The Rookie Guide to Traveling Around Iceland in a Camper Van

If you've ever dreamed about traveling in a camper van but have little or no experience camper-vanning or camping, Iceland is the perfect place to try out the 'van-life'.  Here are a few reasons:

• Iceland is known for its spectacular landscapes and you can explore most of the sights (mostly free) by driving around the whole country (i.e. the Ring Road) within a week. 
• The weather in Iceland is very unpredictable, you'll want the flexibility to follow the weather and stop and park at one of the many campsites whenever you want.
• It is cold most of the time in Iceland (average temperature in summer is 10–13°C/50–55°F), a heated camper van will be more comfortable as compared to camping.
• There are plenty of space and traffic is non-existent outside of Reykjavik, which makes it less stressful to drive a larger (manual) vehicle.
• For the budget-conscious traveler, renting a campervan may not be the cheapest way to travel around Iceland, but it will allow you to save $$ on meals and accommodations.

​This was our first time traveling in a camper van, and I think we did pretty well considering all of us were 'rookies' in camper-vanning. We had an amazing and memorable time traveling around Iceland in a camper van, and a big part of it is because we did our 'homework' beforehand to prepare for the trip. Now that we've successfully completed our trip, here are some guides and tips to help you plan for your own adventure!

1. Choosing Your Camper Van

There were 3 of us in our party so we decided to go 'big' with the 5-person Renault Master 5. Glad we we chose the bigger van as it has plenty of space and having 'head space' in the van was great! Read more about our experience renting from Rent.is here → Iceland Campervan - Rent.is Review

Rookie Tip: Make sure someone in your party knows how to drive a manual transmission vehicle (stick shift). Most camper vans are manual, and automatic vehicle costs more.

​2. Plan an Itinerary and Map the Route

You don't need a super detailed itinerary like ours, but it's helpful to map out the attractions that interests you and tentative stops/campsites ​for each day with Google Maps. Be flexible with your plans and don't squeeze too much in a day as you'll definitely have unplanned stops along the way.​
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Rookie Tip: Make Grindavik campsite your first stop before starting your journey and before shopping at Bonus. This was the nicest campsite we visited in Iceland with a very nice kitchen and clean bathroom. Due to its proximity to the airport, many people (incl. us) stay here as the final stop before leaving Iceland. Therefore, the #CampersforCampers section in the kitchen is a great place to stock up some FREE food supplies and gas butane. 

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​3. Use Credit Card for Everything (almost)

International credit cards are accepted everywhere in Iceland, including campsites and hot dog stands. We withdrew ISK 5,000 ($50) cash from the ATM at the airport and the ONLY time we needed cash was coins for hot shower at Djupvogur campsite. Use credit cards that has no foreign transaction fees. (Referral links: Chase Sapphire Preferred ; Chase IHG) 

Rookie Tip: Call the phone number behind your credit card to request or set-up the 4-digit pin at least 2 weeks before your trip. You'll need the 4-digit pin to use the self-service gas stations, especially after hours. 

4. Budget for Gas

Gas/diesel is expensive in Iceland so make sure to build this into your trip budget. Expect to spend around $300-$400 on gas. We drove 2,850 kms (1,770 miles) and spent a total of $414 on gas. The 4 major gas stations in Iceland are N1, Olis, Orkan, and OB. The rental company gave us a N1 discount card from so we used N1 the most. This post has some good information on gas stations in Iceland.

​Rookie Tip: There are some parts along the Ring Road where you won't see any gas station for 1-2 hours so make sure to fill up before it goes below half a tank. Our rule of thumb was to fill up ISK 3,000 ($30) whenever the gas meter was around the 3/4 level. We were able to use our credit card (with 4-digit pin) at all gas stations without any problem.

​5. Pack Food and Cook

Apart from gas prices, eating out is also expensive in Iceland. You can buy groceries from places like Bonus, and the prices are quite reasonable. However, if you have plenty of luggage space like us, consider packing some packaged/canned food in your luggage. The camper van usually comes with a portable stove, so make sure you buy/bring food that are easy to cook and require minimal prep work. As seen below, we brought canned soups, canned veggies, spam, vienna sausage, tuna, pasta, rice, instant noodles, ​Mountain House dehydrated meals, ​Cliff bars, granola bars, nuts, chicken stock powder, coffee and tea.

We were able to cut our food cost significantly by cooking almost every meal and ate out only twice. Our total food cost for 8 days in Iceland was only $55/person. =)

Rookie Tip: See #2 on how to save $ on things like cooking oil, gas butane, dish wash sponge and soap, etc. Packing food in small boxes made it easy to organize them in the limited storage space in the van. 

6. Stay Organized and Keep the Van Clean

The camper van is your 'home' in Iceland, and you'll want to keep it clean and organized. Even with a large van, it is still a small space for 3 person. Keep your shoes-off at the back of the van to avoid tracking in sand. Keep things you'll need frequently in a separate bag for easy access.

Rookie Tip: See #5 on how we kept our food organized in the drawers/cabinets. Bring along some Clorox wipes and/or wet wipes to keep the van clean. We brought along a few plastic bags to use as trash bag (practical and free).

7. Power Up

​​The main concern with traveling in a camper van is the ability to charge all our electronics (can't survive without our gadgets). We had 4 phones, 3 laptops, 1 GoPro, and 1 Wifi modem. Fortunately, the van had 3 cigarette charging sockets and 2 USB charging docks. 

Rookie Tip: You'll need a power inverter to charge your laptops. We brought a Wagan power inverter (affiliate link) and it worked great! 

Try charging all your devices when you're driving (engine is running). There is a 2nd battery at the back of the van that works when the engine is off, but you'll want to avoid draining it at night as the heater and refrigerator runs on the 2nd battery. You'll want it to last until the next time you crank up the engine.

Left: Told ya we can't survive without our gadgets...lol!

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​8. Navigation

We rented an unlimited wifi modem for ISK 500/day ($5) from the rental company and was able to use Google Maps on our phones to navigate us throughout the trip. Mapping out all the stops ahead of our trip on Google Maps made it easier as we were able to just tap on the destinations we've mapped out.

Rookie Tip: Download google maps offline for Iceland before the trip to ensure navigation works at areas where there is no wifi reception.

​The only time Google map 'misnavigated' us was on the route from Akureyri to Snæfellsnes Peninsula. If you travel counter-clockwise around the Ring Road, make sure to avoid the grey route in the photo and go through Borgarnes instead to get to Snæfellsnes Peninsula. Ain't fun driving a camper through narrow gravel road.  

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9. Avoid Crowds in the Summer

Tourism in Iceland went through a massive boom in the last few years and summer is probably the worst in terms of crowds. Crowded sights put us off, and that's why we chose to travel during the shoulder season at the end of May/early June. With sunset at 11.30pm and sunrise at 3am, we decided to flip our schedule by sleeping during the day and traveling at night. This allowed us to have most sights to ourselves and see the best of Iceland’s spectacular nature – tranquil and serene.

Skogafoss at 3am

Rookie Tip: There are virtually 24 hours of daylight in Iceland during summer. You don't have to stick to the 'normal' sightseeing hours because most sights doesn't 'close'. Besides, you'll get to experience the midnight sun, sunrise, and sunset. After all, you'll still have to adjust for jet lag and sleep with daylight. Having a camper van gives you the flexibility to travel outside of normal check-in and check-out hours. 

​10. What to Pack

Clothing

• Thin and moisture-wicking base layer- Uniqlo Heattech tops, Adidas/Reebok leggings
• Extra layer of long sleeve/sweater/hoodie
• Snow pants to keep me warm and dry
• 2-in-1 water-resistant jacket & fleece - Got this jacket for Amazing Race and been loving it since
• Footwear - Timberland waterproof boots, sneakers, flip-flops (for shower)
• Swimsuit for hot tub/nature bath
• Gloves, ear muffs, beanie, wool socks, sunglasses

Shower/Hygienne

• Quick-drying compact microfiber towel​
• Toiletries
• Cottonelle flushable wet wipes - Keep you clean and refreshed
• Plastic bags to prevent things from getting wet

Food & Drinks

• See #5 above for food we brought
• Water bottle & travel mug - There is no need to buy bottled water in Iceland as you can fill natural spring water straight from the tap. The Hydro Flask vacuum stainless steel bottle kept drinks hot for 12 hours. We used the C​ontigo stainless steel travel mug for coffee/tea, and used the 2L Hydration blader to fill up more drinking water.

Daypack & Dry Bag

• ​Venture Pal lightweight daypack-​ A sturdy one for activities/hiking during the day
• ​Earth Pak waterproof bag and phone case - Avoid stuffs (especially gadgets) from getting wet, especially on rainy days, at waterfalls, and hot tub.

Car Equipments

• Power inverter - For charging laptops
• USB car charger
• ​Bluetooth portable speaker - You'll be spending a lot of time driving, make sure you have a good playlist to jam out in the car

Sleeping

• Pillow & sleeping bag was included in our rental. It was so comfortable and warm, I call it our cocoon. 
• Sleeping mask - It doesn't get dark in the summer
• Car shades - There are curtains in the van but this helped keep the van dark during bedtime.

Now that you've read through the 10 rookie guides/tips to travel around Iceland in a camper van, it's time for you to start planning your own Icelandic adventure! Have fun camper-vanning!

Related posts:
Iceland Camper Van - Rent.is Review
Iceland 9D8N Road Trip - Expenses
​Iceland Trip Reports:

• Reykjavik
• South Iceland
• East Iceland
• North Iceland
• Snaefellsness Peninsula
• Golden Circle

"This post contains affiliate links to the products we used on this trip. ​When you make a purchase using these links, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps me to keep this site running. =)"