As the colors of the flag suggest: red for the fire of the volcanoes, white like the glaciers and blue for the Atlantic (and, well, sometimes also for the sky) :-)
Many couldn't understand why we wanted to go to Iceland of all places. On Iceland itself, you will only meet like-minded people. People who don't want to go on a pool holiday, but rather experience something new. People who feel the desire for adventure and want to discover the unknown.
The way of traveling in Iceland is very different. Many travel to Reykjavik by plane, rent a car, off-road vehicle or mobile home. Or they travel by bus, bike or on foot. Hotels, hostels, campsites with rooms or huts and overnight huts (in remote areas) or your own tent are ideal places to sleep. Huts and hotels should be booked in advance in the season from June to August.
Campsites do not need to be booked in advance. They can be very full on the Ringstrasse in the evenings, but somehow one of them still fit :-)
The second option is to travel by ferry. Whether on foot, by bike, motorcycle, car, off-road vehicle or mobile home. A wide variety of overnight accommodations are offered on the ferry.
Notes for Iceland:
- Driving with lights is mandatory
- F-roads are only passable with all-wheel drive vehicles. This does not mean cars with all-wheel drive, but off-road vehicles. Fords usually have to be negotiated on these slopes.
- The ring is paved, as are some secondary roads. On our map, paved roads could be identified by the line of one color. Unpaved roads consist of two thinner lines with white in between. The roads are approved for all vehicles (as long as they are not F-roads), but not suitable for all vehicles. Think carefully about whether you want your vehicle to do this. The slopes are partly corrugated iron slopes, littered with potholes and have loose, often stony surfaces.
- Provision of food is possible in many (even small) towns. But petrol stations also offer groceries. In Germany, you should have enough food with you in addition to sufficient fuel.
- Some gas stations are not occupied. Here you pay with credit card and PIN. At the occupied petrol stations, you can choose between card payment or cash payment. (You may have to be informed beforehand that you would like to pay in cash so that the column is activated.)
- Alcohol is only available in licensed shops. (We didn't see one, but we didn't look for it either). Light beer is also available in supermarkets. You have to ask for cigarettes at the gas station or in the grocery store.
- The selection of canned food is not as diverse as in Germany.
- Some supermarkets don't open until 10 a.m.
- Payment by Mastercard or Visa card is as good as possible.
- In areas with thermal springs, showering in campsites is mostly free. In the other areas mostly chargeable. It is paid at ATMs and costs between 400 and 600 ISK. (€ 2.52 to € 3.78)
- Getting internet access is difficult. Most of the time we didn't even ask, but tried out whether there was any reception at all. That was mostly not the case or only very weakly. Cell phone reception, on the other hand, was good even in the desert. (Of course, this can vary from provider to provider).
What you should definitely take with you:
- When driving on the F roads: a recovery belt
- Spare wheel
- Reserve canister
- Wind and rainproof clothing and shoes (hiking boots)
- hats (because of the wind alone)
- Backpack (bring rainproof clothing even in good weather).
- Road map at least 1: 425,000 if possible
What is helpful:
- A windshield for the grill for grilling (available from well-stocked outdoor outfitters)
- a rain cover for the backpack
- Tripod for camera
- Binoculars
- flashlight