Iceland is a magical Island with trolls, elves, volcanoes, and glaciers as well as unspoiled nature. No wonder why it is becoming a dream goal of many travelers around the world and every year, the number of tourists is growing fast. Iceland is also increasingly becoming the destination of tourists who love to go driving a motorhome in Iceland; which is now one of the best ways of visiting this country. For those who are beginners in this type of adventures with a motorhome it might look a bit complicated and unknown.
Therefore we would like to offer some help and suport for those who decide to use a motorhome for their trip around Iceland. Your long desired trip is now closer than ever! In this post we will focus on those allowed driving and paking areas while camping with a motorhome.
Allowed Driving Area
There is no specific rule on where you can and where you can’t go with your motorhome. You can basically access all the main attractions driving a motorhome in Iceland. There are some roads however that can’t be accessed with a motorhome and we will focus on that part so you are aware of this before planning your itinerary.
First of all, most of the motorhomes come with manual transmission and all of them are two wheel drive cars. What does it mean for you? That you are only able to access the paved roads in Iceland like the Ring Road- the road no 1. No gravel roads like F-roads, as highland’s roads can only be driven with 4×4 vehicles. In Iceland there are many unpaved gravel roads. The mountain roads, especially in the central part of the Island, are only open during the summer and to move through them you would need a 4 wheel drive car with a high suspension. Motorhomes here are not suitable, believe me.
Both roads and bridges tend to be very narrow which means that you need to take extra care especially when driving a wide vehicle like motorhome.
Many would probably wonder if you can go driving a motorhome in Iceland, right through the city? The answer is yes. However here there is a”but”. You can access every place just like you were driving a standard vehicle unless the road sign states otherwise. You also need to be aware of parking in designated places for motorhomes, buses etc.
Allowed Parking Area
In my previous paragraph, I already mentioned about parking the motorhome on designated spots only. The same rule applies to parking overnight. In Iceland, off-road driving is strictly forbidden and will be fined. The vegetation in Iceland is very delicate and it takes a really long time to grow back again.
The basic rule is that if you wish to stop in some spot near the town or city you need to get permission to do so from the owner. Though, it can be quite difficult as there might be no one to ask for it. It is better to avoid parking on farms to avoid getting a ticket but also to damage the unique flora that can only be found in Iceland.
Driving a Motorhome in Iceland: Driving and Parking
That is why we do recommend you stay at campsites. These are places where you can spread the awnings, camping tables and chairs and feel really comfortable. Campsites in Iceland offer many facilities that you can use like showers, toilets, laundry rooms, and grey water disposal. You can also use the electricity by connecting your motorhome to an external plug.
