For me, a holiday has always meant warm weather, beach days, and a mix of activities with some lazy afternoons by the pool. So when my husband suggested Iceland for our October holidays, it immediately took me out of my comfort zone. Iceland had been Johnny’s dream destination for many years, and part of that dream was exploring it by campervan—again, completely outside my usual holiday style. We finally compromised by alternating nights in the campervan with nights at a hotel. This trip was also our first holiday without Ricardo, who is now at university and no longer has school holidays like before.
Since there are no direct flights from Nice to Iceland, I searched for the most efficient route to maximize our time there. I found a great deal with SAS, even though it meant spending a night in Oslo. We flew out from Nice in the afternoon, with a one-and-a-half-hour stop in Stockholm, and arrived late in Oslo. We stayed at the Radisson Oslo Airport Hotel, conveniently located within a short walk of the terminal.
The next morning, we had an early flight from Oslo to Reykjavik. Our flight left at 9:35 a.m. and arrived in Reykjavik at 10:25 a.m., factoring in the time change—the flight lasted about 2 hours and 50 minutes. Our SAS Plus tickets included lounge access, so we enjoyed a nice breakfast at the Oslo SAS lounge before heading to Iceland.
Our campervan company, Northbound, offered a free shuttle from the airport to their office (and back at the end of the rental). We had reserved a Renault Trafic 3-modified van for our Iceland adventure and were excited to pick it up. The van had a seating area in the back that could be converted into a sleeping area for three people, complete with pillows, linen, and sleeping bags. It also included a small fridge and a heating system. Northbound provided a box with cutlery, plates, mugs, a pot, a pan, and a small gas-powered cooker, although we didn’t end up using the cooker since the campsites’ kitchens were fully equipped.
We did encounter some issues with the heating system and ended up using a small blower for our camping nights. Northbound reimbursed us one day for the inconvenience, which I thought was fair and demonstrated good customer service. Before the trip, they sent a video showing how everything in the van worked, so we could familiarize ourselves in advance, and they also gave a brief on-site briefing before we set off.
Our camper van
First, we headed to a supermarket to stock up on groceries for the trip. Although Iceland is an expensive country, we found that prices at Bonus supermarket were reasonable, and they offered a good range of vegan products. We had also brought some cereal bars, biscuits, and a selection of our favorite teas from France. With our shopping done, the adventure could finally begin! This was our first trip where we didn’t exchange any local currency, as card payments are widely accepted everywhere in Iceland (at the time, 1 euro was roughly 140 ISK).
We drove straight to the Golden Circle, planning to explore part of it on the first day. Once we left Reykjavik, where the roads were quite busy, we caught our first glimpse of the iconic Icelandic landscapes and mostly empty roads. The temperature was about 5°C, with a light drizzle, but the weather was generally fine for late October.
Our first stop was Thingvellir National Park, about 43 km—or a 45-minute drive—from Reykjavik. Most of Iceland’s major sights have large parking lots nearby, often with a visitor center and toilets. Parking is not free—around €7 per car—and each lot is monitored by cameras that capture all vehicles entering and leaving.
Thingvellir holds deep symbolic importance for Icelanders. Simply put, it is one of the most significant sites in the history of the nation. This naturally formed amphitheater was the birthplace of the Alþing, considered the oldest parliamentary institution in Europe, dating back to 930.
The park also features fascinating geothermal activity. Located directly on the boundary between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates, Thingvellir experiences significant seismic activity, evidenced by the faults and cracks that run throughout the site. Fortunately, we didn’t experience any earthquakes during our visit, but the dramatic landscapes and views were unforgettable.
Thingvellir National Park
We watched Strokkur erupt a few times, then explored the smaller hot springs on the main trail, before returning to catch another eruption. Suddenly, the sky turned dark, and a heavy, icy rain began to fall. We ran back to the visitor center but still got quite wet. There’s a saying about Icelandic weather: “If you don’t like the weather, just wait five minutes.” We experienced that truth multiple times during the trip.
Geysir Hot Springs Area
The Stokkur
We still had one more stop planned before heading to our campsite—a short drive from Geysir brought us to one of Iceland’s most impressive waterfalls, Gullfoss. We stopped briefly to admire the waterfall, but the icy rain returned, and darkness was falling. It was time to call it a day and start the drive toward the campsite for our first night in the campervan.
Reykholt looked small, but the friendly and chatty receptionist later explained that in summer it can get very busy. We were given a spot near the kitchen block, and it took some time to figure out the electricity connection—certainly not easy in the dark with falling cold and icy rain. The kitchen was compact but functional, even stocked with some condiments for cooking. Only a couple of other cars were there, and we met two friendly couples while using the kitchen—a honeymooning couple from Panama and a Chinese-American couple. We spent the evening sharing life and travel stories, which turned out to be one of the most memorable aspects of Icelandic campsites: the warm, welcoming community atmosphere.
Our first stop of the day was the Secret Lagoon, just a short drive from the campsite. When we mentioned our plans at the campsite, they kindly gave us discount vouchers for the entry fee. What makes the Secret Lagoon special is its naturally warm water, fed by hot springs. The pool water flows continuously, completely renewing itself every 24 hours, with temperatures staying around 38–40°C year-round.
The hardest part was the brief walk from the changing rooms to the pool in our swimsuits—the outside temperature was around -1°C! But once we were in the water, it was pure bliss. The temperature varied slightly in different parts of the pool, allowing us to choose between warmer or cooler spots. It was a perfect, relaxing start to the day and a true taste of Iceland’s geothermal wonders.
We carried on for about half an hour and just stopped by the side of the road to take a look at yet another waterfall and take a short stroll by the side of a little river.
Our luck with good weather had run out by the time we wanted to visit Diamond Beach, as it began pouring rain. Knowing we still had quite a distance to cover—around 120 km—to reach our campsite for the night, we decided to start driving back toward Vik. The rain soon turned into a snowstorm, and at times the gusts of wind were so strong that the van shook as we drove, making the journey quite an adventure.
The campsite I had chosen for the night was Tjaldstæðið Kirkjubær II. It was much larger and better organized than the previous one, with a bigger kitchen as well as larger toilet and shower facilities. Despite the weather, we had a wonderful evening socializing with fellow travelers (Hungarian and Belgian this time) in the kitchen, exchanging stories, sharing experiences, and enjoying again the unique sense of community that Icelandic campsites offer.
The next morning, we started driving back toward Reykjavik, making a quick stop in Vik to stock up on groceries.
Our first sightseeing stop for the day was Reynisfjara Beach, famous for its black sands, striking basalt columns, and sometimes dangerous, unpredictable Atlantic waves.
As we drove around, we also spotted Icelandic horses grazing by the roadside. Smaller than most other breeds, these hardy horses are unique to Iceland and are known for their incredible ability to navigate rough terrain.
Our main goal for the day was to hike to and enjoy the Reykjadalur hot spring thermal river in the Golden Circle area. When we arrived at the parking lot, however, the weather was anything but inviting—heavy rain and strong winds made the hike look challenging. We waited in the van for a while, had some lunch, and hoped the weather might improve. The hike was about 45 minutes from the parking lot to the river, and we were hesitant to attempt it in such conditions.
After a while, we spoke to a group returning from the hike—they were soaked and freezing and strongly advised against going in those conditions. Heeding their advice, we decided to skip the hike.
For that evening, I had marked two campsites as options, just in case one was closed, but unfortunately, both were shut despite being listed as open online. I quickly found an alternative and booked us into Bakki Apartments in the nearby seaside village of Eyrarbakki—and it turned out to be a wonderful find! The village looked like it had stepped out of an Astrid Lindgren story, with colorful houses lining the main street and well-kept little gardens. Our studio apartment at Bakki was spacious and modern, and we were delighted with our last-minute decision.
Our studio at Bakki apartments
We made a short stop at the volcano trailhead parking lot and headed out for a quick hike, spending about half an hour exploring the trails. Sadly, we soon realised we didn’t have enough time to complete the full hike, but it was still exciting to stretch our legs in the Reykjanes Peninsula volcanic belt. The Blue Lagoon itself is also located on this geologically active peninsula, making the journey there just as memorable as the destination.
In addition to the lagoon itself, there was a classic sauna as well as a natural steam sauna that harnessed geothermal steam rising straight from the ground. Even though the outside temperature was just a few degrees above freezing, the water was beautifully warm. We relaxed, soaked it all in, and thoroughly enjoyed the entire experience.
After a delicious meal, we drove back to the van rental place to return our home on wheels. From there, we were given a lift to the Konvin Hotel near the airport, where we spent our final night before flying home the next morning. It had been another long day, and with a 7:30 a.m. flight ahead, we needed an early start. Luckily, the hotel began serving breakfast at 5:00 a.m., so we managed to squeeze in a coffee and a quick bite before hopping on the shuttle bus to the airport.
Iceland is one of those places we already know we’ll return to. Its unique landscapes and endless things to see and do left us feeling like our trip was far too short, with so much still undiscovered. Next time, we’d love to visit in summer, explore the northern coast, and perhaps even tackle the full Ring Road. While travelling by van was slightly outside my comfort zone (as was the cold!), it turned out to be a fantastic experience, and we truly loved the atmosphere at the campsites.
No comments:
Post a Comment