In this series we will help you organize your trip to the land of ice and fire, Iceland! We will share some tips to save money and we will take you with us for 18 days wandering around the island with our van!
Let’s start!
There are people who dream for years of a trip to Iceland.
Then there are those people who wake up one morning and think it’s been a long time since the last great adventure.
This second type of people start thinking about possible destinations, do some research on the cheapest flights departing from Dublin … and find Iceland.
So, we are like these people, we are these people.
Preparation
Is the right time for us; from the end of March to the beginning of April.
This is a time of the year that is still considered winter so the structures that usually allow a greater flux of tourists are closed (you will say: “so it’s not good!”).
In recent times, thanks to living in Ireland, we are fine if we can enjoy a place in solitude.
In addition, the costs of facilities and rental for vans are lower.
But there’s more: you can still admire the aurora as the sun sets around eight, so from ten o’clock onwards the sky is dark enough.
This way you have a good visibility of the green lady.
The snow slowly recedes leaving the roads in better condition and the climate is less harsh.
All this was more than enough to convince me to go on and embark in an epic journey.
To be able to take advantage of the offer we need many days, 18 to be precise, fortunately Matteo managed to get the holidays, it’s a sign of destiny!
The stars and the gods bless our departure!
Now begins phase two: organize the whole trip!
After a week of gestation (to be sure we wanted to leave) we unsheathed the Mastercard and bought the flight.
Departure on April 22, 2022, at 11:30 from Dublin, 442€ for two people + 2 hand luggage + one hold luggage.
The next step is a lot of stuff; we have to choose whether to take a trip by car sleeping in hostels or whether to rent a CamperVan.
PRO VAN:
- have a house on wheels, be free to travel as long as we want and stop to sleep in the first campsite in sight;
- being able to cook in the van by cutting food costs.
CONS VAN:
- cost of rental and gasoline (the van drinks a lot more petrol than a car);
- still having to stop to sleep in campsites that are not really cheap compared to sleeping for free on the street;
- Rent a 4×4 to rest easy on Icelandic roads.
Doing the math, and if you have read the title is nothing new, the van won!
We were fascinated by the idea of being able to travel in complete freedom, not having to respect the check-in and check-out times from hostels and B&Bs.
I also couldn’t wait to experience our first trip totally on the road!
I wanted to savor a bite of van life (of which the “Lost in Transit” had given us a taste with their beautiful vlogs).
Things it’s nice to know:
- the national currency is the Icelandic Krona. However, you pay for almost everything with the card. But if you don’t want to pay a lot of commissions to the bank think of changing a certain amount of euros all at once;
- the weather can be really inclement. I recommend an insurance on the rented vehicle that covers damage from sandblasting and glass breakage (at least).
Think with foresight that you will invest that extra money in a serene journey and with less worries (because if you are not covered and something happens to you, it’s your funeral, they make you pay at least one kidney); - if you travel by camper during the summer season make the Camping Card, it will save you a lot of quid in the campsites;
- at self-service gas pumps the machine only accepts cards with 4-digit PIN, know this;
- you don’t need to book at campsites.
If you arrive too late, someone will probably come knocking to collect the money (always payable by card); - since 2015 it is ILLEGAL to do wild camping (parking lots or roadside).
Here is the link to the official Icelandic website about: https://ust.is/english/nature/travel-information/where-can-you-camp/ - remember the names: Bónus, Nettó, Krónan.
They are the Icelandic discount stores where you will spend less on your food supplies.
We subscribed, on advice of the locals, to the Bónus as they told us it was the cheapest and I must say that we had a great time; - please don’t buy water!
You will find it everywhere and it will always be good to drink.
Buy a nice bottle and refill it during the trip.
Websites to keep at hand:
- https://www.road.is/ (allows you to check the conditions of the roads and know if the ones you have to travel are accessible or not);
- https://vedur.is/ (it’s the site of the weather, accurate regarding the wind, which will be your worst enemy);
- https://auroraforecast.is/ (if you travel during the aurora period, you want to have it at hand to know if it is worth wearing the hunter’s hat);
Easy Clever 4×4 ID:
For this beauty we spent 361,399 ISK, which with the change was about € 2500 for 18 days + full insurance Zero Risks.
There are countless other companies that offer Campervan in Iceland so you are spoilt for choice.
I chose this one because it offered the best compromise between price and offer (we got to see other campers and they did not seem as warm and comfortable).
At the booking time we could choose extras including:
- camping stoves and gas cans (in addition to those included in the rental);
- an extra blanket;
- a small odorless chemical bath;
- inverter (taken but not used);
- a thousand other things like cool sunglasses and bandanas!
Below I report how the sunglasses makes Matteo cool!
The itinerary
Once I finished with the essentials (flight, means of locomotion and overnight stay) I moved on to the most substantial part of the preparation.
What are we going to see?
In Iceland there are two types of “classic” trips:
- The Golden Circle: ring full of attractions in the south of the island, usually chosen by those who do not have many days (for example a week) that still allows you to see lots of natural wonders.
The area is very touristy, for this reason there are plenty of campsites and hostels, I would not recommend renting a Campervan for this type of holiday; - Tour of the Ring Road: another much wider ring; following the Ring Road (road number 1) you can go around the whole island (with the sole exception of the Westfjord).
Not to mention the obvious detours, Road 1 is 1,322 km long!
That’s why this itinerary is advisable if you have at least 10 days available (otherwise you will spend the whole holiday in the car, the choice is yours).
As you move north, campsites, as well as cities, decrease dramatically.
I therefore recommend a Campervan that allows you to stock up on food and, if unfortunately you get stuck due to the weather, you will have no problem spending a night isolated.
I remind you that (thank goodness, it seems reasonable to me) if you are in an emergency situation obviously you can sleep on the side of the road (but in the case of controls you must be able to prove it, for example by reminding the policeman on duty that the night before there was a very strong wind that prevented you from driving safely).
Which ring to choose?
Having 15 days available (excluding those for the trip and a day to use as a “buffer” in case of terrible weather) the idea is to go around the Ring Road clockwise.
During the winter, which in Iceland we can consider going from mid-September to mid-May, there are two areas that become “uncomfortable” (if not impossible) to visit:
- the Westfjord region (Vestfirðir): this peninsula is beautiful but difficult to reach.
The roads to get there often become unusable even with light snowfall; - The Highlands: All the beautiful mountains that rise in the heart of the island are off-limit in winter. They can only be reached by driving on the F-roads (dirt roads) that open from about mid-May.
So we will try to see everything possible while staying close to the Ring Road.
The only detour we will make will be to visit the Snæfellsnes peninsula.
A few weeks after unsheathing the Mastercard…
Weee!!! Weee!!!
I gave birth to the itinerary!
Keep following our icy Icelandic adventures!
