We’re thinking of having a big holiday next year, and Iceland is currently top of the list.

Apart from the fact that it’s going to be super expensive, what do we need to know? When’s good to go? What are the “must do” things?

Iceland isn’t expensive – Prawn rings for a £1, Pizzas two for one. They even do delivery these days.

Bit weird you’ve chosen a cut-price frozen foods store for your jollys, though…

read the STW Iceland article. I SO WANT TO GO!
http://singletrackworld.com/magarchive/the-travel-features-2012/

some of the best photos in ST mag ever.

My mum went two years ago on a Geology trip. Loved it. v jealous.

My mum’s been to iceland.

Said it was spectacular. Day trips to glaciers went down well. Can’t recall much else off top of my head.

That STW article was one of the things that swung us to wanting to go there (though there won’t be much biking, we do plan on seeing as much of the glaciers and such as possible).

Iceland is incredible, but a wild place to do anything outdoors.

We did a cycling trip a couple of years ago and saw some fabulous vistas. The host for the trip was great, but the biking was fairly hardcore (traversing across glaciers) in some horrible weather in July. But we got to see the interior and that volcano.

It rained, a lot, but crucially felt like a proper adventure. Our bikes got blown off a heavy duty bike rack one day. Jurassic park levels of excitement.

I would recommend, driving to the west up to the North. Accommodation is usually basic and not cheap.

I think you need a guide to do anything serious.

The schools open up as hotels during the holidays so that might be an option if you’re looking for cheaper accommodation:

http://www.hoteledda.is/

Actually, its expense is a little overstated. But you get less for your money if you know what I mean. Compared to any of the Scandinavian countries it’s reasonable.

Amazing steak house called Argentina.

We stayed in some of those schools and actually the one in the very north on the map, was the best placed we stayed at.

I got stuck there for 3 days a couple of years ago in April. had a great time. Glaciers, wind (100mph plus, more than last night, but just “a bit windy” over there!), hail, snow, rain, sunshine, swimming, drinking, waterfalls (backwards and normal), geysers, Hydrothermal power plants, rift valleys…

Great place, I’d love to go back for a month in the summer with a fatbike.

I’ll see if i can get some pics up later.

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/iceland-anybody-been

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/24-hours-in-reykjavik-what-to-do

Go to Lanzarote – take a parka for some ‘look at me in iceland’ photos – and spend your holiday doing what you REALLY want to do, sunbathing you self to a crisp/getting drunk/arrested/chlamydia/henna tatoos etc.

This may help…

Link!

Best place to live if you’re a woman, apparently:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-24650912

I went in August for a few days biking. Incredible place and only expensive if you make it so. I’ll be going back next year. Not sure what sticks in my mind more, a 5km of sweet singletrack down the side of 23 massive (and I mean massive) waterfalls or biking along a thermally heated mountain river.

Oh, but the weather…

We had the best weather of the summer. It was comparable to a nice spell of good March weather in Scotland. So, it could be all kinds of foul if you have bad luck (it’s far north in the same way that Spain is south).

fascinating place but you will some serious cold weather gear, oh and everything stinks of eggy farts due to the geo-thermal heating .If you go to the northern lights check with hotel staff which companys are good, some will wait with you for as long as it takes, other whisk you back regardless.

My main memory is the weather; as above it makes Scotland in Autumn look warm and dry.

Fantastic geology but very remote.. don’t just assume you’ll be able to purchase supplies (beyond absolute basics) outside of Reykjavik.

regarding remoteness: 321,000 people distributed thusly over an area 5 times the size of Wales:

Read Frost On My Moustache by Tim Moore – has some cycling in Iceland content + a lot of insights into Iceland – especially do not be mistaken for a German.

Kerry likes it……

Does anyone know what it’ll be like around Christmas (other than cold and dark)

I’m hoping to get away for a week or so and Iceland is one destination where the flights are reasonable.

I’d love to see the northern lights for example, and glaciers, volcano’s etc, but is it actually possible to see much of the country in the depths of winter?

Flights from Bristol with Easyjet are dirt cheap now and since their economy collapsed its much cheaper .Youth hostels from 30 quid in Reykjavik and 20 elsewhere .Campsites are quite cheap You can also stay in the mountain huts on the glaciers

http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/country_result.jsp?country=Iceland

exchange rate is 200kr to the £ or thereabouts at the moment

Pete: sun up at 1123, down at 1533. 😕

http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/astronomy.html?n=211&month=12&year=2013&obj=sun&afl=-11&day=1

Some pics from April 2011:

A stroll up the Solheimajokull (Home of the Sun Glacier 🙂 ), a tongue of the Myrdalsjokul (Murder Glacier 😐 ), under which is Katla, overdue for a large eruption.

Skogafoss:

A serious game of cards:

Solfar:

the “Net” vote:

Thingveller:

Iceland, I liked it this much:

I’ve been twice now, in 2005 and last summer.

I have never cycled there but I think the best way to see the wilderness (if that’s what you’re after…) is to hike the laugavegur and fimvorduhals trails. Seriously amazing scenery, a challenge and mountain huts en route if you’re not up to camping in snow storms…

On my last trip there we bumped into an American bike packer and we met him each night at the designated camp spots (it’s protected national park, so wild camping is strictly forbidden). Anyway, he said he ended up pushing most of the trail. After all, it’s mostly snow, ice, river crossings, ash deserts and big, steep, unforgiving ascents.

Can’t recommend Iceland enough. I want to go back already!

The food is good, although avoid the putrid shark (an Icelandic delicacy) and the people are very hospitable.

Reykjavik has a great nig life as well.

Reykjavik has a great nig life as well

Nog life?

Haha *night

sun up at 1123, down at 1533

Hmm, kinda what I expected. Not ideal, but I wondered whether certain sights (such as the northern lights) make the short days worth it?

My missus and I are very good sleepers!

We had our honeymoon there. Hired a 4×4 and went all the way round staying mostly in the schools (hoteledda) which were fine (There’s so much to see and the days are so long we were often getting into the hotel well past midnight anyway)
The thing I liked most was that most of the geological features didn’t have visitors centers and gift shops, you could just rock up at the side of the thermal pool, jump out of your car and into the water. In Europe someone would undoubtedly put a fence round it!
We drove into the interior one day including fording a couple of rivers and walking across a glacier just to swim in a thermal caldera on the side of a volcano. Unforgettable experience.
Would like to go back once our kids are old enough to enjoy it.

Yes go… I went for my 30th birthday – we hired a car & drove along the south coast, stayed in hostels, all were basic but much cleaner than ones I’ve stayed in in this country & very good value. I think we booked accommodation through the Icelandic Tourist Board they were exceptionally helpful.

The most amazing scenery I have ever seen, planning to go back one day but there’s more places I need to see first.

Icebergs at Jokulsarlon by zachw77, on Flickr

Thingveller by zachw77, on Flickr

Skogarfoss by zachw77, on Flickr

Don’t forget to visit the penis museum! 🙂

I went last year in September/October. I had plans that didn’t work out of getting to the very North, the snow on the roads and my wife were not compatible.

We did see lots of Reykjavik and the surrounding area though.

It really is a stunning place, not as costly as people make out and the people are really cool. December will be very cold but if you stuck to the south I reckon you’d be ok.

The Blue Lagoon is probably the most tourist focused place there, and I’d still drop back there if I was back as it was great.

I came back with a strong desire to return and see more.

As everyone has gone with budget hotel recommendations I’ll go the other way and say the Iceland Air hotel in Reyjavik was lovely.

The trail along the Skogar River.

Views a plenty.

My wife and I spent 2 weeks walking and 1 week riding across the highlands this summer.

Amazing. Go.

We walked all over the place, many of them I never managed to pronounce.

We did an organised trip for both. Always good for inspiration. I;d suggest you go and check out the ususal big tour companies to see where they go as that will be a good start.

We thought the North was better than the south generally. Much better volcanic activity. Around Myvatn.

Thórsmörk was our favourite area for walking.

We mostly camped. It was cold and wet. Take appropriate clothes, good waterproofs, get over it and head out.

If you can ride then do the Kjolur trail. Admittedly ours was the last one so they were taking the herd home but riding across Iceland with 120 loose horses is quite an experience.

We’ve been twice and loved it. Amazing country. Hire a 4×4, pack a tent and head into the interior.

I’ve been in summer – conference in Reykjavik, then a few days holiday including camping at a festival in Thingvellir and the popular (not busy!) walk from Lannmanalaugur to Thorsmork (spelling may vary). Reykjavik was pricy and not really that interesting IMO. The holiday was great, I’d love to have an excuse to go back to the countryside, especially at someone else’s expense 😆 We were dead lucky with the weather and it was pretty good, wouldn’t go for a holiday in any other season though.