Iceland - solo, late April, campervan

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fireflier
fireflier

Hello all,

I couldn't find much info on Iceland in late April on the forum. I am travelling solo and it will be my first time in Iceland. I'm Canadian and an avid outdoorsperson so not too concerned about the weather (am aware that it could be lovely or horrid within the span of 10 minutes).

I don't have a set itinerary and am happy to roam about as the conditions allow - nothing I "must" see on the agenda. I am set to arrive at 6am in mid-April. I plan to spend they day in Reykjavik and the night, then the following morning pick up a camper van (Renault Kangoo)and depart for the Ring Road if weather allows (assume it shouldn't be horribly icy unless unseasonable weather occurs). Not picky about clockwise or counter clockwise direction - will see what weather dictates at the time I think.

A few questions:
- as a solo, late 30s female traveller who won't be overly interested in partaking in the nightlife, does one day and night in Reykjavik at the start seem sufficient? I think I'd rather have more time on the ring road exploring the countryside. Unless someone can convince me otherwise. I'd be happy to just wander the streets and soak in the vibe of the town.
- are there any "must see" sites in Reykjavik? I was thinking the Culture House to see the manuscripts but am not huge on museums so don't need to cram a bunch in
- I do love a good coffee shop and meal, any come highly recommended in Reykjavik?
- Kuku Campers - can't tell on their website but from blog searches am I correct in believing that there is a 300km/day limit but it is averaged over the number of days you rent? So if I were to drive over 300km one day its ok as long as I drive less another day?
- Do many of the popular sites have set closed dates or do they open as weather allows (I've seen a number of comments that things will be closed until around May - but if sites were snow and ice-free would they perhaps be open?)
- I'm also an avid equestrian and would like to ride an Icelandic horse if possible - are many stables open in April?

Just trying to prepare for what to expect late April (will be departing Iceland on the 27th) so any advice would be appreciated!

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icelandnaturelover
icelandnaturelover

  • as a solo, late 30s female traveller who won't be overly interested in partaking in the nightlife, does one day and night in Reykjavik at the start seem sufficient? I think I'd rather have more time on the ring road exploring the countryside. Unless someone can convince me otherwise. I'd be happy to just wander the streets and soak in the vibe of the town.
    => This is nice to discover the capital city.
    However, it depends how many days you are spending in Iceland. It is ideal to have about 9-10 days to do the Ring Road. (more than 10 days is better of course), so you might want to adjust ow long you spend in Reykjavik depending on the length of your trip in Iceland.

  • are there any "must see" sites in Reykjavik? I was thinking the Culture House to see the manuscripts but am not huge on museums so don't need to cram a bunch in
    => Here is a blog post about Top 5 to do in Reykjavik.

  • I do love a good coffee shop and meal, any come highly recommended in Reykjavik?
    => You will feel good in Reykjavik, there are so many nice coffee house. I would recommend to go to Reykjavik Roaster, they roast their coffee themselves, Mokka kaffi is really good too. But the best is actually to go and taste many :)

  • Kuku Campers - can't tell on their website but from blog searches am I correct in believing that there is a 300km/day limit but it is averaged over the number of days you rent? So if I were to drive over 300km one day its ok as long as I drive less another day?

  • Do many of the popular sites have set closed dates or do they open as weather allows (I've seen a number of comments that things will be closed until around May - but if sites were snow and ice-free would they perhaps be open?)
    => Most of the sightseeing are accessible all year around. One part of the country is not accessible, you can not reach the Highlands (Interior of Iceland).

  • I'm also an avid equestrian and would like to ride an Icelandic horse if possible - are many stables open in April?
    => Yes, you can go horse riding any time of the year, and all around the country pretty much so the best is to choose a sunny day.

Just trying to prepare for what to expect late April (will be departing Iceland on the 27th) so any advice would be appreciated!

This is nice to come end of April, the 21st is the first day of Summer in Iceland! And the birds are starting to be back on the island.

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dglarocca
dglarocca

Heya! When are you arriving in Iceland? I will be there from the 3rd to the 21st and am looking to get around the ring roads, i'm hoping to do a mix of hitch hiking, camping, buses and preferably a hire car, so if our dates match up and if its ok with you would i be able to pitch in a bit and come along for the ride along parts of the Ring Road?

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