15 THINGS YOU SHOULD THINK OF BEFORE LEAVING FOR YOUR ROAD TRIP IN ICELAND

I recently went on the most amazing road trip I have ever done. I went to explore Iceland in a minivan and it was the most crazy adventure! I discovered, I loved, I lived but I also figured out a few things that I wish I knew before! And I am about to share them with you guys so you can be a little more prepared than I was!

1.Bring a rain coat, swimwear and 5 winter jumpers.

The weather changes drastically! One moment you can be sitting in the sun while swimming in the geysers. The other moment you find yourself in the middle of a storm soaking wet and being blown away by the wind. Even still in May you might even wake up to snow! Iceland has the most unpredictable weather conditions, even the locals will tell you! So be prepared for anything!!

2.Stop at every gasstation you see.

Seriously, stop every time you see a gasstation and make sure to fuel up!! You won’t know when the next time will be! And trust me, you don’t want to end up with no fuel, sometimes there are hours in between gasstations or even villages!!

3.If you hire a car at one of the car/van hires ask for a discount card!

At most car hires you can ask for a discount card which will enable you to have free wifi, discount on gasoline and a free coffee at every gasstation! This sounds like a pretty good deal to me!

4.Take advantage of the free wifi at the gasstations.

If you are bringing your laptop or just don’t have internet abroad take advantage of the free wifi in every gasstation! Go inside and enjoy a coffee and some Skyr (an Icelandic yoghurt, a must try!! So delicious!!) while using the free internet! Or just stay in the car and park in the parking lot close to the gasstation! – Don’t forget to upload your pictures on Instagram to make everyone jealous!!

5.Food and daily necessities are expensive.

Keep into consideration that life is rather expensive out there. Daily necessities and grocery shopping will quickly get very expensive. For the cheapest prices go to a supermarket named Bonus, here you will find everything you need and the best deals!

6.Book in advance.

If you want to visit famous or popular spots make sure to book in advance! Places such as Blue Lagoon, or if you want to go Whale watching in Husavik make sure to book early! This way you will prevent disappointment as these get very busy and it will even be cheaper!

7.Make sure your car/van, and every object that stays inside the car is waterproof.

Storms can get very heavy and it can rain for days, so it is very important that your car/van is waterproof! If you are not 100% then make sure the objects (camera, laptops etc.) are safe!!

8.Take a multi car charger.

If you are tracking around Iceland you will want to take pictures, film, and use your phone all at the same time. However this might be difficult when everything runs out of battery! So the best way to keep everything fully charged is to buy a multi charger for in the car so you can charge as many as you need at the same time!

9.Take your best walking shoes.

Iceland is full of beautiful places, and in order to get to almost every place you will either have to walk or hike in order to get there! Don’t worry, the walks are absolutely gorgeous and you will love them, but you wont enjoy it as much if you don’t have the right shoes!! The landscape varies from place to place, you can walk on sand one moment and the next you will be hiking up a slippery rocky mountain. Bring comfortable, strong and non-slippery shoes/boots! – Also bring a few plasters just incase!!

10.Take extra camera batteries and memory cards.

11.Take your thickest sleeping bag! (And a sleeping mask)

The sun may shine in the day but don’t let that fool you! At night it can get really, but really cold. Pack your thickest sleeping bag and make sure to take warm clothes to sleep in!! If you are going in the summer months you might also want to take a sleeping mask. In the summer the days are very long and nights will never become fully dark. This may be deceiving and mess with your brain a little! Wear a sleeping mask so you go to sleep in the dark and so you wont wake up from the light!

12.Make sure you have internet abroad.

Make sure you have a navigation or even better a phone with internet! We tried to use a map at first, but quickly found ourselves needing help from our dear friend Google Maps! Many places are not shown on the paper maps, sometimes you will need to hike to destinations or all you have are coordinates of the place you want to go to.. a phone will definitely help you out!

When you are out there going on adventures you won’t stop taking pictures. Every landscape, every hike, every swim, every encounter, it will just stun you and you will want to capture every moment of it. And you will see that the moment you think you are about to take the perfect shot your memory card will be full and you will miss that perfect moment!! (You will always keep believing that that shot would of been the best shot you have ever taken..and regret it forever and always!! Yep, talking from experience here…) So always take extra batteries and memory cards!!

13.Visit popular spots or attractions early in the morning or in the evening.

If you want to visit popular spots or attractions make sure to go either early in the morning or late in the evening. This is when they are the least busy!

14.Plan your trip in advance.

Make sure to write down all the places you want to visit and plan your trip in advance. This way you can create your perfect route and keep some kind of schedule! This will really help you to keep on track and see everything you want to see!

15.Try their hotdogs! (For the non-vegans)

Last but not least!! Make sure to try a hotdog at a gasstation! Iceland is known for their delicious hotdogs and every gasstation will have them on their menu! They are extremely cheap and full of flavor! Its a must!!

So there we have it! Some tips to make your unforgettable road trip even more amazing! I loved it and I am sure you will fall in love with its magic too!