We landed at Keflavík airport at 11am and met Campeasy, who took us to pick up our van for the trip.
The first job was a trip to the nearest Bónus supermarket to stock up. Once the van was full, we set off on the longest drive of the whole trip, from Keflavík to our first campsite at Skaftafell. It’s roughly 375km along Route 1, which takes five to six hours in good conditions and longer in winter. Skaftafell is in Vatnajökull National Park, and its campsite is open all year, with part of the site kept open through the winter.
Good to know
- The drive: Keflavík to Skaftafell is roughly 375km along Route 1. Allow five to six hours in good conditions, and longer in winter.
- Check before you drive: road conditions are on umferdin.is, weather warnings on vedur.is, and travel alerts on safetravel.is.
- Skaftafell campsite: it’s open all year, with part of the site open in winter. You can’t book; you pay at reception, about 2,800 ISK per adult per night. Vatnajökull National Park
- Campervans and wild camping: outside towns you need the landowner’s permission to stay in a campervan anywhere other than a campsite, so in practice you use campsites.
We checked these details in October 2026. Times, prices and rules do change, so it’s worth a quick look at the official sites before you go.