Iceland megathread

Not my real name · 10-10-2016 12:53pm

http://www.holidayguru.ie/holidays/explore-iceland/?utm_source=fb&utm_medium=socialorganic&utm_campaign=51525

Thought this was a good deal!

eleventy6 · 15-10-2016 10:07am

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.

BailMeOut · 15-10-2016 10:13am

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.

Roads are very good and very quiet. When I was there however it was never dark so never drove at night.

reap-a-rat · 15-10-2016 10:27am

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.

There main ring road is perfect - it's gravel road for a short stretch but not too bad. Some of the roads off the ring road are poor enough - it's not the fact that they are gravel it's that some are in a shocking state of repair with massive potholes and 20km/h is too fast nearly. But that's in the west fjords over the mountains and sometimes into the odd attraction. The roads are mostly brilliant.

Strange thing we noticed was that because there's no trees or bushes lining the road, there are no blind bends and so it's easy to see really far ahead of you. Not a lot of traffic either except from Vik to Reykjavik where most people tend to go.

crosstownk · 18-10-2016 3:27pm

The roads in an around Reykjavik are excellent as you'd expect. I did a good bit of driving between Reykjavik and around Selfoss, Fludir, Geysir and also to Thingviler - all good roads. If you go past Geysir, not long after Gulfoss the road turns to gravel but in the summer pleanty of your busses use this route. There are other gravel roads but usually they are smaller side roads. They are completely driveable but with a bit more care. There are usually signposts warning you of a gravel road ahead.

I rented a Ford Focus for a week and drove on a few gravel roads with no issue. The scariest thing about car rental is the price!!

sydthebeat · 07-11-2016 4:39pm

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!

crosstownk · 07-11-2016 4:57pm

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!

Debit/credit cards are accepted virtually everywhere. Most are contactless and ApplePay is also available. I withdrew cash in the airport (Keflavik) but I used the credit card most of the time and ended up coming home with some of the cash!

It might be an idea to let your card issuer know that you are travelling to Iceland. I'm not sure what the reason is but I know that when my wife booked the Blue Lagoon here in Ireland before we left the transaction wouldn't complete and she had to ring the bank. Once she did that the transaction processed OK. The representative did ask when we were travelling and said that he'd make 'a note' of that so we didn't have any issues - which we didn't.

For sunrise/sunset times go to www.timeanddate.com and search your destination and date.

sydthebeat · 07-11-2016 4:59pm

excellent info, thank you!

Not my real name · 07-11-2016 7:50pm

I would only take the equivalent of 20 or lowest you can take out of the bank link. Everywhere accepts card, including taxis. I took 50 and bought sweets in the airport just to use it up.

Can't answer your other question but have a great time!!

BailMeOut · 07-11-2016 7:56pm

you will not need cash and if you do use an ATM it will ask you how much in ISK you want to withdraw so be prepared to do the maths at the machine. (ISK1,000 is less than €10)

firemansam4 · 02-12-2016 11:32am

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

Alun · 02-12-2016 11:34am

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 · 02-12-2016 11:43am

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.

I was looking at a few tours already and some of them run all year round, here is a couple of links to what I was looking at already:

http://www.tour.is/tours/bus_tours.php
https://www.re.is/day-tours/

If you go into the details on some of the tours it shows the sesons and times of day they run at.

Alun · 02-12-2016 11:44am

Thanks for that, I was looking on the website for the tour operator and there wasn't much information at all.

Auntie Matter · 03-12-2016 10:00pm

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

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 glacial lagoon 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!

milltown · 04-12-2016 12:52pm

Is Iceland considered part of the EU for duty-free purposes?

crosstownk · 04-12-2016 10:21pm

milltown wrote: »

Is Iceland considered part of the EU for duty-free purposes?

No.

BailMeOut · 05-12-2016 3:48pm

milltown wrote: »

Is Iceland considered part of the EU for duty-free purposes?

are you trying to figure out how to get cheap booze into Iceland!!

firemansam4 · 05-12-2016 8:50pm

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!

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.....

GreenFolder2 · 05-12-2016 8:52pm

Beware that AIB impose a hard 10 transaction per day debit card limit!!

Auntie Matter · 05-12-2016 11:50pm

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.....

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)!

firemansam4 · 17-12-2016 12:55am

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)!

I was looking up the longer south tour again with a few companies and it seems it does run at that time of year, but the tour with the boat trip does not.
Im strongly thinking about doing the tour to Jökulsárlón, but from the looks of it, it does mean short stops at some of the waterfalls and I will only see Seljalandsfoss on the way back at night.

I will probably spend the first day in and around Reykjavik and will try and visit the places you mentioned, I might even take a city bus out to Grotta light house, I believe that the light pullution is low there and might be able to catch the northern lights there if they are active and sky clear.

I will have to learn a few Icelandic phrases and maybe even just try and learn how to pronounce some of there town and place names, ie: Jökulsárlón

snoopy29 · 19-12-2016 9:21am

Definitely do the Jökulsárlón, highlight of the trip for me when I went on my honeymoon for 10 days in January 2015. absolutely stunning.

Hammer Archer · 27-12-2016 1:56pm

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

Probably too late for you at this stage, but I hired a car in Iceland using a debit card less than two weeks ago. I went with Blue Car Rentals. As long as your debit card has 16 digits in the number (mine is a Visa debit), you can hire a car with them. The excursion prices we saw while we were there were astronomical. Would 100% hire a car if/when I go back to Iceland as it's an absolute joy to drive in the country.

InterestedK · 02-01-2017 11:04pm

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 · 02-01-2017 11:25pm

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!

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 · 02-01-2017 11:28pm

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?

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?

BailMeOut · 02-01-2017 11:37pm

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?

You are not going to need more than 2 -3 hours at the Blue Lagoon between when get there and when you are done and in February definitely do it when dark as with just 8 hours of day light you will want to use all this time for sight seeing. Top tip at the Blue Lagoon is either get yourself a waterproof camera or a waterproof case for your phone otherwise you will not have any photos from it.

Hammer Archer · 03-01-2017 11:06am

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!

Staying in an apartment is definitely better than a hotel. While the supermarkets are quite expensive, eating out (as you said) is obscenely expensive.

The Golden Circle will lead you past the likes of Thingvellir National Park, Geysir, Gullfoss and Kerid Crater Lake.

I'd suggest taking a trip down the South Coast of the country on Route 1. This will bring you past Seljalandsfoss, Skogafoss/Kvernufoss, Eyjafjallajökull (yes I had to Google it) and Solheimajokull. While we didn't get time to see it, if you continue on this route it'll also lead you to Jokulsarlon (which is meant to be stunning).
Depending on the weather at the time, a trip up to the Western Fjords would also be an idea.

Definitely bookmark the following websites. They'll give you updates on the weather/road conditions throughout the country.
http://en.vedur.is/
http://www.road.is/
I'd suggest maximising the amount of daylight by ensuring you reach the first place just as the sun comes up. 8 hours of daylight would pass extremely quickly.
Also, if you're not renting a 4x4 I believe that there are certain roads that you are not allowed drive on.

dmm82 · 03-01-2017 9:05pm

Our trip is nearly here, we head off in March. We have decided to stock up on food in the nearest bonus supermarket and just eat out once a day to try save some money. Does anyone have tips on what to pack for that time of year. Obviously hiking boots and hat/ scarf/ gloves/ warm socks and coat but is there anything else. Also do you think we would need to check on a case each?

Thanks for all the great tips so far

firemansam4 · 04-01-2017 3:02pm

Hammer Archer wrote: »

Probably too late for you at this stage, but I hired a car in Iceland using a debit card less than two weeks ago. I went with Blue Car Rentals. As long as your debit card has 16 digits in the number (mine is a Visa debit), you can hire a car with them. The excursion prices we saw while we were there were astronomical. Would 100% hire a car if/when I go back to Iceland as it's an absolute joy to drive in the country.

Thank you very much for this information,

I have been in contact with Blue car rentals and they have booked me a car for my stay and agreed I only need a debit card, which is great....

So now I am going to collect the car from the airport and stay in Reykjavik the first night. Then I am going to travel to Hofn on the second day making stops at some of the waterfalls and at Jokulsarlon, and then I have a room booked in Hofn for the second night.
Ill head back to Reykjavik the next day and probably go to Vestrahorn first thing and then make a few other stops on the way back.
Then on my fourth day there I might try and travel up to the snæfellsnes peninsula. Ill be heading back home the morning after that.

Hoping to catch some northern lights while i'm there, but I guess its dependent on the weather, a site for predicting aurora shows a coronal hole facing earth on them days with a good likely-hood of some auroral activity, but I guess catching the aurora can only be a bonus if I see it.

Looking foward to going now, just 12 days til I go....

Hammer Archer · 05-01-2017 1:35pm

dmm82 wrote: »

Our trip is nearly here, we head off in March. We have decided to stock up on food in the nearest bonus supermarket and just eat out once a day to try save some money. Does anyone have tips on what to pack for that time of year. Obviously hiking boots and hat/ scarf/ gloves/ warm socks and coat but is there anything else. Also do you think we would need to check on a case each?

Thanks for all the great tips so far

Myself and the OH went for 5 days with one case between us and it was fine. We just wore our bulky clothes/boots over. Maybe try a practice pack and see.
Something I'd consider next time is to actually bring some food with us. The Bonus supermarket is obviously a lot cheaper than eating out, but still quite a bit more expensive than Irish supermarkets. As long as it's not raw meat, eggs or milk I think you can bring 3kg per person of food into Iceland.
Also, if you drink, may be an idea to bring a bottle of wine with you too.

firemansam4 wrote: »

Thank you very much for this information,

I have been in contact with Blue car rentals and they have booked me a car for my stay and agreed I only need a debit card, which is great....

So now I am going to collect the car from the airport and stay in Reykjavik the first night. Then I am going to travel to Hofn on the second day making stops at some of the waterfalls and at Jokulsarlon, and then I have a room booked in Hofn for the second night.
Ill head back to Reykjavik the next day and probably go to Vestrahorn first thing and then make a few other stops on the way back.
Then on my fourth day there I might try and travel up to the snæfellsnes peninsula. Ill be heading back home the morning after that.

Hoping to catch some northern lights while i'm there, but I guess its dependent on the weather, a site for predicting aurora shows a coronal hole facing earth on them days with a good likely-hood of some auroral activity, but I guess catching the aurora can only be a bonus if I see it.

Looking foward to going now, just 12 days til I go....

Very jealous. It's definitely the better option to rent a car than rely on excursions. That way you can go off the beaten track at your leisure. When you come into the arrivals hall, you have to head out the main door to the car rental shuttle bus.
The Vedur website I mentioned above has an aurora forecast that you could use closer to the dates.

One recommendation if you're travelling the south coast on Route 1, if you happen to visit Skogafoss waterfall, I'd highly recommend visiting the lesser known Kvernufoss (2 minute drive followed by 15 minute hike from Skogafoss). It's a beautiful waterfall (similar to Seljalandsfoss) but there was no one there when we visited.
Enjoy your trip. You'll have a blast!

zweton · 03-02-2017 11:00pm

Planning to go for 5-10 days first week of december for honeymoon. Good time to go or bad time? We are flexible so just wanted to ask.

BailMeOut · 04-02-2017 10:51am

zweton wrote: »

Planning to go for 5-10 days first week of december for honeymoon. Good time to go or bad time? We are flexible so just wanted to ask.

Only issue with December is that there is not much daylight. A local was telling us that on Christmas day it gets bright around noon and dark again at 3pm.

Hammer Archer · 06-02-2017 7:19pm

zweton wrote: »

Planning to go for 5-10 days first week of december for honeymoon. Good time to go or bad time? We are flexible so just wanted to ask.

I went from December 16th to 21st last year. The sun rose just before 11:30am and set around 3:30pm. But you kind of had light from about 10:30 until 4 - 4:30 as long as the weather wasn't awful.
You wouldn't get as much time to see stuff as you would in the summer but as long as you make sure that you're where you want to be when the sun comes up, you'll still see plenty.

One thing is that the snow could be an issue at that time. There wasn't any snow until mid December last year but that's very unusual according to the Icelanders that lived in the AirBnB we were in.
Advantage of that time is the scenery is stunning (well more stunning) and it's relatively quiet.

zweton · 07-02-2017 10:31am

thanks, might rethink based on that.

Sherryman · 19-02-2017 7:30pm

Did anyone go on a photography tour or are you better renting a car and finding the sites your self. Do the hotels have their own local guides to take you to best landscapes any advice would be much appreciated.

dmm82 · 28-02-2017 12:03pm

Hi folks just making sure that visa debit cards work OK over there? Has anyone used them?

BailMeOut · 28-02-2017 12:08pm

dmm82 wrote: »

Hi folks just making sure that visa debit cards work OK over there? Has anyone used them?

no issues. You will not need any ISK cash. Plastic works everywhere there.

BailMeOut · 28-02-2017 12:09pm

record breaking snowfall in Reykjavik this week.

Snow depth was measured at 51 cm at 9 am this morning in the capital which breaks the record of 48 cm in February in 1952. Only once has this been exceeded, in January of 1937 when snow was 55 cm.

http://icelandmonitor.mbl.is/news/news/2017/02/27/incredible_photos_of_the_record_breaking_snowfall_n/

https://twitter.com/i/moments/836298751606054913

kate07 · 13-04-2017 12:25pm

Visiting Iceland for 4 nights in May, any recommendations? Was thinking Golden Circle and Blue Lagoon, wont be getting a car. Any one have any tour companies that they would recommend? Theres so many tour companies, its hard to know whats the best one to go with! Any thing else I should plan to do while there? Only got 3 full days so wanna make the most of them

horsebox7 · 02-06-2017 1:49pm

Hi,

Do you know if you can bring food into iceland from Ireland? I know you cant bring food into Australia, USA and Canada?

horsebox7 · 02-06-2017 1:51pm

Also, Im going in with WOW air from dublin. THey say you can take i free bag on board if it is 10kg max and fits under seat infront of you. Anyone know how this works out in reality? its €17 extra if you want a 12kg bag to put in overhead locker. I heard they are quiet strict on this.

horsebox7 · 09-06-2017 1:15pm

How do we get from keflavik airport to the airport hotel in the reykjanes region by public transport? It is only 3/4 kms from airport.

horsebox7 · 09-06-2017 1:26pm

How do you get from keflavik airport to the reykjanes region by public transport? Our hotel is here and its only 3/4km from airport. taxis are very expensive.

Auntie Matter · 10-06-2017 11:38pm

horsebox7 wrote: »

How do you get from keflavik airport to the reykjanes region by public transport? Our hotel is here and its only 3/4km from airport. taxis are very expensive.

Have a look at the Straeto (Icelandic public bus service) website. Available in English. Route No. 55 could be a possibility, depending on where your hotel is located.

https://www.straeto.is/en/timatoflur/6

Hammer Archer · 11-06-2017 3:36pm

horsebox7 wrote: »

Hi,

Do you know if you can bring food into iceland from Ireland? I know you cant bring food into Australia, USA and Canada?

I think you can bring up to 3kg of food per person into Iceland. No raw meat, eggs or milk are allowed.

horsebox7 wrote: »

Also, Im going in with WOW air from dublin. THey say you can take i free bag on board if it is 10kg max and fits under seat infront of you. Anyone know how this works out in reality? its €17 extra if you want a 12kg bag to put in overhead locker. I heard they are quiet strict on this.

They do tend to be quite strict on dimensions and weights of all bags, carry-on and hold luggage. Though I brought a wheelie carry on case and was fine. But I saw a few people attempting to bring on mini ruck sacks and were forced to pay for it on check in.

Can't help with the bus question. I'd definitely suggest renting a car/4x4.

BailMeOut · 11-06-2017 4:15pm

horsebox7 wrote: »

How do you get from keflavik airport to the reykjanes region by public transport? Our hotel is here and its only 3/4km from airport. taxis are very expensive.

what is your hotel called as they may have transportation? Iceland is expensive but a short 4km taxi spin will not be that much.

Taxi cost in Iceland is ISK690 + ISK230 per km.

Hector Savage · 21-06-2017 9:22am

WE are going for a week in September (4-11) .. because its short we were thinking of Golden Circle/Blue lagoon + a trip to Jokulsarlon to see the glacier there.

Should we stay in a few different places along the Golden circle route or can you use one place as your base there ?
obviously we would stay in a place close to Jokulsarlon for that part of the trip ...

mmg0305 · 21-06-2017 9:42am

IMHO, blue lagoon isn't worth the price. I went a few years ago because it was included in the package but I think I would have been a bit underwhelmed if I had to pay for it. I went on a different (hiking) trip last year and some folks were asking about it. Our guide said she would advise going to a regular public swimming pool - all the thermal goodness at a fraction of the cost.

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