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I am a great chess fan and this November the European Team Championship is taking place in Reykjavik. I've been wanting to visit Iceland for a while and this seems like quite a good opportunity to me. I've seen that it is kind of easy to move around using CouchSurfing to find accommodation and hitchhiking to get rides. I've also found Carpooling in Iceland which has been really helpful to get rides.

I have seen that there are a good number of rides at this time of the year, but is it similar in mid November or is it much more difficult to get a ride then due to the weather?

I am mostly interested in going around, visiting the national parks and similar stuff.

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    What do you mean by "perfectly safe" - because standing by roadsides and entrusting yourself to strangers (even in a low-crime nation like Iceland) both always carry some risks, like most activities.
    – CMaster
    Commented Sep 2, 2015 at 14:02
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    You're right. I was wondering if it is a common practice for foreigners. I removed that part of the question to avoid further confusion.
    – S -
    Commented Sep 2, 2015 at 14:51

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November is not that bad for Iceland. You will be able to withstand the temperature during the day and most of the night, but the downside is visibility. For November, you can expect it to be pitch black by about 6:45 PM and stay that way until about 6:30 - 7:00 AM. Consider using reflective clothing if you plan to hitchhike in those hours.

Traffic will not be as heavy as it is in the summer months and you can expect lengthy waiting periods between rides. I recommend waiting for a ride on the edge of the town/village and not riding with someone who can take you to an intermediate point. I.e., try to be hitching in a settled area.

You didn't mention which national parks you wanted to visit. Lots of them are inland and it can be horrendously difficult to catch a ride in and out of them for that reason. And while some of the visitor centres are open all year, you may be stuck there for a long time after about August. People like to drive around the edge of the island, from one town/village to the next. If you are headed inland, consider public transport or arranged. Also note that the weather at inland locales is a lot different than around the edge, expect snowfall and the reduced conditions it brings to hitchhikers. Finally, I used a motorcycle for exploring inland Iceland (I brought it with me, not rented), it's a wonderful alternative to hitchhiking and something to consider if your agenda will take you to remote locales.

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