Want to go on an Iceland road trip with camping? Zakarias Fridriksson is a young entrepreneur who recently founded the car rental and camping equipment rental company Camping Iceland with two of his childhood friends, Aron Freyr Gíslason and Bergsteinn Máni Guðmundsson. I just started collaborating with Camping Iceland and wanted to hear from this young man who is just beginning in the Icelandic travel industry. I encourage my readers to check out his YouTube channel; he has quite an impressive drone video from one of the recent eruptions at the Reykjanes peninsula.
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Jon Heidar, Editor of Stuck in Iceland Travel Magazine
Camping Iceland offers a diverse fleet of vehicles, including family cars, economy cars, 4X4 jeeps, and campers. Moreover, their comprehensive camping equipment offerings, from tents and sleeping bags to cooking equipment and accessories, cater to the needs of every traveler seeking the perfect Icelandic road trip. Sign up for the Stuck in Iceland Travel magazine newsletter to get discount codes for 10% off car rental and 25% off camping equipment rental at Camping Iceland.
Hey Zakarias, thank you for taking the time to do this interview, and congratulations on founding Camping Iceland. What inspired you to establish the company?
Thank you. What started this journey was that my friends and I usually go on one trip around Iceland or an area of Iceland every year. One year, I bought an old camper van for a trip to the Westfjords. However, my friend Aron also had a large RV. He asked me if I wanted to join him in his car as it was larger and more comfortable. I agreed to that suggestion. Two days later, I got an advertisement from a company asking for personal vehicles to rent out to travelers. I decided to list my campervan there as I no longer needed it. The car was booked for the rest of the summer after one week; the rest is history.
I love your drone video from the eruption. Please tell me about how that video was made.
I have worked with various companies before, Nike, Blush, and many more, to create advertisements, content for the internet, and more. It has been my job since 2017. Videography and video editing have always been my hobbies, relaxing and fun. When the first eruption happened, my mind tried to capture as much as possible. I sell a lot of stock videos online, and having a volcanic eruption in my portfolio would not hurt. After 20 minutes after the eruption started, I was out the door and tried to get some videos of the volcano. All the roads were closed after 3 hours of trying to get to the eruption. I decided to go home to sleep and try again in the morning. In the morning, I hiked from the Blue Lagoon to the volcano and was among the first people there. The drone I used to capture the volcano was a DJI Mavic Pro 2 and melted on the first trip over the eruption, but I was lucky enough to bring it back to safety!
Video from Zakarias Fridriksson: Volcano at Night
What can those who want to go on an Iceland road trip camping with Camp Iceland expect?
They can expect a straightforward process; we only do self-check-in and self-check-out, which most companies don’t offer. The camping equipment is stored in lockboxes where you can come at any time, 24/7, to pick up the gear using a passcode. The same goes for the cars. Why don’t we offer walk-ins? It’s because we saw a gap in the market. Many people came at any hour and just wanted to sign the contract and go. This also allows us to have all the instructions and contracts in the cars. This way, we can offer lower prices. Our overhead is lower than other companies that always need a staff member on location.
What would be your plan if you wanted to go on an Iceland road trip with camping?
I would start with the Golden Circle and stay the first night at Þingvellir og Geysir. Then, I would venture further and visit the next night in Skógarfoss. After that comes one of my favorite campsites. I would stay at Skaftafell. There are a couple of reasons why I love this campsite. It has some of the best facilities for taking a shower, using toilets, and cooking. Skaftafell also has excellent hiking trails, including a beautiful waterfall called Svartifoss. You can hike to the glacier and a small glacial lagoon from there. Skaftafell is also located close to Jökulsárlón, and getting early to Jökulsárlón is a great way to see it without having too many people there.
Visit Ásbyrgi
Next, I would stay at Kirkjubæjarklaustur or somewhere near there. My next stop would be Hallormstaðarskógur in the east of Iceland. The next day, I would stay at Ásbyrgi, one of my favorite campsites. The rest is up to the person and what they want to see. Some might want to go to the Westfjords and snæfellsnes. However, I recommend having a week to explore these areas.What are your favorite activities and places here in Iceland?
If you only have a few days in the capital region, I recommend you go to Fly Over Iceland to get more of Iceland’s landscape and nature. I also recommend the public swimming pools. Just be aware that in public swimming pools, you have to shower naked. If you can’t shower naked because of religion or any other reason, then skip this activity.
What advice do you have for those visiting Iceland for the first time?
Don’t buy water bottles; be respectful of rules and regulations. I always recommend people use the SafeTravel website and follow the advice to ensure a safe travel experience. Finally, if you want to travel to Iceland and are worried about how expensive it is, rent a car and camping equipment. It is the cheapest way to travel here. We have many great campsites, and you get a more well-rounded experience camping in Iceland.
