Iceland: campervan or 4x4?

Hi, What do you mean by "unusual"? For our part, we toured Iceland by campervan, visiting the main sites without any issues. The only place we reached by regular bus was Landmannalaugar, since it's a track off-limits to non-off-road vehicles. But we stayed there for a month. See you,

Marie Paule

Hi there,

The best option is to rent a converted 4x4 van, which will let you tackle some rough tracks and sleep at campsites.

As for which region to visit, it really depends on what you want to see and do. My advice is to pick what interests you in each area and then go where the weather’s best once you’re there. Either way, Iceland’s the kind of place you’ll want to return to! 😊

If it’s your first trip, you can check out our photos on our site here under the travel photo gallery—might give you some ideas.

Hi there, Don’t picture jam-packed highways—everything’s relative in Iceland! Route 1, which you could call the main road, stays pretty quiet.

A 4x4 camper van is definitely a great compromise if you can afford it. Otherwise, for a first trip and a taste that’ll make you want to come back, a regular camper van can work just fine. Lots of "secondary" roads are now paved, or unpaved but still drivable. Most tourists stick to Route 1, but with a little curiosity, you can easily reach spots that are way less crowded than the big tourist sites.

I’m thinking especially of Route 910, with its "highlands" vibe and the stunning view of Vatnajökull on the horizon, leading to the little Laugafell hut and its hot spring beneath Snæfell (a small peak in the southeast—don’t mix it up with the one on the western peninsula). For us, it was a magical memory, and no 4x4 needed.

This was six years ago, so I hope things haven’t changed too much! I also agree that you’ve got to adapt to the weather and not insist on visiting a region where bad weather’s forecast for a whole week when you’re only there for 10 days.

Happy exploring in Iceland! !

Good evening,

It was 6 years ago, I hope things haven’t changed too much.

There have been some changes in the last 6 years, though. First, a lot more tourists, so the Ring Road is much busier. We’ve also seen reckless people taking small cars on tracks meant for 4x4s and getting them stuck in river crossings. But the biggest change is that many parking lots at tourist sites are now paid.

Good evening, Yes, we went back in October 2024 and the major tourist sites were packed with Chinese visitors, in particular. Everything’s been fitted with walkways and stairs to make getting around easier, plus paid parking. But the tour operators’ routes are still the same, so it should be possible to get off the beaten path and discover less crowded spots (e.g., heading to Fjallsárlón, which is quieter than Jökulsárlón, exploring the Westfjords that rushed tourists skip, and the Eastfjords, which are still worth the detour, etc.). Your photo of the eruption is stunning—it looks amazing...[;)]

Thanks!

Yeah, the advantage with our Defender is that we can still explore tracks and spots that are still off the tourist radar.