Insider tips and tricks for a great camper van road trip in Iceland

Haukur Sverrisson is a member of the Happy Campers family, which services thousands of travelers who rent a camper van, sleep in it, and roam around Iceland to take in the sights and enjoy activities here. Haukur Sverrisson is the son of the founders of Happy Campers, and I wanted to see if he was willing to talk to me about how my readers could have a great camper van road trip in Iceland.

Hey Haukur, thank you for taking the time to do this interview. Can you give my readers a little background information about you?

Hey Jón, sure thing. I was born and raised in Reykjavik, Iceland, and am part of a family of six. I had a standard upbringing and spent most of my time outside school playing basketball. My parents have been business owners and managers ever since I can remember, so a large part of my childhood was spent running around inside their stores or in the warehouse. I’m sure that is one of the reasons I started to become interested in business and finance, which led to me signing up for a bachelor’s program in business administration at Reykjavik University in 2014.

Getting essential experience

I worked for Hertz car rental for a while alongside my studies, and like many other Icelandic graduates, I decided to take a year off to travel and work after my studies. Working for Hertz gave me a good insight into the car rental industry, which was quite useful since my parents had founded Happy Campers, a small camper van rental, just a few years earlier in 2009.

For how long have you been working with Happy Campers?

I started working summers around 2015, but after graduating in 2017, I began working full-time as a customer service representative. That was a great experience to work directly with the customers, and it gave me a good insight into the core component of the business, which is customer satisfaction. After a few of years, I got more serious about the financial aspect of the business, and became the CFO of the company in 2019.

Happy Campers has such an impressive rating on review sites. Can you reveal why that is?

I think it’s a combination of a few things. At the core, I believe it’s due to our great customer service and the simplicity and convenience of our campervan designs. We put a lot of emphasis on creating a family-like atmosphere at the office and taking enough time with each and every customer before and after their trip. Likewise, we are constantly trying to improve our campervans, and in recent years I believe we have done a great job doing just that while adding on new features such as the Happy App and more. I also believe that we are a true family business with a focus on being as eco-friendly as possible is appreciated by many of our customers.

What tips and tricks do you have for people wanting to come on a camper van road trip in Iceland?

Use duffel bags or backpacks for your luggage

Well, many things come to mind. Regarding your luggage, I recommend you bring what you need and pack it into medium-sized duffel bags or backpacks, as they tend to fit better into the smaller campervans.

Keep your stuff in the camper van storage compartment, not in your suitcases

Another tip if you are renting a small campervan is to check with your rental if it’s OK to empty the suitcase into the camper’s storage compartment and leaving the bag itself at the office during your trip.

Dress for Iceland

Make sure you bring plenty of layers and in winter, bring crampons. It can be quite scary to get up close to the waterfalls as the ground gets super icy. Here are some tips on how to dress for Iceland.

Bring eye masks to protect your sleeping rythms

Finally, during the summer, I highly suggest bringing eye masks as the midnight sun can confuse your sleeping hormones quite a bit if you are not used to it.

What are your favorite activities and places here in Iceland?

Whale watching

I personally love to go whale watching. There is just something so surreal about seeing these majestic creatures up close. My favorite tour is with Gentle Giants, operating out of Húsavík. My recommendation is going on one of their speedboats.

Pools, lagoons and rivers

I also love the various geothermal pools, lagoons, and rivers in Iceland, my favorites being Reykjadalur thermal river for the different types of experience, and then a recent favorite being Vök baths in Egilstaðir. I loved being able to jump into the Ice-cold lake and swim around. Of course, there are many other good ones, but those two are my favorite.

The Reykjavik Food Walk

Finally, for a different type of activity, I’d recommend Reykjavik Food Walk. I admit I haven’t tried it, but I’ve recommended it to some customers and got great feedback once they returned their van. I believe it’s a great way to explore Reykjavik and its food culture, as well as socialize with other like-minded travelers.

Head to Siglufjörður

It’s hard to pick a favorite place in Iceland, but if I had to mention a few, it would probably be Siglufjörður, in the north. It’s a super charming little fishing town with great skiing in the winter, a nice little café and restaurants as well as incredible scenery.

Go east to have a great camper van road trip in Iceland

Another gem is Seyðisfjörður in the east of Iceland. I’d recommend visiting in the summer, and while you are there, also make your way to Borgarfjörður Eystri to see some puffins up close.

Dynjandi waterfall and the Westfjords

Finally, I love the waterfall Dynjandi and the Westfjords in general. One of the most scenic areas in the country, and that’s saying a lot.

What advice do you have for those  visiting the country for the first time and want to have the perfect camper van road trip in Iceland?

I would suggest doing your research and don’t hesitate to reach out to locals, for example, to your camper van rental or tour operators, if you have any questions. I also suggest joining some Icelandic camping groups on Facebook for tips and tricks from people who have done what you are planning to do.

Get familiar with Icelandic weather and road trip web sites and apps

Another critical piece of advice, especially during winter, is to get familiar with the main weather and road condition websites and apps. If you travel in winter, you must check the weather forecast daily, for example on www.vedur.is , and the road conditions on www.road.is. Another great website for general warnings and safety resources would be www.safetravel.is

Be flexible

Finally, I really suggest that you build some flexibility into your plans. While some people don’t plan very much and just kind of wing it while in Iceland (definitely possible while traveling in a campervan), others come highly prepared. What they often fail to realize, is that the weather in Iceland can be very unpredictable, and the beauty of renting a camper is that flexibility. If you see that a storm is hitting the area you were planning to visit tomorrow, don’t be afraid to change your plans and head the other direction, or rush through that area and spend more time in an area with lower winds for example. It will make your experience that much more enjoyable.