Iceland - questions answered

[robint]

Hello,

 

We're considering flights to our July 2014 cruise that have layovers in Reykjavik--10 hours on the way there, and 14 hours on the way back. It will be my husband and I, and my daughters ages 13 and 9.

 

Would we have time and transportation to get out of the airport and do something fun? I'm not sure Blue Lagoon would really be worth it, but I was looking at Nautholsvik, and that might work, but is there some kind of transportation to get there and back?

 

Thanks!

Robin

[mrspaper]

Hello,

 

We're considering flights to our July 2014 cruise that have layovers in Reykjavik--10 hours on the way there, and 14 hours on the way back. It will be my husband and I, and my daughters ages 13 and 9.

 

Would we have time and transportation to get out of the airport and do something fun? I'm not sure Blue Lagoon would really be worth it, but I was looking at Nautholsvik, and that might work, but is there some kind of transportation to get there and back?

 

Thanks!

Robin

I think the Blue Lagoon is very worthwhile. Wish we spent a full day there.

I recommend renting a car for the day(s). Easy to get around. On that same day that you do the Lagoon, you can drive into the city and walk around.

[Nitemare]

Hello,

 

We're considering flights to our July 2014 cruise that have layovers in Reykjavik--10 hours on the way there, and 14 hours on the way back. It will be my husband and I, and my daughters ages 13 and 9.

 

Would we have time and transportation to get out of the airport and do something fun? I'm not sure Blue Lagoon would really be worth it, but I was looking at Nautholsvik, and that might work, but is there some kind of transportation to get there and back?

 

Thanks!

Robin

 

There is plenty of transportation into Reykjavik. Once there you can catch a local bus or taxi to get you to Nautholsvik.

 

I'd recommend Blue Lagoon, instead, though, as it is much more tourist oriented, with better facilities.

 

But really, you should consider an extra 24 hours in Iceland (airline won't charge you more) and at least visit the Golden Circle. Reykjavik and surroundings are nice, but you will not really get a glimpse of Iceland if you go no further east than that.

[Alaskanb]

Hello,

 

We're considering flights to our July 2014 cruise that have layovers in Reykjavik--10 hours on the way there, and 14 hours on the way back. It will be my husband and I, and my daughters ages 13 and 9.

 

Would we have time and transportation to get out of the airport and do something fun? I'm not sure Blue Lagoon would really be worth it, but I was looking at Nautholsvik, and that might work, but is there some kind of transportation to get there and back?

 

Thanks!

Robin

We are flying Denver to London via Iceland and decided to stay two nights on the return trip. We will be staying at the Northern Light Inn who has free airport and Blue Lagoon transfers. Reykyavik Excursions does pick-ups from there (not shown on their website but are really good at replying to e-mail) and we have reservations for their Golden Circle / Fontana Wellness baths tour. We will do the Blue Lagoon the next morning before our flight back in the late afternoon.

[robint]

But really, you should consider an extra 24 hours in Iceland (airline won't charge you more) and at least visit the Golden Circle. Reykjavik and surroundings are nice, but you will not really get a glimpse of Iceland if you go no further east than that.

 

I would love to, but we're already pushing the limits of vacation time with this trip, so I can't extend it anymore. Thanks for the tips!

[robint]

We are flying Denver to London via Iceland and decided to stay two nights on the return trip. We will be staying at the Northern Light Inn who has free airport and Blue Lagoon transfers. Reykyavik Excursions does pick-ups from there (not shown on their website but are really good at replying to e-mail) and we have reservations for their Golden Circle / Fontana Wellness baths tour. We will do the Blue Lagoon the next morning before our flight back in the late afternoon.

 

We're going to have a 10-hour layover on the way there (also from Denver--howdy, neighbor!) and 14 hrs on the way back, though some of that will be early morning. I figure this is better than a shorter layover where we won't have time to leave the airport--both for the sake of movement and on my sanity. Even if our first flights are delayed I won't worry about it!

[Nitemare]

We are flying Denver to London via Iceland and decided to stay two nights on the return trip. We will be staying at the Northern Light Inn who has free airport and Blue Lagoon transfers. Reykyavik Excursions does pick-ups from there (not shown on their website but are really good at replying to e-mail) and we have reservations for their Golden Circle / Fontana Wellness baths tour. We will do the Blue Lagoon the next morning before our flight back in the late afternoon.

 

Awesome plans, you won't be sorry.

 

You might want to look at the hotel right at the Blue Lagoon, just to check the pricing. It is sure to be more expensive than the Northern Lights Inn, but it includes admission to the lagoon on all your days there. For us, staying just one night at the Lagoon, it brings the cost of the hotel down significantly.

 

If multiple admission to the Lagoon isn't important to you, then ignore this! :)

[kkgds]

We are on the Ruby Princess. Stop at Akureyri on Sept 14, and have tour going to Godafafoss, Lake Myvatn, Dimmunborgir, Namaskard, Drafla, and Vitl. Then Isafjordur , and then Reykavik (0700 - 1800). Would you suggest the Golden Circle in Reykavik after the Akureyri trip, or one of the others tours to see different things? You seem to like the South Shore. Or do we stay in town? Think we will skip the Blue Lagoon. Thanks.

[Nitemare]

Myvatn is great, Godafafoss is a good northern waterfall. I can't find Dimmunborgir or Drafla or Vitl on a map of Iceland.

 

We missed Westfjords, but Isafjordur sounds great. Definitely do the Golden Circle from Reykjavik if you haven't seen it, otherwise try the route I suggested earlier towards Skaftafell or do the Snaefellsnes peninsula.

 

Near Myvatn, you can also hike up Hverfjall. It's not easy, as it's steep, but it's a smooth climb of a dormant volcano, and you can walk the entire perimeter of the volcano. There is also Hverir, which is a whole slew of bubbling mudpots (quite sulpheric) which is really amazing, also close to Myvatn.

[Grumpy100]

We are planning a trip around the ring road of Iceland at the end of May of this year. Once you get out of the capital and are in between the main towns are there enough places to stop and use the restroom. We are going to book a tour so the route will be planned and will travel about 100 miles per day and stop and see things along the way. When you stop at the various sights are there restrooms available and also are there rest stops like in the US on the major highways like I the US. We will be on route 1 I believe it is called so just wondering what kind of facilities are available.

Also at the gas stations will they take a major credit card from the US or do we need to get something special to purchase fuel when traveling. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

[Nitemare]

We are planning a trip around the ring road of Iceland at the end of May of this year. Once you get out of the capital and are in between the main towns are there enough places to stop and use the restroom. We are going to book a tour so the route will be planned and will travel about 100 miles per day and stop and see things along the way. When you stop at the various sights are there restrooms available and also are there rest stops like in the US on the major highways like I the US. We will be on route 1 I believe it is called so just wondering what kind of facilities are available.

Also at the gas stations will they take a major credit card from the US or do we need to get something special to purchase fuel when traveling. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

 

GREAT questions. This is what we did last year -- one night in Reykjavik, then headed Southeast and did a lap around the country counterclockwise.

 

There are staffed gas stations at least every 50 miles. Usually more often. They all had gasoline and diesel fuel (we paid a little more for a gas car not being certain of fuel availability). All the stations had restrooms and snackbars -- many are also de facto community centers as towns are small and may not have other restaurants/gathering places (we watched part of a Manchester United game while snacking on pizza in Egilsstaðir.

 

We had gotten a "chip and pin" VISA card from Bank of America before going. Already had a regular one, they were able to get us the chip card in about a week (no charge for it). The PIN function never seemed to work for us, which made it difficult to get gas at unmanned stations (they are all self-serve, but staffed gas stations have attendants at the nearby building), but we never had trouble getting gas just with the chip feature (and I think a regular card would have also worked).

 

We ended up mostly sticking with N1 brand, which is the largest gas station company in Iceland. The thing we liked about them was you'd go in to the station and buy their own branded "gift cards", which were preloaded with various amounts of Icelandic Krona. We always made sure we had an extra 10,000 Krona card with us in case we found an unmanned station when we were low on fuel (that never happened, but we like to be prepared). You buy the card, take it to the pump, insert it like a credit card, and fuel up. Only minor flaw at N1 is you can't "fill it up" on those cards, just use those cards (and if you don't use the whole amount, you still have the rest to use later). We did see a couple Shell Stations where you could "fill 'er up", but those are few and far between.

 

No other rest areas, per se, but the gas stations are frequent enough and well marked on maps (get a copy of Iceland Road Guide, it's about $40 but you MUST have this book of maps for peace of mind. Last year's version had a blue cover but this is THE book to have. Your tour agency might provide it for free, so check or ask them to get you one that you'll reimburse them for).

 

 

The major tourist attractions (geysir, gulfoss) have shops and restaurants and restrooms. The rest of them do not, so use those gas stations as needed!

 

Get a car with 4 wheel drive and at least 8" of clearance so you can go off road a little. You will constantly see things just off of route 1 and will be very frustrated if you cannot get there because all those other roads are moderately maintained dirt roads.

 

Be prepared for $9/gallon (converting Kronas and Liters to US) gas, so you don't get sticker shock!

Edited January 20, 2014 by Nitemare

[Grumpy100]

To Nitemare:

So if we just have a regular Credit card from the US then it will work without a pin number? We do have a Capital One Visa card and I do have a pin number for that one so could we use either of our credit cards? One with a pin and one without?

At these gas stations do they have lunch items available because with the tour that we are booking it includes the car, a route map, the kind of tour book you had mentioned previously, one nights lodging in each of the 9 places we will be stopping and it also includes breakfast each morning.

So the question about lunch is relevant since Dinner will be at each of the hotels or guesthouses that we stop at. At least that it what was advised by the tour company that each of the motels, etc. that we stop at had a place for us to eat dinner.

I truthfully was not going to get a 4 wheel drive car because they were about 1000 dollars more. I probably will just stick to the main roads for the sights. I will look into a higher car and will get the extra insurance.

Thanks for the $9 per gallon sticker shock on the fuel.

I will probably have more questions down the road. Thanks again.

[Nitemare]

Yes it will work. My PIN never seemed to work, so we could not buy at the unmanned stations, but had zero issue with the card anywhere else in the country. We'd go inside the N1 places, buy the "gift cards" and go out and put them in the machine and pump. Ask at your first stop for them to show you, if you're uncertain -- everyone there is very helpful.

 

Every manned station has sandwiches, pizza, hot dogs, etc. Pizza is very good, the hot dogs are world famous (made out of lamb, very tasty).

 

Dinners at your hotel/guesthouses will not be inexpensive. Be prepared to spend $50/each for the buffet (most guesthouses or hotels out of Reykjavik just have a buffet). Spend some time on Tripadvisor and Chowhound looking for alternative places to eat. There's a pizza place near Myvatn called Daddi's pizza which is very affordable and extremely good.

 

Trust me on being able to go offroad a bit. Go to Google maps online, look for Vik, then head west on the map to road 221. Road 221 is a rutted, potholed road that I'd be concerned taking a regular sedan on. At the north end of 221 (about 1.5 miles from Route 1) is a parking lot, and about 10-15 minute walk from that parking lot is a glacier you can walk right up to and on to. There is a vendor there who will outfit you in gear and take you on a glacier tour (for a fee), or you can just walk on by him and get up close and personal with the glacier yourself for free. About halfway from 221 to Vik is Road 218, heading south to the ocean. That is a much better road than 218, and it takes you right to the black sand beaches. Easier to do in a sedan, but we felt much more secure in our 4 wheel drive vehicle.

 

9 stops, eh? That's what we did. Are you using a company where the e-mails come from Oli and Ingi? If so, you'll be VERY happy.

 

Let me know if you want to talk directly.

 

Edit: Not sure why they don't like my map link here, but substitute g o o . g l (without the spaces) for the stars and it should work

Edited January 21, 2014 by Nitemare

[stagetek23]

We are in Reykjavik for one day during our cruise. We are teetering between going to the Blue. Lagoon in the morning and coming back to town to explore a bit. Or do a small tour with waterfalls and geysers.

 

The Blue Lagoon has been something I thought I have wanted to do for a long time. But I have concerns from what I have read. Is it like sardines in there?? No room?? Is it still a pleasurable experience without all the add ons? We are not pool people so I can se us going to experience it and then leaving. Also showering in the nude? Are there stalls or is it communal shower? I know theses are all strange questions but things that might shape my experience. One last question. Is the grey bus from the city to the lagoon reliable? Is it easy to get there for the port?

 

We also enjoy scenery and waters and such as well... Just not sure what we might want to see.

 

Thanks so much

[mrspaper]

We are in Reykjavik for one day during our cruise. We are teetering between going to the Blue. Lagoon in the morning and coming back to town to explore a bit. Or do a small tour with waterfalls and geysers.

 

The Blue Lagoon has been something I thought I have wanted to do for a long time. But I have concerns from what I have read. Is it like sardines in there?? No room?? Is it still a pleasurable experience without all the add ons? We are not pool people so I can se us going to experience it and then leaving. Also showering in the nude? Are there stalls or is it communal shower? I know theses are all strange questions but things that might shape my experience. One last question. Is the grey bus from the city to the lagoon reliable? Is it easy to get there for the port?

 

We also enjoy scenery and waters and such as well... Just not sure what we might want to see.

 

Thanks so much

I can answer some of your questions

Yes, the bus is reliable, although I didn't use it.

I showered with my bathing suit on.

It WAS NOT like sardines. The lagoon is huge with room for loads of people. We got in the water and didn't come out for hours. We hadn't planned to spend that many hours, but we did. We didn't do any add ons.

I intend to go back there again. It's a bit costly just to go there, turn around and leave.

 

Linda

[Nitemare]

To add to Linda's comments, although you can shower with your suit on, you will have to be nude in the locker room. I know that's a problem for some people, so you should know.

 

If you only have one day in Iceland, I really think you should see some of the natural beauty of the place instead of going to a spa. Don't get me wrong, it's a great spa, we've gone there both times we've visited and will be there again in a few weeks, but the country is so beautiful it isn't fair to you not to see the waterfalls and geysirs, etc.

[Grumpy100]

Yes it will work. My PIN never seemed to work, so we could not buy at the unmanned stations, but had zero issue with the card anywhere else in the country. We'd go inside the N1 places, buy the "gift cards" and go out and put them in the machine and pump. Ask at your first stop for them to show you, if you're uncertain -- everyone there is very helpful.

 

Every manned station has sandwiches, pizza, hot dogs, etc. Pizza is very good, the hot dogs are world famous (made out of lamb, very tasty).

 

Dinners at your hotel/guesthouses will not be inexpensive. Be prepared to spend $50/each for the buffet (most guesthouses or hotels out of Reykjavik just have a buffet). Spend some time on Tripadvisor and Chowhound looking for alternative places to eat. There's a pizza place near Myvatn called Daddi's pizza which is very affordable and extremely good.

 

Trust me on being able to go offroad a bit. Go to Google maps online, look for Vik, then head west on the map to road 221. Road 221 is a rutted, potholed road that I'd be concerned taking a regular sedan on. At the north end of 221 (about 1.5 miles from Route 1) is a parking lot, and about 10-15 minute walk from that parking lot is a glacier you can walk right up to and on to. There is a vendor there who will outfit you in gear and take you on a glacier tour (for a fee), or you can just walk on by him and get up close and personal with the glacier yourself for free. About halfway from 221 to Vik is Road 218, heading south to the ocean. That is a much better road than 218, and it takes you right to the black sand beaches. Easier to do in a sedan, but we felt much more secure in our 4 wheel drive vehicle.

 

9 stops, eh? That's what we did. Are you using a company where the e-mails come from Oli and Ingi? If so, you'll be VERY happy.

 

Let me know if you want to talk directly.

 

Edit: Not sure why they don't like my map link here, but substitute g o o . g l (without the spaces) for the stars and it should work

 

So the regular credit card without the pin will work? Sorry was not real clear on that answer. When I look at the prices of the 4x4 cars it is $1000 more which I do not want to pay. We have already walked on a glacier so we will skip that in our itinerary. I would like to see the black beaches so is that off the Route 1. Or how far is it from Route 1.

[Grumpy100]

To Nitemare:

Can you email me at Nancy3740@aol.com so I can talk with you.

Thanks.

[Nitemare]

So the regular credit card without the pin will work? Sorry was not real clear on that answer. When I look at the prices of the 4x4 cars it is $1000 more which I do not want to pay. We have already walked on a glacier so we will skip that in our itinerary. I would like to see the black beaches so is that off the Route 1. Or how far is it from Route 1.

 

E-mail sent to you.

 

The black sand beaches near Vik is under 2 miles down road 221. It's probably a good enough road that you can do it in a sedan. Just go slow and be careful!

[stagetek23]

Thank you all for the insight on blue lagoon vs other sites

 

Sent from my VS980 4G using Forums mobile app

[ricki]

Hello,

 

I hope someone can help with my dilemma.

 

We are on a cruise ending June 13 in Reykjavik and have to fly to Venice that day. Our options are flights that leave shortly after midnight or one ghost leaves at 7:40 am, I doubt that our cruise line has transportation that early.

 

Are taxis available late at night from the port ( I suppose we will have to leave the ship at 9:30 pm) and are they available at around 4:30 am?

 

Does anyone know the cost from ship to airport? Do the taxis accept credit cards or do I need Icelandic currency?

 

Many thanks for your help.

 

Ricki

[Nitemare]

There are very regular buses from Reykjavik to the airport that leave from all over town. Most go from hotels or other gathering points to a bus depot just outside of downtown, where you switch to a coach bus that takes you to the airport (and/or Blue Lagoon) for a reasonable fee. You can use a credit card for that wherever you book the trip.

 

I haven't been in a taxi there in a couple years, but a quick google search says they take CC's

[ricki]

There are very regular buses from Reykjavik to the airport that leave from all over town. Most go from hotels or other gathering points to a bus depot just outside of downtown, where you switch to a coach bus that takes you to the airport (and/or Blue Lagoon) for a reasonable fee. You can use a credit card for that wherever you book the trip.

 

I haven't been in a taxi there in a couple years, but a quick google search says they take CC's

 

Thanks, Nightmare, for your very helpful information.

 

Ricki

[Nitemare]

You're welcome, Ricki.

 

It's just a matter of days before the country hires me as a tourist agent! :)

[ricki]

Nightmare, it would be wise for them to do so!

 

One additional question, so you earn your pay, do the buses stop at the cruise terminal? We are interested in going to the Blue Lagoon, and I see you can go there by bus from the central station--just wondering how we get to the station.

 

Thanks again!

 

Ricki