Iceland has a lot of campervan rental companies, and on their websites most of them look the same: a van, a waterfall and a price per day. The real differences sit in the small print. How much you pay if the camper gets a stone chip, how much is held on your card, what the heater runs on, where you pick up and what's added at the desk. We hand over campers from our desk in Keflavík every day, and these are the things we'd check before booking with anyone, us included.
The short checklist
| Total price | The daily price plus cover, extras, road tax and fees, for your own dates. |
|---|---|
| Insurance | The excess (what you pay yourself if there's damage) and what is never covered. |
| Deposit | How much is held on your card, and whether a debit card is accepted. |
| Kilometres | Unlimited, or a daily cap with a charge per extra kilometre. |
| Heating | A diesel heater that works anywhere, or electric only, which needs campsite power. |
| Tyres | Studded winter tyres from autumn to spring. |
| Pickup | How far from the airport, how you get there, and whether someone is at the desk when you land. |
| In the camper | Bedding, a cooking kit, a table and chairs. |
| Cancelling | How late you can still cancel for a refund. |
1. Compare the total price, not the daily price
The price per day is only the start. Before you compare two companies, add up everything for your dates:
- Cover: the basic insurance comes with a high excess, so most people add a better cover. That can change the total a lot.
- Extras: an extra driver, a WiFi router or a Camping Card.
- Road tax: Iceland charges a road tax on the kilometres you drive. Some companies include it in the price and some add it at the desk. We add it at the desk: 1,500 ISK per day, or 6.9 ISK per kilometre if you'd rather pay for what you drive.
- Getting there: a free airport transfer, or a taxi or bus to a desk in Reykjavík.
- Fees after the trip: refuelling, late return, and the admin fee if a parking fine or toll comes in later.
Our guide to what a campervan trip in Iceland costs adds up fuel, campsites and food as well.
2. Read the insurance: the excess and what is never covered
Every rental in Iceland includes basic cover: third-party liability and a collision damage waiver (CDW). What changes from company to company is the excess, the amount you pay yourself if the camper is damaged. With us it's 350,000 ISK on Basic, 50,000 ISK on Gold and 0 ISK on Platinum.
Then check whether the cover handles Iceland's own risks. Gravel is the big one: stones thrown up by passing cars chip the windscreen and the paint. Sand and ash storms on the south coast can strip the paint off a car in minutes. Theft is rare here, but ask anyway.
Some damage usually isn't covered at any level, and with us it never is: water or river damage, damage to the underbody, driving off-road, driving on closed roads, driving after drink or drugs, and a driver who isn't on the rental agreement. If a company sells "full cover", ask what's left out. Our page on campervan insurance in Iceland puts Basic, Gold and Platinum side by side.
3. Check the deposit and which card you need
With basic cover, most companies hold a deposit on your card at pickup. With us it's up to 350,000 ISK on Basic, and it has to be a credit card. With Gold or Platinum there's no deposit and a debit card is fine. Check your card limit before you fly, because a large hold can eat into your spending money for the whole trip.
4. Ask what the heater runs on
Nights in Iceland are cold even in summer, so the heater matters more than the colour of the curtains. A diesel night heater (Webasto or similar) warms the camper wherever you park for the night, with or without campsite power. An electric-only heater needs a hook-up at the campsite, which costs extra and isn't on offer at every site.
Most of our campers have a diesel heater plus an electric one for nights on campsite power, and the bedding is included. The 4x4 roof-tent campers have no heater and are for summer only.
5. Winter: studded tyres
From autumn to spring, ask whether the camper has studded winter tyres, not just "winter tyres". Studs grip on ice where normal tyres slide. Every Foxie camper runs on studded tyres in winter. Our winter campervan guide covers the rest: short days, wind warnings and campsites that stay open.
6. 2WD or 4x4: be honest about your route
For the Ring Road, the Golden Circle, the south coast and Snæfellsnes, a 2WD camper is enough, and it's cheaper to rent and to run. You only need a 4x4 for the highland roads (F-roads), and those are open in summer only.
Check the company's road rules as well. Our 2WD campers may not drive F-roads. Our 4x4s can drive any F-road that's officially open, except the road into Þórsmörk, which is for buses only. Every river crossing needs our OK first, and water damage is never insured. There's more in our 4x4 campervan guide.
7. Where you pick up, and when
Almost every flight lands at Keflavík Airport (KEF), on the Reykjanes peninsula, not in Reykjavík. A desk near the airport saves you the trip into the city and back on your first and last day. Ask three things: is there a free transfer, is the desk open if you land at night, and does someone hand over the camper and show you how it works, or do you pick up a key from a box?
Our desk is at Smiðjuvellir 80 in Keflavík, about 7 minutes from the airport, with a free transfer both ways. It's staffed 24/7, and an agent hands over every camper and shows you how everything works, day or night.
8. What comes with the camper
Ask for the list. Bedding, a cooking kit and a table with chairs make a big difference on the first evening, and with some companies they're extras. Kilometres should be unlimited.
Every Foxie rental includes bedding, a cooking kit, a camping table and chairs, unlimited kilometres, roadside assistance, an N1 fuel-discount keychain and our free trip planner. A Camping Card isn't included. It's a separate campsite pass you can buy if your route suits it. Our packing list covers what to bring yourself.
9. Driver rules and extra drivers
- Age: companies set their own limits. With us drivers must be 18 or older, drivers under 20 must take Gold or Platinum, and the maximum age is 72.
- Licence: usually held for at least a year. Bring the original card, because a photo on your phone isn't enough.
- Licence not in Latin letters: you'll need an International Driving Permit or an official English translation.
- Extra drivers: they follow the same rules, and the price varies. With us the extra driver is free on the Premium 2 when you book on our website.
The details are in our guide to the driving licence you need in Iceland.
10. Cancellation and date changes
Plans change, and winter weather can change them for you. Check how late you can cancel for a refund. With us it's free up to 24 hours before pickup, with everything you paid online refunded, and date changes are free up to 24 hours before as well. Here's our cancellation policy.
11. Read recent reviews, and the bad ones
Read reviews from the last few months, and read the low ones first. A flat tyre or a warning light can happen with any company. What matters is how fast someone answered the phone and how they sorted it out. Look out for complaints about damage charges after the trip, and for answers from the company under the reviews.
Booking direct or through a booking site
Booking sites are handy for comparing, but the terms can differ from booking with the company itself: the extras, the payment plan or the extra-driver fee. Whichever way you book, read the rental terms before you pay, not at the desk.
Ten questions to ask before you book
- What's the total for my dates, with the cover I want?
- What's the excess, and how much is the deposit?
- Do I need a credit card, or is a debit card fine?
- What is never covered?
- Are the kilometres unlimited?
- What does the heater run on?
- Does the camper have studded tyres in winter?
- How do I get from the airport to the desk, and is it open when I land?
- Are bedding, a cooking kit and a table and chairs included?
- Until when can I cancel for free?
Where Foxie Campers fits
We're a small Icelandic company in Keflavík with campers for two, a camper for a family of three and 4x4 roof-tent campers for the highlands in summer. If this checklist sounds like the way you'd want to rent, have a look at our campervan rental in Iceland and the campers and live prices for your dates. If anything isn't clear, ask us in the chat or on WhatsApp at +354 850 4441. Our desk is staffed around the clock.