Iceland - questions answered

[pmjnh]

I am very excited to find this thread! We are going on a Norway Cruise (Voyage Midnight Sun) next July and we will stop over in Iceland for 6 nights, on the way home. I am overwhelmed with information, researching like crazy. We will travel the southern and eastern coasts. Wish we had time for the entire Ring Road and all the off sites. My biggest challenge is deciding were to stay along the route. We thought we would start at Keflavik , spend the night there and then head out with a rental car the next day. Any suggestions appreciated. Car rental companies? So far we have been most impressed with Blue Car Rentals.

 

Can wait to keep on reading this thread!:)

[Nitemare]

We stayed at the Blue Lagoon onsite hotel this past March. It's not cheap, but we did the math (we love the Lagoon) and considering it includes admission to the Lagoon on your arrival and departure days, plus a robe and towel, it made the price of the hotel extremely reasonable. If you're not a spa freak it might not be best for you, although the place is very nice.

 

In Reykjavik there are dozens of hotels in every price range, so you should be able to find what you want. Use Tripadvisor for help.

 

Down south, we stayed at the Hotel Hofdabrekka just past Vik. Clean and comfortable with very nice hosts. There's also the Volcano Hotel, just west of Vik that friends of ours enjoyed. We stayed in Hofn but at a place we didn't much like (Hotel Jokull), so wouldn't recommend it. Hopefully someone else will recommend a place there. In the East we stayed at Hótel Hallormsstaður, which was beautiful and very friendly.

[ISLABONITA]

Still researching flight options.. one arrives at 12:50 am which means we would crash at some B&B next to the airport.

 

Another flight stops overnight in Oslo then we fly out the next morning around 10:00 am and arrive at !0:45 am ( even though flight is 2hrs 45 min) and still not able to check into hotel.

 

We are not spa people but would stop at the Blue Lagoon to check it out then head into Reykjavik to see if by noon we can at least drop off our bags.

 

We won't be renting a car either so relying on bus and tour transportation.

[ISLABONITA]

Just booked return flight using Ultimate Reward points from my Chase Sapphire Preferred card to JFK.

Only problem is that it didn't show economy plus which is what we wanted.

There is no option to upgrade with points but is there one with cash? and when can that be done?

[prish]

You could spend 2 weeks in Iceland and still have more to see!

 

if you added a third night, I'd suggest you take the Ring Road (route 1) down towards Vik to see the majestic waterfalls on that route, the black sand beaches, and the glacier that you can pretty much drive up to.

 

Would this be a day trip from Reykjavik, see the waterfalls, black sand beach and glacier and get back to the hotel that evening? And would you need a four wheel drive vehicle to get to the glacier or would a regular car do? My sister and family plan to fly Icelandair with a 3 day stop-over next May and I'm trying to help her out, thanks for your suggestions.

[Nitemare]

Just booked return flight using Ultimate Reward points from my Chase Sapphire Preferred card to JFK.

Only problem is that it didn't show economy plus which is what we wanted.

There is no option to upgrade with points but is there one with cash? and when can that be done?

 

You probably will need to call the airline to arrange this. It's not something I've seen discussed here before

 

Would this be a day trip from Reykjavik, see the waterfalls, black sand beach and glacier and get back to the hotel that evening? And would you need a four wheel drive vehicle to get to the glacier or would a regular car do? My sister and family plan to fly Icelandair with a 3 day stop-over next May and I'm trying to help her out, thanks for your suggestions.

 

You can do the drive from Reykjavik to Vik in 2 and a half hours with no stops. Stopping at both waterfalls, the glacier and the beach would add 2 -4 hours, depending on how much time you want to spend at each site. 2.5 hours back totals 7-9 hours.

 

I'd recommend 4WD as the road to the glacier (rte 221) is a very poorly maintained road. Having said that, I saw quite a few 2wd cars successfully making that trip, but it couldn't be comfortable. I'd suggest getting the bigger 4wd car to comfortably fit all your companions and not worrying about road conditions at all. None of these attractions charges any fee, so it's just the difference in cost of the vehicle rental.

 

There's a travel plaza on Route 1 in Hveragerði, which is about an hour out of Reykjavik, with bathrooms, gift shops, a snack bar, and a great bakery, where you can pick up snacks for the trip.

[prish]

Thanks a lot for the info Nitemare. We were debating whether to rent a car for 3 days or take tours, but with four adults the car might be more economical, even a 4x4. What would the cost of car rental be, an approx idea? Also any suggestions for car rental companies, I see Blue rentals have been mentioned quite often. Or would it be better to book the car with the Icelandair tickets? Are the sites on the Golden Circle free or does one have to buy tickets, etc? Does a day trip to Glacier Lagoon make sense or are we better off just doing the Vik, waterfalls, beach and glacier route? Thanks again, Prish

[ISLABONITA]

Just booked return flight using Ultimate Reward points from my Chase Sapphire Preferred card to JFK.

Only problem is that it didn't show economy plus which is what we wanted.

There is no option to upgrade with points but is there one with cash? and when can that be done?

 

Icelandair says that I need to go to agency where I booked the tickets, agency says no.. contact Icelandair..

 

so nobody knows.. :(

[Nitemare]

Thanks a lot for the info Nitemare. We were debating whether to rent a car for 3 days or take tours, but with four adults the car might be more economical, even a 4x4. What would the cost of car rental be, an approx idea? Also any suggestions for car rental companies, I see Blue rentals have been mentioned quite often. Or would it be better to book the car with the Icelandair tickets? Are the sites on the Golden Circle free or does one have to buy tickets, etc? Does a day trip to Glacier Lagoon make sense or are we better off just doing the Vik, waterfalls, beach and glacier route? Thanks again, Prish

 

We went on line this past March, and Budget was the cheapest 4wd at about $150/day for a LandCruiser (BIG SUV). We could have had a smaller, less expensive vehicle, but we were there in early March, and there were icy roads, that you might not be worrying about, depending on what time of year you are visiting.

 

The only site that charges is the crater, and it's easily missed IMHO.

The glacier lagoon is amazing, but that's another 2.5 hours East of Vik, adding a whole lot more time to your trek from Reykjavik.

[prish]

We went on line this past March, and Budget was the cheapest 4wd at about $150/day for a LandCruiser (BIG SUV). We could have had a smaller, less expensive vehicle, but we were there in early March, and there were icy roads, that you might not be worrying about, depending on what time of year you are visiting.

 

The only site that charges is the crater, and it's easily missed IMHO.

The glacier lagoon is amazing, but that's another 2.5 hours East of Vik, adding a whole lot more time to your trek from Reykjavik.

 

We'll be there end May, so I guess roads won't be too bad, no ice at least I hope! Yes, I also think Glacier Lagoon will be too far, not unless we drive straight to Vik the first day and find a hotel there that night. But that won't give me any time at all in Reykjavik since we'll do the Golden Circle on Day 3, need to try and work it out if possible. Will come back once I get my flights booked, hope to do so by next week. Thanks again, Prish

[Nitemare]

I'm a big fan of staying in Vik instead of Reykjavik. Reykjavik is a very cool city, but it's still a city and you can get great meals, clubs, whale watches and shopping 100 other places in the world. If you are thinking of staying in Vik, then it's easy to do Jokulsarlon and Skaftafell Park, things you won't see anywhere else.

 

I've stayed twice at the Hotel Hofdabrekka just east of Vik and it's very comfortable, I have friends who stayed at the Volcano Hotel just west of Vik who loved staying there.

[prish]

I'm a big fan of staying in Vik instead of Reykjavik. Reykjavik is a very cool city, but it's still a city and you can get great meals, clubs, whale watches and shopping 100 other places in the world. If you are thinking of staying in Vik, then it's easy to do Jokulsarlon and Skaftafell Park, things you won't see anywhere else.

 

I've stayed twice at the Hotel Hofdabrekka just east of Vik and it's very comfortable, I have friends who stayed at the Volcano Hotel just west of Vik who loved staying there.

 

Nitemare, how does this sound, is it practical/doable?

 

Day 1: drive straight to Vik on arrival (around 8am I believe), check into the hotel and then go on to Jokulsarlon to see Glacier Lagoon, etc.

 

Day 2: head back to Reykjavik after breakfast, stopping at the waterfalls, black sea beach, etc. Reykjavik sights late afternoon/evening

 

Day 3: Golden Circle

 

Day 4: early morning flight out

 

Had originally planned to spend a relaxing first day in Reykjavik, good to get over jet lag, etc. But if we want to see Jokulsarlon, and IMO we should, the only way is to head out to Vik immediately on arrival. Luckily jet lag isn't much of an issue with us, so it should work. Would appreciate your comments and suggestions, thanks:)

[RKSue]

We were there this past Spring. It was the beginning of June, 2014. What a pleasant country to visit. We rented a car at the airport which saved us from taking a bus back and forth. We flew in from Stockholm on our way back to the US. We used Icelandic Air and I was very happy with their service. Mom is 85 and has vision problems and walking issues so I needed help at the airport. Again, what a fantastic group of people.

 

If you are renting a car be advised that parking in Reykjavik is not easy and costs money, so make sure your hotel has car parking or is close to a parking lot. It is free to park on the streets after I think, but dont quote me from 7 pm to 7 am. Then you go out a buy a parking tag for whatever extra time you need.

 

I did not rent a gps as I find getting around easy and Iceland is without a doubt the easiest country to drive around. A country map is a good idea as it will help you, but keep in mind the tourist areas have maps of the city for free. It is quite the distance from the airport to the city, about 45 to 50 min ride. Not much along the way but some sights to see.

 

Restaurants do not offer a wide variety of food choices, so read the menu prior to entering. We went to one restaurant that only had lobster, and soup on the menu. The lobster are small around 3-4 ounces, but you get so many you cant eat them all. Food is expensive so be prepared for the costs vs the US costs. Of course nothing compares to food prices in Scandinavia. That one will break the bank just for a glass of wine or a cup of coffee.

[prish]

We were there this past Spring. It was the beginning of June, 2014. What a pleasant country to visit. We rented a car at the airport which saved us from taking a bus back and forth. We flew in from Stockholm on our way back to the US. We used Icelandic Air and I was very happy with their service. Mom is 85 and has vision problems and walking issues so I needed help at the airport. Again, what a fantastic group of people.

 

If you are renting a car be advised that parking in Reykjavik is not easy and costs money, so make sure your hotel has car parking or is close to a parking lot. It is free to park on the streets after I think, but dont quote me from 7 pm to 7 am. Then you go out a buy a parking tag for whatever extra time you need.

 

Thanks for the info Sue, we will be May end, we have a cruise out of Stockholm on the 28th. I too have heard how expensive parking is in Reykjavik, so we'll probably stay at guesthouse a little outside the city. What kind of car did you get, a standard or 4WD? Could you also give me an idea of the cost of car rental for 3 days plus gas, I know both are expensive in Iceland, but how much?

[Nitemare]

Nitemare, how does this sound, is it practical/doable?

 

Day 1: drive straight to Vik on arrival (around 8am I believe), check into the hotel and then go on to Jokulsarlon to see Glacier Lagoon, etc.

 

Day 2: head back to Reykjavik after breakfast, stopping at the waterfalls, black sea beach, etc. Reykjavik sights late afternoon/evening

 

Day 3: Golden Circle

 

Day 4: early morning flight out

 

Had originally planned to spend a relaxing first day in Reykjavik, good to get over jet lag, etc. But if we want to see Jokulsarlon, and IMO we should, the only way is to head out to Vik immediately on arrival. Luckily jet lag isn't much of an issue with us, so it should work. Would appreciate your comments and suggestions, thanks:)

 

That should work, but take a look on Google Maps or similar to calculate how many miles/kilometers that will be for driving on Day 1.

 

For a 4 day trip, you might want to skip the "relaxing day in Reykjavik" to make sure you get to see all the amazing sights.

 

Don't forget the glacier which is just a few miles down Road 221, just west of Vik. You can drive up almost to the glacier and then walk the rest of it for incredible pictures.

[prish]

That should work, but take a look on Google Maps or similar to calculate how many miles/kilometers that will be for driving on Day 1.

 

For a 4 day trip, you might want to skip the "relaxing day in Reykjavik" to make sure you get to see all the amazing sights.

 

Don't forget the glacier which is just a few miles down Road 221, just west of Vik. You can drive up almost to the glacier and then walk the rest of it for incredible pictures.

 

Nitemare, I see what you mean about Reykjavik since we actually have only 3 days, we fly out the morning of Day 4 so it doesn't count. Is the glacier west of Vik Skaftafell? I know you mentioned even earlier that Road 221 wasn't very good.

[Nitemare]

Nitemare, I see what you mean about Reykjavik since we actually have only 3 days, we fly out the morning of Day 4 so it doesn't count. Is the glacier west of Vik Skaftafell? I know you mentioned even earlier that Road 221 wasn't very good.

 

Yes, it's Skaftafell.

[prish]

Yes, it's Skaftafell.

 

Thanks for all the info Nitemare, I think this itinerary will be the best, we'll get to walk around and see Reykjavik on the evenings of Days 2 & 3, that should be enough. Now I need to look at flights and book my tickets, hopefully by next week:)

[Nitemare]

Yes, it's Skaftafell.

 

GAAA!!

 

It's not Skaftafell, that's much further East. It's Sólheimajökull, comes right down to Road 221. Check a map.

[prish]

Thanks again Nitemare, was wondering about that since I'd read some where that Skaftafell was about 2+ hours from Vik. But not to worry, our trip is still quite a while away and I'll be back with many more questions over the next several months:D

[Nitemare]

Thanks again Nitemare, was wondering about that since I'd read some where that Skaftafell was about 2+ hours from Vik. But not to worry, our trip is still quite a while away and I'll be back with many more questions over the next several months:D

 

I'll be here!

 

There's a secret unnumbered road that gets you very close to Skaftafell, it's just after Route 998 off of Route 1. Check on Google maps to see what I mean. It doesn't get you to National Park services, and you can't easily do a glacier walk from there, but if you just want to get REALLY close and take great pictures, it's a quick stop en route to Jokulsarlon or elsewhere.

 

Look for the plaque memorializing hikers who disappeared there, though, to recall how dangerous these glaciers can be.

[TMLAalum]

The itinerary I'd been eyeing from YYZ-KEF-CDG with a 2 night stopover in Iceland with return from MAN-YYZ adding another 1 night stopover dropped $250 per person!! We paid $700 each for this itinerary and adding the extra night on the return contributed to this bargain as without it the fare was $92 more pp. DH wanted that extra day in Iceland, and from what others on this thread have posted, the more time there the better!!

[pmjnh]

I'll be here!

 

There's a secret unnumbered road that gets you very close to Skaftafell, it's just after Route 998 off of Route 1. Check on Google maps to see what I mean. It doesn't get you to National Park services, and you can't easily do a glacier walk from there, but if you just want to get REALLY close and take great pictures, it's a quick stop en route to Jokulsarlon or elsewhere.

 

Look for the plaque memorializing hikers who disappeared there, though, to recall how dangerous these glaciers can be.

 

 

Hello,

 

We are causing to Norway in July and have taken advantage of Icelandair's stop over offer. What a great marketing tool for Iceland tourism, by the way!

We have planned a 6 day stopover. on our way back t Boston from London. I am going to post my tentative itinerary here and I have a question about this unmarked road you mention above taking you close to Skatafell. It sounds like just what we would love to explore, as we want to get as close to the glacier as possible.

 

My question is this..we have rented a 2WD car for our trip. Is the road you mention an F road (only for 4WD) or is it a good road for a 2WD?

 

I am also looking for ideas for the Snaefellsnes Peninsula. Short hikes and photography ops.

 

I honestly don't know which trip I am more excited for..the cruise or Iceland stop-over! :)

 

 

Our itinerary (feel free to comment and add suggestions)

 

Day 1 arrive 3PM from London

Pick up wine/beer in the duty free shop (I read that this is the cheapest

place on the island for these items) Not that we drink a lot but it is nice to relax after a long day with a beer of glass of wine overlooking magnificent scenery :D

 

Pick up car (Blue Car rental)

Drive to our night's lodging in Borgarnes

 

Day 2 Explore the Snaefellsness Peninsula.

Possible walk the Arnastapi-Hellnar path

Snaefellsness NP visitor centre/Lava Cave tour

Drive to Our lodging in Grundjufordur

Photograph Kirkjufell and its neighboring waterfalls

 

Day 3 Continue exploration of Snaefellsness (looking for more ideas)

Drive the Golden circle, visiting Thingfellir, Gulfoss,

Braurfoss (if we can find it). Geyser fields. I have read that if you've

been to Yellowstone, the Iceland Geyser fields might be a bit

underwhelming so we might skip the fields

Drive to our lodging in Eyarbakki

 

Day 4 Visit the all waterfalls to the east, Skogfoss being the one with the

stairs to the hike to more waterfalls..we plan to hike some of this path

Drive to Skatafell National Park. to hike short hikes, see the glacier, boat

ride on Jokulslaron

Lodging in a self-catering cottage near the visitor center

 

Day 5 Drive to Vik- explore along the way..the black sand beaches,

Mýrdalsjökull glacier, Dyrholaey

Lodging at "hidden gem" of a self-catering cottage on the black sand

beach!

 

Day 6 Continue exploring the Vik area and east, stopping at anything we might

have missed the day before...

Drive to Keflavik for lodging

 

Day 7 Fly home to Boston

 

I don't usually like to change lodgings this frequently on a road trip. Usually like a base lodging but there is so much to see over the stretch of island that we want to see , I think it will be fine. 3 nights of hotels, 3 night of self-catering cottages.

 

Any suggestions to enhance my itinerary would be great appreciated.

 

Thanks :)

[Nitemare]

That's a great itinerary. Too bad you can't see the North, but you don't have enough time. Next trip you'll do the entire Ring Road!

 

The secret road to Skaftafell is not an F road at all, so 2WD will be fine. But I think for your trip, you'll be pleased with 4WD:

 

Road 221 to Solheimajokull near Vik, though is a very poorly maintained gravel road. You could get there in 2WD, but you'd at a minimum want above average road clearance. This is a glacier you can drive to within about a 5 minute walk of, and then you can walk right on to the edge of the glacier. There are outfitters who will take you on the glacier with proper gear, if you wish, but even without gear you can get right up to it for spectacular pictures.

 

To get to the lighthouse at Dyrhólaey (off of Road 218) you'll also want 4WD. 2WD will get you to the end of the road, but the right turn up the cliff most of the way to the beach needs a bit more grip to get you up there.

 

In Snaefellsness, F570 (true mountain road) gets you up into the snow fields. Even in our Land Rover we felt uncomfortable going more than about half way up that road (starting at the southern end), but the views were spectacular going up Snæfellsjökull.

 

For Route 1, and the roads around the airport and Reykjavik and the Golden Circle, normal 2WD is fine, but you're going to see waterfalls and glaciers and other things down these gravel roads that you're not going to want to try to reach in 2WD. We splurged on the car (had actually rented a Nissan Patrol, but they upgraded us) and skimped on food to make it work, and we were very pleased with this decision.

[pmjnh]

That's a great itinerary. Too bad you can't see the North, but you don't have enough time. Next trip you'll do the entire Ring Road!

 

The secret road to Skaftafell is not an F road at all, so 2WD will be fine. But I think for your trip, you'll be pleased with 4WD:

 

Road 221 to Solheimajokull near Vik, though is a very poorly maintained gravel road. You could get there in 2WD, but you'd at a minimum want above average road clearance. This is a glacier you can drive to within about a 5 minute walk of, and then you can walk right on to the edge of the glacier. There are outfitters who will take you on the glacier with proper gear, if you wish, but even without gear you can get right up to it for spectacular pictures.

 

To get to the lighthouse at Dyrhólaey (off of Road 218) you'll also want 4WD. 2WD will get you to the end of the road, but the right turn up the cliff most of the way to the beach needs a bit more grip to get you up there.

 

In Snaefellsness, F570 (true mountain road) gets you up into the snow fields. Even in our Land Rover we felt uncomfortable going more than about half way up that road (starting at the southern end), but the views were spectacular going up Snæfellsjökull.

 

For Route 1, and the roads around the airport and Reykjavik and the Golden Circle, normal 2WD is fine, but you're going to see waterfalls and glaciers and other things down these gravel roads that you're not going to want to try to reach in 2WD. We splurged on the car (had actually rented a Nissan Patrol, but they upgraded us) and skimped on food to make it work, and we were very pleased with this decision.

 

Thanks for your thoughts, Nitemare. We will give thought to upgrading to a 4x4 as these off the beaten path spots look wonderful!

 

I wish we had time to do the entire Ring Road..yes, next time!:)