Iceland megathread

Greg81 · 13-08-2019 2:00pm

OffalyMedic wrote: »

Day 4: Hella to Hofn
- Seljalandsfoss - Gljúfrafoss- Skogafoss - Black Sand Beach Reynishverfi – Skaftafell glacier – Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon

on that day add 2 things:

1. Abadonded DC plane

https://guidetoiceland.is/connect-with-locals/jorunnsg/the-abandoned-dc-plane-on-solheimasandur

2. Diamond Beach

https://guidetoiceland.is/travel-iceland/drive/diamond-beach

PukkaStukka · 01-09-2019 11:15am

I'm looking at travelling solo to Iceland in November. I was wondering if someone, based on their own experiences, could give me some pointers on the following please:

Which is better: booking everything myself or a package?

What is driving like in Iceland? I'm thinking of hiring a car.

What is the weather like at that time of year?

Is there a bus option from Keflavic to Reykjavik?

I would be very keen on seeing the northern lights. Would I be advised to book a sightseeing trip here, or over there, or do my own thing when I get there?

Thanks in advance!

zweton · 01-09-2019 2:12pm

Would mid may be a good time to visit or not?

BailMeOut · 01-09-2019 2:24pm

zweton wrote: »

Would mid may be a good time to visit or not?

Yes... very much so as days are very longm. Mid May you are looking at probably 20 hours of daylight so you can pack in a lot of sightseeing each day

EverythingGood · 01-09-2019 7:58pm

We went as a family in April (2 adults, child, and grandparents) so 5 in all. we booked it all individually as it worked out cheaper for us and kept it flexible for days here or there and allowed us to book a book a mix of accommodation types. If you intend on getting out of the capital, then carhire is a must (unless you go the package way). We had a 4x4 which is really the best option, anytime of year. Only thing we prebooked (besides accomodation) was the Blue Lagoon - which despite its touristy tag was absolutely amazing and well worth it. From my perspective, as a solo traveller booking a package sound good, as it gives you the option of meeting others and not driving solo around the country, as the distances can be long and lonely and quiet. And the weather in Nov can be unpredictable.

kob29 · 02-09-2019 8:30pm

Love Iceland.
Yep regular buses from Kef to Reykjavik. We were there in March, booked everything separately. We didn't drive, we did bus tours and stayed fairly central in Reykjavik. Lots of the cars had chains on the tyres and at that time the roads weren't even that icy. I dont think itd want the hassle of driving though. All the main things to see are well set up with bus tours.

There's a tour of the waterfalls, black beach with the option of a glacier walk- that was excellent mainly due to the latter.
Do Pingvellir and the Strokkur Geyser- there's a tour that comes with the option of walking the Kerid Volcano Crater, thats very good.

There are lots of tours to see the Northern Lights, obviously they're hit and miss. You'd be better off inquiring from those tour companies right before you go about visibility. Also pick a company that gives you a free second go if you don't see them the first time. One of our tour guides told us that if you walk the waterside path away from the city (down by the concert hall) and away from the city lights you'll see them if they;re to be seen and for free.

Bring lots of snacks in your luggage, chocolate and food in general is mega expensive there. Get an apartment you can cook a bit in or make sure your hotel includes breakfast, wear a hoodie down and fill up the pocket before you leave the dining room

04-09-2019 10:05pm

Hi OP. I spent 2 weeks in Iceland last Sept/Oct and will be doing the same again in a few weeks.

PukkaStukka wrote: »

I'm looking at travelling solo to Iceland in November. I was wondering if someone, based on their own experiences, could give me some pointers on the following please:

Which is better: booking everything myself or a package?

What do you define as "better"? If getting the best price and having full control over your own itinerary is better, then I recommend planning and booking it yourself. If you don't mind someone else taking a profit to plan a holiday that you could plan yourself, and being limited to their schedule, get a package.

By November, Iceland's tourist sector is well into low season. Both Airbnb and Booking.com are very popular with Icelandic hosts and properties, and you would find great deals for November on those sites. I'd expect to find good lodgings at €50-70 per night for single occupancy, depending on the region.

I will say though that I stay clear of the South coast myself. I'm not familiar with the pricing trends for accommodation and services in that region. It is by far the priciest region of Iceland because of its popularity with the majority of Iceland's visiting tourists.

What is driving like in Iceland? I'm thinking of hiring a car.

Hiring a car (or 4x4) is a necessity from my own experience and enjoyment, but it depends on what you want to do yourself. Are you planning on keeping to Reykjavik, the Golden Circle and the South Coast? If so, there are numerous tour companies who offer day-trips from Reykjavik to these areas which would take out the need for hiring a car. Check out this company for example: https://www.extremeiceland.is

If you want a bit more freedom and/or want to head West or North, well then you should hire a car or 4x4. Public transport between towns in Iceland is scarce so I would only recommend not hiring a car if you were staying in or around Reykjavik.

Dual carriageways aren't really a popular thing in Iceland. Apart from the 50km stretch between Keflavik and Reykjavik, and the road around Reykjavik (their m50), all roads are at best paved (tarmac surface) single lane. This is the case for the popular ring road (Route 1) around the country. Once you go off this, you could be on a smaller paved road, or a gravel track with potholes. It's nothing too alien though if you are used to driving in rural Ireland.

Driving some of the northern coastal routes or the Westfjords can get a bit nervy with the cliffside drop-offs, but these would be risky destinations to commit to visiting during Winter anyway because of the potential for blizzards and road closures.

There is a strict upper speed limit of 90km/h on the main roads, and speeding fines are a lot higher than in Ireland.

Petrol is currently priced the equivalent of about €1.70 per litre. That is high, but if you choose the right (economical) vehicle the price of fuel wont be a problem. I did 3000kms last year in a Qashqai for a total of about €200 on fuel.

Considering the destination and its scenery, there are a LOT of rubberneckers so be careful if you are cruising close behind the car in front of you. They are liable to slow right down on a whim, or just outright stop on a road and get out to take a photo. This kind of thing is being clamped down on by police, thankfully, and the new wave of 'vigilante internet tourist' who take photos of transgressions and then 'post and shame' such offenders on Reddit and Facebook groups.

If you do plan on driving, this site is great for up to the minute road conditions: www.road.is The Icelandic authorities are excellent at maintaining and clearing roads when the really bad weather kicks in. Some smaller roads and the Highlands outright close for the Winter, but Route 1 is serviced all year round.

What is the weather like at that time of year?

Best case - Very Irish. Worst case - Blizzards, storms and mild disruption.

Iceland is a country where the locals will tell you "If you don't like the weather, wait 5 minutes until it changes to something else." November will have potential for snow and ice with average daytime temperatures of about 4 degrees C, but the really cold temperatures don't arrive until December/January.

Bring layers, and waterproof outer layers. Even when the weather is dry, you can get drenched from the mist of a large waterfall. Iceland was the first time I wore a vest since childhood, and the likes of this and some other layers meant the cold was not a problem at all. Plus, if you are hiking, you will get quite warm from the activity and will start to shed layers quickly.

As well as the weather, be mindful that daylight hours will be much less than 10 by mid November. That's still loads of time for worthwhile outdoor activities, once you don't sleep in until near midday

Is there a bus option from Keflavic to Reykjavik?

Yes, the FlyBus: https://www.re.is/tour/flybus/

If you choose to hire a car, many of the rental companies are located within a 5 minute walk of the airport and they also run shuttle buses between their premises and the airport. It is here you would be collecting your car, and wouldn't need the FlyBus to Reyjavik.

I would be very keen on seeing the northern lights. Would I be advised to book a sightseeing trip here, or over there, or do my own thing when I get there?

Thanks in advance!

If you are renting a car I wouldn't spend money on a Northern Lights tour. The tour guides can't guarantee the lights any more than you can. Sure, they have experience and local knowledge, but you can check the conditions and forecast yourself on https://en.vedur.is/weather/forecasts/aurora/ On that scale, 0 means no chance of seeing the lights, 9 is the highest probability.

Same as with any night time sky searching, get yourself to a rural area that is not spoiled by light pollution, and hope for no cloud cover.

Some other general advice...

- The ISK is falling against the Euro, has been for at least a year now. Some things I've booked or priced for our forthcoming trip are a good bit cheaper than they were for the same period last year. It's unfortunate for the natives, but now is a really good time value-wise to visit Iceland.

- Blue Car Rental (www.bluecarrental.is) are a really good and reliable company. They are offering a 10% 'early bird' discount at the moment for bookings made now on rentals collected from October 1st. They also accept debit card for rentals without putting a hold on your card, which is nice for those who don't use credit cards.

- Speaking of cards, businesses accept plastic everywhere in Iceland. Even the most isolated hosts in the most remote regions will have a card machine which accepts Visa/Mastercard including Revolut. Get a couple of roles of ISK100 coins if you want to have any physical cash. These coins will be handy for entrance to toilets at some sites and the donations boxes at hot pools.

- 'Bonus' is Iceland's version of Lidl. If you are planning on self-catering at all on your trip, Bonus will be a good resource for this. You can find their locations here: https://bonus.is/en/find-stores/

- Eating out is expensive, but nowhere near the horror stories you read from Americans who can get a 3 course meal back home for $10. If you are used to the cost of living and socialising in Ireland, Iceland is not a shock.

- There is a lot of generalised, click-baity material online about Iceland, but this is actually a good read with very useful advice for visiting in November: https://www.followmeaway.com/iceland-in-november/

Good luck OP.

SeeMoreBut · 17-09-2019 9:14am

Hi,

I'm going for 3 nights to Iceland over new year's.

Flights booked but nothing else.

Can I get recommendations on what would be the hit list. More to see the northern lights than anything.

Would I be wasting my time hiring a car and just do a bus tour?

Why so short work is leaving small kids behind.

thanks

Hammer Archer · 17-09-2019 9:43am

I'd recommend a 4x4 given the time of year. I loved the freedom of going wherever we wanted and staying as long as we wanted.
For the northern lights, don't set your hopes on definitely seeing them as the weather may simply be too inclement. Iceland is basically a colder Ireland so clear nights aren't guaranteed.

As for what to see, the Golden Circle (Þingvellir, Gullfoss, Geysir etc.) is easily doable even with only 4 or 5 hours of daylight. A trip down the south of the country will give you the chance to see Seljalandsfoss, Skogafoss, Solheimajokull etc. in a day. You may need to spend a night in the likes of Vik or Hof if you wanted to see the likes of Jokulsarlon as it's a good 4 - 5 hour drive from Reykjavik.
The Blue Lagoon is OK but it wouldn't be a must see, especially if you only have 3 nights there.

Given the time of year, if you get on the road early to make sure you're at your first sight when the sun is coming up (which isn't til after 11am). You really need to make the most of every minute of daylight.

jimmii · 18-09-2019 8:09am

We decided it wasnt cold enough the rest of the year so going for a week in January! Most of the time we'll be in Reykjavik but we'll also be in Akureyri for a few days. We'll have a 4x4 so would like to venture to the nearby area too.

Anyone got tips for the north?

SeeMoreBut · 13-11-2019 8:13pm

Hammer Archer wrote: »

I'd recommend a 4x4 given the time of year. I loved the freedom of going wherever we wanted and staying as long as we wanted.
For the northern lights, don't set your hopes on definitely seeing them as the weather may simply be too inclement. Iceland is basically a colder Ireland so clear nights aren't guaranteed.

As for what to see, the Golden Circle (Þingvellir, Gullfoss, Geysir etc.) is easily doable even with only 4 or 5 hours of daylight. A trip down the south of the country will give you the chance to see Seljalandsfoss, Skogafoss, Solheimajokull etc. in a day. You may need to spend a night in the likes of Vik or Hof if you wanted to see the likes of Jokulsarlon as it's a good 4 - 5 hour drive from Reykjavik.
The Blue Lagoon is OK but it wouldn't be a must see, especially if you only have 3 nights there.

Given the time of year, if you get on the road early to make sure you're at your first sight when the sun is coming up (which isn't til after 11am). You really need to make the most of every minute of daylight.

Thanks for that. Car hire booked.

Do you recommend booking a tour for northern lights or just jump into the car and head out somewhere?

I noticed the car hire excess is mad expensive. Can I just use an annual or trip pass you can buy from any of the companies I'd normally use or is Iceland different?

Start planning my days but I'm an early riser so no issues getting up and going early

Thanks again

Sunrise_Sunset · 18-11-2019 10:32pm

Just booked an air bnb for next summer. Bringing our 2 kids. Really looking forward to it.
Recommendations for a young family for summer in the capital?

Hammer Archer · 19-11-2019 1:15pm

SeeMoreBut wrote: »

Thanks for that. Car hire booked.

Do you recommend booking a tour for northern lights or just jump into the car and head out somewhere?

I noticed the car hire excess is mad expensive. Can I just use an annual or trip pass you can buy from any of the companies I'd normally use or is Iceland different?

Start planning my days but I'm an early riser so no issues getting up and going early

Thanks again

Sorry, just saw this.
Personally, I'd leave the Northern Lights tour. Iceland is basically a colder Ireland weather-wise and the chances of there being a clear night and active solar activity on a specific night you book a tour are slim. There are various aurora forecasts online and, coupled with the cloud cover forecast, you can just hop in the car if there's a good chance of seeing them on any night you're there. That way you're not tied to one night. While offhand I don't know of any good spots, I'd say that you'd easily get dark skies less than an hour outside of Reykjavik. Just don't get your hopes up as it was always cloudy when we were there.

Not sure about the car hire question. We used Blue Car Hire which had pretty much all the insurance included in the price.

sydthebeat · 19-11-2019 1:44pm

SeeMoreBut wrote: »

Thanks for that. Car hire booked.

Do you recommend booking a tour for northern lights or just jump into the car and head out somewhere?

I noticed the car hire excess is mad expensive. Can I just use an annual or trip pass you can buy from any of the companies I'd normally use or is Iceland different?

Start planning my days but I'm an early riser so no issues getting up and going early

Thanks again

i absolutely recommend getting windscreen cover if its not a standard on your policy... especially if your thinking of doing big mileage.

there are loads of loose stones on the roads, even on route 1

BailMeOut · 19-11-2019 2:56pm

Sunrise_Sunset wrote: »

Just booked an air bnb for next summer. Bringing our 2 kids. Really looking forward to it.
Recommendations for a young family for summer in the capital?

your kids will love the blue lagoon as it wil be the most fun swimming pool they will have ever visisted!

19-11-2019 8:18pm

SeeMoreBut wrote: »

Thanks for that. Car hire booked.

Do you recommend booking a tour for northern lights or just jump into the car and head out somewhere?

From a post I made a few months ago...

If you are renting a car I wouldn't spend money on a Northern Lights tour. The tour guides can't guarantee the lights any more than you can. Sure, they have experience and local knowledge, but you can check the conditions and forecast yourself on https://en.vedur.is/weather/forecasts/aurora/ On that scale, 0 means no chance of seeing the lights, 9 is the highest probability.

Same as with any night time sky searching, get yourself to a rural area that is not spoiled by light pollution, and hope for no cloud cover.

Since making that post, I've spent another 2 weeks in Iceland and had an amazing few nights of northern lights, our best yet. We didn't even have to drive anywhere or go hunting, there was an 'aurora storm' at the end of September in many regions of the island and the lights were hard to avoid on some nights. One night, we saw the lights from the hot tub in the garden at our guesthouse in the North. Another night they were dancing all over the sky outside our hotel in the Westfjords...

52Pv7t7.jpg?1

Unless you really want to, I wouldn't spend money on a northern lights tour if you are already renting a car.

SeeMoreBut wrote:

I noticed the car hire excess is mad expensive. Can I just use an annual or trip pass you can buy from any of the companies I'd normally use or is Iceland different?

Start planning my days but I'm an early riser so no issues getting up and going early

Thanks again

Some rental companies offer an 'excess waiver' for a daily fee which reduces your excess to 0. Blue Rental offer this for example, but it is quite expensive at around €30 per day.

For our most recent Iceland trip, we took out travel insurance with the AA including the added extra of car hire excess insurance. For 2 of us the whole bundle cost €72 which covered the 2 weeks. Thankfully we didn't need any of the insurance when all was said and done, but it was worth having for the peace of mind alone.

SeeMoreBut · 21-11-2019 9:47am

Hammer Archer wrote: »

Sorry, just saw this.
Personally, I'd leave the Northern Lights tour. Iceland is basically a colder Ireland weather-wise and the chances of there being a clear night and active solar activity on a specific night you book a tour are slim. There are various aurora forecasts online and, coupled with the cloud cover forecast, you can just hop in the car if there's a good chance of seeing them on any night you're there. That way you're not tied to one night. While offhand I don't know of any good spots, I'd say that you'd easily get dark skies less than an hour outside of Reykjavik. Just don't get your hopes up as it was always cloudy when we were there.

Not sure about the car hire question. We used Blue Car Hire which had pretty much all the insurance included in the price.

Thanks

That is who I booked the car with

That is what I was going to do. Just jump in the car and head out somewhere which is dark.

I've been in middle of nowhere in Africa and looking up was amazing. Some stars it was crazy. Just a small camp fire for light.

SeeMoreBut · 21-11-2019 9:49am

Deleted User wrote: »

From a post I made a few months ago...

Since making that post, I've spent another 2 weeks in Iceland and had an amazing few nights of northern lights, our best yet. We didn't even have to drive anywhere or go hunting, there was an 'aurora storm' at the end of September in many regions of the island and the lights were hard to avoid on some nights. One night, we saw the lights from the hot tub in the garden at our guesthouse in the North. Another night they were dancing all over the sky outside our hotel in the Westfjords...

Unless you really want to, I wouldn't spend money on a northern lights tour if you are already renting a car.

Some rental companies offer an 'excess waiver' for a daily fee which reduces your excess to 0. Blue Rental offer this for example, but it is quite expensive at around €30 per day.

For our most recent Iceland trip, we took out travel insurance with the AA including the added extra of car hire excess insurance. For 2 of us the whole bundle cost €72 which covered the 2 weeks. Thankfully we didn't need any of the insurance when all was said and done, but it was worth having for the peace of mind alone.

It is still €30 a day which is expensive but is it worth it for my few days there. I hate this checking the car with a fine comb

SeeMoreBut · 05-01-2020 10:34am

Just back yesterday. Great time and advice was perfect.

It was cold. Take a glove off and hand would be freezing just as quick as you took the glove off.

I got done for speeding on one road. Must have been 1-2 kph over the limit when camera flashed. Don't seem to have any tolerance or the winter tyres make the speedo slower than you are going. Expensive lesson to learn but no fault bar my own.

jimmii · 05-01-2020 2:15pm

SeeMoreBut wrote: »

Just back yesterday. Great time and advice was perfect.

It was cold. Take a glove off and hand would be freezing just as quick as you took the glove off.

I got done for speeding on one road. Must have been 1-2 kph over the limit when camera flashed. Don't seem to have any tolerance or the winter tyres make the speedo slower than you are going. Expensive lesson to learn but no fault bar my own.

Thats good to know thanks for passing on! We're flying over today and hopefully heading up to Akureyri tomorrow and renting a car while up there. How bad was the storm while you were there? The photos I saw made it look a pretty harsh one!

05-01-2020 9:31pm

jimmii wrote: »

Thats good to know thanks for passing on! We're flying over today and hopefully heading up to Akureyri tomorrow and renting a car while up there. How bad was the storm while you were there? The photos I saw made it look a pretty harsh one!

Damn, I'm jealous!

Have a great time. If you are driving east from Akureyri, there is a new mountain tunnel called Vadlaheidi. Just make sure to pay the toll to avoid fines.

https://www.veggjald.is/en/pricing

jimmii · 06-01-2020 9:20pm

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Damn, I'm jealous!

Have a great time. If you are driving east from Akureyri, there is a new mountain tunnel called Vadlaheidi. Just make sure to pay the toll to avoid fines.

https://www.veggjald.is/en/pricing

Yeah seen that when we picked up the car 1500kr wtf it better be a bloody nice tunnel lol! I asked for a manual and got an automatic do between that and driving in the right it's been so weird! Driving to mytvan tomorrow so long as the bad weather doesn't roll in earlier than expected.

07-01-2020 1:40am

jimmii wrote: »

Yeah seen that when we picked up the car 1500kr wtf it better be a bloody nice tunnel lol! I asked for a manual and got an automatic do between that and driving in the right it's been so weird! Driving to mytvan tomorrow so long as the bad weather doesn't roll in earlier than expected.

We went in September 2018, and the tunnel wasn't open at that stage. So our drive east from Akureyri took us over some mountains and it was quite a scenic drive.

We returned in September 2019, and upon leaving Akureyri I was looking forward to that scenic drive over the mountains once again. Next thing, I'm in this new tunnel! It's a great job and top feat of engineering, but I did miss that mountain drive.

We were then returning west towards Akureyri a few days later, and I vowed to bypass the tunnel and take that scenic mountain route. Only thing is, it was a very overcast day and the clouds were lying very low on the mountains. It would have been pointless, time consuming and dangerous to take the mountain road.

Yeah the tunnel charges are quite high, but I like the way they do it in Iceland - Once the tunnel budget has been fully recouped, the tunnel ceases to be tolled. We got charged the equivalent of €10 to use an underwater tunnel in the southwest in 2018, but 2 weeks later when we were on our return drive to Reykjavik, that tunnel was free of charge as the toll contract had expired. If only they did it that way with the road tolls in Ireland!

Anyway, enjoy Myvatn, hope you get decent weather to explore. Of course there are no shortage of attractions in the Myvatn area, but I highly recommend a spin up to Dettifoss if the roads to it aren't closed.

Again...I'm so jealous :pac: Are you doing the ringroad?

jimmii · 07-01-2020 3:39pm

We got half way to Mytvan and our tour was cancelled! As soon as we got through the tunnel it was full on blizzard! Even in a 4x4 with studded tyres there was one point where we were sideways so that was fun on those roads lol!

Just for anyone reading this the tunnel is INCREDIBLE! One nice touch is the inside has been made to look heavily rough cut so looks like you're driving through a cave in a way. The registration for the toll was very straight forward you register when your are returning the car and it automatically charges you for trips up to that time.

Darksoul · 20-02-2020 1:31pm

Basically anyone know of any good package deals going and what trips are worth doing? Myself and a friend heading for 5 days,as you know it's a expensive country so once off,and plan to do stuff on the cheap.

The only thing I can see at the cheapest is groupon.ie if anyone else has any other sites let me know thanks.

Tenzor07 · 20-02-2020 1:44pm

I do know that cheap and Iceland don't go together....

Expect to pay around €1000 per person for a package deal;

https://www.icelandair.com/en-ie/

20-02-2020 11:51pm

Extreme Iceland's packages might be worth a look to you: https://www.extremeiceland.is/en/packages/3-4-5-day-tours

...but Iceland isn't exactly a cheap package destination.

Alternatively, if you are up for self-driving and booking Airbnbs or guesthouses, basically DIYing it as opposed to hiring a tour operator, this would be the cheapest option.

5 days is a decent amount of time to take a tour of the south coast, the Golden Circle and a night or 2 in Reykjavik.

cdeb · 21-02-2020 9:10am

Camping is probably the best way to do it on the cheap. Not sure how the weather is in April though; might end up getting lashed out of it putting tents up

21-02-2020 6:33pm

cdeb wrote: »

Camping is probably the best way to do it on the cheap. Not sure how the weather is in April though; might end up getting lashed out of it putting tents up

Unless OP is a very experienced outdoors person or camper, I wouldn't recommend tent camping in Iceland in April. As well as the weather still fluctuating wildly, the average low temperature for April is 1° C. Many campsites are still closed until June 1st.

In the Summer months, tent camping would be a great, cheaper way to see Iceland no doubt.

uck51js9zml2yt · 21-02-2020 7:54pm

Was there in April. Camping isn't on the to do list.

Hire a 4*4 and self drive. Its a great trip but cheap and Iceland don't go together.

If you have to ask how much then you can't afford it.

Average main course 25-30 euro a head if doing cheap.

There is an Iceland mega thread here somewhere.

~~ Iceland megathread ~~

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Iceland megathread