Around Iceland in a Camper Van: Practical Details
- Lucy and the lens
- Sep 23, 2018
- 3 min read
Updated: Nov 15, 2020
In June 2017 Patrick and I set out to drive the entirety of Iceland's ring road in a camper van for a week. We may have got very wet, spent a lot of time exploring waterfalls at 11pm, and wandered around Reykjavik all night to save on expensive hotel rooms, but I wouldn't change a single thing about our adventure!
In this post, I'll be describing the practicalities of travelling round Iceland in a camper van. In this post followed by this post, you can see our itinerary!
1. The camper van
We chose to rent from Camper Van Iceland. We booked a minivan that converts into a two-man sleeper by night, by flipping down the seats, rolling out the mattresses and sticking magnetised blackout curtains over the windows. Our first attempt at converting the van took us about half an hour, with us climbing in and out of the van repeatedly. By the end of the trip we could convert to sleeper in five minutes flat without even leaving the van - pretty vital when it rained!
Although facilities were basic, we wouldn't have travelled Iceland any other way. We saved so much money on accommodation and, in the more remote parts of the country, it is acceptable to 'wild camp' in some of the most stunning locations, even saving on campsite fees! We had the freedom to drive where we wanted, and to adjust our itinerary at will. We wouldn't have had that on a guided tour.
Our van company also provided us with all that we'd need: a camping stove, a folding table and chairs, a heater charged via the car's battery, charging ports, you name it, we had it.
Driving in Iceland is a dream. We'd heard all sorts of warnings about gravel and windshields - we made sure to get the most comprehensive insurance to cover it - and staying off certain roads that only a 4x4 could handle (we only made this mistake once!) But once you get past the Golden Triangle frequented by most visitors, you're pretty much the only car on the road for hours at a time!
2. The midnight sun
This was a huge bonus for us: visiting in June, the sun never really set, so a lot of our sightseeing took place as late as 11pm at night. This was ideal as it meant we were often the only people exploring spectacular sights such as Detifoss, seen below at 11pm! We were the only people there!
3. The thermal baths
The thermal bath culture in Iceland was a lifesaver for us! Since we were wild camping for several nights in the more remote parts of the country, our only way of getting clean - and more importantly, warm! - was to visit the baths that every town has. For a small fee, you have access to a swimming pool and a selection of outdoor saunas, where you sit, steaming away as the cold air freezes your eyelashes. Thermal bath etiquette dictates that you shower in the nude before entering the baths for hygiene reasons before putting your bathing suit back on to enter the baths...we were dubious at first but we quickly learned that you attract much more attention if you keep your bathing suit on!
4. The campgrounds
We found campground facilities to be fairly expensive and, to be honest, really very basic. Showers cost extra on top of camping fees, and they often weren't the nicest. Maybe I'm spoilt after camping in North America, where the facilities are so good that you could live there for quite some time!
Still, many campgrounds in Iceland are painfully scenic, our favourite being the one literally at the base of Skogafoss, below.
5. The food
Iceland is, surprise surprise, prohibitively expensive. A good chunk of our checked baggage was full of dried goods such as noodles and pasta, so that we could cook quickly and easily on our little camping stove. We went mostly meat free, since a pack of bacon, for example, can set you back at least £12, and the cheapest, most processed sandwich meat cost us at least £7.
There were two things we had to try, though. The first was the humble gas station hot dog. I think part of their appeal is their reasonable price - food always tastes better when you know you've got a good deal - but mainly they're just delicious! Our favourite was a sausage wrapped in bacon before being sprinkled with fried onion and slathered in sauce. We bought one at about 4am in Reykjavik on our final day, after sightseeing all night!
The second was Skyr, the fat-free but protein-rich Icelandic yoghurt that has since started appearing in every European supermarket (we have some in our fridge right now, in fact). It's thick, filling and comforting!
That's it for the practical details...click here for the itinerary!
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