Belfast to Iceland from £31 one way

Muahahaha

Normally to fly from Ireland to Iceland you'd have to first fly to London or Manchester and then get an onward flight to Reykjavik.

But from this December a new option opens up- Easyjet are running Belfast to Reykjavik two times a week and one way prices start at £31.99. Lots of availability from now till March 2015 so anyone wanting to try see the Northern Lights might get the chance to do so a good bit cheaper than before.

Getting to Belfast Airport is only two hours on the motorway from Dublin. It's well served by buses too.

http://www.u.tv/news/First-Belfast-to-Iceland-flight-launched/2e32ff29-86f1-49f5-94f2-03d87128c271

Nortcider

Thanks for that OP. Nice departure times both ways as well. I've been before and always planned a return so this is a great opportunity to do that without the hassle of connecting via London etc. The price is very attractive as well. It's a wonder Ryanair don't do it. Maybe they'll consider it now?

jonnny68

Definitely look into this myself never been.

QQuestion about the northern lights would you have to go up to the north of Iceland to see that or could you see that in Reykjavik?

stargazer 68

Ooh always wanted to go. Will have to check it out

kn

Are they not running in the Summer season?

JustAddWater

jonnny68 wrote: »

Definitely look into this myself never been.

QQuestion about the northern lights would you have to go up to the north of Iceland to see that or could you see that in Reykjavik?

Saw them in Reykjavik in April. Amazing! But oct-mar is recommended period.

The tour guide takes you way out of the city. Light pollution as with any city means you won't see them in the centre of Reykjavik but you'll be fine on a tour. Iceland can be a bit cloudy so it's all weather permitting. I got insanely lucky given it was late April

Just prepare for the possibility of not seeing them and enjoy everything else iceland has to offer, blue lagoon, national park where game of thrones was filmed, whale watching and most important, HOT DOGS!! .... After all that. Seeing the lights is a bonus!

snubbleste

Isn't £31.99 closer to £32 than £31

lintdrummer

snubbleste wrote: »

Isn't £31.99 closer to £32 than £31

That's incredibly pedantic but they are indeed available for £31 (£30.99):

stargazer 68

Mr.S wrote: »

Oh and for anyone booking - its about €22 return for a bus to a from the city centre

Excellent. Just need hotel recommendations now and I will get searching

bryan06

Amazing I paid around €450 for flights from Ireland>Edinburgh>Reykjavik return last February.
Can't wait to go back.

Vic Vinegar

bryan06 wrote: »

Amazing I paid around €450 for flights from Ireland>Edenborough>Reykjavik return last February.
Can't wait to go back.

Edinburgh?

pwurple

That's a great deal, went via heathrow years ago.... Amazing place. Would be back in a heartbeat!

makeorbrake

Is Iceland expensive?....particularly drink? Whats best time to go and worst time to go?

bryan06

makeorbrake wrote: »

Is Iceland expensive?....particularly drink? Whats best time to go and worst time to go?

Yes very. Theres a big clubbing scene in Reykjavik but they don't come out till after 1am because everyone drinks in their house beforehand.

When I was over there I wasn't in Reykjavik much but any hotel I was in was around €10 for a 330 mL bottle of beer.

gctest50

http://www.guidetoiceland.is/about-iceland/article/happy-hour---the-cheapest-beer-in-reykjavik

http://beersandbeans.com/2011/04/10/visiting-iceland-on-a-budget-our-daily-travel-budget-in-iceland/

nervous_twitch

Thanks OP! Just booked two returns for €140 each, been wanting to go for years

Skud

thanks,

When I was there it was ~€8 a pint 3 years ago. Food is about the same as here. Winter is cheaper accommodation wise but has only 4 hours sunlight worst case (not proper sunlight either). Summer is the other extreme.

If renting a car read up on getting around the ring road (weather can be bad in winter and roads closed): http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2011/mar/05/iceland-road-trip-route-1

Last but not least, if you can't do without drink, make sure to stock up in duty free when leaving the airport on arrival in Reykjavik. That's the cheapest place to buy in the country.

badker

What would it cost to rent a car and drive around island for say 2 weeks? and is accommodation expensive

Esel

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Bombleswizzum wrote: »

Edinburgh?

See post #9 above.

lbj666

badker wrote: »

What would it cost to rent a car and drive around island for say 2 weeks? and is accommodation expensive

I haven't been, but rental is supposed to be as expensive as everything else if you are able to fill a car of four or more it helps bring it down. Everyone recommends to take out ash damage insurance, there have been some horrors storys of tourists having to pay out thousands for damage.

There is no public transport that goes around the whole island during winter.

AlanS181824

Very very tempted by this.

Thank you OP.

Muahahaha

AlanS181824 wrote: »

Very very tempted by this.

Thank you OP.

No problems. Glad to see some people have booked.

Go for it man, I've been wanting to go to Iceland for 2+ years but the thing that always put me off was having to take four different flights to get there and back and it also couldn't be done for any less than €225 return. Now it can be done for around €100 return from Belfast which is fantastic as it's not massively far from Dublin and there's good transport links.

Iceland is pricey when you get there, probably 15-35% more expensive than here. But it's got some amazing natural scenery, volcanoes, geysers, thermal spas and lagoons. There is nothing else in Europe like it. I can't wait to book flights on this route, they're not selling June 2015 yet but as soon as they are I'm gonna purchase and go do the Llandmannalaugar trek for 5 or 6 days. National Geographic have it down as one of the worlds top 10 treks and the scenery on it looks stunning, you even pass close to that new volcano that was formed during the ash cloud thing a few years ago. Can't wait

cruhoortwunk

Muahahaha wrote: »

Iceland is pricey when you get there, probably 15-35% more expensive than here. But it's got some amazing natural scenery, volcanoes, geysers, thermal spas and lagoons. There is nothing else in Europe like it. I can't wait to book flights on this route, they're not selling June 2015 yet but as soon as they are I'm gonna purchase and go do the Llandmannalaugar trek for 5 or 6 days. National Geographic have it down as one of the worlds top 10 treks and the scenery on it looks stunning, you even pass close to that new volcano that was formed during the ash cloud thing a few years ago. Can't wait

Can you get by cheap over there if you're frugal eg. few drinks at home and less in the pub? Horse loads into you at the buffet breakfast in the hotel?
Bargain alerter schtyle?

Saruman

cruhoortwunk wrote: »

Can you get by cheap over there if you're frugal eg. few drinks at home and less in the pub? Horse loads into you at the buffet breakfast in the hotel?
Bargain alerter schtyle?

See the second link in post 17.

Edit: Just booked for Jan 23 - 26. €259 (£205) return for two people.
Now to save up for the price of stuff when I get there

ted1

I've been there a few times. Be careful with cars the roads can be Icey. I was in a minivan that flipped 7 times

The women are unbelievable with great skin and blonde hair. The places in particular the bluer lagoon smells like rotten eggs ( all the sulpher)

I highly recommend it to anyone

IHPhoto

Sounds good, must check it out

Saruman

ted1 wrote: »

I was in a minivan that flipped 7 times

Didn't learn the first time?

Murray007

Just booked a return for 2 for £202 in Feb15, prices are going up but still great value for a direct flight.

elfy4eva

I'd say the hot springs will be full of pasty feckers next year!

Muahahaha

elfy4eva wrote: »

I'd say the hot springs will be full of pasty feckers next year!

And I bet there'll be some 6 foot 6 Icelandic Vikings walking the streets of Belfast and Dublin too, they'll stick a mile out !

nj78

Well spotted OP! Flights booked now for next March. Went there last year and have been itching to go back, but the multiple flights needed were a hassle

SpaceTime

makeorbrake wrote: »

Is Iceland expensive?....particularly drink? Whats best time to go and worst time to go?

I'm in Iceland at the moment and no drink's not that expensive. It's comparable to Ireland really.

Meals out and stuff like that are expensive, but not that madly different from Ireland's tourist areas tbh.

It's definitely a lot better value than somewhere like Norway or Denmark.

The main huge cost here is accommodation. Book VERY far ahead and do not arrive thinking you can just drop into a hotel. They can be €300-3000 a night at short notice.

SpaceTime

elfy4eva wrote: »

I'd say the hot springs will be full of pasty feckers next year!

The Icelanders are part Gaelic, part Nordic and are generally pasty themselves and there are loads of gingers who need factor 70 in the winter too so you'll be grand

Weather's very similar to Ireland in summer on the coastal areas anyway (very rainy!)

It's absolutely bucketing down here at the moment with nice horizontal windy-rain at 8ºC

So, basically pack for an Irish autumn if you're coming - lots of layers. If you're going to colder places, or arriving in winter you'd want to be prepared for cold weather though.

http://en.vedur.is

Rain gear is 100% essential. Do not even consider coming to Iceland unless you've packed a decent raincoat at the very least. Think arran islands on a wet day!

It can be stunningly nice when the weather's nice but it can just turn sunny to wet in minutes much like Ireland.

Also, you ABSOLUTELY need a car. There's limited public transport around Reykjavik which is like a small town with a sprawl of suburbs. It has good busses and that's it. It's quite a nice spot with really amazing nightlife and it's super-friendly but just beware that you can't really get anywhere without driving and its city centre is really only the size of Galway, even if the suburbs are a bit more developed.

Outside of Reykjavik there's only really very small towns and they're very far apart. So, driving is pretty essential.

When I say *small* I really mean it though. You're often talking about 1 very quirky café and a church and that's literally it. There's always a local hot tub though so that's kinda where they all hang out on a cool day.

Other tip: They don't have very many ATMs but cards are literally accepted everywhere.
So, do not arrive thinking you can use cash.

Also be VERY aware that Irish banks are a bit ridiculous and AIB for example will stop your card after 10 debit transactions! So, make sure you've a credit card handy (you'll need it for hiring a car anyway).

They have a good sense of humour and they don't take themselves too seriously (unlike some parts of the Nordic region in my experience). In general they're EXTREMELY friendly, chatty and very good craic.

While you can camp, I wouldn't recommend it unless you're very hardy. It's like Donegal on a wet day quite a lot of the time. So, bear that in mind!

Also, one word of warning : they get natural hot water and heat their homes directly from the hot springs. Unfortunately, in some areas this can mean that is smells a little whiffy. So, emm... be prepared for a shower that may smell a little like boiled eggs. It's no big deal, but some people are a bit weirded out by it at first. It's not unhealthy and the smell doesn't stay on your skin.

I'd highly recommend a trip though. It's like the West of Ireland or Scotland's scenery on steroids with volcanoes. Absolutely mind-blowingly spectacular most of the time!

The people are also just so friendly that it makes all the difference too. I didn't meet a single person anywhere who wasn't prepared to chat and tell you all about where to go and what to check out and just generally be really welcoming.

The driving's fine too, it's similar to the West of Ireland - A few dual carriageways around Reykjavik including one to Keflavik (the international airport) but other than that it's basically the same as the N17 on the main roads and some of the smaller ones are unpaved. If you want to get deep into the landscape you do need a 4x4 but for most of the tourist routes it's no more difficult than the Ring of Kerry and you'd be fine in a normal car.

Absolutely definitely take out the gravel / windshield insurance though as the surfaces are quite poor in spots and loose chippings are very normal. So, you can quite easily get damage to the windscreen.

If you're planning to head to South Iceland you need to ensure you've volcanic ash / sand insurance too. You also need to carefully check the forecasts on http://en.vedur.is as you can get periods of sand and ash storms that will literally remove the paint from the car and scour the windows!

For the most part though, it's not that extreme at all and a really pleasant place to drive around.

SpaceTime

Muahahaha wrote: »

And I bet there'll be some 6 foot 6 Icelandic Vikings walking the streets of Belfast and Dublin too, they'll stick a mile out !

Hate to disappoint but they're our long-lost North-western cousins with a bit of a Nordic influence! They'd blend in perfectly in Ireland and probably need the Factor 50+ on a sunny day too and have loads of people with ginger hair! Mostly not that tall either. It's not like Sweden/Norway etc.

Although, I'm a 6'4" pasty Irish fecker and I'm blending in well. People walking up and speaking Icelandic to me and stuff lol


I think this IcelandicAir promo is a very good overview of Iceland - quite realistic impression of what to expect:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vylAqx4Qjk

Muahahaha

Thanks for the info Spacetime. Any ideas how much car rentals there typically work out at ?

SpaceTime

Muahahaha wrote: »

Thanks for the info Spacetime. Any ideas how much car rentals there typically work out at ?

A Ford Focus worked out at about €115/day and the cost of petrol is similar to Ireland.

I'd say look at the brokerages. I went through an online one which was pretty decent.

The driving's very sedate (70-90km/h speed limits.. nothing over 90).

SpaceTime

A few final tips:

1) GPS and mobiles:
Tomtom does not work in Iceland at all. Either use a Garmin or Google maps. If you get a local Icelandic SIM and have an unlocked smartphone this can workout best. Just bring the window mount for your phone. I paid about €15 for 5GB of data on Síminn which is the main Icelandic network and it had pretty decent 3G coverage in most areas and 4G in towns although it did drop to 2G in a few spots.

2) Roads - They're OK, but they're not wonderful.
Iceland's very sparsely populated and the roads are quite small once you get outside Reykjavik. They'd be very like Irish secondary roads in terms of width but the surfaces are more gravelly than Irish roads but they're generally fairly free of potholes (there is the odd big one though so don't go too mad driving fast).

The main problem is that because the surfaces are quite gravelly you can get loose chipings being flung up. So, don't drive close to cars and also take out the windscreen and underbody insurance. It's not that much more expensive.

3) Weather - it varies BIG time from coastal to central locations. The coastal weather in summer is like an Irish autumn. However, if you go inland or up mountains it can really get quite chilly very quickly. So, bring lots of layers of clothes.

4) Camping - I really wouldn't advise it. It's too wet/cold a lot of the time. If you're going to do that, use a camper van. The camping facilities are top notch though in most locations and often have hot tubs and everything.

5) Road signage - honestly, it's not great. The signs for major destinations are fine, but they're often quite small. The signs for minor towns and tourist sites are often way way too small and only on the junction. So, you can sometimes miss a sign driving along at 70-90 km/h.

6) Turning around - not easy! The roads are like the roads through the Burren in Ireland or though bog lands. They're narrow and raised above the rock or peat surfaces. So, they've quite steep fall offs to either side and often no hard shoulders, or very narrow ones.

The distances between towns is also vast, so sometimes if you miss a turn you could be driving quite a long while before you can turn back. That's why I think bringing a good GPS is really, really important.

You'd have a hard job actually getting lost in Iceland though as it doesn't have all that many roads. It's more just finding things along those roads that's an issue.

Other things:

Most major natural tourist destinations are free to visit. They usually have an interpretative centre type setup much like in Ireland. There's usually a decent cafe, toilets, gift shop etc. All very pleasant and relaxing.

Basically, if you're visiting Iceland think of it much like the way you'd drive around Ireland. You kind of tend to drive along, wander into some little village or find some amazing scenic location and just check it out for a while and then continue on driving to your next destination.

The towns are absolutely tiny though in a lot of cases.

The other thing to be aware of is that sometimes the exterior of buildings doesn't reveal what's inside. You'll often find really amazing coffee shops that look like houses. Just do a lot of Googling and a lot of asking people questions. They're incredibly friendly and most people will speak reasonable English or attempt to! Just learn a few phrases in Icelandic for the sake of politeness.

They're so friendly that we even had the car hire company giving us free Ice cream and driving us to our hotel and making sure that we were all tucked up safely with maps and great advice on where to go.

Overall, I'm extremely impressed with the place and would probably do a second (longer) trip sometime in the future. It's just like driving through Lord of the Rings. It's just like you're standing there feeling the power of raw nature! Never been anywhere quite like it and it's completely different from visiting natural scenes in the US where everything's all roped off and guided-tour. In Iceland you can be quite literally standing next to a huge geyser.

Basically, throw a bit of Bjork and Sigur Ros on in the car... and off you go!

(I know I sound like I'm working for the Icelandic tourist board, but honestly I am just extremely impressed and inspired by the place and I think that it deserves a glowing review).

It's definitely not the kind of place you'd go for a sun holiday though

ScouseMouse

I went last year as a surprise for the wifes 40th.

Its outside the EU so you can buy dutyfree in Dublin if transferring or in Belfast if you go with this bargain alert. Booze is dear there, so bring some.

Check out tripadvisor under my username, I put up a big report and a few tips in there. We had friends as hosts so had an advantage. Make sure you do a tour. Absolutely fascinating place and would love to go back.

Murray007

Has anyone a recommendation for a two day tour that gives a flavour of the country.

JustAddWater

Maybe not a bargain but just wow air just announced an all year round, direct dublin - iceland service from next year!

http://www.rte.ie/news/business/2014/1001/649173-wow-air/

Iceland has never been so accessible

Slipshaney

JustAddWater wrote: »

Maybe not a bargain but just wow air just announced an all year round, direct dublin - iceland service from next year!

http://www.rte.ie/news/business/2014/1001/649173-wow-air/

Iceland has never been so accessible

sweet!

zac8

JustAddWater wrote: »

Maybe not a bargain but just wow air just announced an all year round, direct dublin - iceland service from next year!

http://www.rte.ie/news/business/2014/1001/649173-wow-air/

Iceland has never been so accessible

Excellent!

Muahahaha

Just checked flights there, €110 return Dublin to Reykavik next June which is a bargain for peak season IMO. Must book it soon and then get booking some huts for that 5 day Landmannalaugar trek that National Geographic rank in the worlds top 10, the scenery on it looks spectacular and its been on my list for a few years now so with these new flights from Dublin being more or less on par with EasyJets prices from Belfast I think I'll just take the Dublin option as its easier.
Car hire does seem to be a sticking point there, €80-100 per day seems to be the norm which is a fair wedge if you're renting it for a week. I think we'll just rent for 2 days and then use the bus service to get to and from the trek as it would kill me to have to pay €500 odd for a car to sit still for five days.

Nonetheless I can't wait, Iceland looks superb and I've wanted to go for years now.

Joe Doe

Isn't there some sort of database project they have ongoing to prevent 'cousin type relationships' occurring. Being from a slightly secular or limited gene pool and all that?

- If so, Viking ladies feel free to mention you credentials and any special skills acquired, so I can assess suitability for prorogation/replication and what have ye'.

Esel

Joe Doe wrote: »

Being from a slightly secular or limited gene pool...

Hey, don't be ashamed of that! Embrace it; see all the positives. :pac:

I haven't been there, but I have met a good few people from there. I was surprised that they looked very like us. We were probably distant cousins either way - a bit like here. :eek:

Joe Doe wrote: »

... so I can assess suitability for prorogation..

One should only prorogue when asked beforehand - unless one is not a gentleman. :P

If on a tight budget, go in summer and camp close to town/village etc. (Thermorest and a 3-season sleeping bag, in case you actually have to sleep in the tent). Rent a moped rather than a car. Do not go alone onto any glacier. Bring all relevant meds, and a good insect repellent.

Might see you there yet!

makeorbrake

Muahahaha wrote: »

Just checked flights there, €110 return Dublin to Reykavik next June which is a bargain for peak season IMO.

Dublin didn't seem to be listed on the dropdown list on their booking page? How did you manage to get prices?

Slipshaney

makeorbrake wrote: »

Dublin didn't seem to be listed on the dropdown list on their booking page? How did you manage to get prices?

Its there alright on wowair.co.uk, after Copenhagen and before Dusseldorf

Only on the main page actually, not on the booking page

Tabnabs

Joe Doe wrote: »

Isn't there some sort of database project they have ongoing to prevent 'cousin type relationships' occurring. Being from a slightly secular or limited gene pool and all that?

- If so, Viking ladies feel free to mention you credentials and any special skills acquired, so I can assess suitability for prorogation/replication and what have ye'.

Not only that, there's an app for them too!
http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/kissing-cousins-icelandic-app-warns-if-your-date-is-a-relative-1.1390256

They're also a bit protective of what you name your Icelandic born child
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icelandic_Naming_Committee

Thargor

Muahahaha wrote: »

Just checked flights there, €110 return Dublin to Reykavik next June which is a bargain for peak season IMO. Must book it soon and then get booking some huts for that 5 day Landmannalaugar trek that National Geographic rank in the worlds top 10, the scenery on it looks spectacular and its been on my list for a few years now so with these new flights from Dublin being more or less on par with EasyJets prices from Belfast I think I'll just take the Dublin option as its easier.
Car hire does seem to be a sticking point there, €80-100 per day seems to be the norm which is a fair wedge if you're renting it for a week. I think we'll just rent for 2 days and then use the bus service to get to and from the trek as it would kill me to have to pay €500 odd for a car to sit still for five days.

Nonetheless I can't wait, Iceland looks superb and I've wanted to go for years now.

I cant seem to get it below €160 in june, Im also thinking of doing that trek, what dates are you looking at?

Also what do you think of the chances of being able to rent a 4X4 on a provisional license up there?

-Toppy-

Offroading is problematic up there

http://www.safetravel.is/driving/illegal-off-road-driving/

Havent been yet but planning to go next year

Thargor

Oh no I wouldn't be doing that Id be driving normally Id just like to do it in a 4 wheel drive with plenty of space.