Has anyone driven from Reykjavic to vatnajokull? It's aggressive but we are hoping to do the round trip in one day during the first weekend in April. We are told it is a 4.5 hr drive. Thought is to leave early (4-5am) and return in the evening. Is it do-able or foolish?! Thanks for your replies.
Posted by
Washington DC Region, USA
7054 posts
It seems like you at least have the confidence to try it, so I'm sure it's physically doable but only you will know if you'll regret it afterward...how much time do you have to actually spend at the destination? If it's enough for you, then I would say you can pull it off. I don't now how many hours of daylight Iceland has in April (in the summer, you could drive all day and night, but of course there's still fatigue). The only thing I'd prepare for is unpredictable weather and have Plan B, just in case (a place to stay nearby if you really needed to). A friend of mine got caught up in a bad snow storm in May somewhere along the circular route...fortunately cell phones work there even in the most remote places (if you have one, that is:-)
Posted by
Denver
53 posts
We asked a friend in Iceland about doing that and he recommended against it; he felt it was just not enough time at the destination to make it worthwhile. We ended up driving as far as Vik and returning to Reykjavik. With stops at various sights and quick meals, that was a 12-hour trip. Just FYI, there was about 12 hours of daylight each day last weekend. And a tremendously sharp and cruel wind, even though sunny.