Camping and responsible travel

Use the right rules for your overnight setup

The Environment Agency’s guidance states that overnight stays in campervans, caravans and similar vehicles outside organised campsites or urban areas require the landowner’s or right-holder’s permission. Do not translate this into permission to sleep in any urban car park: local signs and restrictions still matter.

Traditional tents have a different set of rules and exceptions. Protected areas can have additional restrictions. For a straightforward visitor itinerary, use designated campsites; if you need to camp elsewhere, consult the rules for the actual location rather than a simplified social-media claim.

Check services, not just a map pin

Ask about opening dates, arrival arrangements, drinking water, toilets, showers and waste disposal. For a camper, check electricity and permitted disposal points if you need them. Confirm the costs of the services you will actually use.

For tents, think about exposure, drainage and your equipment’s suitability for the forecast. Carry enough warm, dry gear and have a realistic indoor fallback. A closed campsite nearby is not a fallback merely because it appears on a map.

Protect the place you came to see

Keep to marked routes and do not walk around a barrier to obtain a photograph. Avoid trampling fragile ground, including moss. Take rubbish away when disposal is unavailable and never treat a river or roadside as a waste outlet.

Read local guidance before using a drone, lighting a fire or bringing pets onto a trail. Permissions differ by location; general access does not grant every activity. Leave gates as instructed and respect homes, working land and wildlife.

Keep the plan flexible

Check current warnings before choosing the next overnight stop. If a forecast makes camping uncomfortable or unsafe, change the overnight setup early. Compare the camper-versus-car guide using both campsite costs and the cost of a weather fallback.

A usable South Coast campsite chain

A summer southwest-to-southeast plan can use Reykjavík Eco-Campsite → Gesthús Selfoss → Vík Camping → Skaftafell campground, then return through the same stages. Reykjavík and Gesthús describe year-round operation; this does not guarantee all facilities or space on your date. Vík’s website has conflicting 2026 season boundaries, so confirm opening directly for April or November.

Gesthús lists a kitchen, hot showers, laundry and a chemical-toilet disposal point. Vík lists water, showers, electricity and car-toilet emptying. Skaftafell has no indoor cooking/dining room, and outside water is unavailable during frost until about mid-May; winter uses only zones A and C. Choose the van and cooking setup with that difference in mind. See the camper route for actual overnight stages.

Keep in mind

Choose an overnight stop

Confirm the campsite is open and has the water, toilets and disposal facilities you need.