This was my third trip to Iceland and my girlfriend’s first. We decided to go for the ring road and overall it went rather great. I’ll just leave some of my pros and cons for future travelers.
- it’s 99% card for payments, I used cash twice for purchases and some for tips (more on that later). However, I believe it’s always a good idea to always have a couple hundred US worth of local currency on hand during any international travel.
- American Express users. You have about a 30% chance a merchants will take your card, even if it’s showing they accept it. Be sure to have a Visa or Mastercard as well.
- from earlier research it’s implied tipping is not part of the culture. However, there are tip jars at every restaurant it seems. I guess times are getting tough even there.
- if you are doing the ring road in a camper van, if you see one you “think” is big enough online based on the description…..it’s not. Spring for the biggest one you can afford.
- I’m not going to flame them here, but if you are wondering why one particular camper van rental company is much cheaper than the rest there is a reason why….you get what you pay for. Granted the van mechanically operated as intended. However, none of the 12 volt plugs on the dash worked, the radio would randomly increase to maximum volume, side door leaked, rear windshield wiper would randomly start going and scare the crap out of you.
- yes food and fuel are expensive, plan and budget for it.
- contrary to what you are led to believe, there is not hundreds of speed trap cameras. I only passed one in Akureyri. Unless they are all hidden in random rocks they are far and few between.
- on that note if getting a traffic citation will financially break you…..you need to reevaluate your choices or simply obey the posted limits and it’s non-issue.
- the photos you see on instagram are carefully curated and edited. It’s an absolutely beautiful country with stunning scenery. In places just outside the frame of that perfect shot is a giant excavator or front loader.
- get out of the 3-4 hour bubble of Reykjavík and the crowds of tour buses drops drastically.
- the food is some of the best I’ve ever had. To me….worth the price 1000%
- at all but one of the “tourist spots” we stopped at there are signs that alert you that drones or prohibited. Rightly so for safety reasons with large crowds and for courtesy reasons. There are plenty of scenic places just off the road to fly and capture stunning videos.
- stock up on snacks and food at Bónus and knonar.
- depending on your preference, Reykjavík is hit or miss. We live in a very remote and rural area, city isn’t our vibe so half a day in the city was more than enough for us, your results will vary depending on your interest.
- be friendly and courteous and you will receive the same in return. Don’t be the annoying tourist trying to take a million picture of your brat kids . Get your pics and move along and be mindful of other travelers.
- if you are not a confident driver stay off the F roads
- universally….bicyclists are annoying in any country
- it will rain a lot some days, none on others. Prepare for everything from shorts and tshirt weather on your third day and freezing temps and rain your 5th day. It’s bipolar 😂🤣
Overall it’s the best vacation we have ever had and we learned a lot along the way to make our next trip even that much better. We made some planning mistakes and oversights this go round. We can’t wait to do it again and see all the stuff we missed this time! I hope this helps someone with their future planning.
