{"id":4161,"date":"2020-10-28T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-10-28T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rent.is\/camperstories\/camper-van\/"},"modified":"2026-05-19T12:46:39","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T12:46:39","slug":"camper-van","status":"publish","type":"camperstories","link":"https:\/\/www.rent.is\/es\/camperstories\/camper-van\/","title":{"rendered":"A man, a plan, a Camper Van!"},"content":{"rendered":"
\u201cYou know\u2026\u201d your know-it-all friends will say, repeatedly, as soon as they hear you\u2019ve decided to spend your vacation in Iceland, \u201cGreenland is actually cold and full of ice, and Iceland is warm and green. It was the original bait-and-switch by the Vikings.\u201d While this may be technically true, even in August it\u2019s still pretty darn cold in Iceland.<\/div>\n
And we loved it! Coming from Washington, DC, which is a hot, steamy swamp all summer long, the crisp \u2013 okay, cold \u2013 weather felt amazing. Just remember to pack a couple of sweaters, even in August.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Read more<\/strong>: Wintercamping in Iceland<\/a><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
So, as a public service for you, the savvy traveler, we humbly offer a few suggestions for your trip to Iceland. You should totally go. It\u2019s awesome. (And rent a camper van<\/a> when you do!)<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\"A<\/a><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

A man, a plan, a camper van!<\/span><\/h2>\n
Most people campervanning around Iceland<\/a> are going to do some variant on the Ring Road<\/a> \u2013 the 1,300 kilometer highway that circles the island. It took us about nine days, including several detours. While it could probably be done in less time, we definitely would have loved to have more time. Taking a camper van is by far the best way to see Iceland at its best.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
There\u2019s been an explosion of tourism in the country, and outside of Reykjavik many of the hotel rooms fill up months in advance. Bouncing around in a camper van is by far the best way to explore the country \u2013 you can spend extra time on the parts of the Ring Road you like, and jet past what you don\u2019t, waving to all the sheep as you pass (we named them all Gary). None of the campgrounds we stopped at were ever full, even during the height of tourist season, and in the more remote parts of the country we would just find a quiet place by the side of the road.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
With a camper van you have much more freedom to be spontaneous. If you wanted, you could just land in Reykjavik, pick up your camper van<\/a> and then go \u2013 your only decision would be whether to go clockwise or counterclockwise. Even that\u2019s up for debate. We weren\u2019t 100% which direction we would go until we started driving.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\"Travel<\/a><\/div>\n
Our route around Iceland<\/em><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

Getting off the not-particularly-beaten track<\/span><\/h2>\n
Even in the height of summer, the Ring Road isn\u2019t too busy. Once you get to the more remote corners, you can actually travel for quite some time without seeing another car. Despite that, we still had the urge to get even further off the beaten track, and there\u2019s several opportunities to do just that.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The Tr\u00f6llaskagi Peninsula in the North is a winding collection of fjords that\u2019s only recently been fully connected by road. The stunning beauty of the landscape is surpassed only by the huge numbers of sheep (all presumably named Gary). The Sn\u00e6fellsnes Peninsula near Reykjavik is also an excellent side trip, featuring stunning sea cliffs and the massive Sn\u00e6fellsj\u00f6kull glacier.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\"Tr\u00f6llaskagi<\/a><\/div>\n
John takes in the craggy landscape of the remote <\/em><\/div>\n
Trollaskagi Peninsula in Northern Iceland<\/em><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

Mmmm\u2026 beer<\/span><\/h2>\n
Iceland\u2019s starting to develop quite a tasty craft beer scene. We really enjoyed all of the beers from Borg Bruggh\u00fas \u2013 especially the Nordic saison and barrel-aged stout, as well as some of the offerings from Einst\u00f6k and G\u00e6dingur. We learned the hard way that actual beer is only sold in the state-run liquor stores in Iceland, called V\u00ednb\u00fa\u00f0in. We spent the first half of the trip drinking the fizzy yellow water sold in gas stations and supermarkets before we found out where the actual beer is.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\"Sn\u00e6fellsnes<\/a><\/div>\n
Stopping for night on the Snaefellsness Peninsula in Western Iceland<\/em><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

Splish-splash I was takin\u2019 a bath\u2026<\/span><\/h2>\n
After all that driving and hiking, you\u2019ll probably want a nice hot soak. From wild hot springs in the middle of nowhere to the community swimming pools<\/a> in nearly every town, there\u2019s always a place for this. Two of our favorites include the Hofs\u00f3s Community Pool \u2013 an infinity pool perched on the side of a cliff with beautiful views of the sea, as well as the M\u00fdvatn Nature Baths \u2013 Northern Iceland\u2019s answer to the Blue Lagoon.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\"Cooking<\/a><\/div>\n
Gourmet meals, camper van-style! \u00a0Lamb kabobs, couscous,<\/em><\/div>\n
tomato and cucumber salad and sk\u00fdr tzatziki<\/em><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

Hot diggity dog!<\/span><\/h2>\n
Gas station hot dogs in the United States are best avoided. Made from the parts of the animal (cow or pig, if you\u2019re lucky) too foul to be made into industrial lubricants or fed to prisoners and schoolchildren, gas station hot dogs spin in a special griddle for days or weeks, waiting for the foolish and unwary to eat them. However, pylsur are a different beast all together. Icelandic hot dogs are made from lamb, served in a soft, pillow roll and covered in crispy fried onions and remoulade sauce. While remoulade looks like mayonnaise that\u2019s been left out in the sun, trust us, you want the remoulade.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\"Sey\u00f0isfj\u00f6r\u00f0ur<\/a><\/div>\n
Kate enjoys the dramatic view from the valley into<\/em><\/div>\n
the coastal town of Sey\u00f0isfj\u00f6r\u00f0ur in Eastern Iceland<\/em><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

Rotten shark is not that bad<\/span><\/h2>\n
After your know-it-all friends are done telling you ad-nauseam about how Iceland was named, they\u2019ll probably start pestering you about h\u00e1karl \u2013 the questionable delicacy of rotten Greenland shark that\u2019s been buried underground for six months. Food writer Anthony Bourdain famously described it as the worst thing he\u2019s ever eaten.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
While this is far from glowing praise, we are happy to report that while it is bad, it\u2019s not that bad. We got ours straight from the source, the Bjarnarh\u00f6fn Shark Museum, which is the country\u2019s largest producer of this fetid treat, in addition to being a very charming little museum. The slow-moving, dopey-looking Greenland shark spends most of the year hanging out in really cold and really deep water. Because of this, its blood is full of ammonia, functioning like antifreeze. Basically, what this means is that h\u00e1karl tastes like mozzarella cheese soaked in window cleaner. One bite was plenty, followed by copious amounts of brennivin, a caraway-flavored liquor to rinse out the rotten shark taste.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\"Fermented<\/a><\/div>\n
Kate attempts to sample a large hunk of h\u00e1karl at the drying shed<\/em><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

Treat yo\u2019 self<\/span><\/h2>\n
While our campervan experience was a fantastic adventure, after nine days and hundreds of kilometers we were definitely ready for some luxury. Because of psychology (nerd alert!). The peak-end theory in psychology says that our memories of an event (like an awesome vacation in Iceland!) are shaped by the most intense experience and the last experience.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
To that end, we saved Reykjavik for the end of our trip, returning our trusty camper van and checking into the newly-opened Hilton Canopy. While our hotel room had the distinct disadvantage of not having wheels, the sleek design, crisp sheets and gravlax-filled breakfast more than made up for that. We wandered around the city, checking out Reykjavik\u2019s great street art, shopping for souvenirs, and enjoying an excellent coffee at Reykjavik Roasters. We capped off our Iceland adventure with the delicious (and lengthy!) tasting menu at Fiskmarka\u00f0urinn.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\"Skaftafell<\/a><\/div>\n
The Skaftafellsjokull glacier flows down to the coast from the highlands<\/em><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Now that we\u2019re back in the sweltering heat of Washington, DC, we\u2019re already plotting our next trip back to Iceland to hit all of the places we didn\u2019t have time for on this trip, especially Westfjords. Iceland is truly an amazing place, and we can\u2019t wait to visit again.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Read more<\/strong>: 2 weeks in Iceland<\/a><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Happy Camping! \u00a0#CamperStories<\/strong><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

\u00a0Iceland Travel Guides<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"Hot<\/a>\u00a0\"Sn\u00e6fellsnes<\/a><\/p>\n