Things you need: Iceland’s ring road in the winter
A trip around Iceland’s ring road is a once in a lifetime adventure. Iceland is the most unique place I have visited, and truly feels other-worldly. The 1,300km Ring Road winds through waterfalls, black sand beaches, glacier lagoons and active volcanoes, and makes for a truly memorable experience.
To make the most of your trip make sure you bring or buy the following essentials – Iceland is expensive, so avoid buying things there, to the extent possible.
Clothing things
A proper winter parka
I had my trusty Zara parka (you know, the one which every woman who moves to London buys as a rite of passage), which was perfect. I wouldn’t bother bringing a nicer coat even for a dinner out in Reykjavik – everyone is pretty bundled up in puffers and parkas.
Waterproof hiking boots
Seriously, it is not worth going without these. We spent about 20 minutes in the Reykjavik Airport parking lot when we arrived, and my sneakers were wet through. I got a pair of Timberlands for this trip, which were great because they sit fairly high up the ankle, and provide good warmth, as well as preventing snow from getting into your shoes.
In terms of other shoes, my sneakers didn’t get worn at all apart from on the flight back home. I had a pair of soft velvet pumps which I wore a few times for dinners or breakfasts in our hotels, and I took a pair of slip slops for swimming, but apart from that, you don’t need anything else – I wore the Timberlands out to dinner in Reykjavik and didn’t feel remotely out of place (it is very cold!). If you have limited space, you’ll be totally fine with only your waterproof hiking boots and a pair of slip slops.
Wool socks
Because nothing ruins a holiday like cold feet.
Warm accessories
You need at least one scarf, a pair of gloves (ski gloves were great for when it was properly cold) and a beanie. On very cold days, we bundled up with buffs over our mouths too, and only our eyes open to the elements.
Microspikes/crampons
Speaking of eyes: a lot of the waterfalls and other tourist destinations are incredibly icy, and there are a signs saying that crampons are recommended. We did not get them, despite the polite warnings by the Icelandic authorities, and my husband had a horrible fall in a slippery parking lot resulting in a black eye. Don’t make this mistake – they sell them all over Iceland.
Thermal layers
I didn’t get organised in time to buy a second pair of thermal trousers in London, and had to so in Iceland, where it was much more expensive. Again, don’t make this mistake. I found I only needed one thermal top, since I had a lot of other jumpers for layering (layering is key!), but if you have more than one, bring them both.
We didn’t buy any snow trousers, and just wore our jeans over our thermals for the duration of the trip, which worked fine to keep us toasty warm (although, at the risk of sounding like a millenial, I would avoid super skinny jeans, given you will want to wear the thermals as well).
A lighter jacket or a gilet
A suggestion from Misha of Brandslut, a lighter jacket or gilet is a great option to wear in the car, and is much easier when jumping out for a quick photo than a giant parka. I took my Uniqlo Ultralight Down Jacket, which worked perfectly.
Car things
A car with four wheel drive and snow tyres
First things first, and probably the most important, you can’t drive the ring road without four wheel drive and snow tyres (ensure when you pre-book your car that it has snow tyres). As we got into the more rural parts of Iceland, driving conditions became incredibly snowy and quite scary – don’t mess around with this.
Bonus: our car had heated seats, a delicious surprise.
A thermos and a water bottle
Outside of Reykjavik, coffee is difficult to find, so if you need a second coffee after breakfast you may have a hard time. I filled up my thermos every morning at our hotel breakfasts, and nobody seemed to mind. We did the same with our water bottles, so that we had enough between stops.
Hot tip: a thermos of coffee is also a delightful thing to have when you’re out at night chasing the Northern Lights.
Snacks and water
With lots of driving, snacks can never hurt (and you don’t want to be stuck in the car with a hangry person). We brought some things from London, but Icelandic petrol stations are pretty well stocked. Get some large bottles of water to keep in the car, just in case.
Sunglasses
Sunglasses in winter may seem counterintuitive, but the glare from the snow is real – bring sunglasses for the drive, and wear sunscreen.
A physical roadmap
Yes I know I sound like your dad, but the last thing you want is Google Maps giving out on you during a snow storm on a mountain pass. Although we didn’t end up needing it (Waze and Google Maps worked fine for us throughout our trip), a physical roadmap brought a lot of peace of mind. You can also download an area of Google Maps to be used offline.
Hotel things
Book your accomodation in advance
Iceland is not the place to indulge your inner bohemian and wing it with a place to sleep – it is incredibly cold in the winter (and per Lonely Planet, in the summer there are simply not enough rooms for the number of travellers). Make sure you book your accomodation in advance.
Try to book hotels which provide breakfast
In a lot of the smaller towns on the ring road, breakfast can be difficult to find. We made sure to book hotels with breakfast included, which made things a lot more pleasant (and meant we had a reliable source of caffeine).
An Icelandic playlist
Created by Visit Iceland, this playlist was perfect for snowy mountain passes and otherworldly landscapes.
