This was going to be my third trip to Iceland. Both earlier visits have been great but the thing I learned quickly as a photographer is that you leave so many shots behind. Weather, road closures, numbers of people all make photography a challenge. I  booked this trip to start on September 18th, 2 weeks earlier than our 2018 trip as I wanted to go to the West Fjords and the roads may still be open at this time. The most popular way to see Iceland is by renting a Campervan and there are a number of companies to choose from. I use Campeasy and have found them to be great. Summer officially ends on September 15th and after that the majority of camp sites are closed. I have found about 20 that are open. Also, a number of the small roads called F roads will shut completely and the rest are open only for 4 wheel drive. You have to check with your rental company what roads you can drive on and then use your own common sense and be prepared to turn round. River crossings are often more of a problem than Snow and Ice and your insurance will not cover you if your van is swept away by water. One other thing insurance doesnât cover is damage to doors. The winds in Iceland can easily rip a car door off its hinges so always park facing into the wind.
 My first sight of the Aurora Borealis at Kirkjufell on the Snaefellnes Peninsula in Iceland.
Getting To Iceland during Covid.
I booked this trip before the Coronavirus had become known and then had to make numerous changes and be very flexible to ensure we could get there. Right now (September 2020) there is very limited choice of flights.
Originally Booked flights with BA. Club Europe, more expensive than economy but two hand luggage bags allowed and two hold bags, each up to 32kg. Both important factors to a photographer.
Booked Viking 4 x 4 Camper with CampEasy for 2 weeks. Used CampEasy before and they have been great, plus got a returning customer discount. Organised airport transfer and all set.
Then came Covid 19.
So we went through early summer hoping that some normality would return. In June, Iceland announced that visitors from Europe would be allowed back in from early July, subject to a Covid test on entry (payable in advance and costing about 100 euros).
Yes, we will be going!
Then in mid-August, BA cancelled our outbound flight. So re-booked for the prior day.
Booked overnight accommodation and changed airport transfer. Then the Icelandic Government announced that all persons entering Iceland would have to either have 2 Covid Tests, one on arrival and one 5 days later, with quarantine in between or do 14 days quarantine. You have to pre-register on Covid.IS and its cheaper to pay in advance. The one payment (about £80) covers both tests. We opted for 2 tests and 5 days quarantine which turned out to be easy.
So, changed flight again, this time to depart on 12th September and booked an apartment. On average, only about 500 people are arriving in Iceland per day so everywhere has availability and at a fraction of pre Covid prices. I booked an apartment in Reykjavik with Hotels.com and paid a little extra for free cancellation up to 48 hours prior to start date.
On 19th August, BA cancelled all flights to Iceland (and a month later we are still waiting for our refund). Booked flights with Icelandair (Saga Premium Flex, £200 more expensive than BA but similar luggage allowances).
Then discover that due to Covid, we will only be allowed one small personal item inside the plane, to go under the seats as the overheads are closed. Going to take some planning to ensure Cameras and Lenses can fit in personal items. We saw this being enforced when a couple of backpackers went to board. They had to leave their backpacks at the gate and were told they should collect them from baggage reclaim after arrival.
The Week Before:
All bus transfers cancelled by Fly Bus, so will need to make our own way to apartment. Found out that quarantine doesnât mean staying indoors 24/7. You are allowed out as long as you socially distance and donât enter any shops, restaurants etc. So, booked car hire from the Airport for 6 days. I use Rentalcars.com and like the accommodation the cost was a fraction of the pre-covid prices.
Go on-line and do Grocery shopping from Netto who will deliver to the apartment at 8pm on arrival day. There are a number of Supermarkets in Iceland and I am sure many of them do on-line but we used Netto and it worked perfectly.
Then see an article on Google that Icelandair have been cancelling flights at short notice. Check recent history and see they cancelled the last 2 Saturday and Monday flights.
Not looking good, getting anxious.
47 Hours before Take-Off
Icelandair cancel our outbound flight on Saturday and book us for the Sunday flight. Urgently change arrangements while still in the free cancellation period (only 3 hours left until we canât change accommodation or Car rental).
- 1. Change apartment booking to 5 nights â got refund from Hotels.com immediately.
- 2. Cancel 1st days car hire. â got refund from Rentalcars.com immediately.
- 3. Change delivery date for Groceries. Netto were so helpful and made the change with no hassle at all!
- 4. Change date and Terminal for Airport parking at Heathrow. Got refund immediately.
And finally, our flight takes off from Heathrow on time and we arrive in Iceland at 15.00 hours.