ADVERTISEMENT

Anyone been to Iceland before?

NDallasRuss

NDallasRuss

HR Legend
Dec 5, 2002
36,405
32,131
113
Looking at potentially going for Thanksgiving. Seems like the hotels are reasonably affordable. Not sure about availability of restaurants, bars, etc.

Most of the things to do are day trips - ice caves, hot springs, Northern lights viewing, etc. Did you have a preferred tour company you used?

And at that time of year the sun's up about 5.5 hrs/day. Was that hard to adjust to?

Thanks in advance!
 
  • Like
Reactions: thewop, hwk23 and HawkFan1298
NDallasRuss said:
Looking at potentially going for Thanksgiving. Seems like the hotels are reasonably affordable. Not sure about availability of restaurants, bars, etc.

Most of the things to do are day trips - ice caves, hot springs, Northern lights viewing, etc. Did you have a preferred tour company you used?

And at that time of year the sun's up about 5.5 hrs/day. Was that hard to adjust to?

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
The airlines can probably get you to Greenland and you'd get stranded.
 
No but I hear it's awesome.

It's pretty small, too. So you should be able to see the sights in a few days.

If you go, I bet you'll like it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: NDallasRuss
I went in late October 2019. It was amazing and I’d highly recommend it. We did a self drive but there are tours or you can stay in Reykjavik and do day trips. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend self drive that late unless you are super flexible. Weather can get dicey and it can happen fast. If you want to see northern lights look at the calendar for the new moon. That’s the best time.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Twoooooooo, NDallasRuss and HawkFan1298
Formerly Rockymtnole said:
Went for a work meeting in February years ago. Had a great time and recall we had a pretty good amount of daylight. Maybe 8-9 hours.

I’ve read it’s gotten very expensive in the past few years.
Click to expand...
My (very) preliminary research shows that for those dates it's gonna be ~$600/person for flights and ~$200/night for the hotel (that seems to be at the higher end of the range). Haven't tried pricing the excursions yet.
 
NDallasRuss said:
My (very) preliminary research shows that for those dates it's gonna be ~$600/person for flights and ~$200/night for the hotel (that seems to be at the higher end of the range). Haven't tried pricing the excursions yet.
Click to expand...

Thanksgiving may be cold. So, keep that in mind.

CSB.
 
  • Like
Reactions: NDallasRuss
3boysmom said:
I went in late October 2019. It was amazing and I’d highly recommend it. We did a self drive but there are tours or you can stay in Reykjavik and do day trips. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend self drive that late unless you are super flexible. Weather can get dicey and it can happen fast. If you want to see northern lights look at the calendar for the new moon. That’s the best time.
Click to expand...
I appreciate that! We'd definitely do the tours rather than trying to drive ourselves. As for the calendar, we're limited by the kid's time off for Thanksgiving break, so we take what we can get on that one!
 
  • Like
Reactions: 3boysmom and HawkFan1298
Reykjavik is small and the “downtown” is easily walkable. It’s on the water so that’s kinda cool.

We ate at some neat restaurants - you can have local dishes like puffin or whale if you want - or more what you’re used to. The beer is like beer anywhere and tasted pretty good.

We took these giant jacked up Ford Excursions on a tour to see waterfalls and some of the scenery out in the country. Drove through some rivers and over snowfields. Was very cool.

The landscape in the winter was like Hoth in The Empire Strikes Back. Too cloudy when we were there to see the Northern Lights. I would love to go back in the summer.
 
  • Like
  • Love
Reactions: 3boysmom, hwk23, NDallasRuss and 1 other person
Formerly Rockymtnole said:
Reykjavik is small and the “downtown” is easily walkable. It’s on the water so that’s kinda cool.

We ate at some neat restaurants - you can have local dishes like puffin or whale if you want - or more what you’re used to. The beer is like beer anywhere and tasted pretty good.

We took these giant jacked up Ford Excursions on a tour to see waterfalls and some of the scenery out in the country. Drove through some rivers and over snowfields. Was very cool.

The landscape in the winter was like Hoth in The Empire Strikes Back. Too cloudy when we were there to see the Northern Lights. I would love to go back in the summer.
Click to expand...

What was the weather like?
 
Formerly Rockymtnole said:
Reykjavik is small and the “downtown” is easily walkable. It’s on the water so that’s kinda cool.

We ate at some neat restaurants - you can have local dishes like puffin or whale if you want - or more what you’re used to. The beer is like beer anywhere and tasted pretty good.

We took these giant jacked up Ford Excursions on a tour to see waterfalls and some of the scenery out in the country. Drove through some rivers and over snowfields. Was very cool.

The landscape in the winter was like Hoth in The Empire Strikes Back. Too cloudy when we were there to see the Northern Lights. I would love to go back in the summer.
Click to expand...
That does sound like a pretty good time!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Formerly Rockymtnole and HawkFan1298
NDallasRuss said:
My (very) preliminary research shows that for those dates it's gonna be ~$600/person for flights and ~$200/night for the hotel (that seems to be at the higher end of the range). Haven't tried pricing the excursions yet.
Click to expand...
There were only a handful of hotels when I was there. We stayed in the Hilton on the main road near downtown.

Also, re the cold, depending on where you are coming from it’s not that cold. There is some snow but it’s not Minneapolis cold. We were in Feb and it was in the 30s/40s. Perfectly pleasant.
 
  • Like
Reactions: NDallasRuss
NDallasRuss said:
I found that for the same price as Iceland I could get flights to Tenerife (Island of the coast of Spain). 74 degrees in November. That would be my preference. Still gonna try for that...
Click to expand...

I went to Spain with a tour group for a week in 2018. Madrid, Valencia and Barcelona.

Great trip, brah. Spain is awesome.
 
  • Love
Reactions: NDallasRuss
Formerly Rockymtnole said:
There were only a handful of hotels when I was there. We stayed in the Hilton on the main road near downtown.

Also, re the cold, depending on where you are coming from it’s not that cold. There is some snow but it’s not Minneapolis cold. We were in Feb and it was in the 30s/40s. Perfectly pleasant.
Click to expand...
Coming from the DC area. So cooler than here, but not shockingly different. Is expect around that same weather - prob mostly 30s.
 
  • Like
Reactions: HawkFan1298 and Formerly Rockymtnole
Me and the wife went a couple years ago in June. It’s amazing and I recommend anyone with the means to try to make it there to see the beauty in nature there. It’s like being on another planet at times. The black sand beach, the lava fields, Volacanoes, Glaciers, etc. We flew in and hit the blue lagoon as soon as we got our rental car. Stayed in a cabin outside of Reykjavik that night and hit Airbnbs along the southern half of the Island then doubled back and stayed the last couple days in Reykjavik. It is small, but it’s their New York. There’s quite a few cool places and things to see there. We went to a comedy show in Icelands only comedy club(the comedians were actually quite good, most were from Canada strangely enough), there’s a punk rock “museum” that was once and underground restroom, and the crown jewel, Lebowski bar. Thats right, they have a bar themed after the fvcking movie, and it’s amazing.
 
  • Like
  • Love
Reactions: win4jj, CJ Beat Hard, NDallasRuss and 1 other person
SolarHawk said:
Me and the wife went a couple years ago in June. It’s amazing and I recommend anyone with the means to try to make it there to see the beauty in nature there. It’s like being on another planet at times. The black sand beach, the lava fields, Volacanoes, Glaciers, etc. We flew in and hit the blue lagoon as soon as we got our rental car. Stayed in a cabin outside of Reykjavik that night and hit Airbnbs along the southern half of the Island then doubled back and stayed the last couple days in Reykjavik. It is small, but it’s their New York. There’s quite a few cool places and things to see there. We went to a comedy show in Icelands only comedy club(the comedians were actually quite good, most were from Canada strangely enough), there’s a punk rock “museum” that was once and underground restroom, and the crown jewel, Lebowski bar. Thats right, they have a bar themed after the fvcking movie, and it’s amazing.
Click to expand...

Pic of wife in Iceland?
 
  • Like
  • Haha
Reactions: win4jj, SolarHawk, Twoooooooo and 1 other person
We went over Christmas in 2015 and there’s a reason it’s so cheap that time of year: no sunlight. Even the 5 hours of ‘day’ are basically dusk so that was a little depressing. I purposely booked over Christmas to avoid going to the in-laws and karma returned the favor.

Having said that, Iceland is a beautiful place; we saw the northern lights and the hot springs are outstanding. Gullfoss Falls is breathtaking. There are hot dog stands everywhere in Reykjavik and the damned things are quite tasty. Those Icelanders are fvcking nuts for hot dogs.

Also, Reykjavik is home to the Icelandic Phallalogical Museum, which was an interesting place but it’s where all the dicks hang out:

The Icelandic Phallological Museum

phallus.is phallus.is
 
  • Like
Reactions: NDallasRuss and HawkFan1298
if you’re gonna go to Spain do Barcelona for the coast or head further south and go to Portugal. Preferably fly into Faro. Enjoy the ocean there unless you want the Mediterranean. Albuferia region is one of my favorite places I have ever been. Got back about 2 weeks ago from there. That’s the fifth time I’ve been there. Love it more every time I go. Sorry, nothing on Iceland. Would’ve been a quick trip when I lived in Dublin, but I’m not a big fan of the cold
 
  • Like
Reactions: NDallasRuss and HawkFan1298
Twoooooooo said:
if you’re gonna go to Spain do Barcelona for the coast or head further south and go to Portugal. Preferably fly into Faro. Enjoy the ocean there unless you want the Mediterranean. Albuferia region is one of my favorite places I have ever been. Got back about 2 weeks ago from there. That’s the fifth time I’ve been there. Love it more every time I go. Sorry, nothing on Iceland. Would’ve been a quick trip when I lived in Dublin, but I’m not a big fan of the cold
Click to expand...
I saw Portugal was an option, but I wasn't sure there is enough to do in/ around Lisbon to fill the time.
 
  • Like
Reactions: HawkFan1298
NDallasRuss said:
Looking at potentially going for Thanksgiving. Seems like the hotels are reasonably affordable. Not sure about availability of restaurants, bars, etc.

Most of the things to do are day trips - ice caves, hot springs, Northern lights viewing, etc. Did you have a preferred tour company you used?

And at that time of year the sun's up about 5.5 hrs/day. Was that hard to adjust to?

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
One of if not my favorite trip I've ever taken. I have wanted to go back since the moment we left. It's very expensive when you are there but flights are cheap. We planned everything ourselves and did not use a guide. The scenery is just absolutely beautiful. We just stayed along the southern coast but there is so much more to explore and see. We went over 4th of July and it was about 20 hrs of daylight. Let me know any questions you have specifically and I'd be glad to answer.

PS don't waste your time in Reykjavik, it was nice but the countryside is wayyyy better
 
  • Like
  • Love
Reactions: 3boysmom, NDallasRuss and HawkFan1298
NDallasRuss said:
I saw Portugal was an option, but I wasn't sure there is enough to do in/ around Lisbon to fill the time.
Click to expand...
Lisbon pretty cool I like albuferia better. Fly into Faro and it’s about a 30 min drive from there and only 2 tolls to go through which as about 6 euro round trip. If you decide on either one reach out. I’ll give you some must see places to visit drink and eat. Portugal reminds me so much of Mexico, just a cleaner and safer destination. Or if you go Barcelona I have plenty of recommendations there also
 
  • Like
  • Love
Reactions: HawkFan1298 and NDallasRuss
CJ Beat Hard said:
One of if not my favorite trip I've ever taken. I have wanted to go back since the moment we left. It's very expensive when you are there but flights are cheap. We planned everything ourselves and did not use a guide. The scenery is just absolutely beautiful. We just stayed along the southern coast but there is so much more to explore and see. We went over 4th of July and it was about 20 hrs of daylight. Let me know any questions you have specifically and I'd be glad to answer.

PS don't waste your time in Reykjavik, it was nice but the countryside is wayyyy better
Click to expand...
Thank you!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest posts

ADVERTISEMENT
Top Bottom
Back