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I'm going to Iceland early June for a week with my buddy. This will be my 25th country so I know how to get around. Has anyone ever been? What should I definitely do and avoid?
I'm 100% doing a walking tour on my first day to learn and explore. Going to Blue Lagoon and I'd like to go skydiving. The skydiving location is pretty far away from the city hub so I'm not sure if I should rent a car. Bus it. etc.
Last June we rented a SUV and did the Ring Road (plus a short detour in the Westfjords). I really enjoyed the Northern and Eastern parts of the country. Definitely less touristy and more remote-feeling compared to the areas within a days drive of Reykjavik. We did not take our SUV on the F-Roads, though I kind of wish we did. Some of the Ring Road is still gravel, however the vast majority is paved. The gravel sections were well groomed, and I didn't think a SUV was necessary. It was great, but a week was pretty quick, and didn't leave much time to linger. We drove clockwise versus counterclockwise.
Also, you need to book rooms ASAP. June is high season and a lot were filled up when we started the process in April. If you don't want to rent a car, they also have flights to the different parts of the country, but I'm not sure of the price.
We did 2 weeks in Iceland last August: 2300 miles around the entire Ring Road, plus side excursions, in a rental car...
Rekjavik is good for walking, though even in a long day you will be hard pressed to get to some of the must/usually seen landmarks and areas, imo.
Car rental is easy, we had a 6 spd turbo 4 cyl small suv, a Dacia made in Romania, but it ran well and never blinked. You could get by with a less suv like normal car, (most are jellybean types), if you don't go too far up the Ring Road in either direction.
Tour buses are ubiquitous, both several days and day trips.
Bring a CC that has some good limit on it: cash is seldom used and CCs are used for Everything, including the ~ $1 john out in the middle of nowhere, at some sites. Food, bevs and hotels are expensive, as in Tokyo pricey. There are hostels and flops for less.
Early June will provide for long daylight, barely any real night.
Remarkable country in terms of scenery, good people, amazing views, etc. Everyone speaks English, and Rey and close in surrounding areas will be packed with Euros doing weekends there, ala' US citizens doing NY/Chi/LA, et al and tour buses packed with Geezers like me.
Blue Lagoon is man made and way overrated, imo. Unless you are a skydiving nut, I would opt for a good couple hour helo ride to see stuff, vs a few mins falling out, for comparable money spent.
Good Thread here with posts of many of us that have visited Iceland, and GOOG has literally pages of Visit Iceland sites with ideas, etc.
Are you a certified SCUBA diver? If so, you can dive and touch both the North American and European tectonic plates at the same time in the clearest water in the world.
Thanks for the info. I booked a hotel last night. Every website said everything was already 50% booked. Only one room was left at the spot I got.
Just outside the city center, said 30 minute walk which is fine. I love walking around while traveling. Plus the city center ones were way more and didn't come with much. This comes with a some kitchen area and a private bathroom. My buddy really wanted a private bathroom and I really wanted a kitchen. I can't stand eating out every meal.
I've been to Tokyo, it didn't feel THAT expensive. I've been to Switzerland, that was VERY expensive. Is it fair to say its slightly less expensive than Switzerland? Example, $7 USD for a large coffee. Example, $35 USD for 2 Burger King combos...last resort super hungry after a long train ride from Milan.
We found super cheap flights from LAX and the room will be $75 each. From what you guys said and what I've read, renting a vehicle is a must do. That's one thing I wasn't 100% sure on til yesterday.
Last time I checked, skydiving was only $75 and its right off the Ring Road.
If you do end up renting a car, I would suggest downloading SmartGuide bu Locatify. We used the Golden Circle and Airport to Reykjavik tours and they were great. Also you may want to spring for a portable WiFi hotspot, it cost us 10 euro a day but it came in handy when we were on the road.
Have the puffin salad. I'm kidding; I've never been to Iceland. I didn't know they ate puffin.
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I'm kidding; I've never been to Iceland. I didn't know they ate puffin.
