Iceland - anybody been?

[sweetpea]

I would like to visit Iceland perhaps in January / February next year and wondered where would be good to stay. Would like to do some walking whilst there and take in the scenery.

Anybody any suggestions?

Thanks

Mike

[Mappa]

Yes great place.
Jan/Feb a good time to go for Northern Lights. Best place to stay is prob Reykjavik. The normal tourist routes are good, golden circle, geysers. Try and get to Blue Lagoon, you can get airport transfers that allow a few hours there too. Can't recommend any walking areas or places to stay that are off the beaten track I'm afraid. It'll be bloody cold too, especially if you do plan to walk a lot. It's a great country and I'm sure you'll love it. I don't know anyone who hasn't!


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[craig1912]

agree with the above

[jimp]

got some very nice raw prawns the other day.

[DavidL]

We went years ago and drove the whole a1 road anticlockwise in a sherpa and a mini metro!The geysers at Geysir, the parliament settlement, the waterfalls at Gulfoss are all worth a ok.
There are also a number of downed ww2 aircraft that are worth a look
https://guidetoiceland.is/connect-wi...solheimasandur

It was and probably still is properly expensive in comparison with here and make sure you don't accidentally fill your car with parafin - ask me how I know - sorry Grandad!

[sweetpea]

got some very nice raw prawns the other day.

Thanks jimp..... left myself open to that one!



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[Padders]

How long are you here for? If only a few days, then stay in Reyk and do the tourist trail as noted above. The Golden circle is the usual trip for a short break. If you have a bit longer, try hiring a car and travel round the coast road for a way and then back. It is good to get properly out of the city. Another alternative is to fly into Akureyi or Egillstadir and then drive round to Reyk and take in the scenery that way, the journey is best spread over 3-4 days or even longer if possible. Only problem with that plan is that in Jan or Feb you may hit bad weather which effectively stops you in your tracks. It does happen.

[Barryboy]

Take plenty of money, especially if you like a drink.

Rob

[sweetpea]

Thanks all for the suggestions....

I have nothing booked yet just getting ideas, it will hopefully be 3 or 4 days

I am aware that the weather is a major factor.... I am used to cold walks in the mountains (not sure about swmbo though) :)

Do you think it would work out cheaper to arrange flights and accommodation separately or are there packages specifically for 'tourists'? Trying to keep the costs down.

Mike

[Filterlab]

I went years ago, it was Bejam then though.

[IdiotAbroad]

I have been a few times, lots of advice re walking etc. I'll drop you a PM just now.

[eletos]

Not been myself, but my mum goes all the time. I'll ask her later and if there are any sensible suggestions I will send you a PM. Looks like a lovely place to visit.


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[thegoat]

Check Icelandair for deals, they have dedicated hotels in Reykjavik. EasyJet are also flying from Manchester.
Hiring a 4x4 can work out reasonable when compared with the cost of organised trips.
I wouldn't bother with the Blue Lagoon, there are better, less touristy options not too far out of town. There's also a free outdoor swimming pool just outside the centre.
The food is brilliant if you like to experiment. Grillmarkt and Fishmarkt were excellent.
Lots of happy hours around if you ask but the place doesn't get going until midnight.

[IdiotAbroad]

For the benefit of anybody else thinking of visiting Iceland and keen for a couple of hikes, Esja mountain is the flat topped mountain across the bay from Reykjavik. Very popular with the locals, but not so straightforward in winter.

Near the iconic Ion Hotel is Hengill volcano, also a brilliant little hike with far reaching views.

This is hotel Ion: http://ioniceland.is/the-hotel/

What you can't see is the steaming pipes which look like a Bond villain's lair just out of shot! There are so many lovely places to stay in Iceland.

Also there are the black beaches, waterfalls, and self-drive around the coast road. Plus whale watching, super jeep safaris, ice climbing, snorkelling between tectonic plates, camping on the glacier, helicopter tours over the volcanoes... The list is endless.

If anyone needs info please do drop me a PM as my wife and I have a travel business. Commission to the fundraiser too

[craig1912]

We went with Icelandair and hotel through expedia.

https://www.extremeiceland.is/en/ for trips.

Seen many people say avoid Blue Lagoon as the comment above- but we loved it and very convenient to visit on way to or from the airport although I accept there are more authentic experiences.

one of the most expensive places I've been to- some of the bars do have a happy hour which brings beer down to £5 per pint.

I will be going back to do a bit more sightseeing as we loved it.

[IdiotAbroad]

Seen many people say avoid Blue Lagoon as the comment above- but we loved it and very convenient to visit on way to or from the airport although I accept there are more authentic experiences.

one of the most expensive places I've been to- some of the bars do have a happy hour which brings beer down to £5 per pint.

I will be going back to do a bit more sightseeing as we loved it.

The Blue Lagoon is touristy but still great. The Lava restaurant is also very very good food, albeit slightly odd with some people eating in their white robes!

There are many natural hot springs, the secret lagoon etc, but the Blue Lagoon is ideal for an arrival/ departure day due to being so close to Keflavik where the main airport is. Cures the jet lag (or hangover from a big night in Reykjavik) like a treat!

[raysablade]

If you have Netflix watch Bokeh. It shows you all the key sights.

[Maris]

Take plenty of money, especially if you like a drink.

Rob

I wouldn't take any Krona, Halifax Clarity card is ideal as since the financial crash everyone uses credit cards, even the hot dog stall made famous by Clinton takes them.

[Mr_Mac]

The Blue Lagoon was my favourite place to visit in Iceland, the geyser and waterfall are also worth a look purely to say you've seen them.

We stayed at the Hilton Nordica and had access to the exec lounge which is a good place to start the night. I'm sure some folk had there evening meal in there given the excellent choice of canapés and sandwiches. Based on the prices at the bar dowstairs I'd say it easy to drink £100 worth of alcohol per couple.

[Padders]

Do bear in mind that the blue lagoon is entirely man made and is fed by the outflow from the adjacent power station. It's a nice spot but the thought I am swimming in industrial effluent does pop up from time to time. Admittedly the power station in question is geothermal not coal or nuclear powered like it would be here. Sellafield luminous green lagoon anyone?

[Enda]

We used airbnb when we went and it was spot on, the apartment was one street over from the mail tourist street. I will check to see if I still have the details.

[Vanguard]

Iceland is amazing, one of the best places I've ever been, just go in Winter for the full experience

[senwar]

Bit of a resurrection but looking at a trip to Iceland/Reykjavik in March. After some advice on where to stay?

I'd be looking at hiring a car so want parking. I'm going to book an apartment type property via airbnb or Homeaway so hotels are out. I've found a relatively nice one in Kópavogur which is about a 10 min drive/20 min bus ride into the centre. I'd be looking at doing the tours by self drive.

If I booked something just outside of the centre, would I get there and wish I'd stayed more central? Or will something like this be good as most of the trip would be on tours/driving around etc?

Anyone have any comments/knowledge of Kópavogur?

[Paddy!]

Hope you don't mind me piggybacking...

We are going in the February half term, also interested in any "must sees" as it's our first visit.We will be staying at the Odinsve Apartments in Reykjavik. So far I've booked the Icelandic Sagas at the Harpa concert Hall and will be visiting the apparently obligatory Blue Lagoon. The whole purpose of the trip is to see a volcano (this trip was my son's choice!) and to chase the Northern Lights but we realise this is not always possible.

We are taking our 6 (today!) and 3 (in Jan) year olds, so any kid friendly suggestions...

I have rented a car for the week, although going by the price, it's possible that I actually bought one.

[Padders]

Car hire is a expensive because the roads out of town are pretty poor (other than the round island ring road) and lots of hire cars get taken onto 4x4 only tracks and pranged. It’s the only country I have been where when you give the car back they immediately put it on a ramp to inspect the underside. Underside damage is not covered under some of the waiver policies.

[Nexus04]

We went a couple of years ago in December( wifes birthday is in December) and loved it. We only went for a long weekend but managed to fit a lot in. We booked the Golden circle tour, which picked us up at 8 in the morning and dropped us back at our hotel at about 6 pm. It was a brilliant tour and we saw all the major sights. We spent one day strolling around Reykjavik which was very pleasant as it was near xmas and everything was decorated accordingly. The Halgrimskirka which looks like a spaceship is worth a visit as there are great 360° views from the top.
Also when we booked to see the Northern lights we were told that all the tour operators are told by the meteorlogical office where the most likely place to see them that night will be. The tour operator we went with said that if we did not see them they would take us the next night for free until we saw them. We didn't put it to the test as we were only there for 4 nights. Incidently we did actually see them on the wifes birthday so that was cool!
We didn't manage to have a meal at the Pearl as it was fully booked the whole time we were there. Eating and drinking out is quite expensive but not as much as we braced ourselves for, it must be that we are used to Londons West end prices.
Visited the Blue Lagoon on our last day on the way back to the airport.
All in all I would thouroughly reccomend it. Lovely place, friendly people, pretty much crime free. Lots of interesting things to see and do

[craig1912]

Hope you don't mind me piggybacking...

We are going in the February half term, also interested in any "must sees" as it's our first visit.We will be staying at the Odinsve Apartments in Reykjavik. So far I've booked the Icelandic Sagas at the Harpa concert Hall and will be visiting the apparently obligatory Blue Lagoon. The whole purpose of the trip is to see a volcano (this trip was my son's choice!) and to chase the Northern Lights but we realise this is not always possible.

We are taking our 6 (today!) and 3 (in Jan) year olds, so any kid friendly suggestions...

I have rented a car for the week, although going by the price, it's possible that I actually bought one.

Brave taking two young children- It’s going to be very cold so you are going to need to wrap the kids up well. We saw the Northern Lights but it was freezing on top of a mountain at 11pm!

We used https://www.extremeiceland.is/?gclid...RoC1TMQAvD_BwE for a golden circle trip and they were excellent.

We stayed at the Hotel Odinsve and it’s a great location. SNAPS restaurant (part of hotel) is excellent.

[Paddy!]

Brave taking two young children- It’s going to be very cold so you are going to need to wrap the kids up well. We saw the Northern Lights but it was freezing on top of a mountain at 11pm!

We plan on acclimatising them over winter by switching the central heating off, which might also help pay towards the car hire... joking aside, it's not a trip we've taken lightly organising with the kids as any place as remote as Iceland is dangerous, including the weather. But they've been up (and down in various ways) snowy mountains a few times now and don't really have the choice not to embrace the cold in our family (one of my sisters has a few rentals in Gudauri - life time of ski seasons sorted!).

Thanks for the recommendation of excursion company!

[Kingstepper]

My son went for a few days with some mates earlier this month.

Don't know exact details but he stayed at Airbnb places, bought food at (what he said was) equivalent of Poundland as was so expensive, rented a Dacia 4x4(?), managed to see Northern Lights.

[rfrazier]

Not for a long time, but lived there from 1962-1968. :)

Best wishes,
Bob