How to organize a road trip in Iceland?

Hello travelers!

Today I’m back to talk to you about my fabulous road trip in Iceland last summer. I’ll admit that I imagined my summer vacation in the sun, on a fine sandy beach sipping cocktails! We had selected several destinations like South America and Cuba and we were also considering Iceland. My problem was that my vacation days were limited, in fact I could only spend 12 days in August so that limits the number of destinations. Iceland then seemed like an obvious choice, we had never been there before and in late June we booked our plane tickets!

Book your plane ticket 

The plane is the simplest, cheapest and most used solution to get to Iceland. Most flights land at the international airport of Keflavik, which is located 50 km southwest of Reykjavik. It costs between 400 and 600 euros for a direct flight from Paris. Obviously the earlier you book the cheaper it is! For us, for a departure from Nice airport, it was more interesting to make a stopover in Germany on the way back than a stopover in Paris. We flew with Lufthansa for 500 euros per person with a business promotion 🙂 

For a flight from Paris, I recommend these two airlines:

• Icelandair offers flights all year round from Paris CDG. If you want to go to the USA, know that the stopover in Iceland is free
• Transavia : Only serves Keflavik from Paris Orly. It offers fares between 60 and 300 € depending on the flight details.

If you experience delays during a trip (which is unfortunately often the case!), we recommend that you visit the specialist website for air law: Flightright, where you will find all the information about compensation in the event of:’a flight delay, Overbookings, flight cancellations or even in the event of a strike. They take care of all your arrangements and it’s very comfortable! These situations are already quite stressful so don’t hesitate to visit the Flightright website for more information.

Book your accommodations with Airbnb 

The question of accommodation is essential because it represents a big, big budget for a stay in Iceland. Accommodation in Airbnb It was like a given fact and above all, know that in some corners of the island there are no hotels, so you won’t have much choice… We found most of the rooms quite beautiful and very well decorated, a mix of vintage and design, a nice surprise!

We have great memories of these accommodations; most of the time we chose to dine with our host, and we often had the right to some soup. It was a great way to meet people and chat with the Icelanders.

We booked a few nights on Booking (next to the airport and a youth hostel), but overall we booked everything on Airbnb. Our budget was about 150 euros per night, which makes a total of 1650 euros for 11 nights.

Renting a car in Iceland

There are different ways to travel in Iceland. We saw a lot of vans, buses and even self-drive cars during our road trip. I think that if you really want to enjoy the scenery and just be free, the best way is to rent a car. That way, you can fully enjoy each of your trips, the breaks, you stop whenever you want to take photos along the way…

As for us, we went through the comparison tool. BSP Auto. We wanted to rent an automatic 4×4 because we had read in the guides that some roads were really winding (which is indeed the case). It is really really recommended to choose a 4×4; we noticed several times that some roads were only open to 4×4 vehicles.

Car rental is a big expense; be prepared for it. about 1,000 euros for 10 days. And add to that the insurance! We added about 40 euros per day for the 0-franchise insurance. Knowing that driving in Iceland is on the right side of the road, I must admit that this gave us a lot of reassurance and also there is no need to check the car beforehand, which saves a lot of time! By using the BSP Auto website, we had to pick up our car from the Procar rental company at the airport exit. When we got out of the airport, we called the rental company and they immediately came to pick us up in a mini van to take us directly to the office. That was really appreciated! A little tip at the end of your rental: remember to give your car a quick wash: there are car washes right before the airport. Depending on the weather and the condition of the roads, it is very likely that your car will be dirty by the end of the week. I recommend this because you could face a fine if your car is too dirty.

Book your activities on Getyourguide 

Iceland is a very expensive country; we had a budget of 5000 euros for 11 days of travel (1000 euros for plane tickets + 1000 euros for car + 1600 euros for accommodation + 1000 euros for food + 500 euros for activities). We recommend booking as early as possible and paying in advance for everything you can. If we sum it up, yes, 5000 euros is quite expensive, but we spread the costs out over June, July, and August.

We chose to book all our activities through the Getyourguide website. Here are our 5 travel favorites:

• Reykjavik
• The Blue Lagoon and the Secret Lagoon
• The Geysers
• See the whales in Husavik
• See the icebergs

Taking out travel insurance in Iceland

Subscribe to travel insurance during your stay in Iceland This is a wise and crucial decision to ensure a serene experience in this country with spectacular landscapes. Due to its unpredictable weather conditions and natural phenomena such as geysers, glaciers, and northern lights, Iceland can present unique challenges for travelers. Travel insurance, offered by companies such as Heymondo, provides essential protection in case of health issues, travel delays, or lost luggage. It can also cover expenses related to specific activities such as adventure sports often practiced in Iceland. By investing in suitable travel insurance, you ensure that you can fully enjoy your Icelandic adventures with peace of mind, leaving the unexpected to be handled professionally and effectively. It is an essential precaution to transform your trip into a memorable experience without unnecessary hassle.

I hope this article will help you organize your stay in Iceland and I’ll see you very soon for the next article about our complete itinerary, good trip 😉

Capucine