Iceland – Driving the Ring Road

Image: Kuku Campers: http://www.kukucampers.is/kuku-maps/

When is the best time to travel?

Summer is the best time to drive through Iceland to make the most of the daylight, warm weather, and amazing scenery. It is however the most busiest season, so do not expect to be alone at the main attractions. In Summer, you can switch your sleep cycle so that you sleep during the day and drive during the night and take advantage of the almost 24 hour sun.

The average temperature during June to September is 10-13 Degrees Celcius.

If you are considering to travel in the winter, please note that most roads are closed, and will require 4×4 to travel.

How many days do you need to complete the Ring Road?

It is typically recommended that the route be completed in 8-10 Days to fully enjoy and immerse yourself into the great landscapes of this young island.

We had scheduled originally 8 days to complete, however due to unexpected circumstances – we finished this in 5 days.

The typical itinerary includes heading to South Iceland through the Golden Circle, onto West Iceland’s coast, then up to North Iceland’s 2nd largest city (Akureyi) then completing to trip back down to Reyjavik.

Allowing more days would allow you to do more activities in every corner of the country!

Top activities to do whilst on the road

1. Snorkeling in Silfra, Thingvellir National Park: Swim between two continents North America and Eurasia (Dive.is)
2. Glacier Climb/walk in Skaftafell
3. Floating glaciers in the ice lagoon Jökulsárlón.
4. Myvatn Geothermal pool
5. All the waterfalls: Skogafoss, Selfoss, Godafoss, Dettifoss, Seljalandsfoss
6. Horse riding – there are beautiful horses everywhere you drive!

Should you book a Campervan or book accommodation?

We had decided on booking a campervan due to flexibility of schedule and travelling at our own desired pace.

Throughout our journey, we passed many self-drivers, campervans, and large tour buses.

KuKu Campers

+ Extra SDW Insurance is included in the day rate for safe of mind

+ Cheapest option for the cheapest model 2016 Automatic Campervan

+ Easy and friendly to deal with

+ Easily add or refund items purchased on arrival

+ Drop off  and pick-up is available at the airport for a fee ($50 Euro)

+ USB charger included in car

–  Included stove was old and did not sit flat on the table

–  Pickup and drop off was 15 minutes from the city centre. Requiring a bus to get to location.

–  Table, chairs, GPS, and other items come at an additional charge

The other two well reviewed companies on the short list are below. We were looking for a Automatic New car, so KuKu was our best choice.

Happy Campers – https://www.happycampers.is/

Go Campers Iceland – http://www.gocampers.is/

Fuel Stations

Olis was our main fuel station. We received a discount card from Kuku Campers that allowed us to get free coffee and wifi at all Olis stations. The card also provided an average of 3 cents per litre discount.

Important thing to be aware of is that not all Olis are 24/7 so we had to plan ahead of which fuel station to target when we needed fuel and other amenties.

Campsites or where to sleep ?

We received a map with our Campervan rental which listed all campsites or accomodation available for the area.

It is recommended you stay at campsites as they have facilities that allow you to cook, shower, and recharge your batteries. You are able to buy a camping card before you depart, or alternatively you can pay once you get to the campsite. Each site is priced differently, but it costs around 1000 ISK per person for the night.

Below is a great map to plan where you want to stay on the journey.

http://campingcard.is/campsites/

What food to bring ?

We recommend a mixture of fresh and packaged foods which can be store in the car.

We brought the below foods and it was more than enough for the two of us.

1. Pasta & Sauce
2. Eggs
3. Instant Noodles
4. Quinoa and White Rice
5. Carton of Fruit Juice
6. Yoghurt
7. Fresh Fruit
8. Cheese
9. White sauce
10. Salt and pepper

What clothing is required?

Iceland’s weather can be quite windy and unpredictable, so it is always a good idea to have a waterproof windbreaker handy. Apart from that, a change of warm clothes, and sleeping clothes is more than enough in the summer. Watch this space for a complete list of gear and what we thought we needed and didn’t need.