Iceland in your MH

[P Bentley]

Anyone on here made the Ferry trip from Denmark to Iceland and then toured in their MH?

Just priced it up and with the MH 2 pax, 3 berth cabin with window, breakfast lunch and Dinner in the best restro heading out in Slate sept and return mid October is 3200 euro return which given the 3day voyage (once week) doesn't sound overly drastic for such a potentially special trip.

Would be interested to hear form anyone with experience of using the MH in Iceland (ie roads, camp sites, wild camping, etc.)

 

[Realist]

How much……. I’ll swim first lol

 

[VXman]

I've done road trips in Iceland twice in February with a hire car and hotels. I plan on doing a 2 week summer trip to circumnavigate the whole island soon. I don't think I would take the MH.

Not sure about campsites or wild camping but in the winter you can only use the main ring road and will need studded tyres. In summer the interior is more accessible but most interior roads are gravel tracks. Not sure I'd take a MH up those. In that case I think a motorhome would be quite restrictive unless you have motor bikes/quad bike/small car in tow. On the plus side you would save a lot on hotels and food in such an expensive place.

 

[AndyPK]

Sorry - when I saw the thread title, I thought you were opening a shop in your ‘van…….!

 

[eddie]

Lyn and I went to Iceland as our last trip before Covid December 2019

But we went in a ship!

The roads were pretty dire though away from the main towns

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[Sapper520]

One of our sons and his wife went some years back. Loved the visit, but things are expensive and they hired a 4 x 4 in order to be able to drive some of the ‘roads’.

 

[Bailey58]

Been to Iceland on a cruise but not with my own vehicle. You tend to see big ugly all terrain conversions onboard Norrona bound for Iceland, we see a few motorhomes in the Faroes which has good roads everywhere, studded tyres from October to March so maybe similar in Iceland . Long trip and you could be in for the odd rough seas any time of the year. We do the Faroes from Hirtshals every year in the car but generally in the summer months and get the occasional bad weather which is why we don't order meals in advance. The ship has been upgraded earlier this year so more cabins higher up which I don't relish, we're travelling in August/September so we'll see what the upgraded ship looks like.

 

[Silver-Fox]

When we went to Iceland via a plane and staying in a hotel

Another tourist who had hired a car got caught in a storm.
He had to take shelter in a hut.

Said he looked at the car in the morning and it looked like someone had sand blasted the one side down to the metalwork.

It was then that I decided I would never take one of my vehicles to Iceland

 

[Brains]

I'd not take my M/H !

Outside the main ring road, most of the rest of the roads are gravel, mostly open in the summer only.

Wild camping within range of a road forbidden except in the campsites, of which there are very few.

As you have also found, Iceland is not cheap to get to and not cheap to stay !

You would be better off flying in and renting a 4X4.
There is (or was) a couple of companies that rented out campervans, however they were old and 'well used' and they had a bad reputation on the travel and backpacker sites for over promising and under performing.

For the same money you could get a better experience and go to New Zealand instead!

 

[DerryW]

Been but not with MH. Based ourselves in hotel EDITION Reykjavik went on a 4x4 tour of the island (the LR Defender had massive floatation tyres for going across deep lakes). In all a very interesting and enjoyable trip. From what I remember we didn't see a single MH. If you do decide to go, brace yourself, not only for the cold weather, but the prices of everything.

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[P Bentley]

Thanks for the responses, which gives one some food for thought.

Here are the thoughts the replies have invoked so far.

The plan is to visit as many of the 50+ countries that could be described as "in Europe" (even if some have a bit of west Asia in them) in the MH, and as such we don't have plans to leave the van to go off grockeling, by plane and hotels etc.

As a seafarer I have no issues with the sea conditions for the ferry trip, (as the expression goes Only 3 days??? Iv'e spent longer on one wave") however MrsB might not be so keen on the near 3 day run, but the saving on the ticket, cabin type, and food for one would probably cover the air fare for her to meet me there.
That's the easy bits, however there are drawbacks mentioned to leave me 50/50 at the moment.

With the interior roads being mainly gravel, and therefore a tad out of the vans natural or comfortable scope, the ring road sounds like the best option, but depending on direction around it would be like a round trip on any island, with the sea on one side and the hills mountains etc on the other, which could get a bit samey (for the money) after a while. .

From other sites I have found that there are about 200 camp sites in Iceland (there are probably more than that in west dorset so given the size they are fairly spread out.) However many have wild camped often and not had an issue but that is more in the interior where there are unlikely to be the sort of policing that some other countries experience. Diesel is about 1.80 euros which isnt problem in itself, and we are not intending to go when special tyres or snow shoes are required.

The fact it doesn't seem to be mentioned here as a MH destination gives me the impression that at 3 days the sea voyage is too long for most, it is quite expensive to get to, and those who have been there by other means haven't thought "Wow, Fab, we will be back in the camper when we can"

So that's where my thinking is at the moment

Thanks to all who have contributed so far, because every piece of information is useful when it comes to reaching the eventual decision to book the ferry or not.

 

[sonar]

I went to Iceland on Saturday. But them tried Lidl today.
went by my own car.

but there is enough room to take the Moho.

 

[Minxy]

Not sure I'd want to take my MH especially after reading this:

Icelandic roads can be rough, especially in the winter, as such, motorhome rental companies will also offer gravel insurance as well as sand and ash insurance should anything occur.​

also

Most motorhomes in Iceland are manual and 2-wheel drive, this means you’ll have to stick to paved roads as only 4x4 vehicles are permitted to access gravelly F-roads.​

Everything You Need to Know About Motorhome Camping in Iceland - Northbound.is

What is the cost of an Iceland motorhome journey? Where can I park the motorhome? Am I allowed to drive a motorhome in Iceland? Those answers and much more!

www.northbound.is

 

[JnJ]

Campsites in Iceland, these pictures were taken by my son in June last year. He was on a bus tour.
Looks like plenty of space

 

[Gellyneck]

It may have changed now since "Beer Day" but they used to be bl**dy awful drivers! If you hadn't started to move at a set of traffic lights by the time they changed to red\amber you got dunted in the rear by the guy behind to tell you to get a move on! The expected response to which is a wave of apology (from the guy who got dunted)!

ps watch out for sheep too! Around double the human population!

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[VXman]

Not sure I'd want to take my MH especially after reading this:

Icelandic roads can be rough, especially in the winter, as such, motorhome rental companies will also offer gravel insurance as well as sand and ash insurance should anything occur.​

also

Most motorhomes in Iceland are manual and 2-wheel drive, this means you’ll have to stick to paved roads as only 4x4 vehicles are permitted to access gravelly F-roads.​

Everything You Need to Know About Motorhome Camping in Iceland - Northbound.is

What is the cost of an Iceland motorhome journey? Where can I park the motorhome? Am I allowed to drive a motorhome in Iceland? Those answers and much more!

www.northbound.is

Yes, this was the case when we hired a car. We did hire a 4X4 buts as it was mid winter but you still weren't allowed off the paved road. We were offered 'volcanic dust' insurance but it was so expensive we didn't and risked it. There are lots of other insurance options so I think it is accepted that weather and road damage to cars is a high risk.

Having said all that - I absolutely loved Iceland (only been in winter). One of my fave places. I admire the OP's adventurous nature and exploring less common countries in the MH is one I admire and intend doing in time.

 

[TinaLes]

I would second NZ as the place to go, hiring a MH when there, maybe Canada also.
I can see why many would think about taking their mobile Gin Palaces to Iceland, maybe not so much if they were tea totallers.
Quote:
Is alcohol expensive in Iceland?
The price for alcohol is higher in Iceland than in all the other European Union and EFTA countries. According to statistics published by Eurostat, in 2019 the price of alcoholic beverages was 165% higher in Iceland than the average in the European Union.9 Sept 2020
Have fun.
LES

 

[Minxy]

I would second NZ as the place to go, hiring a MH when there, maybe Canada also.
I can see why many would think about taking their mobile Gin Palaces to Iceland, maybe not so much if they were tea totallers.
Quote:
Is alcohol expensive in Iceland?
The price for alcohol is higher in Iceland than in all the other European Union and EFTA countries. According to statistics published by Eurostat, in 2019 the price of alcoholic beverages was 165% higher in Iceland than the average in the European Union.9 Sept 2020
Have fun.
LES

I'm virtually tea-total so wouldn't bother me!

 

[Tonks]

If you're on Facebook, take a look at 'Travelling Full Time'. They've done a couple of visits to Iceland with good informative posts and lots of photos.
<Broken link removed>

 

[Sapper520]

I'm virtually tea-total so wouldn't bother me!

Tea is expensive as well.

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[Silver-Fox]

I'm virtually tea-total so wouldn't bother me!

I’ve heard you get your kicks on Route 66

 

[Minxy]

Tea is expensive as well.

Not if I take my own!

 

[Downsie]

I went to Iceland for a week with my son in Nov 19, using a hire car and hotels. We got off the beaten track quite a lot and were suprised how good the roads were when off the main circular road, definitely much better than I’d expected. For example we explored the Snæfellsnes Peninsula pretty thoroughly, no issues at all in spite of a fair bit of snow. I did think it would be a brilliant country to take a van to. Also we didn’t think the prices were as awful as we had feared for meals out, fuel etc.

 

[Sapper520]

Not if I take my own!

Don’t start the……’What foodstuffs can I take into Iceland’ questions….

 

[nicholsong]

Basia and her 'Boy Scouts'(old school friends who were in the Scouts in their youth but still go on some trips together) were planning to go in May this year because Wizzair do direct flights, but for logistical reasons have postponed till 2023.

I am not convinced that I want to go - it all looks a bit 'grey' and if I am going to an expensive country I want to go back to Norway, where so far I have only seen Oslo and Bergen, sailing, staying with friends and a girlfriend, both nice gentle cities, but I would like to see more of the countryside and fjords.

Geoff

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[violet]

Thanks for the responses, which gives one some food for thought.

The fact it doesn't seem to be mentioned here as a MH destination gives me the impression that at 3 days the sea voyage is too long for most, it is quite expensive to get to, and those who have been there by other means haven't thought "Wow, Fab, we will be back in the camper when we can"

Just been alerted to this thread by a fellow member.
We have taken our campervan to Iceland three times on the Norrona, from Hirtshals in DK to Seydisfjordur. Yes, three days, but one is mainly in the Faroes. You can get off and have a good look around Torshavn, or you can do a three or seven day stopover with your van and then catch the following ferry. The fare us often cheaper if you do this.
The first time we went we were 'blown away' not by the winds , which can be strong, but by the views and sights, all of which are actually are very driveable as Iceland is not huge. We never stuck to the ring road. We have been to so many areas and places. We took our van in the spring, summer, and autumn. All were different. We had no trouble at all on any roads. There are fewer gravel roads now than when we first went but we found none to be difficult in these three seasons. We are a 4x4 camper so could drive a fair number of the dedicated 4x4 roads, including the Kholur route through the centre. The worst weather we had was in the autumn. When in the south of the island we were advised to delay our drive past the black sand beaches as the sand could 'strip paint' but we simply stayed put a couple of nights then the weather improved and we continued. We did however hear of a 'rescue vehicle' that had gone round the Bay of Whales road, in fact the day after we did in perfect weather, and had been upended by the wind.
We had snow in April and October but this just added to the experience. The Norrona always had a lot of motorhomes on it and most would not have been 4x4.
You can buy a 28 day campsite card for discounted camping though these sites will be busier than others.
We last took our van in 2016 and found Iceland to be much more of a tourist destination with lots of little hired campervans that seemed to have no facilities. You are not allowed to take vehicles off road in most areas but we saw quite a lot of vehicles camping where it appeared they shouldn't be. It was harder to find solitude and silence.
We also spent nearly a month in Iceland in the winter but not in our campervan. We hired a 4x4 and booked at cottages, chalets, hotels, etc. Our family flew out to join us for a week and the grandchildren still rave about the wonderful time they had. We travelled around the Reykjanes peninsula, along the south coast as far as Vik, did Gullfoss, Geysir, and went to Reykjavik with them. We did not stay on the ring road and did not need to even though the snow was at times thick. We glacier walked, saw all the sights, went lava walking, visited the beaches, etc The weather was generally bright and sunny with amazing blue skies and Northern lights. Fantastic. However after they had left we tried to drive north to Patreksfjordur and simply could not get through the snow and white-out blizzards. We did get around Snaefellesnes though.
Shopping was fun, the Bonus supermarkets were good and prices were ok. Eating out was very expensive. We are so glad we went when we did, and having the campervan there perfect. We have some wonderful memories.
If I can be of further help don't hesitate to ask.

 

[P Bentley]

Wow,
Thanks you so much for that comprehensive, first hand experience, of taking a van there in a variety of seasons, and the obvious great time you had. It has gone along way to allay any fears I had about the van being there.

I was last in Iceland was on a cable ship in Reykjavík around 2000 and we also took in Torshaven in the Faroes on the same trip and
had a couple of cracking nights ashore on each occasion, but only saw bits of those towns (well a few of the bars actually)

On the ferry site from Denmark I saw the stop off in Thorshaven option for a few days, and will now look at that further.

I have moved from 50-50 to 80-20 in favor and will be in touch for sure if any specific questions spring to mind .
Cheers
Bentley

 

[Jon B]

Did the full Island ring road in a VW T6 hired from 'Cozycampers' over there in April 2018.......

We will be going back with our own van either next year (or 2024) and stay for 4 - 5 weeks. Maybe start in early May this time to miss some of the snow and be able to do some inland hiking this time. Driving is fine on the ring road, food is OK, quite pricey but not prohibitivily so (shop at Bonus Supermarkets) oh and one tip..... don't even think of trying to eat Hákarl!

The Hot springs are amazing and a great place to swim and relax in.

The place is simply stunning...... no other words for it

 

[violet]

Did the full Island ring road in a VW T6 hired from 'Cozycampers' over there in April 2018.......

We will be going back with our own van either next year (or 2024) and stay for 4 - 5 weeks. Maybe start in early May this time to miss some of the snow and be able to do some inland hiking this time.

The place is simply stunning...... no other words for it

You obviously had a great time!
When you go back I'm sure you'll get well off the ring road. We loved Raudisandur beach. A bit of a twisty route down but absolutely magnificent and the setting for an Icelandic troll story. I did read that some-one has put a cafe down there but these things can be avoided. The stacks at Vik had a cafe built and a car park and that beach (before Vik going East) was spoilt by the crowds of people, including tour groups in buses ... and that was in February. But Raudisandur is much further off the beaten track.
I'm convincing myself we should return .. but I do worry about all the tourists, I like solitude and silence.

 

[Kozikot]

You obviously had a great time!
When you go back I'm sure you'll get well off the ring road. We loved Raudisandur beach. A bit of a twisty route down but absolutely magnificent and the setting for an Icelandic troll story. I did read that some-one has put a cafe down there but these things can be avoided. The stacks at Vik had a cafe built and a car park and that beach (before Vik going East) was spoilt by the crowds of people, including tour groups in buses ... and that was in February. But Raudisandur is much further off the beaten track.
I'm convincing myself we should return .. but I do worry about all the tourists, I like solitude and silence.

But wasn't you a Tourist ?

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