Part 4 of our 4 part series on planning the ultimate road trip in Iceland. We will cover every aspect – accommodation, packing, driving, shopping – of planning an unforgettable Icelandic road trip
Read Part 1 – The Ultimate Road Trip in Iceland : An Itinerary (opens in a new tab)
Read Part 2 – Accommodation : Where To Stay on your Icelandic Road Trip (opens in new tab)
Read Part 3 – Travel Fashion – What to pack for a Road Trip in Iceland (opens in new tab)
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FACT FILE
When should you visit Iceland?
The million dollar question. Although we wish there was an easy answer to this question, we’ll have to go with “It Depends”. If you are after the Northern Lights and want to avoid the crowds, you should look at visiting Iceland between September and April. Things will be cheaper too. The good thing is that most of Iceland’s Ring Road is accessible throughout the year, and so are the majestic waterfalls. But do keep in mind that days are short (very short) so you might not be able to fit much in a day.
If you want to drive through the Central Highlands and enjoy warmer weather, then you should plan a visit between end of June and August. These are the days of midnight sun and longer days will give you the flexibility of doing more things.
From our own experience, we highly recommend end of May – it’s still considered off-peak season, so prices are affordable, days are really long and most of the roads (including gravel roads) are already open. You can (and should) always get live updates about road conditions here. It saved us a lot of stress 🙂
Visas
Iceland is part of the Schengen area. If you’re a UK, EU, Australian, or US citizen, you do not need a visa to enter Iceland. Citizens of other countries need a Schengen visa to enter Iceland.
Currency
Icelandic Krona (ISK). We withdrew money from ATMs on landing in Iceland.
Itinerary
This is the itinerary we suggest.
Day 1 – Fly into Keflavik Airport
Day 2- The Golden Circle and Skogafoss Waterfall
Day 3 – Glacier Hike on Sólheimajökull Glacier
Day 4- Jokulsarlon Iceberg Lagoon, Eastern Fjords, Egilsstadir
Day 5 – Lake Myvatn, Dettifoss, Selfoss and Krafla Volcanic Area
Day 6- Grjótagjá and Dimmuborgir
Days 7 & 8 – Northern Iceland and Akureyri
Days 9 & 10 – Snaefellsnes, Grundarfjörður, and Kirkjufell mountain
Days 11, 12, and 13 – Reykjavik, Whale Watching, and caving in lava tubes
Day 14- Fly back
Recommended Reading :- The Ultimate Road Trip in Iceland : An Itinerary (opens in a new tab)
Shopping/Eating
Iceland is notorious for being prohibitively expensive. While there is no denying that Iceland, like most countries in the area (Norway, Denmark, Sweden etc) is expensive, you can definitely budget your trip by spending wisely. Here are some things to keep in mind :-
- Parking is free all over Iceland (except Reykjavik), even in the most touristy areas. This offers such a respite from overpriced parking lots in Europe (We distinctly remember paying €29/day for parking in Switzerland)
- Entrance to all historical and natural sites is free in Iceland. Compare this to the rest of Europe where it can cost anywhere between €15-30 to enter a cathedral or access a waterfall
- You will struggle to find restaurants for long stretches because Iceland is sparsely populated. Stock up on your favourite eats at supermarkets, save a bunch of cash, and picnic 🙂
- Try to stock up at large supermarkets that offer good value for money. Most large supermarkets are located around Reykjavik and Akureyri.
- Netto, Krónan, and Bonus are some of the budget supermarkets in Iceland. Keep a lookout for them in urban areas
Don’t leave Iceland without trying these yummy eats
- Trying a hotdog at a gas station. At €3, it seems to be the food of choice in Iceland. Ask for one with “everything” – in Iceland this is code word for fried onions, ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise. Nom!
- Binging on Skyr (an Icelandic dairy product, similar to strained yogurt) in every possible flavour
- Munching on an Icelandic traditional twisted donut, Kleina, with a cup of hot chocolate.
- Trying Icelandic salmon – nom!
- Picnicking in the country side with sandwiches made from Geyser bread (bread baked using the heat generated by a geyser)
What to wear
As a rule of thumb, pack good-quality outerwear, warm jumpers, 2 pairs of sturdy shoes (hiking boots and sneakers), gloves, scarves, and hats.
Recommended Reading :- Travel Fashion – What to pack for a Road Trip in Iceland (opens in new tab)
Expenses
Aah! The question that everyone has been asking us ever since we returned from our Icelandic road trip. Expenses can vary vastly depending on your budget, so here we have highlighted the expenses for the kind of trip we took (2 weeks at the end of May). Please keep in mind that peak period in Iceland is from end of June to the beginning of September – this is when most tourists visit Iceland and as a result everything is really very expensive. We have summarised and broken down our expenses by type in the table below – click on each category to access detailed advice on budgeting for your Road Trip in Iceland 🙂
For a 14 day trip to Iceland, this is what you can expect to spend:
Flights: Dependent entire on where you are flying from
Most international flights land at the Keflavik Airport. Many airlines offer direct and indirect flights to Keflavik Airport from a number of cities in Europe. For e.g. Iceland is just a 3 hour flight away from London and Copenhagen. Flights start at £230/person in summer months and at £150/person in winter months.
Car: €770 – €1150 depending on car (for all passengers)
Car rental prices can vary significantly depending on the time you visit Iceland. In May, the cheapest prices for an economy car rental are €35/day and for a 4X4, €60/day. In peak summer months, you should add at least €20/day to these prices, if not more.
The type of car you should rent depends on what you are planning to do. If you are a couple and are going to stay on the Ring Road (N1), then you should be fine with a small economy car. However, if you are planning to go off the main road on gravel paths or if you are a big group, you should opt for a 4X4 for the comfort and space. The extra cost will be well worth it.
We had a Chevrolet Captiva rented from SixT and would not have it any other way – it was our mobile home for a week 😉 As for fuel, it depends on how much you drive.We drove close to 2,300 km and spent €300 on fuel.
Accommodation: €600/person at least
There is no dearth of options in Reykjavik and the rest of Iceland, even the countryside – from luxury hotels to swanky hostels, there is something to fit everyone’s budget.
Recommended reading :- Accommodation : Where To Stay on your Icelandic Road Trip
Per Day Allowance: €30/person/day
Eating out in rural Iceland can be expensive, so expect to spend around €20 for 1 main course. Enter picnics – you can shop at supermarkets and enjoy healthy food in beautiful surroundings without spending a fortune for every meal. Having said that, you should definitely try local dishes like meat soup when you stay at rural farmhouses.
Of course, there is no shortage of dining options to suit all budgets in big cities such as Reykjavik – you can find a decent meal for €10 here. Make sure you enjoy the vibrant nightlife of Reykjavik. A pint of beer costs €5.
Tours: €200/person
You must go for a glacier hike, a whale watching tour and underground lava caving tour.
Factor in around €200 / person for all these tours.
Total: Roughly €1500 per person if 2 people are sharing the car and less if there are more passengers. This figure can decrease significantly if you choose
- not to rent a car and hitchhike instead
- camp in the open instead of opting for comfortable accommodation [/tab] [tab]
And if you need more convincing to finally pack your bags and head to Iceland, then this video diary of our trip should help 😉
You can access all our articles on Iceland, including a detailed itinerary, packing list, and accommodation advice, by clicking on this link. If you have any more questions, just drop us a comment or an email 🙂
Have fun in Iceland 🙂
Such a helpful post – thank you, guys! I’m bookmarking it for later and I’ll definitely refer it sooner or later since you guys have SO comprehensively put Iceland in my bucket list now. 🙂
* refer TO
😛
Thanks Amiya. So happy to hear we’ve inspired you to put Iceland on your bucket list. Yay 🙂
Hi Savi Vid,
I was so anxiously waiting for the Expenses info right from the start of this series.
Well, now I got some idea about it. And that doesn’t dampen my wish in anyway 😉
I still feel like someday I may be able to go on a road trip like you both. Oh.. wish me luck 🙂
P.S: You guys might think of me as old school, but honestly I never had a Facebook account
(The thing is, I’m not really a social-networking person). But I can tell you, if I ever create a Facebook Id,
you guys will be the first person I follow.
Hey Kika- We’re beginning to think not having a Facebook account is actually a great idea. You can be so much more productive during the day 🙂 All the best – we hope you get to travel tons and go on an epic road trip in 2014
Excellent write up …keep up the great work .
Thanks Shabeer – much appreciated 🙂
Hey Savi, Hey Vid,
I have been reading and recommending your blog for a year now.
Finally mustered up the courage to comment .
You guys are awesome ,every post of yours is incredible.
And even though I have never been out of India, your wanderlust inspires me .
Keep writing , keep travelling 🙂
p.s would love to read a book by you guys .
Hey Amrita – firstly thank you ever so much for commenting on Bruised Passports. Hearing from our readers makes us very very happy 🙂 We hope you get to travel all over India and all over the world very soon. Much love from both of us
Great article
What about getting connected? You missed us 😉
Oops our bad guys – we should’ve totally hooked up with you while we were in Iceland 🙂
Everyone seems to take credit card in Iceland, even in the most remote areas. We never needed to use cash during a whole week.
Hey Ed- yep, that’s true. Most places accept debit and credit cards in Iceland. However some cards incur a fee for every transaction, which can be tricky
Hey Savi, Hey Vid,
Great post! im planning to go to iceland myself and these detailed budget thing is super helpful. other than travel for holiday by any chance you know some info for foreigners living / working there? thankies!
Hey Shabrina – I’m afraid we don’t know much about living/working in Iceland. It depends on the kind of passport you have, but from what we’ve heard Iceland is quite receptive to foreigners settling in the country
I really enjpy reading your blogs
Hey Savivid.. (Disregard my previous comment. Posted in error)
I am a silent reader of your blog. I really enjoy reading it. You guys have added so many things in my “lust list”.
You both look adorable together. All the best for your future travels. Keep travelling and keep posting! XOXO
Thanks a million for leaving a comment Shelly. We’re so happy to hear you enjoy reading Bruised Passports and will look forward to reading more comments from you 🙂
I did a stopover via Icelandair a few years ago in late May and one day the weather was 45 deg. and rainy and the next it was sunny and 60! I want to go back to see the entire island. Many thanks for the very informative posts!
Hey Sarah – glad you found our posts helpful. Iceland’s weather can be really unpredictable – it was exactly the same when we visited! We literally drove from a hail storm to a heat wave within minutes 😉
Hi Savi and Vid,
Absolutely love your stories and photography. I was thinking of hiring Sixt for our Spain holiday coming up in sept. how was your experience with them? How would you compare them to Hertz since you’ve also used their car in spain?
Niky
Hi Niky,
Thank you so much and we are glad that you love our write up on Iceland. We have (fortunately) had really good experiences with both Hertz and SixT. We haven’t tried both of them in the same country though so can’t compare like for like. That said, I am sure SixT will be good in Spain as well (as they were in Iceland).
I guess you should go for the one that offers you the best value in terms of price and add-ons like GPS, one-way drop off fee etc.
Cheers
Thanks a lot for your series of posts on Iceland! We are planning our trip for mid-june next year and I took a lot of notes from your experience! Thanks for sharing 🙂 xox
Hey Julie – we’re so happy to hear you found our posts helpful. Have an amazing time in Iceland 🙂
Hi Savi and Vid,
Great timing I found your wonderful blog as my husband and I are planning a two week road trip around Iceland this year in late May! We will be adding the Westfjord area as well. Did Icelandic Farm Holidays pull all of your trip together for you?
Hey Nancy – thanks for writing in. You two are going to have such a good time in Iceland 🙂 We planned the trip ourselves but booked everything through Icelandic Farm Holidays. Just drop us a line if you have any other questions
Hi I’ve just come across your post & found it very interesting. My husband and I have just booked to go in October this year for 5 days (a short anniversary trip while my parents look after the 2 kids!). We found the flights really cheap with Easyjet flying from Luton to Keflavic and they cost just £223 for both of us including 1 suitcase which should be enough for both of us for the time we will be there. We had looked at the price of doing some of the trips and had thought about hiring a car instead bit wasn’t sure how easy it was to get about. Thanks to your information i’m pretty sure that we will manage just fine. We are staying in Keflavic for the whole time as it is such a short trip but I understand that if we are fortunate enough you can see the northern lights well from here. Thank you for taking the time to document your travel and post such amazing pictures. ☺
Hey Janine – I can’t thank you enough for taking the time out to leave a comment. I’m so happy our post helped you in planning a trip to Iceland- you have me grinning from ear to ear. Hope the two of you have an awesome romantic getaway 🙂
Thank you we are really looking forward to it & hopefully this will be the first of many grown up trips mow the kids are getting older. I’m sure we will get plenty of ideas from your blogs. 🙂
Hi,
You had an amazing trip!!!! Thanks for your report!!! I’m planning a trip to Iceland on October, and I also want to hunt for Grjótagjá Cave. Can you give me some directions/tips to find it?
Thanks a lot!!!!
Hi Mariana,
Glad you enjoyed our article.
Right, let’s see: for Grjótagjá Cave, when you are driving on the ring road from East to West towards Myvatn, you will come across the sulphur springs on your left. You will also see a road going to the right towards Viti crater (which you must visit). If you keep going on the ring road, you will go up a hill, and then come down where you will see a blue lagoon of sorts on your right. Just a few hundred meters from there, you will see a road going to the left with the marking Grjótagjá Cave.
Hope this helps 🙂
Hi Vid!! Thanks a lot…. very helpful our explanation!! I have some extra questions:
– Is it easy to find the cave? (I saw some pics of it and it seems to be a very small entrance);
– Is it easy to find the termal pool inside the cave? I mean, can we explore by ourselves? (we are not planning to go deep into the cave, just find the termal pool).
Thanks again!! Now I read you last post about Lapand and I’m completaly in love with the igloos!! Hahah
Hi Mariana,
Yes, it’s easy to find the cave. It’s a tiny cave, so once you get in, you will see the pool right in front of you 🙂 The cave is as big as the pool, so not much to explore !!
You should definitely make your way to Lapland 🙂 But first, have a great time in Iceland – it’s a country like no other
Very informative guys. Glad to come across your blog? I am planning to go in the month of August. Did you have an International Drivers License or a British one. Wondering whats the best way approach to this. I also read that the license should have been issued at least two years before the rental date from Sixt rentals.
Sorry about the typing error of question mark. I definitely am glad to come across your blog!!!
Hi Ankur,
I rented the car on my Indian driving license and didn’t need any International Driving Permit. Not sure about the 2 year rule – you might want to confirm that with SixT 🙂
This is very useful! Thanks for writing up such a detailed breakdown of your costs. Will share it on Facebook!
Hey Bethany,
Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for sharing 🙂
Hey Bethaney – glad you found it useful 🙂
You’re right!! Gonna be sharing this too ????
Hello Savi Vid ,
We are planning a trip to Iceland this coming July, probably in the mid of the month.
Can you advice on a suitable car to complete the Ring road ? Since we have limited days in Iceland , we might just drive along the ring road itself (I believe it offers amazing scenery as well? :D) , somehow we might take the off-roads but not too far , Do we need a 4WD? How much have you spent on the gas to complete the ring road ?
Hey Sammy,
We have listed the amount we spent on fuel in the post 🙂
“As for fuel, it depends on how much you drive.We drove close to 2,300 km and spent £250 on fuel.”
You don’t really need a 4WD if you are not going to go too much off the ring road. The ring road is in a very good condition so any normal rental car would be fine if you don’t want to spend on a 4WD
Hope that helps
Thank you so much , That is really helpful . Cheers!
Just came across your website, so helpful and detailed, I only wish I found it sooner! My girlfriend and I are planning on going to Iceland for two weeks in August and renting a car while we’re there. I know you mentioned about the importance of getting a 4×4 for tougher terrains, just wondering what major sights would we miss out on if we only hired a road car?
Hey Mark – you should be able to get to most (if not all!) sights in a regular car. August means it will be full-blown summer season in Iceland and most roads will be open (in winter, a number of roads are snowed under). However we’d suggest a 4X4 if you’re a curious soul and are tempted by the idea of offroading in Iceland 🙂
Hi Savi and Vid,
You have maintained an amazing website, and especially the section on your Iceland experience which is nothing short of fabulous!
My wife and I are planning on going there this September, and were working out an itinerary similar to yours (its just so awesome and helpful!). I have a question for you please – regarding accommodation, would it be possibly for you to share a rough breakup of the costs per room per night during your stay please? I know you’ve mentioned about 420 GBP per person overall for the trip, but I was looking for a further by-specific-place-SaviVid-visited kinda breakup. Reason I ask is because the quotes I am seeing / receiving while doing my research appear higher than the number you have mentioned, despite September supposedly being non-peak. Maybe I’m calculating wrong. Just wanted to compare notes to make sure…thanks a ton, and keep up the great job!
Mike
Hi Mike,
If you click on the “Accommodation” tab in the budget table (you will see it on the left hand side), you will see that we have mentioned a rough break-up of what we spent nightly. It can be tricky to mention the exact prices for each night because prices change from season to season and year to year. That’s exactly why we have mentioned that the prices are for May 2014. The same prices in May 2015 might be higher and in August/September even higher – first half of September is still considered peak season.
The best bet is to go on the Icelandic Farm Holidays website and see the latest prices – that way there will be no doubt in your minds because the prices we write for 2014 might not be the latest ones.
Cheers
Vid
Ahhh – i’m sorry for the above comment I have no idea how to delete that – it’s my frist time commenting on one of these things!
Your trip looked amazing, my boyfriend and I are planning to follow in your footsteps in May 2016. I was wondering what you would recommend when would be the best time to go in May? We want to rent a 4×4 and explore the F Roads – but I just saw something online that said the F roads are closed until June? Did you run into this problem?
Thank you!
Hey Erin,
No worries about the comment – I have deleted that now 🙂
We were in Iceland May end – June beginning. You are right, many of the F roads were still closed, but we did go on one, F939, and it was a lot of fun. That said, it might not make sense to rent a 4X4 for just that road. Maybe you could rent one of the smaller 4X4s (there is one by Suzuki).
Whatever the case, you are going to love Iceland 🙂
Hey Vid,
preparing for our 5 day trip in Iceland this summer, we found your article really (!) useful! I think we managed to see everything you recommended + a few more specials. We were also amazed to see that, traveling on a budget with friends, you don’t necessarily have to become poor when you take a little care how you spend your money…
If you’re interested, check out how our road trip went. We really considered it the holiday of a lifetime :):
https://mintandcopper.wordpress.com/2015/09/30/road-tripping-in-iceland/
Thanks again!
Hi Deborah,
Glad you had an amazing time in Iceland – you should definitely try and go back for longer next time, you’ll love it even more 🙂
Cheers
Hello,
Which rental car company to follow for booking car?
Hi Yesha – we booked our car with SixT (linked above) and it was a good vehicle 🙂
Hello! I loved reading all of your posts – they are getting me very excited for my trip in March. I was wondering if you have any suggestion on how to do a similar trip to yours but in 7 days. I would like to get the most out of the week as possible!
Hi Emma! Perhaps you could spend just one night in Reykjavik and remove Snaefellsness from your itinerary ?
Your video and photos are amazing! I have a question on one more cost. Gas. How much is cost of gas for a rental car. I want to stay in Iceland for 5 days, 4 nights. I am only visiting southern Iceland from Reykjavik to about Hofn and back. Do you have any estimation on how much I should budget for the fuel cost? Thank you so much for all of your helpfulness in your travel posts.
Hey Lisa – glad you enjoyed them. We’ve mentioned an estimate of fuel costs for a roadtrip in Iceland above. I think you missed it 🙂 “As for fuel, it depends on how much you drive. We drove close to 2,300 kms and spent £250/USD 350 on fuel”
Great post! Hope you will be visiting Iceland again soon. You should contact us if you will ever be coming back to Iceland.
Watching your video solidified my plan to visit Iceland. I was intimidated at first but you guys changed my way of thinking! It inspired and reassured me that it’s safe to self drive. Thanks to your video.. My husband and I are used to these escorted tours when we travel international.Watching your video was inspiring. This will be our first independent travel. Our plan is to see the country for 17 days(14 days around the island and 2 days in Rekyavik. what would be a better month to go there, may or September? What other advise can you give in terms of optional activities that are appropriate for our age? Thanks a lot. I love your blog! Lots of info..
Hey Elisa – reading your comment put such smiles on our faces. We’re so happy to hear you’re willing to experiment and step outside your comfort zone at your age. You will love Iceland – it’s an easy country to explore independently and you will love discovering it at your own pace. Both May and September are great months to visit Iceland. However we visited Iceland at the end of May (just before peak tourist season) and loved it at the time, so we’d recommend May 🙂 Have fun in Iceland. Send us photos from your trip – we’d love to share them on our website
Btw, we are in our 60’s… I forgot that part.
Hi Savi, Vid,
Great blog, and great pics as well! I’m trying to plan a trip to Iceland – and I have some questions about driving licenses and insurance.
1) Do you need an International License to drive in Iceland as a tourist, if you’re an Indian citizen? Or will an Indian license do?
2) Did you get the super CDW insurance? What were the insurance terms like with your rental?
3) I don’t have significant ice or mountain driving experience – is the route doable for someone with mainly flatland driving experience? I plan to go in August 2016 / May 2017.
Cheers again, and may Bohemia keep you well 🙂
Hey Nandini
Thanks a ton. Here are the answers to your questions:
1) You can drive with an Indian licence
2) We always prefer to opt for CDW insurance. We’d suggest opting for it if the cost isn’t too high.
3) You’ll be ok with your driving experience since you’re not going in the depths of winter 🙂
Have fun- Iceland is a stunning country 🙂
Hi Savi & Sid
Trust me i am speechless..the way you have captured the beautiful place is just awwwwsum..i have been thinking to visit this place for really long time but now with all the details so handy i am going to go there realllllyyy soon..thank you very much and i am sharing your video on my Facebook wall..hope you wont mind 😛
Cheers
Madhu
Hey Madhu – please feel free to share the video 🙂 You should definitely visit Iceland, it’s stunning
Hi Savi & Vid,
Just wanted to understand that if my husband and I dont plan to drive in Iceland, what is the next best option to do the roadtrip? Is there any other kind of connectivity?
Cheers,
Neha
Hey Neha – there is a hop on hop off bus that circles the Ring Road. It’s a very convenient way to explore all the main sights 🙂
Hey guys,
I loved your post, it was very informative and answered most of my questions. I had a few more!
How long is the walk to the gullfoss water falls?
Are the roads well marked?
How long is the walk to the icebergs?Do we need snow shoes?
We would like to spend 3-4 weeks in Iceland.Do you suggest more that can be done or places we should spend more time in?
Thanks a ton
Hi Sonia,
The walk to Gulfoss is 5 minutes from the parking lot. The roads are very well marked. If you’re going in winter, we definitely recommend snow shoes. If you have 3-4 weeks to spend in Iceland, we’d recommend exploring the Western Fjords and the Highland (interiors) but do keep in mind that these places are difficult to get to in winters.
Hope this helps.
Have a great road trip in Iceland 🙂
VERY helpful! Thank you! I just got back from my trip and we rented a car through SIXT. This was the cheapest BUT they had a 800km maximum before they charge us extra. And no matter where you are, that’s not enough for 7 days in Iceland.
We stayed in Reykjavik and did day trips all around west coast. Here is the breakdown on mileage and gas prices and hopefully this can help some of you budget:
7 days
Total spent on gas: 10,000 Krona ($80 USD)
Total Mileage: 983 km
Gas Mileage in small 2 wheel drive car: 17.5 km per liter.
Cost per Liter at Gas Station: 198 Krona per liter ($1.61 USD) = $6 a gallon for reference
For example: Golden Circle from Reykjavik took half a tank of gas (200-300km) = 20.67 L = 4,000 Krona = $32
Thanks for this update Charlotte – I’m sure our readers will find it very helpful while planning their trip to Iceland 😀
Hey,
What a beautiful and to the point write up! I am planning to visit Iceland later this year and also rent a car. I wanted to ask how easy it was to rent a car and the overall experience. I’ve had a couple of bad experiences in other places in mainland Europe like being overcharged at the time of settling as well as some amount charged on my car after I returned to India where I live (all problems related to insurance / fuel tank…Would be nice if u have some tips for car rental!
Hey Jatin – we haven’t had any bad experiences with cars so far. However these are a couple of things we do while renting a car:
1) Check the car thoroughly for scratches/dents while picking the car
2) Take photos as visual proof of the condition of the car when you got it
3) Opt for external insurance as most car insurance policies can get very expensive
Hey Guys, I just cant wait for my Iceland trip next weekend, couldn’t plan for many days, I’m going for 3 whole days (Fri, sat, sun), planning to rent a car, would you advice me on the must to see places in these 3 days along the road trip..
Hey Daya – you can try covering the Golden Circle and Jokulsarlon.Have fun in Iceland 🙂
Hey Savi Vid, I am so happy I found you guys and your post about Iceland. I and my girlfriend planning for a road trip there from the 20th to the 30th of Sep this year. We would be following your exact same itinerary to enjoy Iceland and its scenic beauty. I had a couple of questions regarding the type of car. I know you guys hired a 4×4 but is a 4×4 mandatory? If I am opting for a smaller car, would I be facing any issues, if so where (I mean which leg of the trip)?
Hey Bhav – a 4X4 isn’t compulsory to drive around in Iceland as the roads are in great shape. However we’d suggest staying on the main highway without a 4X4 – don’t go offroading or you’ll get stuck 🙂
Hi Savi, Vid,
Awsome videos, and great pics as well! I’m planning for a trip to Iceland during the month of April /May 2017 with my friends – and I have some questions
1. For the tours which you have mentioned like lava caving tour, glacier hiking etc do we have to pre-book them or can we do it from the airport/hotel itself? and do you have any recommended links for these.
2. Did you guys happen to see the northern lights during your stay ?
Regards,
Nijas
Hey Nijas – we went in peak summer, so Northern Lights weren’t a possibility. We booked our excursions with the people we’ve linked in the itinerary article (Glacier hiking with Arctic Adventures, Lava Caving Tour with Extreme Iceland etc). Hope this helps 🙂
hello.. i would like to know the chances of hurdles that may arrive in terms of insurance of the car that i am hiring with the rental company..suppose if some car hits my car or accidentally i hit someones ..then how tough it is to overcome the problem in isurance and all. and what problems may arrive/
being an indian its tough to drive with their rules on road but still i guess u drove by urself.. and is indian licence valid over there?
Hey Anindya – we drive in a LOT of countries on both sides of the road, so it’s hard for us to say whether or not it’ll be hard for a first time driver in Iceland. However it shouldn’t be a problem if you feel you are a competitive driver – just make sure you brush up on rules before you drive in Europe as they are followed to the tee.
We’ve never had to claim insurance but we hear it’s pretty seamless, should the need to claim it arise. Yes, an Indian driving license works just fine as long as it is in English 🙂
thank u very much for your reply sir/ma’am ..just another thing… that i have read in some other comment that a CDW (collision damage waiver is advisable for us if we are willing to drive over there so.. would like to know what i have to do to get it …
Hey Anindya – you just have to choose the CDW option while booking your car rental
Hey Savi and Vid – Absolutely in love with you blog. We were thinking of Iceland mid May next year. We will be traveling with our 2.5 year old. You think its child friendly? Would love to hear your thoughts? Thanks, Afreen
PS: All the best for your new adventures
Hey Afreen – thanks a ton. Yes absolutely Iceland is extremely family friendly, so you won’t have any trouble as far as amenities are concerned. However there isn’t much to do for kids (amusement parks etc), so that is definitely something to keep in mind 🙂
Hi Savi and Vid,
I love your blog! How early do you recommend booking accommodation and car rental in Iceland? I’m planning to go in mid September next year and when I look at car rental and hotels, they are showing pretty high prices, even though September is off season. Is it maybe because it’s an year away? Do you recommending waiting a few months before I book. Thanks!!
Hey Rashmi – September isn’t exactly off season for Iceland. Unfortunately prices are increasing every year as tourism is increasingly in the country. However you should try and book about 4-5 months in advance for best rates 🙂
Hey Savi and Vid. Just a few questions. Can an 18 year old rent a car? Did you plan out which gas stations you were going to fill up at? How was the bathroom situation given that the landscape appears to be very scarce…? Could you just skip the b&b’s and just camp outside? How much did the gas total to? And what was an expense that either surprised you or that most people miss? Thanks a lot and your website is amazing.
Hi Jacob,
I doubt an 18 year will be able to rent. Even if they allow it, there’ll be hefty additional charges for that. No, we didn’t plan on which gas stations we’d fill up at – we just made sure we filled up when we saw that the level was dipping. We were always able to find a bathroom even though the landscape appears scarce. You can definitely camp outside. Please see the table in the post for total expenses. To be honest, after living in UK, the prices in Iceland didn’t really surprise us 🙂
Cheers
Thanks so much for this, it really helped with my budgeting!
Happy to hear that Jessica 🙂 Hope you had a great trip!
Happy to hear that Jessica 🙂
Hello Savi & Vid. Great & helpful blog. Keep up the good work. We 4 (2 couples) planning a 10 day road trip as travelled by you by hiring 4×4 as recommended by you. We are planning around last week of may 2017. Would you help me with costing per person if we all 4 share same vehicle. I seem little confused with your costing table. If possible please give me per person approximate cost apart from Airfares & Visa.
Hi Hitesh,
Why are you confused with the costing listed in the table? All costs are listed per person except for the car (where we have mentioned it’s for all passengers).
Let me know your specific questions so that we can give you specific answers 🙂
Cheers
4×4 is not a must in Iceland. Summers can be done in a normal car. If you want a low cost 4×4 try Duster Manual.
That’s right – you can easily drive the ring road in a normal car but if you want to go off-roading then a 4X4 is handy.
Hi Guys, on day 5 you meant to mention Godafoss and not Selfoss :), right?
Day 5 – Lake Myvatn, Dettifoss, Selfoss and Krafla Volcanic Area
I am having a great time building our itinerary for a 16 days road trip to this wonderland.. have browsed through your posts about it multiple times..thank you for all the good work you are doing documenting your journey.
Cheers!
Tara
Hi Tara,
No we meant Selfoss only – it’s a waterfall that is around 10 minutes walk from Detifoss 🙂
Happy to hear that our itinerary is proving to be useful to you 🙂
Would you guys recommend taking the iceland air stopover package if flying from India ?
The free 7 day looks tempting to say the least
Hey Anita,
Yes the 7 day stopover is amazing and if it’s being offered from India then you should certainly opt for that 🙂
Hey! Savi and Vid
Its a delight to read your posts and just look at your pictures. Quick question, your thoughts on solo female travel in Iceland including driving the ring road? I plan to do this on my own..:)
Hey!
That’s a good idea and absolutely doable – Iceland is one of the safest countries in the world 🙂
Thanks so much for your positive feedback-this is what makes our hearts sing and keeps us moving ahead.
Hey Guys,
I follow your every post.Lovely work u guys do! #inspiration
We are celebrating our first anniversary this year and was planning to go to Iceland for the same . Do you suggest going there during 1st two weeks of May? That’s when our Anniversary is!
Looking forward to your reply.
Cheers!
Hey Sappy,
SO SORRY For the delay in getting back to you. Hope you had a great time in Iceland for your anniversary. May is a good time to go to Iceland for sure 🙂
Hi Savi & Vid!
That’s a very informative and helpful blog! Always good to read your blogs!! 🙂
We are from India and are planning a trip to Iceland. Just wanted to know if the Indian Driving License would work over there, in case we rent cars.
Hi yes an Indian Driving License works fine if you intend to drive in Iceland 🙂
Hi We are looking for a family holiday of one week to 10 days in one country in Europe , could you suggest which country Is family friendly , more like road trips