How to decide which way to travel Ring Road in Iceland with kids (or without)
Making the choice between renting a car, a camper van, or a camper bus to travel around Iceland’s Ring Road
I wanted to take our two children somewhere they could enjoy a cultural experience, but somewhere that wouldn’t be a difficult 10-day international trip for them. As I searched, I found great flights to Iceland and decided to book them on the spot. At the moment, Iceland is experiencing an increase in volcanic eruptions, which is of great interest to the kids. At the same time will be able to see glaciers from beaches, waterfalls almost everywhere we go - and hopefully puffins, whales, and of course the northern lights.
We’ve decided to travel in September, which is one of Icelands low seasons, meaning there will be fewer tourists. It’s also one of the best times of year to see the northern lights or the aurora borealis. Iceland’s northern geography and many remote locations make it one of the best spots in the world to view the lights.
After booking the tickets, I decided to look into things to do in Iceland with children, and my first choice to make was how we were going to tour Ring Road which goes around the perimeter of the entire island. This is a common way to travel through Iceland in about 10 days. We’re flying into the international airport in Keflavik which is about 45 minutes from the capital city, Reykjavik. After driving to Reykjavik via a cab, we’ll check into a hotel for the first night and pick up our rental vehicle the next day.
There are a few choices for touring Ring Road, the first decision being whether to rent a car or to rent a camper van. Originally I had wanted to camp with a vehicle however the September temperatures average a 10°C high with a 2°C low in the evenings, and we’re not yet adept at cool weather camping so I decided against that option.
There are several factors to consider when choosing either a car, tent, or a camper van:
The cost of renting a car camper
The cost of eating food out versus being able to store in the camper van fridge, and also being able to cook food in the camper van.
The comfort of driving so often in a camper van versus a car.
Having a washroom on board versus having to stop with little kids use a bathroom along the way.
Having flexibility in our travel dates versus needing to pre-book hotels for specific dates that cannot be altered
After considering all of these pros and cons, I opted for the camper van. The kids and I have never travelled in one and I’ve always wanted to, so we’re going for it!
When looking at the cost of renting a car for a camper van, I included the cost of accommodations, it balanced out to be about the same cost of renting a camper van. Ultimately the cost of renting a car plus accommodations and then mostly take out food on top of that helped us decide to go with the camper van. Having a fridge on board where we could store a snacks and raw items to cook dinners will cut our food cost by half to 3/4.
Another bonus of having the camper van is that we always have a place to rest with us. At times the kids, and even I, get tired from so much driving and travelling around. Having a bed in our vehicle is a great way for us to take rest whenever we need it.
Another bonus about having the bed wherever we go is that we can stop whenever we like for the night and go to sleep at a nearby campground. Most of the campgrounds and Iceland do not require pre-booking. Most of them suggest there’s always room so just show up whenever you like and a spot will be available. Most campgrounds have nice showers and even shared kitchens to cook meals in.
I love the flexibility the camper Van gives us, for example, if we want to stay longer in one location, it wouldn’t be a problem to stay one extra night. Organizing all of our hotel stay in advance would make changes in our itinerary impossible or very challenging.
We’re considering purchasing a camper van in North America to tour around in the winters, so this will give us a good feel for what that might be like.
Overall, the choice is very personal, and it really depends on each person‘s comfortability level with accommodations. We may even stay in a hotel for a night or two depending on how we all feel, or if we pass by accomodations so beautiful we just can’t pass up staying!
Stay tuned for photos and more details about the camper van, why we chose the company, and why we went with the style of van we ended up renting - after looking at over 20 companies!
Interested in more Iceland travel content? Check out The Ultimate Packing List for Iceland to find all essential and optional items for your trip.
