The Ring Road in Iceland
In the grand scheme of things, Iceland falls on the smaller side of the scale in terms of size and population. While it may be a country that is small in stature, it is jam-packed with things to see and do. The good news is that the people of Iceland love having people visit their country, and they have made it as easy to traverse as possible. The Iceland ring road, or Route 1 as it’s also known, circles the island, and stretches for about 800 miles in length. You could get around the loop in a couple of days, but what’s the rush when there are so many great stops to be made along the way.
Planning Your Ring Road Trip
One of the best ways to go around the ring road is in a camper van, as there are plenty of campsite where you can spend the night before tackling the next part of your journey. How long you choose to stay and explore is entirely up to you, but we suggest that you plan on taking 7-10 days to travel the road, as this will afford you plenty of time to stop off and see all the major attractions. A ring road itinerary is something that you should put together before you head out.
The ideal starting off point for your Iceland ring road trip would be in the capital city of Reykjavik. If you are visiting from another country, chances are that is where you are going to be flying into anyway. Picking up a camper van rental in the city is easy, and it’s also the best place to get all the supplies that you need before you hit the road. If you are shopping on a budget, consider getting your groceries for your trip at Bonus, an iconic budget supermarket that is hard to miss given that a giant pig is part of the signage.
You are definitely going to want to set aside plenty of money in the budget for gas, as it is a good deal more expensive in Iceland than in other parts of the world. Taking a long a map that shows where the gas stations are is also a good idea, as you are going to be hitting long stretches of road where there is nothing to see but the beautiful scenery on either side of your campervan.
You should also take the time to pick out the places that you absolutely want to visit on the trip, and those which you can bypass if need be. You probably only have a limited amount of time to visit, which is why your ring road itinerary is one of the most valuable items you will be carrying with you. Make sure to allot enough time to spend at the places you visit, even if that means having to an extra day to your trip. It’s a leisurely pace that is followed on the ring road, so take some time to relax and enjoy all that it has to offer.