Body clock, and why the early starts are fine
Iceland is two hours behind Croatia. A 06:45 start is 08:45 to her, so the early mornings on days 3 and 7 are easier than they look on paper.
The same offset makes the late finishes worse. Eclipse day ends at 23:36, which is 01:36 to her, and Friday and Sunday both finish after 20:00. Those are the three nights to expect trouble, not the mornings.
Fuel, and the Flaga problem
Flaga has no fuel. The nearest pumps are Kirkjubæjarklaustur, 26 minutes east, and Vík, 37 minutes west.
Eclipse day is 480 km with nothing open on the way back. Fill the tank at Klaustur on Tuesday while you are already out east, not on Wednesday morning.
Afternoon snacks are not optional
Four days run five to six hours between lunch and dinner: Monday, eclipse day, Friday and the last day. Eclipse day is six hours with nothing open.
Pack a real afternoon snack every day, not just fruit. She will not last on the gap between a 12:00 lunch and a 19:00 dinner.
Parking apps and fees
Skógafoss, Fjaðrárgljúfur, Þingvellir and Jökulsárlón all charge for parking, roughly 750 to 1,000 ISK, and most take payment through the Parka app rather than a barrier.
Install it and add a card before you fly. Signal is patchy at some of the car parks.
Her car seat
Iceland requires rear-facing to 15 months and 76 cm. At 16 months she may legally turn forward. Nordic guidance is rear-facing to about four, and you will drive roughly 1,700 km. The rules in full.
Seats must carry European approval (i-Size / R129 or ECE R44). A US-certified seat is not legal here. Check the rental seat fits your car in the car park at 00:30, before you drive off.
Carrier and pushchair
The pushchair works in Reykjavík, at Skógafoss, on the Þingvellir boardwalk and at Gullfoss’s upper viewpoint.
Everything else is gravel, wind or steps. The carrier is what opens up the glacier track at Skaftafell, Dyrhólaey, the Arnarstapi cliff path and several hours standing in a field on the 12th.
Weather and roads
Mid-August: about 14 °C by day, 9 °C at night, 8–12 rain days across the month. Wind is the bigger factor. August averages.
For her, every day: waterproof shell, fleece, hat, spares. Check vedur.is the night before, road.is in the morning, and safetravel.is for alerts.
Food, and the Flaga problem
Flaga has no shop. The nearest are the small Krónan in Vík (37 minutes west) and the Kjarval in Kirkjubæjarklaustur (26 minutes east). Neither is a full supermarket.
So the shop at Bónus or Krónan in Selfoss on day 1 carries the whole stay. Open 10:00 to 20:00. Buy for three days, not one.
Skyr, bananas, cucumbers, rye bread and hot dogs are easy toddler food. Nappies, wipes and formula are in every Krónan, Bónus and Lyfja. Tap water is excellent; the hot tap smells of sulphur and is harmless.
Driving
Single-lane bridges, blind rises, sheep on the road. 90 km/h paved, 80 gravel. Slow down when the surface changes; gravel is where rental damage happens.
Off-road driving is illegal. Plan a stop every 90 minutes. N1 and Olís stations have toilets and changing space.
Sunday, and the last shop
Sunday is the Snæfellsnes day and you are not home until about 18:50. Icelandic supermarkets keep short Sunday hours and Bónus usually shuts at 18:00.
Saturday is the real shop: Sunday dinner, Monday breakfast and the Reykjanes picnic in one go. Sunday dinner should be something that only needs reheating.
Worth asking the hosts
Whether Hlíðarás has a washing machine. Four days in with a 16-month-old, it is the difference between packing for eight days and packing for four.
Flaga’s check-in time. Monday now lands you there at 17:51.
Book before you fly
Not the Jökulsárlón boat: buy that at the lagoon on the day, once you have seen the weather.
Friðheimar greenhouse lunch for Friday. Sells out in August.
Lava Show for Saturday, earliest slot, and tell them her age when you book.
Confirm the check-in time at Flaga, since day 1 arrival depends on it.