How to Visit Iceland on a Budget
We spent 14 days in Iceland traveling around Ring Road. We did a lot of research prior to our trip and figured out the rest on our travels. Here are the top 6 things that saved us the most money.
1. Go during the shoulder season: The shoulder season in Iceland is around September- October and April -May. If you want decent weather, but do not want to go during peak season, I recommend the beginning of September or the end of May. We went in September as camper van and car rentals decrease dramatically in price after peak season.
2. Camp: Icelanders love to camp and Iceland is full of campgrounds. Rather than hiring a car and booking accommodations every night, we rented a camper van and spent the night at very affordable campgrounds. Not only did we save a lot money, but we had the freedom of going wherever we wanted each day, as we were not concerned about hotels being booked. Want something even more affordable? Rent or bring your own tent and rent a fuel efficient vehicle. Gas is very expensive in Iceland and this will help save you money on fuel. Tent camping would be the most comfortable if you go during the warmer, dryer months.
3. Hire a 2WD and manual transmission vehicle: If camping is not your thing, then hiring an affordable, fuel efficient vehicle is the way to go. 2WD and manual transmission vehicles are cheaper to rent and a 4WD is not needed during the warmer months, unless you are planning on traveling into inner Iceland via the F roads (which require 4WD). We did not need one during our 14 day trip around Ring Road. Gas prices are also extremely expensive in Iceland and was one of our biggest costs during our trip. We hired the smallest camper van available to not only save money on the rental, but also fuel prices.
4. Visit a supermarket: Regardless if you are staying in a hotel, Airbnb, or a campground, you can save a lot of money by buying groceries and preparing your own meals, when possible. Of course if you are in a hotel every night, it might be difficult to cook your dinner. We stayed at campgrounds and cooked our food most evenings. Iceland also has two budget supermarkets widely available throughout the country, Bónus and Krónan, if you want to save even more money.
5. Purchase a SIM card: This ends up being much more affordable than using your cell phone data. We had an international travel plan that ended up being $10 a day but only gave us 1GB a day at fast speeds. A SIM card ends up being just a fraction of the cost per day. These are found at the airport, Reykjavík, or at some N1 gas stations.
6. Visit the natural geothermal areas or town pools: Visiting an Icelandic geothermal river, pool, or spa is a very unique and rewarding experience. There are many free natural geothermal areas in Iceland or very affordable geothermal swimming pools in almost every town. This is a much cheaper option than visiting Blue Lagoon or other geothermal luxury baths.
