Renting a Camper Van in Iceland? Right here Are 30 MUST READ Ideas
Renting a camper van in Iceland is a nature lover’s dream trip. After all, one does not go to Iceland to waste all their time in a inn apartment, but most don’t want to brave the coldnes darkness in a tent.
The Ring Road, or Route 1, is the road that curves the entire island nation of Iceland. We’ve talked about this fantastic wander before, but its popularity means we get a lot of is asking for more penetrations to travel in Iceland .
Exploring Iceland in a campervan is one of the best ways to tackle the Ring Road. “Were not receiving” other path to do it due to the freedom you have in a campervan. Nonetheless, there are some things I learned after rent a camper van in Iceland to help you on your Iceland journey!
Tips for Renting a Camper van in Iceland!
1. Have a General Iceland Itinerary
Our goal when making our campervan around Iceland was to drive the Ring Road. The specify of the Ring Road should be pretty self-explanatory. It’s a artery that clothes around 1,300 kilometers and circumnavigates the whole country of Iceland- like a peal! The whole direction should take about 16 hours if you drive non-stop- but that wish to do that?
It’s impossible to claw the perfect Ring Road tour. Our biggest suggestion is to travel at your own pace, it doesn’t matter if you go fast or sluggish or if you miss some seeings along the way.
Just as long as you are happy traveling at the tempo “now youre going”. If you’re looking for a good amount of term we’d intimate somewhere between one to 2 weeks. We proceeded with 10 periods and it felt like an ideal amount of era. It left us missing more, but never tired of the trip.
When planning your itinerary, map out all your stops. There will be plenty of unplanned stops along the way and it’s best not to feel rushed. We try our best to avoid rectifying our days to a strict timetable because we know we will never be happy if we do that. Here’s our precise route starting in Reykjavik and moving clockwise. You can read all about the ends here .
2. Choose a Reputable Iceland Campervan Company
One of the first steps in projecting your Iceland campervan trip is to determine your rental fellowship. We drove in different areas of the Ring Road in a Happy Campers van and loved it.
Happy Campersis genealogy run by neighbourhood Icelanders and you can find the whole family involved. We were checked out by the Sverrir or the” Happy Boss .” While his son has responsibility for setting up our reserve and another picked us up from the airport. They’re very much a family business wanting to show visitors the best of “the two countries “, and something we really appreciate.
The van comes with all you could need for a camping trip in Iceland. It has awesome features such as a heater for cold nights, a scamper sea sink, and a fridge/ freezer. If you want to learn more read our Happy Campers review.
3. Choosing Your Campervan
Manual vs. Automatic
You should be prepared to drive a manual campervan in Iceland. As with the rest of the world countries( besides the US ), most of the campervans in Iceland are manual, but there are a few automatic vehicles. If you do require one an automated vehicle make sure to book well in advance and expect to pay a payment for it.
Size of Your Campervan
Consider the size of your campervan before you book. There is a few different size alternatives ideal for one, two, three, and up to five people. We proceeded with a Happy 2 for the two of us. The van was spacious and cozy for two people.
However, with a larger campervan comes reduced ga economy so you’ll pay back more for that larger vehicle in more practices than one. Gas is really expensive in Iceland, approximately$ 8 a gallon. Think carefully about the campervan simulate you choose.
4. When to Book Your Campervan
If you’re planning on rental a campervan in Iceland during the summer you should really start planning and book your excursion at least six months out. They do sell out fast, especially between the months of June-October.
5. What is Included in the Happy Campers Campervan?
Our Happy Camper was furnished with everything we could possibly are necessary to 10 eras on the road. That included things like 😛 TAGEND
Gas Stove with GasCoolerPrivacy CurtainsPots and PansPlastic illustrations, cutlery, and drinkwareKnife and cutting boardDustpan2 pillows 2 blanketsMattressYou can compensate additional for an inverter, chairs, a table, BBQ grill, WiFi hotspot.
6. Insurance on the Campervan
When checking out a camper van in Iceland you have a lot of options for choosing insurance. Happy Campers includes CDW as it is mandatory in Iceland. If you go with the standard insurance your obligation limit is EUR2 500. They too offer packets that reduce the waiver, sand impairment, and gravel damage.
We disappeared with the gravel assurance, but I personally find it to be a waste, as the roads were great in Iceland during October. Had we traveled in the winter and windier months, I believe it could have come in more useful. Also, look into what your credit card sheathes for auto assurance.
Most American credit cards offer auto rental insurance as health benefits and I would recommend calling your credit card company beforehand to double-check what they cover. If you don’t have a credit card it’s definitely time to get one as it’s an important part of travel banking.
7. Inspect Your Iceland Campervan
If you run into a guardrail with your campervan rental you’re going to be charged for damages. If someone else ran into a guardrail before you and you don’t notation it when you pick up the rental car you could also be charged for shatterings. Ever, ever, ever, inspect every single rental car you get with further details- inside and out.
Note any shatterings with the company and make photos in cases where. Cam and I are both scrupulous with rental car dings, scrapings, windshield hits, and cigarette burns. Never are of the view that a blemish or ding is not important or big enough to note. When you return your rental make sure you get a slip signing off that all was okay on the car so they don’t come back and try to charge you later.
We’ve been accused multiple times for things like” excessive sand on the storey in Mozambique ,” random segments of inexpensive plastic falling off in Mexico, and we were even accused for a small scratch on the hubcap in South Africa . Take photos and put up a fight if you think you are in the right.
8. Get the Right Credit Card
Bringing me to my next pitch- credit cards with primary rental coverage. The Chase Sapphire Reserve is my favorite hasten credit cards for numerous reasons, but the primary rental insurance is one of its best perks( including Priority Pass membership ).
When you put your rental campervan on your Chase Sapphire Reserve poster you get primary coverage various regions of the world up to $75,000.
That works out enormous for us since we are nomadic and don’t have a car or home. Gondola rental companionships in Iceland and around the world love to scare customers and upsell all their insurance cartons. You need to make sure if you need it or not before falling victim to their trap. Call your credit card company and ever find out before you get to Iceland
9. Campervan Pick Up and Drop Off
After all the paperwork is sorted with the rental fellowship, you’ll be asked if you want to be shown around the vehicle. We always feel a bit ludicrous agreeing to this, but it’s always worth noting!
Unless your rental vehicle is precisely the same as the car you have at home, several arrangements are likely to be different. If you decide to go with a rental auto you 100% should be indicated around. There’s a lot of aspects to a campervan !
When the worker shows you around, make sure you ask them to show you how all the essential organizations purpose. When you differ, you should be completely happy with using your Iceland van rental- recollect, you are legally responsible for it. So, make sure you know how to operate the headlights, benchmark sunrises, hazard lights, and windscreen wipers. Likewise, be sure to understand how to engage reverse gear.
10. Expect a Hold Charge for Your Iceland Campervan
Every single one of our forty or so rental cars has put a hold the line our credit card for the rental point. Continues can wander anywhere from a few cases hundred bucks to $1000+ in some countries. The” excess commission” as it is called is typically stated in your reservation details, but it is easy to miss.
We are aware that they must kept this hold on our placard, but it can be a big shocker if you are unsuspecting and be brought to an end over your credit limit on your credit card. These plethora blames are for situations where you disappear with the car and are never seen again, or get into a sound and refuse to pay — nonsense like that.
11. Rent Your Campervan From Keflavik Airport( KEF)
If you plan to rent a campervan to get around make sure to pick it up and drop it off at international airports. It could end up saving you a horse. There is no public transport and the Reykjavik Express, one of the only bus from the Reykjavik city to Keflavik airport is 2400 Icelandic Kroner one way.
That’s a $24 airport transfer on a bus! I would recommend picking up and dropping off your auto at the airport to save on this fee.
If you want to rent a camper, Happy Campersas mentioned before has a orientation at international airports. We had an entertaining ordeal with them, and they will provide you with a free displace to their bureaux once your flight lands.
You can easily book using this tie-in, but make sure to book well in advance during high season. Seriously- they established our tour to Iceland so amazing.
12. Gas for Your Iceland Campervans
Be prepared to shell out some money when you honcho to the pump in Iceland. Gas rates a bit over$ 2 USD a liter or virtually$ 9 a gallon! We also witnessed American credit cards do not work at many of the gushes.
To pay, make sure you ask an attendant to open the pump and then pay afterward inside with a credit card. Or you can pay with a debit card that has a pin number.
Make sure to be aware of lengths in between ga stations, conceded we spotted them all over Iceland and never moved low-spirited on oil. For our 10 day timetable, we invested around $400 on oil- YIKES. Make sure to budget for this one, as it’s easy to forget.
13. A 4×4 Iceland Campervan is Not Necessary for Exploring
If you’re planning to drive Iceland’s iconic Ring Road( Route 1 around the country) or the Golden Circle a 4×4 vehicle is unnecessary. Most of the roads are paved and easy to navigate with a sedan.
If you want to go down an unpaved or unmarked superhighway make sure your car can handle it first! We heard several small-time sedans trying to push their vehicle too much down choppy streets and aimed up coming persist or tearing out the bottom of their rental!
14. Make Sure You Don’t Have Mileage Limits
Making friends Icelanders
It can be common for Iceland campervans to have mileage limits. Generally, this is something like 200 km/ daylight can be driven.
Of course, they can’t know which day you are driving 200 km/ day and what periods you are not, so it all totals up to the end.
Say you hired a car for six eras and it has a mileage limit of 200 km/ era. That means for your total rental you have 1200 km of free driving. If you return the car having driven 1300 km you will be charged for the overage of 100 km.
If you want complete freedom when driving around Iceland, make sure you choose a rental with inexhaustible mileage. ( Our Happy Camper “havent had” mileage limits ).
15. Navigation in Iceland
It’s worth mentioning that lengths and speeds in Iceland are recorded under kilometers rather than miles. This can offset sights seem further away than they actually are, although the winding country roads you’re likely to encounter wants wandering meters are a little longer than those working in the US.
It’s unlikely your rental vehicle will have a built-in GPS navigation system, generally referred to as SatNav( moon piloting ); nonetheless, it is likely that you will be offered a separate GPS( at extra cost, of course ), instead. The good story is that if you are driving the ring road it’s a sound around the country and easy to follow.
Still- whether you are traveling on your own or as a group, we speculate navigation- of whatever sort- is indispensable. It takes much of the stress out of driving on superhighways you aren’t used to and having to rely on road signage.
You might be happy use paper maps, but it’s not ordinary for them to be supplied with a rental auto, which means you may as well opt for the GPS instead.
Smartphone apps such as Google Maps are a brilliant free alternative, which give you the additional advantage of knowing up to the minute traffic and road conditions. You should download a map of Iceland to your phone from Google Maps while you’re in good WiFi. If you forget to do this, Reykjavik Airpot has free WiFi where you can download Google Maps to your phone before you hit the road.
16. Watch for Speed Traps!
Iceland has countless camera hurrying nets around the ring road. So it’s best to always stay within the speed limit. Fines are extremely expensive in Iceland. Between ISK 50,000 and ISK 130,000, so it’s best to follow the rules.
The good bulletin is there is always a sign telling-off you about the velocity camera a few cases hundred meters before. If you are speeding in Iceland , now is the time to slow down!
You may think that because you are a foreigner and leaving the country, you will get away with not paying for a ticket. However, the rental auto firm has a copy of your credit cards and are authorized to charge it in circumstances like this.
17. Drinking and Driving in Iceland
This should go without saying, but sucking and driving is a grave offense in Iceland. The threshold blood booze research( BAT) elevation is very low. Drivers can be charged with DUI with a BAT as low-toned as. 05%, and yes, foreigners can be charged too.
The Icelandic people make this very seriously, and most do not drive if they plan on sucking. If you want to go out for a light at a disallow, make sure you have a responsible route back to your accommodation.
18. Seatbelts and Safety in Iceland
It’s a reporting requirement for all passengers to wear a seat belt/ fucking seat belt at all period when the engine is running.
Likewise, it is not permitted to use a cell phone when driving in Iceland to realize labels or transport/ receive SMS text meanings. You can be utilized your smartphone for navigation purposes, but it must be hands-free merely( such as safely stowed on the windscreen ), and you must not program navigation while the vehicle’s engine is running.
I recommend getting a phone holder for your automobile dashboard for your travels.
19. How Much Will an Iceland Campervan Rental Cost?
Depends on the season! During the summer your rental gondola will likely be higher than between October- February. Happy Campers offers low-toned season rates, mid season paces, and high season paces. So if you’re goal is to save money book a gondola rental in the off season. Now are some tips for get a good deal on campervan Iceland 😛 TAGEND
The sooner you book, the better. Campervans, especially with the good business sell out.Do your research and go with the companies that have good reviews. They are often the ones who won’t rip you off for extra charges. Avoid peak season, which is late June-early September.
20. Emergency Numbers in Iceland
112 is the single disaster multitude in Iceland. Remember it and store it in your phone in case you ever need it. You never know when you’ll be faced in a life-threatening situation- but retain merely use it if you need to. Safetravel.is articulates up all relevant notifies and alerts and should be checked regularly when driving in Iceland.
I also like to join relevant Facebook radicals to stay up to date on current movement status. Beings are generally quite helpful!
21. Do You Need a Iceland Van Rental to Have a Good Time?
No! Iceland campervans are not essential to your recreation in Iceland. However, it will significantly enhance your experience especially if you are short on time or want to explore as much as possible with perpetual discretion.
If you enjoy the great outdoors, parking under the northern lights or midnight sunlight, and experiencing home cooked campervan dinners instead of expensive Iceland restaurant food then a campervan is for you.
How to Enjoy Your Iceland Campervan to the Fullest!
horseback riding in Iceland
1. Hold the Door on your Iceland Campervan
In the lead up to our trip to Iceland, we came from a North Coast 500 artery tour in Scotland and a road trip around the Faroe Islands so we knew what to expect.
The North Atlantic and Iceland have some severely high winds. When you’re go a automobile make sure to hold firmly to your automobile opening- otherwise it may blow right off the car and that isn’t covered by insurance. We’re not kidding!
2. Enjoy Your Sleep
Expect it to be pretty cold in Iceland. Our Happy Camper had a heater we could operate all night if we wanted and it continued us toasty heated in the brisk Autumn air. If you’re charter a van without a heater or you don’t want to run the heat all night wreak a warm sleeping bag.
If you’re looking for comfort, I would suggest a down comforter from home. The plots in campervans can be firm, so a camping pad will make all the difference. When you’re ready to camp for the nighttime, make sure to park the van on a level face unless you enjoy sleeping with your foot higher than your head.
The key here is to bring everything you’re cozy with to oblige the van feel like home for the coming week or few dates.
3. There’s No Bad Weather, Just Bad Clothes
Remember that you’re traveling around Iceland in a campervan. The smallest models don’t leave a lot of chamber for a massive checked crate. The self-evident thing to compress is warm weather clothing. A enormous option is to pack a duffel bag or backpack that has soft features and is likely to be substance under a seat.
Of course, ever pack down cap, sweater, coat socks, and a travel towel. The towel is most important if you plan to go to hot springs and public funds. We have a post on what to pack for Iceland if you crave more clothes recommendations. It should also go without saying that Iceland is seriously photogenic so you’re going to want a great camera for tour photography.
Here are some things we’d recommend to spawn your campervan more at home in Iceland.
Coffee pressDown comforterSpare camping burnerFavorite pillowCamping padLeatherman( I carry the Wingman model) Tripod( Photograph the Northern Lights !) Specialty food products
4. Stay Organized
It’s crucial to keep your Iceland campervan organized on your Iceland trip, this is important in more ways than one. It won’t take long to figure out that loose entries in the back have a habit of shifting everywhere. We worked hard to keep the back of the van unionized so we didn’t lose anything.
This meant we could easily access anything and it preserved the small space from turning into a pigsty. Ten eras in a van with two parties it would be easy to let everything get out of hand.
Also, pick up a few basic cleanse renders like a rag and multi-purpose cleaner. Our van came with a brush that we used to keep our flooring scavenge. Without this, the van would have been a disaster zone.
If it’s your first time camping, we can not recommend bamboo baby erases enough as they make it easy to keep yourself fresh. Of direction, any babe clean will do, but they are terrible for the environmental issues so try to opt for biodegradable ones.
5. Choose a Good Campsite
You can not camp freely in a motorized vehicle in Iceland. It is required by law that you have written permission from the proprietor, or in other words, a receipt. There are a plethora of campsites around Iceland in the summer and Happy Campers initiated this planned on their website to assist you find one .
Campsites in Iceland are generally decent with facilities such as showers, toilets, and sometimes even WiFi. The median camping cost straddles from 1000 ISK ($ 10 US) to 2000 ISK ($ 20 US) per person, per night. Many times showers are not included in this price, and cost 300 -5 00 ISK for a three to five-minute shower. That’s why we adore getting naked in Iceland’s public wading pool instead.
However …
The majority of campsites close down for the winter. We drove the Ring Road in October and knew many of the campsite to have already closed on September 30 th.
The availability of campsites will depend on the time of year. Traveling in October, we learnt it to be hit or miss. The good word is that even when the campsites are closed, “theyre still” accessible and you technically still park there and tent if required in order. This means you don’t have to pay – you only won’t have access to facilities like toilets during the offseason. Remember when I mentioned baby cleans?
6. Eat Good Food!
We are no strangers to prepping easy dinners, and we’ve gotten better over term. Campervans don’t specify a ton of prep space so it’s best that you stick to simple banquets. If you want to learn about meat expenses we have outlined them in our guide to grocery store in Iceland. Here are the common snacks we prepared in our campervan.
Wraps: These are super simple. Cameron attained sizzling folds by cooking a stir fry in a wash exercising vegan hoisin duck, frozen veggies, and sprouts. Dish it out in some wrappings and surpass with vegan cheese.( You can use the real stuff too !) Rice: It’s a staple and find the best way to make it your own will take you for miles. We like to exceed our rice with peas, corn, avocado, eggs, and a sweetened Thai chili sauce.( There are hundreds of fluctuations of this !) Soup: We have liked to become soup because it’s delicious, involves one jackpot, and it fills you up. For an easy and healthy soup, Cameron recommends the following points: Saute onions in a potty until translucent, add sprouts, tomatoes, vegetable stock( bouillon cubes to save opening ), rice, potatoes, carrots, and season with paprika. If you’re a flesh eater cook it firstly with the onions. The key to a soup is layering flavors and letting it simmer for a long time.Pancakes: Who doesn’t cherish flapjacks? They’re dead simple and when you top them with peanut butter they’ll preserve you going for hours. For camping, we suggest the premade mixture from the store.Pasta: Roasted red pepper, pesto, avocado, or sprout stroganoff there are countless variances of pasta you are in a position to oblige. We love to mix them with frozen veggies when tenting in Iceland. Fresh produce is expensive in Iceland!
7. BYOB
Iceland is expensive and alcohol rates are prurient. A bottle of the budget vodka Smirnoff penalties $70. You are permitted to generating a bottle of your own booze into the country, this is why we came prepared with a great bottle of gin from the U.K.
If you’re worried about the force or a bottle ending your next option is to purchase alcohol at the Airport in duty-free before you enter “the two countries “. Outside of duty-free places at the airport, you can only purchase alcohol at the state-run places called Vinbudin.
8. Download a Good Travel Playlist
Be prepared for some long drives and batch of epoch along the road. If you’re looking for a great travel playlist or music we’ve got you embraced. Precisely make sure you download all your music to your telephone as you may not ever have a connection.
9. Pros and Cons of Renting a Camper van in Iceland
Pros of Campervan Living in Iceland
Saves Money- since you don’t have to pay for hotels.Convenient- no need to plan out everything in advanceFlexible- able to change your street whenever you want.Views- Never a bad view!
Cons of Campervan Living in Iceland
Cramped- There’s no doubt about it, a campervan with more than one person is cramped living.Showers/ Bathrooms- It’s hard to come by toilets in Iceland unless you’re at a labelled campsite. Showers can be hit or miss more. Weather- If you have bad weather( which could potentially) there’s no escaping it.
Plan Your Epic Campervan Trip to Iceland
Renting a Camper Van in Iceland!
A campervan is the best way to get around Iceland on a fund. While a camper is slightly more expensive than a automobile, you can sleep and cook in it! Meaning you don’t have to search for any hotels or be addressed with expensive restaurants in Iceland.
Plus you get to sleep in nature every night and still use a heater if you wish! If you want to travel with a Happy Campers van as we did( and you should they are the BEST !) make sure to read our full scrutinize . You can easily book using this relate, but make sure to book well in advance during high season.
Book a Tour
Sometimes it’s nice not is essential to do all the travel planning and tell somebody else do it.
When is the Best Time to Visit Iceland?
In my opinion, the most wonderful epoches to visit Iceland are June, July, September, October, and December- but it all depends on what you want! June-August is high season, but it is also summer in Iceland and when you will find the most pleasant temperatures. It’s also when you will experience the most amount of daytime and get the most of our of your outing. December is great because it is winter, you stand a strong chance of seeing the Northern Lights, it’s low-pitched season, and the temperatures haven’t gone to complete freezing more.
However my personal favorite time to travel Iceland is during the fall months. It’s during September and October where you will see the buds change vibrant colourings all over the country. Temperatures are still mild, and tourism is slowing down. You can see the full month by month failure for Iceland travel now.
Things to do in Iceland
There are literally so many things to do in Iceland I could write a book about it. Unfortunately, I don’t have that kind of time so I’m showing you the eventual Iceland bucket list here . Some things that are a must do are go to an Iceland swimming pool, soak in a natural hot spring, stand under a cascade, and construe the Northern Lights.
Photography Gear for Iceland
A high-quality camera is an essential packing item for Iceland if you demand some immense shots while on your vacation. We roam with our Fujifilm Camera and 200 mm telephoto lens. Drones have kind of made Iceland by blizzard and can capture fanciful footage as well. We had our DJI Mavic in Iceland, but make sure to use your monotone responsibly as many regionals are getting vexed at the spate of them.
Whatever you do, do not forget a tripod for Iceland- especially if you plan on photographing the Northern Lights as you’ll need one for the long exposures.
Is Iceland Expensive?
Iceland is mega expensive. One of the most expensive countries in the entire world actually. Make sure that you plan accordingly and in line with national budgets. It’s certainly possible to do Iceland on a fund of less than $100 if you are camping, cooking all your own basic snacks, and traveling by public transport or score a good deal on a rental. The good bulletin is that nature is free, and you’ll be able to see Iceland’s beauty without paying for it. So yes – it’s completely doable to have an inexpensive Iceland vacation.
If you plan on boozing be sure to pick up duty free booze before you leave the airport. A pint of brew can easily run you $15 – $20!
Plan For Your Trip
Protect Your Trip: Don’t forget to purchase traveling guarantee! We always carry travel assurance to protect from injury, theft, or a canceled trip. Try World Nomads for competitive short term programs. Read our full evaluation here .Travel Adapter: Make sure you find a good adapter to keep your personal electronics accused. Otherwise, you may be paying for a inexpensive one formerly you territory. Purchase one now .Travel Backpack: We like the Nomatic Travel Backpack for our wanderings. Check the cost here .Our Favorite Travel Shoes: Our answer to this question is always ALLBIRDS! Check them out on their site !Get a Travel Credit Card: We travel around the world for free because we have leveraged our spending into stages. See why you should get a excursion credit cardhow you can do the same with our favorite travelling credit cards.
Read more: theworldpursuit.com
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