Iceland: great time to visit (reporting 9 days into four week trip)

2017ish

2017ish

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Just a quick note/FYI. Not as deserted as Jordan and Egypt, which we visited last month, but much more elbow room than you are likely to see again. Open to vaccinated Americans, with a PCR test required upon arrival (results in 4-5 hours for us; we quarantined by hiking around volcano).

Restaurants and grocery stores are open. AirBnB reservations were very easy 6 weeks in advance, and there appear to be many vacancies even on a last minute basis.

We are just now hitting eastern part of the country (via the South), and have yet to visit Reykjavik. The great geology is unchanged, and the hiking paths are relatively uncrowded.
 
On our way in August for a 4 day backpacking trip.
 
I had booked a flight to Iceland two months ago and a small-ish SUV for $1600 for 12 days. I'm (hopefully) switching to an Iceland cruise so will only need it for three days; I checked yesterday an a similar car for three days was about $850!
 
Prices are better than we recall for French Polynesia, but that is small solace! Rental 4WD, small SUV from June 17 through July 12 is $2400 (booked a month in advance with local agency). Need 4WD for the F roads in the Highlands, but they are more costly. I didn't purchase cdw, which would have caused the price to balloon.

We are staying 2-4 nights at various airBnBs, with average per night price, all in, around 100-110. (Shorter stays would be more expensive.)

Diesel is about $7.25 per gallon. Gas about 7.50.

Dinners running us about $100 a night, with minimal alcohol (Iceland technically has zero tolerance for drinking and driving--although you wouldn't know it from looking around restaurants). To be fair, though, our dinners on USA road trips are similarly priced, albeit with booze.

We are doing same as when traveling USA, and bought a cooler to carry our lunch supplies as we travel. So too, we stocked up with bourbon at the duty free shop to allow for a cocktail after returning from dinner. If you drink, definitely do that. (700ml of basic Jim Beam is more than $50 at the state liquor stores.)

Finally, make sure you have at least one chip/PIN credit card for the unmanned 24 hour has stations at many locations. (Chase doesn't provide these, but BoA and others do you request)
 
My tips for Iceland, after two visits:

1. Unlike most of the rest of Europe where people say "Spring or Autumn are the best time to visit", for Iceland summer is very definitely the best time to visit. Even then, daily highs rarely exceed 62-63F and you will see rain most days. It's worth it, but you aren't here to sunbathe.

2. Although restaurants are expensive, upscale places are relatively less expensive than cheaper ones, if that makes sense. Fine dining is at less of a multiple, compared to the US or the rest of Europe, than a burger would be. Many restaurants have a dish-of-the-day, often fish beautifully done, for not too much money. Alcohol is a budget killer, as noted above, especially if you are used to ordering a glass of house wine without thinking about the price elsewhere in Europe.

3. The currency exchange places at the airport, which in most countries would be somewhere to avoid (I normally change $20 worth there to get into town and then go to an ATM), have some of the best rates going, and no hidden charges.

4. It is not an especially rich country. A walk (completely safe!) around some of the residential districts of Reykjavik reveals some quite ordinary housing projects. The high prices are not just a function of the exchange rate (compared to, say, Norway or Switzerland).
 
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We went to Iceland in 2016. We aimed to be in the northern part of the country for the summer solstice. Another tip:

If you are going on a driving tip around the country, rent an SUV. Many roads are gravel. Make sure your GPS uses coordinates. The map and driving instructions were wrong at times. We were directed to turn onto a nonexistent road once, and the driving instructions to one hotel sent us 50 km in the wrong direction. We didn’t mind much, as there was great scenery everywhere and it never got dark.

The glaciers are mostly to the south, along with desolate volcanic moonscapes. The East was the greenest and the warmest.

The only drawback with going in early summer is that it’s puffin breeding season and a few sanctuaries are off limits.

Just about everyone speaks fluent English.
 
BigNick said:
....

2. Although restaurants are expensive, upscale places are relatively less expensive than cheaper ones, if that makes sense. Fine dining is at less of a multiple, compared to the US or the rest of Europe, than a burger would be. ....
Click to expand...

This is definitely our experience as well. "Every" dinner for the two of us has been ~ $75, while the ones priced at double that or more have been very nice. (Again, haven't been in the capital, just the South and East so far).
 
Iceland could be considered a very wealthy country. The IMF lists it as the seventh highest GDP per capita in the world (it was sixth in 2019).

I've been there many times, beginning 50 years ago, and I've always enjoyed my visits, despite the high costs of many things.
 
braumeister said:
Iceland could be considered a very wealthy country. The IMF lists it as the seventh highest GDP per capita in the world (it was sixth in 2019).
...
Click to expand...

Compared to the places we usually travel (and to last month's middle east trip), I have no doubt about this. I can't dispute that there may be relatively less well off neighborhoods in the capital, but we've seen a nice, definitely first world country so far. Just comparing the "farmers" here vs. Egypt, South Pacific (excluding NZ and Oz), and Latin America....
 
2017ish said:
there may be relatively less well off neighborhoods in the capital, but we've seen a nice, definitely first world country so far.
Click to expand...

Yes, Iceland takes pride in the fact their wealth distribution is spread very equitably. They have their billionaires, of course, but for the most part the citizenry is pretty well off.
 
Have trip booked July 6th for 12 days. I do not have a chip & pin card but when I last traveled to the UK, India & Italy in 2019 a lot of places took ApplePay and even remote places like Rarotonga my WF Debit Card worked. Will the untended automated gas stations take ApplePay or a debit card?
 
OMG, glad I found this thread. I have a trip with a group that is going to Iceland end of February.
lol silly me the first thing I said was "what Portugal wasn't an option". I know nothing about Iceland
 
yakers said:
Have trip booked July 6th for 12 days. I do not have a chip & pin card but when I last traveled to the UK, India & Italy in 2019 a lot of places took ApplePay and even remote places like Rarotonga my WF Debit Card worked. Will the untended automated gas stations take ApplePay or a debit card?
Click to expand...

I read the instructions at the last station, and it appears that apple/Android pay wouldn't work. Dunno on debit card. After a too close call, we are filling up whenever we near a half tank. If you were to do a variation of that, you'd likely always have access to staffed station. Also, varies by region. The popular South is easy. The east and North are less so...
 
bclover said:
OMG, glad I found this thread. I have a trip with a group that is going to Iceland end of February.
lol silly me the first thing I said was "what Portugal wasn't an option". I know nothing about Iceland
Click to expand...

Expect to enjoy it. The first time I ever went to Iceland was in January, a great many years ago. Two weeks, in various parts of the island. Only had three days off (it was a business trip) but I loved every minute of it and have been back many times since. It's easy to forget that the Gulf Stream runs right by Iceland and moderates the climate quite a bit. So even though it nearly touches the Arctic Circle, Iceland in the winter is still a great place to visit. Dress appropriately and you'll be fine.
 
Probably a good chance to see the Northern lights.
 
Iceland is a terrible place to visit..

The weather is awful, always windy, and then it rains, if the rain stops - expect snow.
Nothing to see, just barren rocks - maybe a waterfall or two. Lately even one of the waterfall has turned warm - maybe even hot. Taking a dip is not recommended.

Don't visit - especially this August.

Now Greenland - I have heard good things about that place, one should go to Greenland. I hear the winters are nice there.
 
Go-NoGo said:
Iceland is a terrible place to visit..

The weather is awful, always windy, and then it rains, if the rain stops - expect snow.
Nothing to see, just barren rocks - maybe a waterfall or two. Lately even one of the waterfall has turned warm - maybe even hot. Taking a dip is not recommended.

Don't visit - especially this August.

Now Greenland - I have heard good things about that place, one should go to Greenland. I hear the winters are nice there.
Click to expand...

Yes, pretty much what Erik said to entice settlers way back when.

Wrong then, wrong now.
 
yakers said:
.... Will the untended automated gas stations take ApplePay or a debit card?
Click to expand...

Correcting/supplementing my earlier response. At least some of the untended pumps accept Apple and Google pay apps. Logically, debit cards should work, but instructions don't address, and we haven't tried that route.

Enjoy your trip!
 
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