eleventy6 wrote: » Not sure if anyone asked but what are the roads like to drive on? We only have limited experience in driving in Portugal on the right so wondered would it be safe to rent and drive over there.
sydthebeat wrote: » Hi all, myself and my wife are heading over there this weekend and ive a few questions to anyone who has been over lately. visa debit cards work ok over there? i hear most transactions are done by plastic which is fine, but can i withdraw cash from atms with teh visa debit? whats the approximate daylight hours at this time of year? we've a golden circle tour booked for sunday from 9am, will it be in anyway 'dawny' from then? thanks, and cant wait!
Alun wrote: » Interested in this too, as I have a landmark birthday in January and we want to go somewhere interesting for a long weekend, and I don't like heat We tried to get some more information on the excursions too, but couldn't even find out if they were all running at that time of year.
firemansam4 wrote: » Im traveling to Iceland for 5 days by myself in the middle of January, I want to try and visit some of the stunning landscapes and waterfalls over there and to try photograph them all as much as possible. I wont be able to hire a car as I wont have a credit card, so it looks like I will be relying on day tours to get around the place. Ive been looking at doing the golden circle and the south coast day tours. The only thing is that I have read that some of these day tours are very rushed and wont leave me much time for photographing anything. I was wondering does anyone have any recomendations on good tours? or any other ideas? I might also do the northern lights tour if there is a chance of seeing them while im there
milltown wrote: » Is Iceland considered part of the EU for duty-free purposes?
Auntie Matter wrote: » Icelanders use plastic to pay for pretty much everything, even single beers and hot dogs, so if you have a chip and pin debit card, you should be OK for paying for stuff with that. There are two main coach tour companies - Reykjavik Excursions and Gray Line Iceland. I was in Reykjavik recently for the Airwaves festival and I noticed that they've both recently expanded their winter tour selection. There are other operators who use smaller buses and jeeps but they tend to be more expensive. I've done the Golden Circle and the longer south coast tour to Jokulsarlon which is a long day tour, not cheap, but Jokulsarlon is like nothing else I've ever seen. The Golden Circle tour stops for about an hour in each place, but some of that, especially in Thingvellir and Gullfoss, will be taken up with walking to and from the places you will want to photograph. Whether you get to see the Northern Lights will depend on the weather. It will certainly be dark enough in January at night, but Iceland has a damp climate so clouds will be the problem. Some of the tour operators offer a second tour for free if you don't see the northern lights the first time. I did the Reykjavik Excursions tour in November. They drive out into the countryside and you'll get at least an hour of a stop to see the lights. It was a cloudy night so didn't see anything, but couldn't go a second time because it was our last night. Be sure to take some time to look around Reykjavik - lots of interesting things to see and do there and as it's the size of Cork, you can walk almost everywhere. Enjoy!
firemansam4 wrote: » I will have my debit card with me, just dont have a credit card. I looked up both of them tour companies, the tours on offer look very similar. It doesn't look like the longer south coast tour to Jokulsarlon is available in January, but the south coast tour to Vik is available so I would probably want to do that one. Jokulsarlon is somewhere I would love to go to, but probably something I will have to do in the future if I can get out to Iceland again. Reykjavik looks like a really interesting city so looking foward to getting out and looking around the place. How did you find the cold temperatures in November? I will be going in the coldest month of the year so will be bringing plenty of layers with me.....
Auntie Matter wrote: » Fair enough about the credit card...TBH I know nothing about car rentals as I don't drive. I thought you'd be able to get a rental car with a debit card in Iceland as they use debit cards for EVERYTHING. The south coast tour to Vik will be worth it. You'll stop at the two best-known waterfalls in the area, Skógafoss (the really high and wide one) and Seljalandsfoss (the one you can walk behind (bring waterproofs!)). Reykjavik wasn't that cold in early November but I'd say January will be a different story. It's not so much the temperatures that will bother you, as the Gulf Stream keeps things a bit milder than they otherwise would be at 64 degrees north, but the wind coming off the sea would skin you alive. A good windproof jacket and a warm hat are essential. Layers are good because it's really warm in every building and you will be too warm inside at times. A must-do in Reykjavik on a clear day is to get the lift up the tower in Hallgrimskirkja - the big church that looks a bit like a space shuttle. From the top there are great views all over the city. The Icelanders are generally friendly and well-disposed towards the Irish. If you can learn a few phrases of Icelandic, it will go down very well, even if it's not much more than "Takk fyrir" (thank you) and "Ég tala ekki Íslensku" (I don't speak Icelandic)!
InterestedK wrote: » Hi all, myself and my boyfriend are going to Iceland for 4 days in the middle of February. I am trying to put together an itinerary of events so that we don't miss a thing! We aren't into museums or anything like that so we prefer to see the sights and do activities. We will be renting a car so have freedom that way! Also hoping to get an apartment and cook in as eating out looks frightfully expensive! Is this a better idea to stay in an apartment rather than a hotel - young couple so trying to keep costs down! So far I have Blue Lagoon, Gullfoss, Golden Circle, Tjornin Lakes and Ellidaar. Are we missing anything here? I presume apart from the Blue Lagoon, you can just drive around and don't need tickets or anything like that to see the sights. Would absolutely love some of your tips or ideas for our trip. Thanks so much!
BailMeOut wrote: » Add Geysir to your list but you will driving past on when doing Golden Circle. I would also add the crashed USA Navy plane to the list. Does not sound that interesting but the hike out on what looks like the surface of the moon is pretty cool. How much day light will you have in February?
InterestedK wrote: » Thanks BailmeOut - all added. Just googled it... 8 hours of daylight in February when we will be there. Is half a day best for Blue Lagoon or a full day?
