Renting a Campervan in Iceland! | What you need to know

[@nevinalexchacko4683]

Thanks for this! Simple and to the point!

[@AwayWithTheMays]

Glad it was helpful!

[@chrismccoy1947]

Awesome video and very informative. My wife and I are planning to do just this in a year or two.

[@AwayWithTheMays]

Thanks so much! That will be SO awesome for y'all. Please let us know if have any specific questions as you get closer to the research phase. We have a few more videos in the pipeline about camping and some of our favorite experiences!

[@furutiGang]

So helpful video!👍👍👍 I'm planning to go to Iceland and also rent same vehicle by Lava. 1:05 are those amenities included? And is there extension cord reel for electricity in vehicle?

[@AwayWithTheMays]

Thanks so much! We got the ‘Essential Kit’ The kitchen kit with camping stove and water jug (already included) Electric cooler Table and chairs 2 pillows and 2 sleeping bags Built in diesel heater GPS unit We paid for the additional driver and the WiFi hotspot. There was not extension cord and the van was not plugged in. There is a secondary shore battery powering the rear plugs and lights We would love to hear about your journey!! Please tag us on IG or come back around to this video to tell us how the trip goes. Safe travels!

[@priyaakula1550]

Thanks for the tips and the video. I see most of the motor homes are manual transmission. Are there 6 seater automatic motor homes? Can you travel F roads without all-wheel drive in summer July??

[@AwayWithTheMays]

Hey Priya, thanks for the kind words! I’ll start with your last question first: in order to drive on the F-roads at any time during the year, you’re definitely going to need a vehicle with four-wheel drive. This is the law in Iceland, not to mention that these roads are so rough that it would be unsafe to attempt driving on them in a two-wheel drive vehicle. Any decent rental agency should make it really easy to determine if any specific vehicle is authorized to drive in the highlands. Now, with all that being said, it looks it’s going to be really difficult to find a campervan capable of sleeping 6 people, not to mention that having that many people in a space that small will likely not be an enjoyable experience. I did a little searching and found a few full sized motorhomes that are large enough to sleep 6, but they all had manual transmissions and only had two-wheel drive. So here’s a couple suggestions I’d make if you can’t find an automatic motorhome that fits your needs: 1) if you’re accommodation situation is flexible and you really want to camp in the highlands, consider renting two vans to hold everyone in your party. Or 2) rent a four-wheel drive SUV large enough to hold everyone, and either stay in hotels and do day trips in the highlands, or if you’re particularly adventurous, consider camping in tents! We’d love to hear what you end up deciding to do!

[@priyaakula1550]

@@AwayWithTheMays Thanks a lot. Very kind of you to send a detailed explanation

[@IsabelMorales-b5f]

Hello! Great video! What cupon did you use to rent the van?

[@AwayWithTheMays]

We did not end up using a code for this van, but we used one in a recent rental we can't wait to tell you about. A lot of youtubers, bloggers, and rental companies had 10% or more codes for Iceland. Those vans didn't meet our needs at the time, but perhaps they will meet yours! If a KZbin channel is offering a code, you'll find it in their description - I recommend watching a few more Campervan videos!

[@jap9656]

Hi guys. Did you rent the older model or was it a newer one?

[@AwayWithTheMays]

That is a very good question. I’d say it was an older model. But it had a Bluetooth input for the stereo, so it was *new enough* 😂

[@jap9656]

@@AwayWithTheMays 😂 thank you. And did you take out any extra insurance policies?

[@AwayWithTheMays]

We took out the rental company’s recommended policies for wind, gravel, etc. Knowing our luck if we skipped it I’d open the van door and watch it get snapped off into a ravine somewhere! We also had credit card standard rental coverage. But we did not seek out any supplemental third party coverage.

[@jap9656]

@@AwayWithTheMays amazing thank you for the help 😊

[@AwayWithTheMays]

Happy to help! If you end up renting a van or taking on the Ring Road, we’d love to hear how it goes! 😁

[@marieflores5207]

Where did you take a shower and/or use the restroom?

[@AwayWithTheMays]

Great question! We showered at campsites. Each campground offered shower services, some kind of shelter to cook, and a place to wash dishes. We also frequently saw washers and dryers available for a fee. Bring your own towels and toiletries, and expect there to be a bit of a chill between turning the water off and getting dressed! Most people wore their flip flops or sandals to the shower, no matter what the temperature. We used the restroom at campsites, gas stations, and attractions. For example, Geysir has a welcome center with a public restroom for the guests. We tried to avoid utilizing gas stations unless we were filling up or buying something.

[@marieflores5207]

@@AwayWithTheMays​​⁠amazing!!! Thank you so much for the info! Did you have to make reservations for the camp sites ahead of time or is it pretty easy to just show up and expect to have a spot? I assume the latter! 🙏🏼

[@AwayWithTheMays]

@marieflores5207 Happy to help! We did not make any reservations. For campgrounds with onsite staff we stopped at the office to check in and were given some guidance on where to park. For more remote sites without staff we pulled in where it made sense and paid at the Honesty Box. The sites at the outskirts of Reykjavik were fairly busy and have a chance of filling up in the summer. Folks want to get away and outside for the weekend! The further out we got on the Ring Road, the easier it was to grab a space. We did look at for campgrounds in advance and were prepared to drive on to the next one just in case, but it wasn’t needed!

[@marieflores5207]

@ amazing! Thank you so much!! 😊

[@marychieng2553]

Is there a place for luggage?

[@AwayWithTheMays]

Excellent question! Yes and no. There is space for luggage in the rear while you’re driving, but when you are using that area at all it’s easier if the luggage is moved up front in the seats. The van had a solid partition between front and back. We kept essentials in the back and rotated items out from our luggage. A downside of this compact van was the regular moving of luggage. We did have bulky bags though - I had a wedding dress to lug around along with all of the thick layers we used daily.

[@otaisimon7838]

Can i join you

[@AwayWithTheMays]

@otaisimon7838 heck yeah! Get in, we’re going to the Westfjords 🚐🇮🇸

[@otaisimon7838]

@AwayWithTheMays it's ok