10 Tips for a Summer Campervan Rental in Iceland

James Taylor
6. Jul 2022 ∼ 8 min. read

Summer is the prime time for a campervan rental in Iceland. The sun is (hopefully) shining, the days are long, and the temperatures begin to sneak up into the double digits. It’s also one of the busiest times for campervan travel in Iceland. To make sure you have an incredible trip, we’ve rounded up our 10 top tips for a summer campervan rental in Iceland. 

Think Carefully About the Kind of Campervan You Want

Our first tip for your summer campervan rental in Iceland is to think long and hard about exactly the type of campervan you’ll need. Are you a bare-bones kind of traveller, looking to do the ring road on a budget? Then our Go Smart is for you. Looking for a bit more space, or need to drive an automatic vehicle? Or perhaps you’re planning on travelling in the Icelandic Highlands? Go Campers have a wide range of campervans to suit whatever kind of traveller you are and your chosen itinerary. 

Your campervan can make or break your trip – so make sure you take some time to really think about what you need before pulling the trigger and beginning your adventure. 

Decide on Your Itinerary Ahead of Time

Speaking of which, our next tip for a campervan rental in Iceland during summer is to choose your itinerary ahead of time. The last thing you want to do is to pick up your campervan and be lost as to which direction you should head (although now that we think about it, that could be quite cool). But having at least a direction you want to head in, or a first sight lined up, can save you time and get you out into the countryside as quickly as possible. 

To get you started, we’ve created a range of sample itineraries that you can use, ranging from shorter 3-day trips to longer more epic 2-week ideas. Browse these itineraries for some inspiration, look at the top attractions you might want to visit and begin crafting your itinerary to make the most of your time in the country. There’s a lot to see and do.

Don’t Try to Squeeze in Too Much

But in saying that, you don’t want to try and squeeze too much into your campervan trip. We know that people have a limited amount of time in Iceland and want to make the most of it, but there’s so much to discover that if you try and pack in too much, you’ll end up rushing through a lot of the beautiful moments that a campervan trip in Iceland provides.

Instead, we recommend marking down a few of your must-see sights, sketching out a rough plan, and then take it easy and be flexible. Some of the best moments of a campervan trip in Iceland come from the chance encounters, the downtime at a special campsite, and simply driving through the country. The last thing you want your trip to feel like is a rigidly scheduled tour of one sight to the next. 

Make Sure You’ve Reserved All the Extra Gear You Need

If you’ve already booked your campervan with us, perhaps you might have reserved a few extras already. If not, you can browse the list here and add them to your reservation ahead of time. Over the years we’ve made sure that we offer anything and everything that we think might make your campervan trip around Iceland an overall better experience. 

From camping chairs and tables to portable Wi-Fi units and larger barbecues, have a browse and let us know if there’s anything you’d like to take along with you – they can enhance your trip! Picture yourself grilling up a storm at a campsite while kicking back in a couple of camping chairs, taking in the view while other campers looking on in jealousy – sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?

Download the Essential Apps for an Iceland Road Trip

Travelling in Iceland is so often about being remote, disconnected from others and immersing yourself in the nature. But when it’s time to jump back into the campervan and hit the road, it can pay off to have some of these essential apps downloaded onto your phone.

From the weather app to safety notifications while you’re travelling in Iceland, this is a list of helpful apps that can enhance your trip in your Icelandic campervan. If you don’t want to download the apps, you can also make use of the most useful Icelandic websites. Our top pick is of course Iceland’s Met Office with the weather forecast (this wouldn’t be an article about Iceland without mentioning the weather). Other useful sites include Safe Travel and the Icelandic Road Administration.

Make the Most of Iceland’s Midnight Sun

A great part about travelling in the summer is the nearly endless daylight. It makes exploring at night easy – a hike a midnight, a soak in a hot spring at 2am, and watching the sunrise an hour later is what summer travel in Iceland is all about. 

It’s also a great way to help you avoid the big crowds at Iceland’s most famous sights. Iceland receives a huge number of visitors each year, far more than the country’s modest population of 360,000 people. And of course, summer is the most crowded time. But visiting after hours, when the tourist buses have returned to their home base and the light is still shining, means you can have these attractions all to yourself. Well, almost – there are likely other travellers who have caught onto this easy trick for exploring Iceland in the summer.

Pick and Choose a Few of the Best Icelandic Campsites

Due to the tightening of restrictions about wild camping back in 2015, it’s now necessary for campervans to stay overnight in campsites. Luckily for campervan travellers, you can’t go very far without stumbling into a campsite – there are plenty to choose from around the country. 

However, not all campsites are made equal. For some of our favorite spots to park a campervan, check out this page about campsites in Iceland. You’ll also find maps of all the campsites around the country. Another point to consider is whether to buy the Icelandic Camping Card or not; we’ve crunched the numbers in this article so you can see whether it’s worth buying for your campervan rental in Iceland.

Create Some Iceland Road Trip Playlists

An Icelandic road trip would be complete without some classic road trip tunes. Our campervans come equipped with Bluetooth connections for your phones, letting you easily play your music over the speakers – on top of that, you can also rent a small JBL Bluetooth speaker from us in the office. 

Classic road trip tunes of course serve you well on a campervan trip around Iceland, but you should also delve into the Icelandic music scene. From Sigur Ros and Bjork to Of Monsters and Men and Sigur Ros, there’s a wealth of music out there that’s inspired by the fantastic landscapes of Iceland. And with the weather spanning endless days of light and dark, winter nights, campervan trips are made even more special with the right kind of music. 

Stay Social and Chat with Other Campers!

Our next tip for a campervan trip in Iceland is to stay social and talk with the other campers you meet along the way. Iceland is a popular country with travellers from around the world, and it’s always fun to meet others who have decided to undertake the same trip as you. You’ll meet travellers from everywhere, from Europe and the US and as far away as Australia and Asia. 

The best part about chatting with the other campers is sharing your experiences on the road. Others might have some advice and recommendations or may have even discovered a beautiful spot that is still a bit of a hidden gem. They can be game partners, drinking buddies, or firm friends who you’ll spend the rest of your trip with. 

Don’t Be Afraid to Be Spontaneous

Our last piece of advice for a campervan trip in Iceland is don’t be afraid to be spontaneous. If someone invites you to hike to a hot spring, why not? Or if a bout of bad weather forces you to change your plans, enjoy the adventure. Almost every corner of Iceland has something to discover, and some of your best days in the campervan will be the ones you decide to go off-script and strike out into the unknown. 

That’s all our tips for a fantastic summer campervan trip in Iceland. Ready to hit the road? Start your adventure today.