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Old 04-03-2019, 02:53 PM   #1
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RV Camping in Iceland

Snow, sleet, squalls, wind – all in a week’s experience RVing in Iceland. You also get mountains, volcanoes, glaciers, icebergs, wild reindeer, puffins, waterfalls, Icelandic horses, black beaches, lava fields, geothermal steam vents and boiling mud, hot springs and more breath-taking awe inspiring scenery than you have even seen before.

As a typical Canadian our camping usually starts in early May. In 2018, Sindee and I (and our two now adult kids) postponed taking our Flagstaff 26RBWS out for a couple of weeks to rent an RV and travel Iceland's Ring Road. It was the experience of a lifetime. The video highlights some of those travels and our itinerary is below. If you're considering this adventure, I hope this post is helpful.



In early May, 2018 our family rented a 24’ motorhome (an LMC Breezer H737G) to drive Iceland's Ring Road. McRent staff picked us up at the Keflavik airport - minutes later we were at their offices for our orientation - within two hours we were ready to hit the road.

We headed inland on Day 1, to Geysir, but our first stop was at Bonus, Iceland's largest chain of grocery stores, to provision. You'll recognize the Bonus stores by their unusual logo - it looks like a drunken pig. That's not meant as a knock...but seriously, that's exactly what it looks like. It's actually rather endearing.

A quick note on the weather - it changes fast and often. Blinding squalls followed by bright sun were common, and most days the wind rarely stopped blowing. High winds are taken seriously in Iceland and there are automated signs along the route telling you if it's safe to drive a particular section of the highway.

Camping the first night was at Uthlid Camping Ground. The main campground was still snow covered but they allowed the four or five campers seeking a spot for the night to park behind their restaurant, plug into their electric and use their washrooms. We enjoyed a nice meal in the restaurant with a few other hardy campers from Europe. Note: Our RV was self-contained but many of the camper vehicles rented in Iceland are smaller vans with basic sleeping accommodations and the campgrounds have a communal kitchen for preparing food.

Day 2 began with a visit to Gulfoss Falls and ended at Skogafoss Falls. It was also the start of our 1400 km trip around Iceland's Route 1, the Ring Road. Gulfoss is huge....and amazing - and you can camp right at the falls at Skogafoss. Both locations also have a restaurant.

Before arriving at Skogafoss we detoured for a hike (about 4-5 kms each way) to the site of a US Navy plane that crash-landed in 1973 on a black sand beach. Blinding squalls blew in and we were happy for the markers that deliniated the path. The shiny aluminum skin of the DC 3 is juxtaposed against the black beach and attracts photographers from around the globe.

Day 3 we visited the Jokulsarlon Glacier Iceberg Lagoon and encountered a wild reindeer herd as we approached Djupivogur - a picturesque port town. The campground in Djupivogur is right in town with terraced sites overlooking the harbour and distant mountain range. Check-in was done at the Hotel Framtid.

Day 4 saw us heading to Egilsstadir with side trips to Seydisfjordur, a beautiful sea town where a ferry from Denmark arrives once/week, and Borgarfjordur eystri, a tiny seaside village to see Puffins. This is a very mountainous area: the road to see the Puffins was unpaved and climbed up and over a mountain range. It was an 'interesting' drive in a 24' motorhome with a 4 cyl diesel engine - but we'd do it again in a heartbeat. Note: we had to wait about 30 minutes before the Puffins started to come ashore to their nests - until then they spent their time on the ocean. During our visit in May this meant the best time to see them was around 5PM.

The campground in Egilsstadir is right in town. When we were there it was an honour-pay system requiring cash to pay.

Day 5 we headed towards Akureyri. This part of north east Iceland is very remote. The Geothermal area at Hverarond is a must see. Boiling mud pits and hissing steam vents with volcanoes and mountains as a backdrop - amazing.

Akureyri, the 'Capital of the North' is only about 100 kms from the Arctic Circle. Its a pretty town with some nice shops and restaurants, and yes, Iceland is as expensive as you've probably heard. The campground in Akureyri, Camping Hamrar, is large and well serviced.

Day 6 was the longest drive of the journey as we headed to the 'Vesterland'. Kirkjufell Mountain alone was worth the drive. Amazing. Taking pictures there was a challenge thanks to the constant 60Km winds, gusting to 90, but it was beautiful. Olafsvik Campsite is just outside of town and within walking distance if the weather is decent or the winds aren't howling. The RV shook all night long, buffeted by the wind.

Day 7 broke calmer and we drove through Snaefellsjokull National Park. Lava fields and seaside formations were fantastic in this area.

We spent the last night in the RV at Campsite Grindavik - a 15 minute drive from Keflavik and the RV rental company (McRent) where we returned the motor home the next morning. This campsite was busier...but convenient.

Our last few days were spent at Hotel Kvosin in Reykjavik - a beautiful city with much to see and explore.

Remarkable, incredible rugged beauty - Iceland by RV was fantastic!
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Old 04-03-2019, 04:04 PM   #2
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Outstanding video! Thanks so much for posting!!
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Old 04-04-2019, 09:06 PM   #3
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Looks like my kind of a trip.
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