Campers In Iceland

Camp Easy

There are a ton of Camper options but each time we go back we always use the same company. Camp Easy has free airport pickup, a great check in process and zero cleaning charges. They also let you camp overnight in their lot which is a great option pre or post flight. They are not the cheapest option but they are consistently the highest rated and we have never had a mechanical issue.

We highly recommend getting the data package with the rental. They give you a tablet with a wifi hotspot that's preloaded with all the maps, tips, and weather and road apps. It's amazing to get live updates on the dash.

We have also heard great things from friends who have rented with Happy Campers.

The  campers Includes, luggage storage at the pickup location,  All Cookware, Pots, pans, cutlery, mugs cups, bedding, covers, pillows, Stove

What is usually on the free shelf, Salt, pepper, soap, paper towel, cooking oil, butane, pasta , seasoning, soap

Bring good travel mugs for coffee!

Our Camper

Both of our road trips we chose the Easy Clever 4x4.

The Clever is a newer VW Transporter and is a great balance of all the features for the cost and it has great 4x4 capability, super easy to drive and reasonably fuel-efficient. We recommend getting the medium size 4x4 vans from whichever rental company you choose. 

The only con we found is that you can't stand up in the camping section of the van. If that is important to you opt for the hightops.  When we go back we will try the Easy Viking which is the tall version of the same van.

Even if you get a bigger 4x4 van like the Viking it doesn't really help you get anywhere you can’t go with this one as the main barrier is river crossings.  We opted to avoid all the river crossings as they are almost always not covered by your insurance. You can get almost anywhere in the highlands with this van that you don't need a Super Jeep for. 

F road rating meaning 

In Iceland, "F" stands for Fjallvegur (mountain road). This means any rough to smooth gravel road in Iceland that is not maintained to the same level as the main routes. To drive a F road you have to meet certain conditions with your vehicle by Icelandic law. Some F roads are a just like any gravel or logging road at home and some get wild. You can check the status on https://umferdin.is/en

Umferdin will list the roads as follows

Green Easily Passable - 4x4 probably isn't even necessary this will be just a normal bumpy gravel or rock road. 

Yellow Difficult/Limited Access - This means heavy mud, rocky rough terrain, and water crossings 4X4 will be required. Research current conditions and only proceed if confident.

Red (Closed/Impassable) - The road is dangerous or impossible to drive. Driving on closed roads is illegal, dangerous, and insurance will not cover you. 

If your camper is rated for f roads it means it will have 

4x4 Capability (Mandatory): By law, only 4WD vehicles are allowed on F-roads.

Off-Road Tyres: Usually equipped with sturdier tires to handle jagged gravel and volcanic rock.

Higher Ground Clearance: Necessary to avoid damage from rocks and to ford rivers.

Rental Insurance Approval: Normal 2WD campers are forbidden, and taking them on F-roads voids insurance.

 F-road rated campers are specifically allowed on these routes by the insurance policy. Your camper company will have specific F roads that are okay and not okay. They will give you a map and make it very clear where you can and can't go! Our whole itinerary uses F roads that are okay for most camper companies and avoid river crossings.

Off-roading

Off-roading in Iceland is actually illegal except in designated areas. You must stay on paths and road and designated routes. There are very few areas where you are allowed to actually drive offroad.

Camping

Sleeping on the side of the road in Iceland is forbidden and it is not uncommon to get fines for doing so. Even though you have a contained campervan you are still required to go to designated campsites. 

Where you can legally sleep

Sleeping in a campervan in Iceland is legal, but only in clearly defined places. Campervans do not qualify for the limited tent ‘freedom to roam’ exception. If you are in a vehicle, overnighting requires a designated campsite or explicit landowner permission.

Organized Campsites

For overnight parking, campervan Iceland rules are to use registered campsites. There are more than 150 across the country. Most operate from May to September. Facilities usually include toilets and showers. Some offer electricity hookups. 

Private Land with Permission

You must have clear landowner approval. Verbal permission is common, but written confirmation is safer. Empty fields and farm entrances do not mean access is allowed. Always ask.

Unofficially

There are lots of parking areas on private land that will allow you to pay for overnight parking. We personally have stayed in some of these overnight parking spots and had no issues. 

Iceland Camping Card

The camping card is not worth it unless your trip is 14 days or longer. Even then the Camp card sites are not as common and you often have to drive out of the way to find them. We prefer the flexibility unless it is along thoroughly planned trip.