Bicycling Iceland

Bicycling Iceland

My Iceland saga was soggy, very soggy. The plan was to bike the Ring Road around the country. I was half way around the Snaefellses Peninsula when rain and gale force winds chilled me to the bone. This was expedition biking with places for hot food and warm shelter few and far between. I was pushing the bike up and down hills with vehicles stopping to tell me I’m mad and it’s too dangerous to bike. I returned to the city by bus and did two loops of a few day’s duration when the wind and rain let up. Iceland is magical and I will be back. It was a learning experience, here are some tips.

Go during the tourist season when campsites are open and clothes can be dried. Membership in Hostelling International cuts the cost in many hostels and campsites. Go the extra mile or two when the weather is kind and hunker down when the wind howls. The North Atlantic is one of the stormiest regions on the planet, think twice about doing loops along coast roads. That said, much of the Ring Road is narrow with minimum shoulder and is busy. Prices are almost double Canadian, luckily there are shelves of free food left behind by campers in the campground kitchens. The Reykjavik City Campground and Hostel is the best starting point. It is a caravanserai of fellow travellers and you can really stock up on free food, gas canisters and camping gear (replace broken tent poles). Downtown is within walking distance and at the weekend the city parties until dawn. GoogleMap is essential to navigate the bike routes in and out of the city.

An intriguing possibility is to bike half way around the island to Seydisfyordur on the east coast and take the Smyril ferry to Denmark.