Planning our next big adventure… Iceland! Part of travel is the planning. Chris and I were talking one day and she asked, “where do you want to go for your birthday this year?” We of course kicked around several local destinations. Folk and Blues Festivals. Beaches and rivers. Wild, white water rafting trips in the West. Nothing was tickling my fancy until… Chris spouted out “lets go to Iceland!” I was a bit taken back since it was so far from our normal travel parameters. “Sure… why not?”
In the next weeks the planning began. We found that the costs involved with traveling to Iceland were daunting. The airfare is not that bad if you can be a bit flexible. We spent hours on the phone over two days with Delta trying to find flights we could use our medallion upgrades on. We searched the end of August through the end of September until… finally 10 days that worked out!
Next we explored tours and hotels. JEEZ! Three thousand per person was just too rich for our blood! We continued to do our research over the next few weeks. Blog after blog, travel site after travel site. No matter who we checked out it was still looking like this was a destination we were gonna have to forget about. Finally we found it… CAMPING!
This time of year there is about 20 hours of sun. That really opened up the island to camping. There were many choices but again, we found out that this is a very popular way to explore this prime-evil island. We went with http://www.kukucampers.is/ . For a mere $2,000 we rented a VW Camper van, equipped with all you need to sleep 5 people, has a stove for cooking… important when the cost of eating out could bankrupt most people… a sink and small fridge. Who needs more?
Now for the unknowns… how much is gas? It is 835 miles around the Ring Road. That will be somewhere about 35 to 40 gallons of gas, OK not too bad… we hope. I guess if gas is $4.00 a gallon that’s a small chunk of change. There are 170 campsites around the island. Note: if you are camping with a tent, you can pitch the tent just about anywhere not in site of a home. If you are in a camper though, you must utilize one of the campgrounds.
Campsites are open May through the end of September. Most all have hot thermal pools or a regular pool, bathrooms or VIP toilets, and drinking water. This free guide was invaluable, https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0652/1613/files/Iceland_List_of_Campsites_2017_-_Aning_Guide.pdf?4780695065381767861.
OK, handled… next is what to see? Tourism is huge on Iceland. That being said, we expect to run into hundreds of tourists. Well actually in the land of fire, ice and water, there are plenty of wild spaces if you dare to venture a bit off the beaten path. Listen, there have been many who have gone before us. We don’t have to recreate the wheel, just pick and choose what you really want to see.
OK again this was difficult. This is why we didn’t take a tour but will take what those tours hit on to plan our travel. First we thought we’d travel the North, but then we wanted to see the Glacier Lagoon… oops that’s way in the southwest. So we may resign ourselves to attempting the entire Ring Road. Iceland is just too cool to pick and choose one area over another.
So for now that’s where we stand. We will post more information as it becomes available. The investigation continues. Two weeks to go!
Two Travelin' Chicas... A Grand Adventure 
Oh my gosh, Johnna. This sounds like quite an adventure. Knowing the two of you, and the depth of research you do for all your trips, I’m sure it will be another of your wonderfully amazing explorations. I hope it gives you just one more experience that adds to your fabulous photos and stories. Way to go, girls!
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