Iceland - questions answered

[ISLABONITA]

Still not sure what to pack.. will be in Norway for a week before arriving in Iceland June 12th.

 

I have been reading that I should wear layers for all types of weather , but it gets a suitcase full in a hurry if I have to pack a raincoat, turtleneck, fleece, sweatshirt, leggings, hiking boots, winter hat, gloves, coat.

[karlth]

Still not sure what to pack.. will be in Norway for a week before arriving in Iceland June 12th.

 

I have been reading that I should wear layers for all types of weather , but it gets a suitcase full in a hurry if I have to pack a raincoat, turtleneck, fleece, sweatshirt, leggings, hiking boots, winter hat, gloves, coat.

 

The weather is very unpredictable, but at least it won't be boring! :)

[pmjnh]

Still not sure what to pack.. will be in Norway for a week before arriving in Iceland June 12th.

 

I have been reading that I should wear layers for all types of weather , but it gets a suitcase full in a hurry if I have to pack a raincoat, turtleneck, fleece, sweatshirt, leggings, hiking boots, winter hat, gloves, coat.

 

 

From everything I have read one must be prepared for all types of weather. I don't know how far up the coast of Norway you will be but our cruise to Norway takes us up past the Arctic Circle to Honningsvag, thus I will be packing for unpredictable weather in both Norway and our post cruise trip to Iceland on the way back to the US.

 

You are so right about warm weather clothing taking up space in a suitcase but if you concentrate on thin wicking hiking type shirts,light fleece and waterproof jacket in layers the shirts take up very little space and if soiled can be rinsed in a sink. Hiking boots are problematic as well so whenever we travel we bring hiking boots and the best way we have found to do so is to wear them on the plane. We sometimes will take an extra backpack of just hiking clothing and stuff the boots on the bottom..pack the boots with socks.

Edited May 23, 2015 by pmjnh

[VernaF7449]

Hi I wanted to get current information about Rekyavik and my upcoming Celebrity eclipse cruise. I am renting a car for our overnight stop at Rekyavik and I am planning on keeping it overnight at the cruise terminal. I have seen earlier posts on CC and Tripadvisor that parking is free and available at the terminal is that still true?

 

Also I have a chip and signature credit card will I be able to buy gas at gas station kiosks? Will I need to go inside the gas station and use the card there? Should I try to get a chip and pin credit card?

 

Thanks. Verna

[Nitemare]

You will most likely need to go inside and buy a gas card (it's like a gift card) and then put that in the automated machine outside to get your gas. The cards come in round amounts (I think 3,000, 5,000 and 10,000 ISK).

 

We got a chip and pin card before we left (from Bank of America) but it didn't work there, so don't bother.

[itsanita]

You will most likely need to go inside and buy a gas card (it's like a gift card) and then put that in the automated machine outside to get your gas. The cards come in round amounts (I think 3,000, 5,000 and 10,000 ISK).

 

We got a chip and pin card before we left (from Bank of America) but it didn't work there, so don't bother.

 

 

Do you remember how expensive the gas was?

And did you have a GPS in your car? Were the addresses already loaded for the 'touristy' sites?

[Nitemare]

Gas prices are here: http://www.bensinverd.is/gsmbensin_web.php?region=city

 

you'll have to convert gallons to liters and Dollars to Icelandic Krona (about $7/gallon, IIRC). The good news is all stations are pretty much the same price, so you never have to worry that you'll save money at the next station. The bad news is gas is expensive there.

 

We had a GPS that the agency preprogrammed with our hotel information. Most of which was correct. It's really hard to get lost in Iceland, though, as everything is off of Route 1. Get a good road map, this one is best, as it tells you all the cool things to see on every side road. Touristy things are well signed

[itsanita]

Gas prices are here: http://www.bensinverd.is/gsmbensin_web.php?region=city

 

you'll have to convert gallons to liters and Dollars to Icelandic Krona (about $7/gallon, IIRC). The good news is all stations are pretty much the same price, so you never have to worry that you'll save money at the next station. The bad news is gas is expensive there.

 

We had a GPS that the agency preprogrammed with our hotel information. Most of which was correct. It's really hard to get lost in Iceland, though, as everything is off of Route 1. Get a good road map, this one is best, as it tells you all the cool things to see on every side road. Touristy things are well signed

 

Thanks, just ordered it from Amazon!

[TMLAalum]

Wanted to share some of our experiences that may help others visiting Iceland.

 

Weather: We had sunny days but the wind was very strong. Do dress in layers. Bring gloves and headgear that covers the ears.

 

Car Rental: Be sure to check out the windshield of your vehicle very carefully. We rented from SIXT. When we returned the car, the agent took a flashlight and, from inside, found a chip that we had no idea was there. Of course we were blamed and had to pay 751 euro then & there for a replacement. We are seeking reimbursement through VISA. Word of warning is that to be covered by your credit card, you must decline the extra coverages. With the high winds and volcano dust, as well as some gravel on the roads, it might be worth it to take the coverages offered by the rental company.

 

Speed Bumps: These are prevalent in towns and places along Golden Circle. Take them at no more than 5 mph because they are quite jarring otherwise.

 

Credit Cards: Our swipe/sign cards were accepted everywhere except at self-serve gas pumps. Just go inside to the attendant who will set the pump and then you can pay when the tank is filled.

 

Food: The many horses in Iceland are not there only for riding. You will find horse, whale and puffin on the menu at Icelandic restaurants. Lamb is a specialty. Fish & chips are among the best in the world.

 

Icelandair: We had no problems with 3 of 4 flights on this airline. Great inflight entertainment. The leg from YYZ-KEF was on an older plane with little legroom and seats that could be described as solid as a rock. Excellent service and the usual beverages, such as sodas, juices, coffee are complimentary. You can also purchase tickets for the bus into Reykjavik aboard.

[wassup4565]

Thanks, Tim, very helpful. I plan to inspect the car carefully and take photos before we accept it. However, I didn't think of the flashlight test. Pretty outrageous. I wonder how many people they have billed extra for that little spot on the windshield????

 

Hope you had a great time, notwithstanding. Any other tips are very welcome.

Lindy

[VernaF7449]

Thanks for the tips! I have read about problems with car rentals in Iceland as well. I will take the time to inspect the car carefully and take photos.

[Julia’s Journey’s]

I have rented with thrifty anyone had problems renting from them?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone

[angeleyes27]

I rented from Avis in 2013. We had a compact manual car. Everything was fine. They were right at the airport. We did drive on one dirt road but other than that, we stuck to main paved roads.

[itsanita]

I have rented with thrifty anyone had problems renting from them?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone

 

We have rented from Thrifty too. We will be on the Eclipse and in Reykjavik on June 30th for 2 days. Planning on parking overnight at the cruise ship pier... hope that is still allowed.

[VernaF7449]

We have rented from Thrifty too. We will be on the Eclipse and in Reykjavik on June 30th for 2 days. Planning on parking overnight at the cruise ship pier... hope that is still allowed.

 

 

I'm on the same Eclipse cruise and renting from Thrifty as well. Hope we can still park at the Reykjavik pier.

[Northern Aurora]

We spent a week in Iceland in May 2014. We rented from Hertz, and don't recall any sort of "flashlight test." But we will pay extra attention to the windshield the next time we rent in Iceland.

[Northern Aurora]

.... We will be on the Eclipse and in Reykjavik on June 30th for 2 days. Planning on parking overnight at the cruise ship pier... hope that is still allowed.

 

I'm on the same Eclipse cruise and renting from Thrifty as well. Hope we can still park at the Reykjavik pier.

 

We will be on an Eclipse sailing in May 2016 and will probably rent a car in Reykjavik for our overnight port call. Could I ask either/both of you to post whether you were able to park overnight at the Reykjavik pier? Thanks in advance.

[itsanita]

We have reserved a tour for a full day in Akureyri. There are 8 of us, price per person around 23000.ISK or 175.oo USD. or 115 british pounds.

 

What kind of tip would be appropriate?

 

Thanks

[Nitemare]

$20 each couple would probably be correct, if you enjoy the tour. More if it's amazing, less if there were issues

[itsanita]

$20 each couple would probably be correct, if you enjoy the tour. More if it's amazing, less if there were issues

 

So that would be about 2600.00 Iceland Krona correct?

 

Thanks again for all your help over the last several months!! Plans made, we will be leaving in just a couple weeks.

[Beckybuu]

We have reserved a tour for a full day in Akureyri. There are 8 of us, price per person around 23000.ISK or 175.oo USD. or 115 british pounds.

 

What kind of tip would be appropriate?

 

Thanks

 

Check the tour company's website. I noticed that several of them said the price includes a tip, service fee, or something similar.

Edited June 8, 2015 by Beckybuu

[Beckybuu]

I have a couple of questions I hope you guys can answer:

 

Where is the best place to get the famous Icelandic hot dogs in Reykjavik?

 

For those of you who have come via cruise and docked at the bigger cruise terminal (begins with an S), I heard that there were shuttles into town. How much are they? How often did they run? Where did they stop in the city?

[Nitemare]

This is the famous pyslur (hot dog) place in Reykjavik

 

They don't update their website too often.

[angeleyes27]

If you go to the major shopping area in Reykjavik, Stroget, there are a couple vendors there that have the hot dogs.

[CruiseMGM]

Hi, do you have any info on the June 10-17 Electrical Technician strike in Iceland? I'm currently on hold with Iceland Air, waiting to talk to someone there.

 

We are flying Denver to KEF on 6/11, then flying on to Copenhagen on 6/14, with our cruise leaving there on 6/17. We're trying to figure out what we should do, book something directly to Copenhagen and skip our trip to Iceland, or take our chances ....and potentially missing our cruise (we may make it TO Iceland, but what about leaving?). Any information you have, or suggestions you can offer would be appreciated.