Iceland – The country, not the supermarket

I’m thinking of going to Iceland this year whilst it’s relatively cheap (one of the few currencies the pound isn’t doing so bad against). I seem to remember there being a big thread on the topic on the previous forum incarnation so thought I’d ask for ideas and experiences on which parts to go to etc.

Probably going to go for about 10 days and will obviously spend a day or two in ReykjavÃŒk. There won’t be any biking as the Mrs doesn’t but I’d like to possibly go do some of the outdoor tours, snowmobiling etc.

I’m working my way through a guide book but have only read about the capital and the south to date. So, any suggestions? Ideally I know I should go for a bit longer (as it’s not a place I see myself going back to for many years) so I know I need to do some good research before booking things.

How easy is it to do the touristy stuff on your own etc?

Thanks

Buy me a bank if you do go, they are really cheap out there at the moment.

My wife and I went for her 30th birthday two years ago last December. We were there for 4 days and other than the fiasco of getting there (due to our flight out being cancelled) we had a great time. We did a tour on the first day which went around the south part of the island showing off the historic and geological side of the country. On the 2nd day we went around Reykjavik city on our own and then on the 3rd day we went to the blue lagoon to bathe in the geothermal waters. It was snowing and windy and we couldn’t have had a better time of it. Sitting in the hot water with only our noses above the water.

We had a great time. The exchange rate wasn’t that great then as the meals cost us a small fortune but it was a fantastic trip.

Awesome country.

I spent two weeks on a CTC tour in the SW, near ReykjavÃŒk, and saw enough to blow my socks off.
http://www.crispinbennett.freedomnames.co.uk/Iceland2003.htm

Blue Lagoon, Landmannalaugar, Geyser would all be touristy must dos.

The local guide (Halldor) might be worth contacting:
http://frontpage.simnet.is/bluebiking/

Book the Mountain Taxi.

We went a couple of years ago, always wanted to since a novel I read as a kid … Hammond Innes/Douglas Reeman type thing set in Iceland.

Reykjavik is smaller than you may think but a couple of days gives time to see the blue pool, a big waterfalls & tectonic plates splitting & geysers etc.

I think its the kind of place for a long weekend or a good few weeks when you can go around the rest of it.

Glad I went except for asking mrs geejay to move in with me when there & ordering a double brandy to celebrate …. she is doing fine, the brandy nearly broke me … still should be better now.

Gottit, Running Blind by Desmond Bagley

Thanks guys, I’ll start having a look. I had seen the Mountain Taxi, looks a good bet for the easy option of not organising anything myself.

Seems the cheeky blighters are charging in Euros for a lot things these days. 210Euro for a lot of the day trips 😮

Fantasic place.

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/Northatlanticdrift

……..but its very windy, last summer saw some guys pushing their laden tourers down a 1:10 hill beacsue it was too windy to freewheel. I’d quite fancied cycling there until I saw that.

I like that viking ship sculpture thing; that looks beautiful. Got any more pics of it?

I’m going next week. I’ll let you know.

Its only light for about 4 hours at this time of year.

Cheers FLV, what’s your plan? Organised tours/car hire/busing it? South, West, North, East etc?

Have a good trip!

3 times, love it. next year but one i fancy up the kjouler and down the springersands(sp).

previous trips
iceland fjallabak[/url]

we went for our honeymoon in 07. fantastic place. hire a 4wd and do the whole country including Askja – itll blow your socks off!
food is mostly rubbish and always expencive and drink costs an arm and a leg – take a bottle of malt and eat in the local diners. might be better with the exchange rate, but itll never be a cheap holiday
do it!

I travel a lot for work and have been to some great places but Iceland still remains as the only place I actually want to go to. I think it goes back to doing a project on the country at school when I was around 8 or 9. A couple of years ago a saw a travel agents here in Brighton advertising day trips to ReykjavÃŒk, seemed a bit far for a day.

More pictures of it? Loads…

There is a sort of amphitheatre around it. It was near our hotel so everyday at some point we would go and ìwatchî the sculpture.

The Lonely Planet guide had a good list of cheap(ish) places to eat.

I’ve got a picture (SLR one, pre-digital so can’t post it) of my wife hanging off it. When the marble it stands on gets icy it turns into the worlds slippiest surface – you can’t even stand upright on it.

Not sure what reminded me but the Penis Museum isn’t far away…