Tips for a holiday in Iceland
Skyr is Icelandic for yoghurt!
Don’t take a coach trip
Rent a 4×4, the bigger the better and be prepared to drive.
If you look at a map and think where you want to go doesn’t look too far… think again .. it is 10 x further…….there are no straight lines
Check if it’s open …. particularly the liquor store.
Architecture is not a thing in Iceland
Buy as much booze as you can at the airport supermarket while you wait for your bags
You can leave Iceland with a debt that your grandchildren won’t be able to clear – be careful what you spend.
Most paid trips have a free alternative but they are very difficult to find and you may need to go up a road that’s closed- hence you need the big 4×4…we were thwarted by a couple of snow drifts that a land cruiser would have eaten for lunch!
Every trip you take, if you pay, is a multiple of £50 and an hour. We didn’t do any!
The coach trippers never walk much further than the immediate photo opportunity… power through them and get some peace and quiet
Try to plan your trips in advance. Check drive time on google.
You don’t need to have an electric car to have range anxiety… Don’t drive past a petrol station unless you are confident in finding another one. Gravel tracks with less than a full tank can be stressful. You use a lot more fuel on gravel and in the mountains.
Speed limit out of town is 90 and 80 on gravel. You can go quicker but there are speed cameras and the fuzz pop up in completely random out of the way places. The Icelanders do 10kph more than the speed limit.
Don’t pay £75 per person for the blue lagoon. It’s a man made tourist fleecing machine. There are other free or cheaper hot pools.
Do a circular trip. Don’t stay in one place and do day trips
Some of the most spectacular sights just appear… be prepared to slam the brakes on!
There’s no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothing… gortex or similar and a Woolly hat
Don’t worry about dressing stylish… no one else does! But, Don’t wear your salopettes- you will look a bit of a tit! Unless you are skiing of course.
The only shoes you will need are stout, waterproof boots …. timberlands would be my choice
Self catering works… air B and B accommodation is great and the supermarkets are reasonable
Supermarkets don’t open till 11 on a Monday. Wine shops are closed on random days and google is invariably wrong.
Don’t buy supermarket beer. It tastes like piss!
Becca knows all there is to know about the northern lights
Oh. I nearly forgot. Iceland can be cashless, so if you want to get a credit card that doesn’t have transaction fees abroad, you don’t need any travel cash.
