact, even one from another time! Otherwise you can just hang around the deck, even with your luggage. Food on board is expensive, you should buy enough stuff for 2 days upon leaving. In Denmark, you can try walking directly into the ferry without being noticed, if you are willing to take the risk!
There is a cargo connection from [[Reykjavík]] to [[Halifax]], [[Canada]] provided by [http://www.eimskip.is / www.eimskip.is]. Not sure if it can be hitched, but sometimes it's possible to get one-time jobs on board!
=== Plane ===
The cheapest low cost companies flying to Iceland depart from Denmark (Copenhagen) and U.K. (London, Manchester, Edinburgh) and most often if you have to pay for your trip is so much cheaper than the ferry (up to 50€ eur 50 one way from/to Scotland!). There is a precedent from a french tv French TV program ("Nus et culottés", search for episode, "avionstop Avionstop en islandeIslande" or similar) where the two protagonists try to hitchhike private planes from several scottisch airport Scottish airports and in the end do succeed from the most northern one, [[Wick]]. As for any different means of transportation that is not car (e.g. boat hitchhiking) the waiting time are so much longer, but if you are lucky you could find a lift in a couple of days; plus it appears the scottisch Scottish locals as the airport staff is nice welcoming and willing to help hitchhikers. Give it a try!
== The Northern Coast: Hitching from [[Reykjavík|Reykjavik]] to [[Akureyri]] ==
[[File:HH_Iceland_-_Martin_2010_-_2.jpg|thumb|right|Tartin hitching north-east Iceland in summer 2010]]
A relatively easy route, hitching a ride from Reykjavik to Akureyri in the northeast north-east is easily doable in a day; the journey is less than 400 km, and many cars are going all the way between the two cities. This is a good route for beginners, given the safety and relatively short distance. One may, however, want to allow for two days each way, especially on the return trip to Reykjavik, since getting a ride from Akureyri is much more difficult.
To leave Reykjavik, check out the spots in the [[Reykjavík|Reykjavik]] article. Don't stray too far from the villages, in case you can't get a ride or bad weather rolls in, but it is typically easier to flag down cars outside of settlements. Because many places are remote and weather cold and rainy, remember to be well-dressed, and caring plenty of water and food (and preferably a tent). Wild camping is permitted is all Iceland, except natural reserves. Only rule: don't leave anything behind! Don't spoil this beautiful country!
Stick your thumb out, wave to cars, and have fun; it shouldn't take too long to attract a ride. Most Icelanders under 40, and many above, speak excellent English; in fact, they may begin the conversation in that language. Make sure that, if they can't take you all the way, it will at least be possible to drop you off near or in a village.
From Akureyri, it is possible to hike beside Route 1 to the town's edge. Rides are more scarce here, since there are fewer long-distance travellers. There is some traffic between the city and villages down side-roads; if someone can only take you to a motorway intersection, make sure the village is within walking distance. Weather changes rapidly in Iceland, even more so on the north coast. It's no fun to be stuck out in an arctic Arctic blizzard all day, miles from the next town.
A common starting point from Reykjavík onto the ring road is to take Bus 15 to Mosfellsbær and walk along Route 1 until you find a suitable spot (See map).
Hitching from there to Borganes is relatively easy; there are many cars passing, so the wait is not that long. Hitchhiking in the Snaefellsnes peninsula is a very beautiful experience. The road to Stykkisholmur and then to Olafsvík is relatively easy. You might want to spend the night in Grundarfjörður as it is probably the nicest town in the area. From Olafsvik to Hellnar or Arnarstapi, the waiting time can be longer, but with patience it's also doable. You can hitch from there to Borganes and from there it's also easy to hitchhike to the highlands to Husáfell, and back. [[User:Elfin|Elfin]] would suggest finding a ride in Olafsvik going all around the tip of the peninsula as from Hellissandur the road, Utnesvegur, is very tiny and it's hard work finding a ride in Hellissandur or onwards, especially outside the tourist soon. Locals have no point of driving there.
[[File:HHIceland.JPG|200px|thumb|right|[[User:Gutuater|Gutuater]] hitchhiking from Reykjavík to the ferry in Seyðisfjörður in June 2009.]]
