If you have wanted to drive the ring road in Iceland, you’re in the right place because I have a lot of information and lessons from the road to share with you. Today’s post is my guide on everything you need to know about renting a campervan in Iceland. It’s full of practical advice that I hope will be able to help you prepare for your campervan road trip.
Read This Guide First If You’re Renting A Campervan In Iceland
Where to rent a campervan in Iceland
Van life is quite popular in Iceland, so there are a lot of businesses to choose from. When I was researching which company to book with, the one that stood out to me was Kuku Campers.
I chose them because they had great reviews, the price was reasonable, and I loved the sense of humor all over their website.
Getting to and from the airport
I booked to pick up and drop off the van at the Kuku Camper office in Reykjavik, with the airport shuttle service for the day I arrived. They picked us up at the airport and took us to their office where we got the van.
For the return trip, since I had more time, I dropped the van off at their office in Reykjavik and took the bus to the airport.
There is an airport bus stop at Hotel Viking, which is a 30-minute walk from the Kuku Camper office. You can also buy your bus ticket at the Kuku Camper office for convenience.
If you prefer, you can drop off your van at the airport if the office is closed but there is an extra fee.
How to get fuel
One thing worth mentioning is that Kuku Campers gave a fuel discount with N1 stations. It is easy to find the N1 stations all around Iceland.
Iceland is an expensive place to visit so every little bit you can save is helpful if you’re on a budget.
Which campervan to choose
There are a lot of different van sizes to choose from and you can see the different categories on their website. I got a ‘Category A’ van which was a Dacia Dokker.
It was just my husband and I traveling, so this was a great choice for us and had enough room for two people.
However, if you will be traveling with kids or more than two people, you will definitely need to pick something different because it would be too small.
If you’d prefer a 4×4 style car or car with camper, they also offer those.
What to expect from the campervan
The campervan is your transport and hotel in one.
In the front, there was the driver and passenger seat like any other car. Behind the seats was a curtain for privacy, then the back is your hotel room.
The van is stripped and lined with a mattress to sleep on. At the back end of the van, there is a shelf and makeshift cupboard which is where your cooking and cleaning supplies are kept.
You can put your luggage under the shelf, but there’s not much room so make sure you travel light.
Anything more than a backpack each, at least in the Category A van, is going to be cramped.
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Do you need insurance?
At a minimum, it’s a good idea to get gravel protection which is an extra €10 per day. This will cover you for paint chips and windshield chips from rocks.
Since these are pretty likely to occur when you drive the ring road, it’s must-have insurance.
There are also other insurance options you can add-on and I recommend looking them over to find what is best for you.
I chose the Golden Package for an extra €35 per day. This included gravel protection as well as collision insurance to reduce the excess, and sand and ash insurance.
When we picked up the van, we were also given free pillows, blankets, sleeping bags, and condoms (yes, I said condoms!) which we were told was included in the package.
I didn’t know that from looking at the website though, so it was a good bonus.
The van came with another bucket in that right cubby that is empty – I was using it as a tripod for a different photo at the time.
Requirements
To rent a van from Kuku Campers you need to have a valid driver’s license.
You don’t need to get a separate international license, just the driver’s license from your home state.
What’s included with the campervan
- Van rental
- Fuel discount
- Collision waiver – up to €3000 – which is why it’s worth adding extra insurance to take your excess down to €750
- Kitchen supplies – there are photos on their website to show what’s included but imagine a basic cooking and cleaning set up. Cutlery, pot, pan, chopping board, plates, bowls, wine opener, dish scrubber, etc.
- Help to plan your road trip – we got a lot of good advice when we picked up our van, so just ask for tips and recent weather updates.
What extras should you add?
This depends on how you like to travel.
There are a lot of extras that you can add on depending on how comfortable you want to be during the road trip.
They offer just about everything from fun items like skateboards and guitars to practical items like tents and BBQs.
You can also get baby seats which would be handy if you have kids.
We like to travel very minimal for camping trips and don’t mind being a little uncomfortable, so we just got the bare minimum.
- Blankets, pillows, and sleeping bags – included with insurance
- Charger for bigger devices, mostly my cameras
- Gas can for cooking
We ended up barely using the gas can because the campsites had kitchen facilities, but it was good to have for spontaneous snack emergencies during the day.
The only other thing I will mention is that there was no heater in the van, at least the Category A van, to use overnight.
I thought all the vans came with a heater which is why I didn’t add it as an extra.
If you are sensitive to the cold, it’s a good idea to double-check if there is a heater in the van for overnight and add one as an extra if it isn’t.
It wasn’t unbearable cold without the heater, but that would depend on your tolerance and the time of year you visit.
Whatever groceries you have left over, you can leave at the Kuku office for future road trippers.
Where can you park your campervan
You cannot just park your van anywhere to sleep for the night because it is against the law. When you are campervanning around Iceland, you’ll need to park at a campsite each night.
The great thing is that there are a lot of campsites around the country and they have great facilities.
Most had a common area that was heated, with basic kitchen facilities like kettles, stovetop, and tables. Some had even more facilities like free wi-fi and microwaves.
The bathroom facilities at the campsites were also great and it was so nice to have a hot shower at the end of the night.
Camping in Iceland during the offseason
If you drive the ring road in May, or any other time outside of the peak season, the campsites may not be open.
The good thing is that if they are closed, you are still able to park there overnight. In some cases when they were completely closed and everything was locked up, you could use the site for free.
However, there were no facilities to use like toilets, showers or a kitchen.
In other cases, they were closed in that they weren’t staffed fully, but there was a shower block left open. At these, there was usually an honesty box to pay your fee.
If you end up going to a site that is closed, I recommend visiting one of the local pools at the end of the day.
The entrance is only about $9USD and you’ll be able to soak in the hot tubs and experience the local pool culture of Iceland. You’ll also get to shower and go to the toilet.
They have pools all over the country so you’re never too far away from one.
Iceland road rules and emergencies
Driving in Iceland can be intense because of the unpredictable weather.
I recommend checking out the Safetravel website to help prepare you for driving the ring road in Iceland. You can sign up for travel alerts to be sent to your phone through their website.
There are also a lot of useful tips, posts, and videos on the road rules and what to expect while driving in Iceland.
The staff at Kuku Campers gave us a lot of other information on driving hazards on the ring road as well which was helpful.
112 is the emergency number for Iceland.
If it is not an emergency but you need help, you can call Kuku Campers to arrange roadside assistance.
Our van broke down a couple of times on long driving days.
We would just push it to the side and let it rest. We could usually feel when it was about to happen and anticipate it, so we would make sure we were not on a busy road.
After a rest, it would be fine again. Other than that, we had no issues with the van.
All in all, Kuku Campers made renting a campervan in Iceland affordable, easy, and I had a great experience with them.
For more information
Visit the Kuku Campers website and follow their Instagram for more updates.
Other guides to help you plan your trip to Iceland
- Iceland Ring Road In 7 Days – Here’s Your Step By Step Itinerary
- Tips For Driving The Ring Road In Iceland And How To Prepare For It
- How To Pack For The Ring Road In Iceland With Carry On Luggage Only
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