Audrius and Alma amazed by more than Iceland’s beauty: cash is barely needed here

Iceland has left Audrius Sutkus stopping every few kilometers. “I still don’t understand this Iceland,” he says, describing scenery that looks like paintings in every direction. With six or eight months, he believes, there would be enough to do for an entire season.

The journey began with a drive of almost 2,000 kilometers from Panevėžys to northern Denmark, followed by a two-day ferry trip to Iceland. The parking areas along the route offered an early glimpse of the kind of travel the island attracts: many vehicles were expedition-ready four-wheel drives, fitted with tougher tires, rooftop tents and other equipment. American SUVs, different generations of Defenders and smaller SUVs were all visible, but four-wheel drive appeared to be an essential part of traveling there.

The Sutkuses brought the same Defender that had carried them through the Balkans. “The car makes us very happy. We drive the same one we traveled with through the Balkans. It knows us, and we know it,” Audrius says. They had not yet encountered terrain requiring advanced off-road skills, though basic driving knowledge was necessary. The vehicle needed few major modifications, but the couple added insulation to the rooftop tent to cope with cold, wind and dampness. At night, temperatures remained as low as 3 or 4 degrees Celsius. A diesel heater could warm the tent and dry rain-soaked clothing and bedding.

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I still don’t understand this Iceland: there is beauty everywhere, like something from a painting. It seems that you drive three kilometers and stop again because something else is impressive.

The Faroe Islands offered a preview of the weather ahead when the ferry stopped there for several hours. Fog, moisture and strong winds made the conditions clear. Iceland itself proved welcoming, however, with customs formalities taking only a few minutes after the ferry arrived. The couple also had to adjust to narrow roads outside towns and one-lane bridges, where one driver waits for approaching traffic.

One of their first goals was to see Atlantic puffins on the Westman Islands. About 700,000 breeding pairs are found in the world’s largest colony of the birds, and the travelers arrived before the season ended, allowing them to watch puffins caring for chicks in their burrows. Everyday life also brought a practical surprise: cash is almost unnecessary in Iceland, apart from occasional payments such as campsite showers.

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The car makes us very happy. We drive the same one we traveled with through the Balkans. It knows us, and we know it.