Iceland may be the ultimate road tripping destination!!


We took a two week trip around the Ring Road from September 1-15 of 2017. It was an amazing trip and we loved this experience. I did a good deal of research before we left since i had never travelled by camper van before and I really wasn't sure what to expect. I had so many questions and some seemed so trivial but this wasn't a mode of travel I was used to.


I know Iceland is becoming a more and more popular destination and many people chose to travel by camper van. If you have any questions you'd like to ask I will be happy to answer them. I can offer my opinions as to what campgrounds we liked, food, photography, the various sites, etc. I have no insight into hotels other than our last night in Reykjavik and car rental (other than the van) and we did not take any tours at all. We kept costs affordable by not taking tours and attempting to picnic for lunches. We went to pretty good restaurants most nights and enjoyed every meal. Yes, food prices are expensive. If you know this before you go you won't be surprised. Keep in mind, tipping is not expected like it is in the U.S. In the U.S. we tip 20% at a minimum on every restaurant meal, so not having to do so balances out the costs to some extent.


Here were our overnight stops:

1) Snail Camper van - this is who we rented with and they offer the first or last night in their building. You get a basic, private room with a shared bathroom. This was perfectly adequate for our first night after a trans-Atlantic flight.

2) Arnarstapi on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula.

3) Grundarfjordur campsite very near Kirkjufell on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula.


4) Varmahalid campsite - we just couldn't make it all the way to Akureyri this day.


5) Bjarg Campsite- Myvatn - very large, very crowded campground. They offer a discount to nearby Nature Baths if you check in to the campground first (which we did not).


6) Egilsstadir - Not our favorite stop, not a ton to see here.


7) Seydisfjordur - Our FAVORITE stop of the trip. Wonderful, walkable town. It was incredibly scenic and also had a couple of nice restaurants and excellent hiking in the area. Just a great little town I would definitely not skip.

8) Hofn - Nice little town and beautiful coastline, harbor and glacier views. The campground was a bit too big and bustling for our taste but it did have nice, large bathrooms.

9) Stokknes - backtracked a bit here to another "favorite night of the trip." Just fantastic. There is an entry fee to get into this area and it costs more to camp but the scenery here may be some of the finest in Iceland. Just breathtakingly beautiful.


10) Kirkjubaejarklaustur campground.


11) Gesthus Selfoss camping. Nice, large, flat campground that wasn't at all crowded. It had an indoor kitchen facility but very strangely it required you to take your shoes off before entering. We had a nice, quiet night here and it's very central to a ton of sites we wanted to see.

12) Hafnarfjordur camping. This was just a convenient place for the final night. We wanted to be close to Reykjavik and have a jumping off place to tour the Reykjanes Peninsula the next day before returning the rental van.

13) Loki 101 Guesthouse.


I just wanted to throw my itinerary out there for anyone considering a trip and offer any advice I can to people considering camper van travel. I know it can be a bit intimidating to plan this type of trip.


A couple of key things: Wow Airlines was just fine. I would use them again. I recommend Snail for camper van rental. No problems at all. Campgrounds charge by the person, not by the site (a little different than the U.S.) 15 U.S. dollars /per person, per night is a pretty good estimate.




Our favorite stops were Stokksnes and Seydisfjurdor. These were just incredible. We thought the big campground at Myvatn and Hofn were not really our style. They were fine, but crowded and impersonal - you are just basically lined up next to other vans almost like a Wal-Mart parking lot.

Don't skip the swimming pools and nature baths. We used these local swimming pool facilities for showering and just relaxing. They are fine on a cold or drizzly day. Secret Lagoon and the Myvatn Nature Baths are incredible!

We had an absolutely amazing time and Iceland is an amazingly beautiful country. The people were so friendly and I hope to return someday!!

Hi db - thanks for your TR. Glad you enjoyed Iceland.

it looks as if using a camper van to circle Iceland on the Ring road is a good idea - did you have any problems with the smaller/gravel roads at all or did you stay off them?

Hi Annhig,

We really did have an incredible trip - what a country! I would definitely recommend the campervan during the months of May- September. Outside of those times, I really don't think I would go that route as it would be extremely unpleasant in the cold, winds, and darkness.

We did not have a 4x4 and there are parts of the ring road where it gets a bit rough - but no problem at all. No part of the ring road should give you any trouble (unless of course there is some type of weather event like the recent flooding that swept away a section).

We did turn around at one place - and that was the road past Dettifoss. We wanted to continue past the waterfall as there is supposed to be a beautiful canyon and park further up the road. It was unpaved and intensely potholed, we really weren't sure if the road was going to get worse and we did not want to get stuck. We ended up turning around, but I have since read that we probably would have been fine to continue. The campervan was not allowed to go on any F roads, so we stayed off of those entirely.

Glad you enjoyed your trip db, and thanks for posting.

The campervan was not allowed to go on any F roads, so we stayed off of those entirely.>>

Same with the 4x4 we hired when we did Iceland, about 10 years ago. After sampling some of the B roads [well named] there was no way we were going to venture onto any of the F ones.

db -

May I ask the cost of the camper van for the duration?

Hi db -
Sounds like a great trip. I don't have 2 weeks to make this same trip but I'd like to drive the ring road, see some of the amazing sites, but do so in 6-7 days. What do you think?

It is important to note that Iceland no longer allows wild camping unless you are truly in the wilderness ie hiking in with a small tent. You must stay at designated campsites now.

I am using Snail at the end of May/beginning of June this year for a similar trip. I was wondering if there was anything you wished you had brought with you or rented for the camper? We are going to rent a wifi hotspot. How was cooking? Did they have a solution for making coffee or did you just buy it?

thanks!

Hi db

My husband and I are also planning a trip for Iceland end of April 2019 for around 12-14 days. In all probabilities we would be renting a car and not a camper van. Given this would you suggest any changes in your itinerary?

Thanks in advance

Shveta