Campervan or hotels in Iceland: which is actually cheaper?
The campervan, for most trips. Two people driving the Ring Road for ten days spend about 706,000 ISK in a campervan sleeping at campsites, against 782,000 ISK with a 4x4 and hotel rooms — a difference of roughly 76,000 ISK. At four people the gap widens to about 213,000 ISK, because four campsite pitches still cost less than two hotel rooms.
Where the money goes
| Car rental | 200,000 ISK | 28% |
| Rental insurance (SCDW + sand and ash) | 60,000 ISK | 8% |
| Fuel | 42,000 ISK | 6% |
| Kilometre road tax | 14,000 ISK | 2% |
| Parking at paid stops | 10,000 ISK | 1% |
| Accommodation (incl. lodging tax) | 90,000 ISK | 13% |
| Food | 190,000 ISK | 27% |
| Activities and entry fees | 100,000 ISK | 14% |
Side by side
| Campervan, campsites, two people | 706,000 ISK ($5,681) |
| 4x4 and hotels, two people | 782,000 ISK ($6,293) |
| Campervan, campsites, four people | 1,082,000 ISK ($8,711) |
| 4x4 and hotels, four people | 1,295,000 ISK ($10,424) |
The same trip, month by month
Only rooms and car hire move with the season. Everything else costs the same in February as in July, which is why the spread is narrower than people expect. The light does not behave like the price at all, which is why it is in the table: a cheap month can be a short one.
| Month | Total | Per person per day | Usable light |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 648,000 ISK | 32,000 ISK | 7 hours 30 minutes |
| February | 648,000 ISK | 32,000 ISK | 10 hours 15 minutes |
| March | 663,000 ISK | 33,000 ISK | 13 hours 30 minutes |
| April | 683,000 ISK | 34,000 ISK | 16 hours 45 minutes |
| May | 706,000 ISK | 35,000 ISK | 21 hours 45 minutes |
| June | 806,000 ISK | 40,000 ISK | 24 hours |
| July | 849,000 ISK | 42,000 ISK | 24 hours |
| August | 849,000 ISK | 42,000 ISK | 18 hours 45 minutes |
| September | 706,000 ISK | 35,000 ISK | 14 hours 30 minutes |
| October | 677,000 ISK | 34,000 ISK | 11 hours 30 minutes |
| November | 654,000 ISK | 33,000 ISK | 8 hours 30 minutes |
| December | 691,000 ISK | 35,000 ISK | 7 hours |
What to know about this trip
The campervan wins because it removes a cost rather than reducing one. A van costs more per day than a car, but campsites are charged per person at a fraction of a room rate, and the room disappears entirely.
It stops winning in two situations. Above four people you need a second van, and two vans cost more than two hotel rooms. And in winter — campsites close, the ones that stay open are sparse, and sleeping in a van in a February storm is a different proposition from doing it in June.
The comparison also assumes you would have been happy in a guesthouse. If you would have camped anyway, the van is simply an extra vehicle cost, and a small car with a tent is cheaper than both.
Other trip shapes
5 days, 1 person · 5 days, 2 people · 5 days, 4 people · 7 days, 1 person · 7 days, 2 people · 7 days, 4 people · 10 days, 2 people · 10 days, 4 people · 14 days, 2 people · 14 days, 4 people · The cheapest month to visit Iceland, priced
Change the assumptions and price your own trip · Driving distances