I solo-travelled to Iceland, rented a campervan, and explored for 9 days! Iceland is one of the safest countries for solo female travellers. I found that renting a campervan would give me the flexibility and freedom to explore Iceland at my own pace and allow me to change my plans if needed (aka if the weather was awful). This is your guide to renting a campervan in Iceland as a solo female, and all the tips that I picked up along the way.

If you want a full run-down of my trip and itinerary, click here.

Where to rent a campervan in Iceland

I rented my campervan from rent.is and I would highly recommend. I have rented vehicles from companies around the world, including Tanzania, South Africa, Mexico, Zimbabwe, Madeira and more. So when I tell you that it is a good rental company, I mean it!

Rent.is have 24hour collection and drop off from the airport which is great when travelling solo. Their driver collected me from the airport arrivals area, and we took a 3 minute drive to the office location where I had the keys to my campervan and set off on my journey within 10 minutes.

What type of campervan should I rent in Iceland?

I visited Iceland in the middle of March. I experienced all weather, from beautiful sunshine to snowstorms, and heavy downpours to gail force winds. The van that I rented was quite big, however this style had what I needed (more on this below). I did find driving this van in the wind very difficult, mainly due to the large surface area; meaning that there were some sketchy moments. This van would comfortably fit 3 adults.

If you were more flexible on your requirements, I would recommend a smaller campervan like the Fiat Doblo. Not only would it be easier to driver, it would also be more fuel efficient.

About the campervan

I rented a Renault Trafic 3 (automatic) from rent.is and it was like a house on wheels- it was amazing! When renting a campervan in Iceland, I was very apprehensive about how warm it would be as I was visiting in March (still very cold) and solo (nobody to cuddle for that extra bodyheat). This particular van had 2 heating systems- one was battery-powered and did not require the van to be plugged in. The batteries are charged when driving the van during the day and the heater could be switched on all night (it is completely separate to the engine so no need to worry about a dead campervan in the morning!). The second heater was a portable heater that was plugged in, which brings me onto my next topic – electricity.

This campervan could be plugged into electricity at campsites (more on campsites below). As I brought my camera and drone, having electricity to charge everything was a necessity for me. It also meant that I could charge my phone and portable chargers overnight too; and I could also use my hairdryer to blowdry my hair in the van after showering (girl probz).

The campervan included all necessary supplies such as sleeping bags, bedsheets, pots and pans, cutlery, stove, fridge and more.

Top tip: I also rented a portable wifi from rent.is and I would have been lost without it. It is a small device (about half the size of a phone) with unlimited wifi. It can be charged via usb meaning you can bring it with you when outside for a walk or hike and still have wifi.

Driving in Iceland

Driving in Iceland is intense. In saying that, I had zero experience driving in snow/ice but I managed. The campervans are fitted with snow tyres during the winter season.

The ring road in Iceland is in great condition. It is well-marked, fantastic road condition and well, everyone drives that same main ring road (unless you go to the highlands in the summer months). Always be sure to check the weather forecast on https://en.vedur.is/ before you set off and also throughout the day as weather warnings can appear in an instant. This website allows you to view livestream of webcams set up all around the ring road. Check https://umferdin.is/en/travel-info/web-cams before setting off on your journey to see the weather and road conditions as the different areas in Iceland vary a lot.

Campsites

Would you believe that the pic above is from a literal campsite? This is the exact view that I woke up to?? Unbelievable! I have a full post on campsites *here* (coming soon).

Packing tips

Here are some items that I found very useful while camping in Iceland: extension lead with usb slots, travel hairdryer, towel poncho, waterproof camera cover, headlamp/flashlight,

Supermarkets & Cooking

To my surprise, supermarkets in Iceland were quite reasonably priced. I shopped at either Bónus or Krónan which would be the more cost-effective supermarkets. These supermarkets are scattered throughout Iceland and both are within a 10 minute drive from the airport, a good first stop to set up you up nicely for your trip.

Cooking was made very easy with the supplies given by rent.is and the space inside the Renault Trafic campervan. Majority of campsites also had either full kitchen facilities where you could cook; or sink areas so you could wash your pots and cutlery if cooking with your own stove. I found it most convenient to only cook once during the day (for dinner); and have a pre-made sandwich or wrap from the supermarket for lunch along with some other snacks. The downside of travelling solo is that you have to do both the cooking AND the cleaning!

Overall, Iceland is a must-visit destination and if you have nobody to travel with- GO SOLO!