Friday, May 6, 2011

Destination Iceland (by RV)

By Chuck Woodbury
editor, RVtravel.com

On August 29, 2011, my girlfriend Kathy and I will arrive in Reykjavik, Iceland where we will pick up a small campervan and then begin a one week roadtrip on the paved 831-mile-long Ring Road, Highway 1. The population of Iceland is only 320,000 of which 202,000 live in the Reykjavik or its suburbs, leaving a very spare population elsewhere. Our plan is to travel Highway 1 counter clockwise. That will leave the "big city" of Akureyri, population of 17,000, toward the end of our journey.

We will travel in a small campervan called a Happy 3 from Happy Campers in Reykjavik, which is furnishing the vehicle to us. Watch the short video in the right column of this page to see the Happy 3 in action. The Happy Camper people have been very helpful answering our questions as we prepare for our journey.

I plan to blog regularly before we begin our trip, and then every day during it. I'm told that WiFi is available throughout the island, sometimes at a lone gas station and market, of which there are many, commonly isolated from other civilization (see photo). A gas station chain called N1 advertises free WiFi at its 150 locations throughout the island.

Many campgrounds also offer Internet access. But, when it comes right down to it, there is a lot of "nothing" on the island. Of course, I mean civilization: there is plenty of magnificent scenery and countless geological wonders including the largest waterfall in Europe (Iceland is considered part of Europe).

There are many campgrounds. I'm told they range from very nice with all the amenities, to bare bones. Apparently the Icelandic people love to camp.

Considering all the wide open spaces along the road, Kathy and I are a bit apprehensive about traveling without a bathroom on board our RV. Seventy percent of Iceland is tundra, which means there are no trees to hide behind when doing one's duty. Alas, like those brave travelers before us, we will survive.

I'll write more as I learn more. If you want to be notified of each of my postings, enter your email address is the form at the top right of this page or sign up to receive my weekly newsletter RV Travel, where I will keep you posted.
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10 comments:

  1. chuckMay 12, 2011 at 12:19 AM

    With all that WiFi you'll be in seventh heaven!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Al and SharonMay 14, 2011 at 6:11 AM

    I went to the Happy Camper website and if my calculations are correct the daily cost for the campers range from about $260 to $475 in US dollars. (30.000 to 55.000 Iskr)

    Are they really that high?

    ReplyDelete
  3. UnknownMay 14, 2011 at 6:53 AM

    Sounds like a fun trip. Bathroom suggestion : For privacy with no trees - take a golf umbrella to hide behind. Daughter did this when she went to Moracco. Safe travels.
    Louise in FLA and on the road this summer

    ReplyDelete
  4. Al and SharonMay 14, 2011 at 7:48 AM

    I just received a confirmation email from Happy Campers. Here is a quote:
    "the price per day range from Icelandic krona 30.000,- to 55.000,- and according to the currency exchange rate today, it is about $260 - $475 US dollar per day. Included is all taxes, insurance, unlimited miles and everything you need to cook eat and sleep in the camper van. (including all beddings)"

    At least there doesn't seem to be any additional fees or charges.

    ReplyDelete
  5. JimeeMay 14, 2011 at 9:37 AM

    I went to Iceland to visit my son and family that was stationed there in the Navy in 1996. It is a wonderful country to vist. I think I would take a porta potti with me. LOL Be sure to stop at all the little coffee houses out in the country. They are so happy to see you. Out in the middle of no where you'll see them. Oh and the little troll houses, they are so cute, sitting out every where. Take swim suits, they have beautiful pools and they swim every day.

    ReplyDelete
  6. AliceMay 14, 2011 at 7:22 PM

    I lived in Iceland for 2 years when my husband was stationed there with the Navy in the early '90s. Took a tour of the island via the ring road while there. The city of Akureyri, from what I can remember, has great sweaters for sale. I still have mine! As I remember, there are a couple of bridges along the ring road, and they provided ample "hiding area" underneath for doing ones business! Be sure to go onto a glacier while there. You can even go ski-mobiling on them. The waterfalls are magnificent and somewhere along the road, is a lake with a black sand beach. Beautiful beach, but there was no one on it! Most of the adults speak very good English, so language is not really a problem anywhere. There are farmhouses along the road, miles from anywhere, and I'm sure if you had a problem that the farmers would be happy to help you out. The restaurants that I ate at had the best seafood that I've ever eaten!

    ReplyDelete
  7. MaryEllenMay 15, 2011 at 4:50 PM

    My father was from Iceland and in 1997 I spent 3 weeks there traveling around the country and visiting relatives. I drove from Reykjavic to Bildadol, the village my father had been born in 1906, to see his house. It was still there, the people living in it remembered my fathers family and invited me in for a toast. Icelanders are very friendly and love to toast various things with shots of a drink called black death. It's very slow going over a lot of the roads, but worth the effort. Hopefully neither of the "Angry Sister" volcanos Katla or Hekla will erupt while you're there. You'll love it, the country is spectacular.

    ReplyDelete
  8. JimeeMay 15, 2011 at 11:33 PM

    Oh the suggestion to use an umbrella, well that wouldn't work, the wind blows all the time there. LOL

    ReplyDelete
  9. gauijonsMay 22, 2011 at 8:46 PM

    Hi Chuck
    I would like to tell you to take warm cloths on the trip, Iceland can bee very cold on this time of the year.I´m from there. ;)
    On the other hand ,,1 week??,,, you know speed limit is 55mph and sometimes 50mph.
    Bud I know you are going to love it.
    Maiby you will see the volcano ???

    ReplyDelete
  10. Staff ReportMay 23, 2011 at 10:14 AM

    Delete this Jody

    ReplyDelete

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