Ok.. here is what you need to know about icelandic roads.. Major roads are well maintained. but conditions can vary as you go into remote parts, you can encounter gravel roads, high mountain(F roads) pass roads/ which definitely require a 4x4. so the Camper that we rented cost us around 350 Euros a day ( i think winter pricing may be a bit lower) with basic CDW insurance, Wireless hotspot , so around $2800 USD for 7 days. keep in mind that you will pay for diesel around $1000 for the trip if you plan to drive the whole ring road. Most cars are manual, although you may find automatics as well. the camper that we rented was auto. but if you can drive a stick you may be able to get better dealsSAPPORO wrote: ↑Wed Sep 18, 2024 10:49 amOut of curiosity, I did a rental car search and even the auto transmission car rentals are cheaper than in the US which I did not expect. It may also be because it's off season now. So, here's the question that's on everyone's mind -How did you book the camper van and how much was it per day?Razz R wrote: ↑Mon Sep 16, 2024 11:50 am so after a good home cooked lunch in the camper van we pulled the blinds on and slept like kings for a couple of hours.. Our friends who traveled earlier had complained about the near 24 hour daylight during summer. But we did not have to deal with that, as we traveled towards the end of the Icelandic summer. the days were still long with daylight up-to about 10PM and and it used to get bright by about 3-4 AM. We set the alarm for about 4:30PM and got freshened up, after a quick coffee and some hot chocolate hit the road to go to Blue lagoon, one of the destinations in my DD's list..
Now a little about the camper van, the van is equipped with USB ports(std/USB C) for charging all your devices, it also has a nice propane tank fueled stove, refills are available in gas stations for the small tanks, but we did not need any due to our shorter 7 day trip. Gas is indeed super expensive, Our VW van took diesel which costs about $8.84 per gallon - so almost double what you pay for in the states. every fill up of the van would be about $200 USD
the van has 3 seats in the front - bench style in case anyone wants to ride shotgun.. the other folks can chill in the back. my kids had a nice time sleeping and surfing their hearts out in the back, which brings me to the internet.. I was simply blown away by the speeds thru out the country. when you rent the van - you have the option to add on a 5G router.. which is like a wallet sized gizmo that you plug into one of the USB power outlets, for about $40. the one that we rented was from Huawei ( apparently the Chinese invasion has already happened). I do not know where they hide the 5G Towers but the speeds were unreal. I had constant GPS/Google maps, DW was on video conference calls with folks back in India, kids were blowing up youtube and Netflix and the thing worked without a hitch thru out our trip at blazing speeds. I had enabled AT&T international data on one of the phones - just in case, but really did not end up using that much due to the internet and VoiP apps
Blue lagoon is a short distance away from the Keflavik Airport and is close to the golden circle which was supposed to be our first day's itinerary. on our drive there, we could see the volcanic eruptions from the side of the road. it was like Diwali fireworks out in the distance. now if that does not blow your mind, blue lagoon will, it is a first class spa experience where you soak in acres of thermal pools all heated by Geo-thermal activity. while overlooking some dramatic scenery. the included drinks in the cost of the admission is cherry on top. it is a really nice experience to be able to soak in your tired jet lagged body after an overnight flight and just relax.. the bath and facilities are top notch and we totally enjoyed it.. they give you silica mud masks to apply on your face which is supposed to come from the base of the lagoon and is said to have skin revitalizing properties.
you can easily spend 3-4 hours at the lagoon and it was quite late by the time we got out.. decided to go back to our campsite and call it a day..
i feel it's a wash - it's not that much cheaper than if you take hotels and a rental car. but the convenience and novelty of it trumps everything else
i booked with Happy camper iceland and the model we took was the 4x4 XL.