So you have been there already. Any top tips. I gather roads are not the best and places are few and far between. Did you wild camp? Which are the best maps to get?
We are looking forward to big opens spaces and the sky above.
We were there in 2013, not in a camper. Main roads around cities and towns were fully metalled, but side roads were gravel/dust. Local hire car companies will charge for dust and grit damage to paintwork which can get whipped up when the wind blows which is an indication of what the roads are like.
For an idea of scale, the road trip from Reyjavik in the south west to Akureyri half way along the north coast takes at least 6 hours. The east and south east coasts are almost uninhabited.
If the ferry stops in the Faroes consider paying the islands a visit and try and get your head around how people manage to live there.
I should have mentioned we didn't take the Motorhome. We did look into it but there was no provision in the winter timetable. The main reason we went in October was to see the switching on of the Peace Tower.
We did a lot of travelling, car hire is cheap and we found the roads to be excellent. We had a good idea of where we wanted to go and even in the winter travelling to Landmannalaugar, Myrdalsjökull Glacier Park, Skaftafell Ice Cave, Vatnajökull National Park, Blue Lagoon, Grindavík and the Gullfoss Waterfall was no problem.
Wild camping seemed to be in abundance, mainly caravans, but we never visited any sites.
For our visit this May we did look into ferries but in my opinion it was totally uneconomic, about 4 nights from leaving the uk to arriving in Iceland. When the fare reached over £2,000 not including the Motorhome, we stopped looking! In October travelling to Edinburgh, flying to Reyjavick, 7 nights in a 4 star city centre hotel, back to Edinburgh, 1 night in a travel lodge ( to get 8 nights free parking) was less than £2,000. No contest.
You'll love it. The only thing that takes a while to getting used to was the sulphur smell in the water. Drinking water, showers, no difference. It stinks! But doesn't linger.
Have fun.
Thanks very much for your helpful replies. I agree that getting to the place by ferry with the motorhome is a major expense and takes time but being retired we can be away for 5 weeks total and we look on the getting to and from as part of the holiday. Once we get there accommodation costs shold be minimal I hope. We do stop off at the Faroes for a couple of nights so that should be fun.
We have mixed message re the roads - some say don't risk it without a 4X4 others that the roads are fine. I think it depends on where you want to go and being sensible.
Do you have any recommendations regarding road maps and guide books?
It all depends on what you want. If you want to go snowboarding down a glacier, climb a volcano, kayak in white water, which I would have done at age 27, a 4x4 would be vital. At 67 though, good roads and footpaths are a must, so you're retired I'm guessing you would like very much to do the same as me.
October was bitterly cold, but it's a 'nice' cold. We went whale watching twice and although it was below zero, it was great. To travel to the east where the major sights are, for us anyway, you cross the mountains that protect Reyjavick City from the worst of the weather, then it can be a bit dramatic.
The reason we're going back in May us to experience the midnight sun and to cross into the Arctic Circle. Neither of which we could do in the winter.
If I can be of any more help, just give me a shout.
67, retired and interested in nature and natural phenomena, that's me and you by the sound of it.
We will be starting from the east of the island at Seysdisfjordur where the ferry docks but will try to see the main sites in our 3 plus weeks on the island, probably going right around the circular road. Certainly whale watching is on the itinerary along with visits to geysers, water falls, national parks and glaciers. Certainly not concidering snowboarding or white water kayaking, but certainly walking is on the agenda.
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: Electrics in Iceland
