Camper vans, motorhomes and 4x4 campers for a trip around Iceland
Compare the 2 campervan and motorhome rental companies in Reykjavik to find the best price, and book at the price shown, mandatory fees included.
Hiring a campervan in Reykjavik gives you the freedom to follow the Ring Road around Iceland, from waterfall to glacier, without relying on countryside accommodation that is scarce and quickly fully booked in summer. The Golden Circle, with Þingvellir, Geysir and Gullfoss, starts less than an hour from the capital; the black sand beaches of the south coast, the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon and the Snæfellsnes peninsula are reached in a few stages.
Our two partner companies are waiting for you locally: Hertz Iceland near Reykjavik's domestic airport, and Kuku Campers in Hafnarfjörður, south of the city, on the road to Keflavík international airport.
Public ratings collected on October 28, 2026 from independent review sites.
| Vehicle | Winter January | Spring April | Summer July |
|---|---|---|---|
| Campervan | from €100/day median €250/day | from €104/day median €250/day | from €126/day median €367/day |
| Low-profile motorhome | from €299/day median €322/day | from €223/day median €272/day | from €323/day median €451/day |
| Large motorhome | — | from €262/day median €275/day | from €482/day median €528/day |
Daily prices observed on October 21, 2026 for a 15-day rental: CoolDrive selling price, mandatory fees included, 8 rental companies compared. 82% of offers with unlimited mileage. Median excess: €3,200.
The Golden Circle links the Þingvellir rift, where the North American and Eurasian plates drift apart, the Strokkur geyser at Haukadalur and the Gullfoss waterfall. The Ring Road then leads to Seljalandsfoss, Skógafoss, the black beach of Reynisfjara near Vík, then Skaftafell and the icebergs of Jökulsárlón, before returning the same way. At Reynisfjara, stay well back from the water: the waves are treacherous.
Driving anticlockwise, the Ring Road follows the south coast to Höfn, winds through the East Fjords, crosses the lava deserts towards Lake Mývatn and the Dettifoss waterfall, then reaches Akureyri, capital of the North, before heading back south via Borgarnes. The road is almost entirely paved, but some shortcuts in the East, such as the Öxi road, are still gravel and very steep.
To the north-west, the Ring Road passes under Hvalfjörður through a tunnel before Borgarnes. Nicknamed “Iceland in miniature”, the Snæfellsnes peninsula lines up the cliffs of Arnarstapi, the black pebble beach of Djúpalónssandur, the Snæfellsjökull glacier and Kirkjufell mountain near Grundarfjörður, all the way to the harbour of Stykkishólmur. A short loop, ideal for a first trip or out of season.
The best compromise for leaving from Reykjavik: long days, with up to nine hours of sunshine in May, fewer people on the Ring Road than in summer and campsites open. The F-roads of the Highlands generally remain closed in May and close gradually in September, when the rain returns.
Iceland's peak season: night hardly falls, the Highland tracks open to 4x4s and all campsites are running. It is also the most expensive and busiest period: book your vehicle several months in advance and arrive early in the morning at the sights of the Golden Circle and the south coast.
Transition months: a trip around the island is still possible, but snowfall can close the passes of the North and East for a few hours. October is one of the wettest months in Reykjavik and many campsites close: a well-heated vehicle and a flexible itinerary are essential.
Winter brings one to six hours of sunshine a day, often icy roads and frequent storms. Vehicles are fitted with winter tyres, but it is better to stay on the Golden Circle, Snæfellsnes and the south coast as far as Vík rather than attempt the full loop. Only a few campsites remain open.
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Sun | Sea |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2 °C | -3 °C | 158 mm | 2 h/day | 2 °C |
| Feb | 2 °C | -2 °C | 158 mm | 3 h/day | 2 °C |
| Mar | 3 °C | -1 °C | 129 mm | 6 h/day | 3 °C |
| Apr | 7 °C | 1 °C | 130 mm | 7 h/day | 5 °C |
| May | 9 °C | 4 °C | 123 mm | 9 h/day | 8 °C |
| Jun | 11 °C | 7 °C | 96 mm | 9 h/day | 10 °C |
| Jul | 13 °C | 9 °C | 84 mm | 9 h/day | 12 °C |
| Aug | 13 °C | 8 °C | 110 mm | 8 h/day | 13 °C |
| Sep | 10 °C | 6 °C | 143 mm | 6 h/day | 11 °C |
| Oct | 7 °C | 3 °C | 156 mm | 4 h/day | 8 °C |
| Nov | 4 °C | 0 °C | 125 mm | 2 h/day | 6 °C |
| Dec | 2 °C | -2 °C | 136 mm | 1 h/day | 4 °C |
Averages 2016–2025 computed from Open-Meteo data (ERA5 reanalysis).
Icelandic wind can rip a door off: open it while holding it firmly, park facing the wind if possible and never leave a door open. This damage is rarely covered by insurance. Right outside Reykjavik, at Kjalarnes, as below Eyjafjallajökull on the south coast, gusts can make driving dangerous for a tall vehicle: do not drive when a warning is issued.
Off the Ring Road, many roads are gravel: slow down when passing another vehicle to avoid chips in the windscreen. Basic cover rarely includes gravel, sand and volcanic ash damage, common on the south coast, while the median excess of the offers observed reaches €3,200. Read the insurance options before you set off.
Since the Nature Conservation Act came into force at the end of 2015, spending the night in a motorhome, a campervan or a rooftop tent outside a campsite is banned, unless the landowner agrees. Car parks at natural sites often display the ban, and fines are real, around Reykjavik as on the Golden Circle.
Do your shopping in Reykjavik, where budget supermarkets such as Bónus and Krónan are plentiful, and fill up before leaving the capital: fuel stations become sparse in the East Fjords and disappear in the Highlands. Many pumps are automatic and require a bank card with a PIN; prepaid cards sold at the stations help out.
Central Reykjavik is divided into paid parking zones, and the narrow streets around Laugavegur are ill-suited to large vehicles. Leave the motorhome in a car park on the outskirts or at your campsite instead, then walk or take the bus to Hallgrímskirkja church, the old harbour and the Harpa concert hall.
Two partner companies have a depot in the Reykjavik area: Hertz Iceland, Flugvallarvegi 5, next to Reykjavik's domestic airport, and Kuku Campers, Flatahraun 21 in Hafnarfjörður, about ten kilometres south of the centre. Other companies hand over their vehicles in Keflavík, near the international airport. The exact address and meeting time are in your confirmation.
Our searches in October 2026, for 15-day hires with eight rental companies, found campervans from €100 per day in January and from €126 in July, and low-profile motorhomes from €223 in April, mandatory fees included. Summer is much more expensive: the median campervan price reaches €367 per day in July. Run a search with your dates to get real prices.
Only in a 4x4 and if the rental company allows it: Icelandic law reserves F-roads for four-wheel-drive vehicles, and contracts almost always exclude standard motorhomes and campervans. The offers observed include 4x4 campers such as the Toyota Hilux Camper or the Ford Transit Caratour. These tracks to Landmannalaugar, Kjölur or Sprengisandur only open in summer, and river crossings are rarely insured.
A campervan slips more easily into the crowded car parks at the waterfalls and uses less fuel over long distances; a low-profile motorhome offers a shower, toilet and real living space, welcome when it rains for several days. The models observed range from the Forster Van 599EB sleeping two to the Fiat Weinsberg R58 sleeping four, and the Dacia Duster 4x4 with rooftop tent is a light option.
Incorrect information about the rental dates resulting in a charge for an additional day despite my inquiries to Cool Drive right after my booking. Refusal to modify my reservation because it did not lead to a change in price. Incorrect information confirmed by the rental company that was expecting a response the next day...
As part of a motorhome booking (in a Nordic country), I discovered Cooldrive-Nomad completely by chance at the end of my consultations. Very good customer service (listening, quick response, pricing and price negotiation, competence, and the friendliness of the representative). I appreciated their professionalism, and next time, I will call on their services directly.
Old camper van for 6 people, water leak from the system on the second day and speedometer limited and unreliable!
A valid licence in Latin characters is enough for motorhomes, campervans and converted vans under 3.5 tonnes; otherwise, an international driving permit is required. In Iceland, you drive on the right and headlights must stay on day and night. Each rental company also sets a minimum age and a minimum number of years of driving, shown in the offer conditions.
The Laugardalur campsite, east of the centre, welcomes motorhomes all year round. On the Golden Circle and the south coast, campsites line the route, at Þingvellir, Hveragerði, Vík or Skaftafell. Most are only open in the warmer months and many cannot be booked: you settle in on arrival and pay on site.
In our searches in Reykjavik, 82% of the offers observed included unlimited mileage, an important point for a trip around the island that quickly exceeds 1,500 km with detours. The others apply a daily allowance and a price per extra kilometre: check the conditions of each offer before booking.
The international airport is about 50 km from the centre, or 45 minutes on Route 41, which passes through Hafnarfjörður, where the Kuku Campers depot is located. Buses link the airport to the capital after each wave of arrivals. Keflavík is also a departure city of our partners: picking up the vehicle there avoids the transfer after a night flight.
Check road.is every morning for road conditions and closures, vedur.is for wind warnings and safetravel.is, where you can also leave your travel plan. The weather changes very quickly: a road open in the morning may close in the afternoon. In an emergency, dial 112, the single number for Icelandic rescue services.
Yes, from late August to April, on dark nights with a clear sky. Get away from the lights of Reykjavik, towards Þingvellir or the Reykjanes peninsula, while always sleeping at an open campsite. The Icelandic Met Office publishes a forecast of cloud cover and aurora activity, useful for choosing your evening.
Reykjavik has everything you need to prepare a trip around Iceland: the international airport less than an hour away, supermarkets and outdoor shops, and the start of the Ring Road that circles the island. In one day you are on the Golden Circle; in two, facing the glaciers of the south coast; in a weekend, at the foot of Snæfellsjökull.
Two partner companies are based locally and our searches compare eight, from campervans to 4x4 campers for the Highlands, with prices observed from €100 per day in October 2026. Travellers who left from Reykjavik give it an average rating of 4.0 out of 5. Hafnarfjörður and Keflavík, other departure cities of our partners, offer even more choice to fit the vehicle pick-up around your flight.
