Iceland - questions answered

[Northern Aurora]

This is good news- have you flown Icelandair's Business Class? Pricing is only a few hundred more than UA's r/t economy to Europe.

 

My recollection is that Icelandair has three classes of seats/service: Saga (first class), economy comfort and economy (coach).

 

We recently flew two legs in Icelandair's economy comfort, which they also refer to as premium economy and also comfort economy. When you mention business class do you mean economy comfort? In any event, I posted some information on this thread (post 339), and don't want to re-type that info. Please let me know if you have any questions. Quite frankly, we were pleased with the service and food in premium economy on both flights.

 

And it was quite clear that the coach cabin had multiple beverage services on both of our flights. In coach food was also available for purchase, just as food is available for purchase in coach on most US carriers.

[Alaskanb]

We got an excellent low price (around $950 RT DEN-KEF-LHR-KEF-DEN) on our tickets in economy when we booked last September. I don't recollect the cost of CE or Saga Class. We are doing a 2 night stopover on the return.

 

Our plan is to have an early dinner at DEN and carry snacks with us. I always pick up a large bottle of water for long flights and supplement with juice and coffee. As we are connecting from KEF to LHR we will probably purchase breakfast --oatmeal-- onboard. We have a car reserved to take us from LHR to Southampton so it will be a very long day.

Edited July 21, 2014 by Alaskanb

[TMLAalum]

My recollection is that Icelandair has three classes of seats/service: Saga (first class), economy comfort and economy (coach).

 

So many airlines, so many cabin classifications! I meant economy comfort using Icelandair terminology!

 

We got an excellent low price (around $950 RT DEN-KEF-LHR-KEF-DEN) on our tickets in economy when we booked last September. I don't recollect the cost of CE or Saga Class. We are doing a 2 night stopover on the return.

 

Our plan is to have an early dinner at DEN and carry snacks with us. I always pick up a large bottle of water for long flights and supplement with juice and coffee. As we are connecting from KEF to LHR we will probably purchase breakfast --oatmeal-- onboard. We have a car reserved to take us from LHR to Southampton so it will be a very long day.

 

Sounds like a great plan! Fares for our proposed itinerary are at $966 economy for next May- hoping for a sale to pop up as I seem to recall that Icelandair fares can sometimes be had in the $700-$800 range r/t.

[abridalmaven]

Ok after reading all of these pages I am befuddled. We arrive on Sept 3 in the afternoon in Reykjavik and were thinking about taking the tour bus to the Blue Lagoon on our own. One of out group ( 4 of us) had hip surgery in the spring and did not want a tour that was too strenuous for her. But after all the reading and our time constraints it would seem the Golden Circle might be a better choice. But I am concerned about two things, our late arrival in the day and how strenuous it might be. We are bringing a rolling walker with seat so she can rest when she needs to. But is it better to rent a car and do it on our own or is there a tour company other than the ship tour that starts that late?

[Nitemare]

Golden Circle requires more walking than Blue Lagoon does. You can't really see the Geysir or Gullfoss from the bus, it's about 200-500 yards of walking to get to a good vantage point. Thingvellir definitely requires walking. And it's uneven surfaces as well. Easy for someone who is mobile, not easy for someone who will be in a rolling chair unless they've got those big pneumatic tires.

 

Sunset on 9/3 is around 8:30PM. I don't know what time you arrive in Reykjavik, but plan on 5-6 hours for a Golden Circle tour.

 

Blue Lagoon would take less time, and it doesn't matter if it gets dark.

 

I'm sure you'll save $$ renting a car rather than paying for 4 people to take a ship's excursion to either destination. All the roads you'd need are paved and well marked.

 

There are lots of local vendors who can provide Golden Circle tours, and Reykjavik Excursions "owns" the Blue Lagoon tour space, with lots of flexibility regarding times and packages and starting points.

[abridalmaven]

I am confused about pricing. One company gave me this info; the price for a golden circle private tour including a stop at one if the thermal spas for four would be 127.000 ISK. That seems kind of high. Or am I missing something as that translates to about 275 US DOLLARS per person.

[Alaskanb]

A non-private tour is 12.900 ISK per person. The key word here is private….

[abridalmaven]

Yeah that's what I figured.

But here is another question. In the Caribbean in many ports there are vendor booths at or near the pier that you an choose from when you get there. Do they have such things in Iceland?

Since the cruise is five weeks away my friend may have more energy and strength so she may be able to go on a regular tour. That private tour is so high the ship tours look cheap in comparison.

[Nitemare]

I am confused about pricing. One company gave me this info; the price for a golden circle private tour including a stop at one if the thermal spas for four would be 127.000 ISK. That seems kind of high. Or am I missing something as that translates to about 275 US DOLLARS per person.

 

that's way too much, although adding in the thermal spa stop to a Golden Circle tour would definitely increase the price.

 

To get an idea of the cost of a basic Golden Circle tour, check Reykjavik Excursions.

 

We were very pleased with the tour provided by

 

http://www.icelandhorizon.is/

 

They use minibuses, so no more than 16 on a tour. There are many other fine touring companies out there as well

[Nitemare]

Yeah that's what I figured.

But here is another question. In the Caribbean in many ports there are vendor booths at or near the pier that you an choose from when you get there. Do they have such things in Iceland?

Since the cruise is five weeks away my friend may have more energy and strength so she may be able to go on a regular tour. That private tour is so high the ship tours look cheap in comparison.

 

Yes, there are some there, but there's a good chance they'll be sold out. You also have no idea of the quality doing it that way. Book this in advance, you do not want to miss out. NO need for a private tour for the Golden Circle, just avoid the big buses for best experience. We did some internet research, e-mailed 3 likely providers, and chose the one with the best customer service.

Edited July 22, 2014 by Nitemare

[sjsuda]

NO need for a private tour for the Golden Circle, just avoid the big buses for best experience. We did some internet research, e-mailed 3 likely providers, and chose the one with the best customer service.

 

Can you name the company you did the Golden Circle tour in Iceland with? Thanks

[abridalmaven]

I researched a few. Two don't do circle tours at the hour out ship comes in. We dock at 2

[Nitemare]

Can you name the company you did the Golden Circle tour in Iceland with? Thanks

 

I linked to it just a couple posts above. If you read through this thread you'll find other companies that travelers have recommended.

[sjsuda]

I linked to it just a couple posts above. If you read through this thread you'll find other companies that travelers have recommended.

 

Ok, found it, thanks.

[abridalmaven]

Ok now we are thinking it may be easier to rent a car. Any advice on that?

[abridalmaven]

that's way too much, although adding in the thermal spa stop to a Golden Circle tour would definitely increase the price.

 

 

 

To get an idea of the cost of a basic Golden Circle tour, check Reykjavik Excursions.

 

 

 

We were very pleased with the tour provided by

 

 

 

http://www.icelandhorizon.is/

 

 

 

They use minibuses, so no more than 16 on a tour. There are many other fine touring companies out there as well

 

 

I was so hopeful with this company. But they only run the tour early in the morning. We arrive in the afternoon and leave mid afternoon the next day. And the other one does not run it after August 31.

Edited July 24, 2014 by abridalmaven

[Illyria]

Do not, I repeat, DO NOT rely on Icelandair to provide you with any drinks.

 

I took the DEN-KEF flight last month and they had one drink service where I got 1/2 a glass of water. That was it for 6.5 hours.

 

Buy your food in the airport and by a 1.5L water bottle to carry on.

You do realize that when you first walk onto the plane - and they have a pile of water bottles - they are free and you're supposed to grab one for yourself, right? :rolleyes:

[Nitemare]

Ok now we are thinking it may be easier to rent a car. Any advice on that?

 

We've rented twice. Once at the airport from a Major International Company, once from a little company located near the Harpa. Driving in Iceland to the main sites on the Golden Circle, South Coast, and Reykjanes Peninsula (where the Blue Lagoon is) is very easy. Roads are well signed, all these roads are paved (unless you want to go on to some lower quality roads to see more things), and gas stations are plentiful.

 

Gas is about $9/gallon, so take that into consideration when pricing this out.

 

Getting a GPS is not a bad idea. Asking the person at the desk to program in your destinations for you (due to the extra letters in the Icelandic language, it's a bit tricky your first couple of times) is also a good idea.

[Alaskanb]

You do realize that when you first walk onto the plane - and they have a pile of water bottles - they are free and you're supposed to grab one for yourself, right? :rolleyes:

Didn't know that--how big are they?

[robint]

Just back from our trip yesterday.

 

We flew DEN-KEF-BCN, economy class, on IcelandAir; we had a 10-hour layover on the way there, and a 14-hour layover on the way back.

 

Flights: The DEN-KEF was quite possibly the best flight experience I've ever had. Bottles of water available at embarkation, at least one more beverage service, and the goodies they gave my 9-year-old kept her busy for a bit. (A hot meal, which she only ate half of because she's very picky; an activities book that was really geared more towards younger kids, but which she made fun in her own way, a blanket/pillow/backpack thingy which she really liked, and a box of colored pencils which she ended up using the whole trip.) Each seat had its own television, which played some good movies and had a good flight tracker as well. Also, each seat had a USB port with which we could charge our electronics.

 

Once in KEF, we went to the Blue Lagoon, which was a great way to spend a layover! Tip: if you buy the transfer as well as the tickets online, be sure to print up both! I didn't realize they were different, and ended up having trouble getting the transfer. Totally my own fault.

 

KEF-BCN (and BCN-KEF) flights were more like standard domestic American flights--no bottled water at embarkation, no kids package, etc.

 

On the way home, we had a 14-hour layover. The original plan was to rent a car and do the Golden Circle, but we arrived at 2 AM, it was raining, and we were all exhausted from the cruise, so we decided to camp out in the airport instead. The airport is nice--some decent food selections (although we did have some trouble with my picky eater), and free wifi. We found some seats in which we could stretch out and nap as well. Only issue was charging electronics; there were very few plugs available in the main terminal. Once we moved to the international departures section, though, there were charging stations--however, food and seats were more available in the main terminal, so I'm glad we stayed there most of the day.

 

KEF-DEN: Not quite as good as the DEN-KEF flight. I had to ask for the kids' meal, and my daughter didn't get the kids package at all. Bottled water available at embarkation, and two drink services.

 

All flights were on-time (if not early) and we had absolutely no issues with either IcelandAir or KEF. Oh--we ended up checking all our baggage. We each got two bags free (checked one each), and the bags we normally use for carry-on were just slightly too big to carryon to IcelandAir, so they got checked. On both flights, they were checked completely through so we didn't deal with any bags in KEF at all (except our carry-on backpacks). Our backpacks fit easily in the lockers at Blue Lagoon; our carry-on sized suitcases MIGHT have fit (would have been tight), but the bag-storage was very easy to access if not.

 

Thanks for all the advice!

[THE G TEAM]

Originally Posted by abridalmaven. Ok now we are thinking it may be easier to rent a car. Any advice on that?

 

Sorry abridalmaven, but not sure how to add quote:confused:

 

We are renting from Thrifty in Reykjavik (we believe they have a shuttle from the pier to their location). We plan to pick the car up shortly after our 2:00pm arrival, drive the Golden Circle, park the car overnight, do the Blue Lagoon the next morning and return the car for 2:00 pm (58 euros for the 24 hour period). I have posted here for info on overnight parking, but there's been no response so far.

[Alaskanb]

Just back from our trip yesterday.

 

We flew DEN-KEF-BCN, economy class, on IcelandAir; we had a 10-hour layover on the way there, and a 14-hour layover on the way back.

 

Flights: The DEN-KEF was quite possibly the best flight experience I've ever had. Bottles of water available at embarkation, at least one more beverage service, and the goodies they gave my 9-year-old kept her busy for a bit. (A hot meal, which she only ate half of because she's very picky; an activities book that was really geared more towards younger kids, but which she made fun in her own way, a blanket/pillow/backpack thingy which she really liked, and a box of colored pencils which she ended up using the whole trip.) Each seat had its own television, which played some good movies and had a good flight tracker as well. Also, each seat had a USB port with which we could charge our electronics.

 

Once in KEF, we went to the Blue Lagoon, which was a great way to spend a layover! Tip: if you buy the transfer as well as the tickets online, be sure to print up both! I didn't realize they were different, and ended up having trouble getting the transfer. Totally my own fault.

 

KEF-BCN (and BCN-KEF) flights were more like standard domestic American flights--no bottled water at embarkation, no kids package, etc.

 

On the way home, we had a 14-hour layover. The original plan was to rent a car and do the Golden Circle, but we arrived at 2 AM, it was raining, and we were all exhausted from the cruise, so we decided to camp out in the airport instead. The airport is nice--some decent food selections (although we did have some trouble with my picky eater), and free wifi. We found some seats in which we could stretch out and nap as well. Only issue was charging electronics; there were very few plugs available in the main terminal. Once we moved to the international departures section, though, there were charging stations--however, food and seats were more available in the main terminal, so I'm glad we stayed there most of the day.

 

KEF-DEN: Not quite as good as the DEN-KEF flight. I had to ask for the kids' meal, and my daughter didn't get the kids package at all. Bottled water available at embarkation, and two drink services.

 

All flights were on-time (if not early) and we had absolutely no issues with either IcelandAir or KEF. Oh--we ended up checking all our baggage. We each got two bags free (checked one each), and the bags we normally use for carry-on were just slightly too big to carryon to IcelandAir, so they got checked. On both flights, they were checked completely through so we didn't deal with any bags in KEF at all (except our carry-on backpacks). Our backpacks fit easily in the lockers at Blue Lagoon; our carry-on sized suitcases MIGHT have fit (would have been tight), but the bag-storage was very easy to access if not.

 

Thanks for all the advice!

Thanks for the info on the DEN flights. Our carry-ons are about an inch too deep so I'm hoping it will not be an issue if we do not use the exterior pockets.

[Northern Aurora]

Didn't know that--how big are they?

 

The water bottles we received in May 2014 are 330 ml. In Saga and economy comfort they were on the console between the seats; flight attendants were handing them to folks in coach as we were boarding. At least in Saga and economy comfort more bottles were distributed during the flight, and the flight attendants were clearly using beverage carts to provide beverage service several times to those in the coach cabin (announcements were made about the carts being in the aisle).

[Northern Aurora]

Ok now we are thinking it may be easier to rent a car. Any advice on that?

 

We used Hertz. Their van picked us up at our Reykjavik hotel and took us to their closest office. The last night we were in Iceland we were at the Icelandair Natura, which made it so easy to return the car (about a five minute walk).

[abridalmaven]

Originally Posted by abridalmaven. Ok now we are thinking it may be easier to rent a car. Any advice on that?

 

 

 

Sorry abridalmaven, but not sure how to add quote:confused:

 

 

 

We are renting from Thrifty in Reykjavik (we believe they have a shuttle from the pier to their location). We plan to pick the car up shortly after our 2:00pm arrival, drive the Golden Circle, park the car overnight, do the Blue Lagoon the next morning and return the car for 2:00 pm (58 euros for the 24 hour period). I have posted here for info on overnight parking, but there's been no response so far.

 

 

Ok thanks. That was our thought also. But the ship leaves at 1 pm so

We have to be onboard by 12.

Edited July 25, 2014 by abridalmaven