From Iceland — Well, You Asked: Bumpy Roads, Take Me Home

Well, You Asked: Bumpy Roads, Take Me Home

Published October 17, 2023

Well, You Asked: Bumpy Roads, Take Me Home

If I go to Airwaves in November and sleep in a van, will I die?

Depends. What do you think will kill you first? The cold? Most rentable campervans are equipped to handle that – human popsicles don’t give good reviews. Sleep deprivation? Most people can go a while without rest in a big bed, especially when they’re entertained, though you might get cranky. Other festival goers? Now that’s another story. There’s a chance you’ll have to bulldoze your way onto the campsite, Mad Max style, to get a spot. Otherwise you and your van will be at the mercy of Reykjavík night life and the might of music maniacs pumped up on new riffs and beats just waiting to find their own little stage – say, the roof of a van – to continue the party. Also, parking is, like, super tricky here even without major events, so beware.

Where are the public laundromats in Reykjavik and Akureyri located?

When you do find a publicly accessible laundromat it’s usually incorporated into something else – because laundromats are fucking boring – like a café an entire hostel. That’s how you might have missed them. If you’re out and about camping, the campsites should have some opportunities to clean your clothes or you just keep doing the good ol’ four sides switcheroo until you reach the nearest unoccupied waterfall.

Is there a place where you can rent a mobility scooter for tourists? Preferably able to use on hard terrain.

Okay, hang on, let me not be a bit of a dick about this one. So, this is one bumpy island and outside of towns the terrain gets rough pretty quickly. Even the capital city is super uneven. There have been some efforts to make a few buildings more accessible for wheelchairs and mobility aids, though the old ones in particular tend to be very narrow. Apparently you can contact tour providers (like Iceland Unlimited) and locations ahead of time and they can prepare to help out. Some of the major sites have these wooden deck paths that should help. But in terms of renting (not buying) things like mobility scooters, I can’t say I’ve found much here. Hopefully, to be continued…

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