Iceland’s Ring Road: Where Every Bend Takes Your Breath Away
It’s late at night – your turn to drive – your mates are singing along to some golden oldies you’ve got playing out of the stereo. The rest of the world is silent. Suddenly, the sky seems to lighten. This is it, what you’ve been waiting for. You pull over and all clamber out of the car into the freezing night, huddling together to watch the show. It’s the Northern Lights.
Forget America, Iceland’s stunning ring road provides those who like to travel off the beaten path one of the best road trip experiences in the world. Buckle up!
The Road Trip of a Lifetime
A proper road trip is a kind of rite of passage; it’s a special time to spend with mates creating memories you will have for the rest of your life. I would like to make the case for Iceland’s ring road as the destination for your road trip of a lifetime. From whale watching to volcanoes, this is a drive to be remembered.
Icy Sights You Can’t Miss
The Sólheimasandur Plane Crash is the eerie remains of a 1970s US Navy plane. You’ve got to know where to go, but once you get there you can explore the empty relic of the shell.
Some of the must-see sights on this journey need to be booked in advance, like the crystal ice caves under the Vatnajökull glacier. These dangerous yet beautiful natural ice caves can only be reached in the winter so it’s definitely worth getting a guide to lead you into their chilly depths.
Make time for some whale watching in the fjords around Akureyri and you’ll be in with a chance to see humpback, minke, and bottlenose whales. A sight to bring tears to a grown man’s eyes – trust me!
Top Road Trip Tips
If you didn’t catch on from the highlights above, you’ll be stopping a lot! The route can feasibly be driven in a solid 24-hour block, but give yourself at least a week to complete it. It is a good idea to factor in a couple of days at the end in Reykjavik before you fly out just in case you are delayed by winter weather.
The only way to do this properly is to hire a van with a bunch of mates and drive yourselves. Make sure you have all the essentials such as studded tires for icy roads, GPS access, plenty of warm clothes and a decent camera. You’re going to want to remember this.
Do some night driving. I would never recommend driving whilst tired, so take it in turns. Not only are the roads blissfully quiet, but you’ll have a great chance of seeing the stunning Northern Lights.
However, first thing’s first, sort out your car hire – excess insurance is key when hiring a car abroad. Check out Let’s Go Insure’s car hire excess insurance to be covered in case of theft or damage at a much lower rate than that offered by rental companies.
