Best resources for planning a trip to Iceland

Questions on how we spend our money and our time - consumer goods and services, home and vehicle, leisure and recreational activities
Post Reply
Topic Author
Calico
Posts: 1003
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 2015 4:45 pm

Best resources for planning a trip to Iceland

Post by Calico »

I am working on my next big vacation idea and I am strongly considering Iceland. I am considering sometime in winter because I want to see the Northern Lights (but that's not final because I also want daylight to see things and that doesn't go hand-in-hand with winter that far north). This trip will be at least 12-18 months in the future... maybe even 24 months. I know early planning for some, but I like to do a lot of reading and research. I kind of enjoy doing that and traveling feeling knowledgeable about where I am going. Plus I also like to learn a little of the language before I go and that takes time.

Do any of you fellow Bogleheads have any advice for good resources to start planning a trip (books, websites, videos, etc). Also, if anyone who has been there has ideas, I am happy to hear those too.

Thanks!



Edited to fix a typo.
Last edited by Calico on Tue May 30, 2023 8:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
I am a mere Boglehead apprentice... even after all these years.
michaelscott
Posts: 70
Joined: Sat Jun 25, 2022 9:33 pm

Re: Best resources for planning a trip to Iceland

Post by michaelscott »

Highly recommend the Rick Steves Iceland book.
Rocky Mtn Man
Posts: 412
Joined: Mon Apr 25, 2022 1:58 pm

Re: Best resources for planning a trip to Iceland

Post by Rocky Mtn Man »

I use YouTube to plan my international trips. There are probably 100 recent videos from travelers to Iceland. I like that the information is timely, and the visual medium appeals to me.
halfnine
Posts: 2421
Joined: Tue Dec 21, 2010 12:48 pm

Re: Best resources for planning a trip to Iceland

Post by halfnine »

I wouldn't go in winter as it makes most of the country inaccessible. And the northern lights can be seen in many other places in the world.

We spent 10 days driving the Ring Road departing from it to add in the western peninsulas. We camped to allow lots of flexibility in our days and to eliminate any potential need to pre-book accommodation.

As to learning the language unless you are some natural polyglot everyone will probably be happier speaking English.
Miki M
Posts: 12
Joined: Thu Dec 24, 2020 1:39 am

Re: Best resources for planning a trip to Iceland

Post by Miki M »

Rent a car. For summer travel, 4WD is not needed unless you're going way off road. Download Google maps. Some gas stations only took debit cards, not credit cards. You don't need local cash. Parking at national parks can be paid online within 24-hours of parking there; some of the parking kiosks had long lines or didn't work. Plan on spending a lot of time looking at landscape and sheep - not a lot of people around. The restaurants had some of the best food I've had in my life and I've travelled to 27 countries.
adamthesmythe
Posts: 5774
Joined: Mon Sep 22, 2014 4:47 pm

Re: Best resources for planning a trip to Iceland

Post by adamthesmythe »

For planning- in addition to the obvious (that is, a Rick Steves book bought at Costco): Youtube videos and various Iceland tourist office publications.

It's a northern European country with a language only 300,000 people speak. Virtually everyone also speaks English, probably better than you do. Learn a few words, maybe how to read signs, and be humble.

24 months from now should be excellent for the aurora given the sunspot cycle. I'm not sure what else you do in the winter (that is not extreme). I've only been in the summer, when there is weather enough. For another aurora possibility think about Tromso in Norway, which can be combined with the coastal ferry.
BH13
Posts: 103
Joined: Thu Oct 20, 2011 2:38 pm

Re: Best resources for planning a trip to Iceland

Post by BH13 »

Try the Visting Iceland subreddit, it seems to be very active: https://www.reddit.com/r/VisitingIceland/

We visited for a summer trip and drove the ring road over 8 days. But a winter trip will be very different!
Curry Goat
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Feb 09, 2023 12:33 pm
Location: Brooklyn, NY

Re: Best resources for planning a trip to Iceland

Post by Curry Goat »

We went in February a couple years ago, was really stunning and beautiful. Days were a bit longer at that time of year, and the sun comes up relatively late so had plenty of light in the afternoon. Just be prepared to be flexible if you are driving because the roads get closed all the time due to all of the snow, ice and wind (they have a good road app with updated info). I wouldn't want to drive all the way around the ring road in winter, but if you are used to driving in snow and ice you should be ok driving. Get a decent guide book and as noted there is plenty of info online, and the Tripadvisor Iceland forum is useful too.
User avatar
TnGuy
Posts: 584
Joined: Tue Feb 20, 2007 7:31 am
Location: Oak Ridge, TN

Re: Best resources for planning a trip to Iceland

Post by TnGuy »

My wife and I did an 11-day trip around Iceland a few years back and found the "Iceland - Lonely Planet Travel Guide" to be of great assistance in both plannings ahead and laying out our journey, as well as using it as we did our travels in country.


David
"Money will not make you happy. And happy will not make you money." - Groucho Marx
Running Bum
Posts: 358
Joined: Sun Feb 10, 2013 1:00 pm

Re: Best resources for planning a trip to Iceland

Post by Running Bum »

I did more or less this itinerary, in summer. I spent a week but that included running a marathon, which took up much of one day.

https://www.followmeaway.com/icelandroadtrip/

This site was pretty good too:
https://guidetoiceland.is/you-guide/how ... den-circle

My favorites were Gullfoss waterfall and Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon.

The town of Hveragerdi was the best surprise. It's got a lot of geothermal activity so it's a popular flower growing area, has a small geothermal park with a geysir and hot pools, and we didn't even walk the heated river trail with hot springs as the destination. I got some reports that the springs area was kind of trashy.

We did most but not every single thing in those links and none of them were things I'd say don't bother. We added the lava tubes, which I'd skip.

Try the Messinn restaurant in the middle of town. Make reservations.

Watch the weather before your trip and if high winds are expected, get the extra insurance for your car due to paint damage from the wind blowing sand. If you're going in winter that could limit how much you can get to, but a friend of mine went and I know she made it to Diamond Beach.
Topic Author
Calico
Posts: 1003
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 2015 4:45 pm

Re: Best resources for planning a trip to Iceland

Post by Calico »

Thank you for the tips and ideas. I only just started thinking, "where do I want to go next?" And I know seeing the beauty of Iceland is on my bucket list. I also feel like it might be a place harder to visit as I get older (with all the outdoors stuff) so it's best to go while I am younger.
I am a mere Boglehead apprentice... even after all these years.
Jags4186
Posts: 8198
Joined: Wed Jun 18, 2014 7:12 pm

Re: Best resources for planning a trip to Iceland

Post by Jags4186 »

Get the insurance on the car. The car rental place basically held me hostage until they charged my card nearly $1800 of damage that I was unable to identify even with the person pointing to it. I was eventually refunded by Chase through the CDW but it was stressful in the moment.
halfnine
Posts: 2421
Joined: Tue Dec 21, 2010 12:48 pm

Re: Best resources for planning a trip to Iceland

Post by halfnine »

Calico wrote: Wed May 31, 2023 5:56 pm Thank you for the tips and ideas. I only just started thinking, "where do I want to go next?" And I know seeing the beauty of Iceland is on my bucket list. I also feel like it might be a place harder to visit as I get older (with all the outdoors stuff) so it's best to go while I am younger.
Within reason being older isn't going to make Iceland any more challenging than visiting any other country. The outdoors stuff that 99% of the people are doing is quite accessible to the road and the walking is never really that far nor that strenuous. The more challenging bit at some point in life for someone wanting to independently circumnavigate the country would likely have to do with driving for very long hours and the stress/strain of driving offroad.
User avatar
TomatoTomahto
Posts: 17158
Joined: Mon Apr 11, 2011 1:48 pm

Re: Best resources for planning a trip to Iceland

Post by TomatoTomahto »

I get the FI part but not the RE part of FIRE.
User avatar
tennisplyr
Posts: 3703
Joined: Tue Jan 28, 2014 12:53 pm
Location: Sarasota, FL

Re: Best resources for planning a trip to Iceland

Post by tennisplyr »

Another Rick Steves resource.

https://www.ricksteves.com/
“Those who move forward with a happy spirit will find that things always work out.” -Retired 13 years 😀
Running Bum
Posts: 358
Joined: Sun Feb 10, 2013 1:00 pm

Re: Best resources for planning a trip to Iceland

Post by Running Bum »

One other note. Reykjavik, while being a pretty clean and safe city, is pretty boring, IMO. Get away from town and see the rest of the country.

This https://www.flyovericeland.com/, however, looks pretty cool. It's a ride simulator that let's you "fly" over the country. I knew nothing about it but they were just putting on the finishing touches when we were there, and our airbnb was right across the street from it.
User avatar
Info_Hound
Posts: 421
Joined: Wed Mar 23, 2011 9:47 am
Location: Threw a dart in a map and moved

Re: Best resources for planning a trip to Iceland

Post by Info_Hound »

I have a near term trip to Iceland planned and basically built my own itinerary. My interests are natural sites, culture and history and food. Some of the books I found helpful are:
Iceland the Bradt Guide by Andrew Evans. https://www.amazon.com/Iceland-Bradt-Tr ... gJHNfD_BwE
Iceland by Frommer's. https://www.frommers.com/destinations/iceland
and the book - https://www.amazon.com/Frommers-Iceland ... 5182706014

Another easy read on customs and culture is https://www.amazon.com/Iceland-Culture- ... 1787029042
I did not find much in the way new information in this book https://www.amazon.com/Fodors-Essential ... 9163&psc=1

Unlike most, I did not find Steve's book helpful. He seems to have a pattern of writing about visiting cities and doing things very 'touristy' in my opinion.
What I did find of the books I have noted is they offered some overlapping information but also had some different recommendations for sights to see, hotels to stay at as well as pricing.

This is important, as Iceland is very expensive...yes, everything is expensive in Iceland. Booking early is important in order to get the best price. Especially the hotels.

Enjoy the search for information and I know if you decide to take the plunge you will not be disappointed.
Topic Author
Calico
Posts: 1003
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 2015 4:45 pm

Re: Best resources for planning a trip to Iceland

Post by Calico »

Thanks again!

I started reading some of the resources listed here (and watching videos and resources based on links here) and I will admit, I am a bit sticker shocked on prices. So now I am rethinking things. I still want to go to Iceland, but I might shorten the trip to Iceland itself and take advantage of the offer Iceland Air gives regarding staying in Iceland for 2-3 days and connecting to another place. I am still considering Iceland alone as that's what I originally wanted, but I need to figure out if I can make it work with how much I can save by then and my budget. So as a plan B, I am now considering the idea of 2-3 days in Iceland and another 5-7 days in either Scotland or Ireland. I am still doing research.
I am a mere Boglehead apprentice... even after all these years.
livesoft
Posts: 86076
Joined: Thu Mar 01, 2007 7:00 pm

Re: Best resources for planning a trip to Iceland

Post by livesoft »

BH13 wrote: Wed May 31, 2023 11:25 am Try the Visting Iceland subreddit, it seems to be very active: https://www.reddit.com/r/VisitingIceland/

We visited for a summer trip and drove the ring road over 8 days. But a winter trip will be very different!
Reddit is the answer for everything nowadays. If Bogleheads aren't using it, then they are missing out on anything where the word "Best" is used in the ask.
Wiki This signature message sponsored by sscritic: Learn to fish.
SurferLife
Posts: 704
Joined: Sun Jun 15, 2014 1:57 am

Re: Best resources for planning a trip to Iceland

Post by SurferLife »

I believed we used a Lonely Planet guide when we went; it was very good. Oh yeah, the cost to get to Iceland was actually cheap since we were living in Europe, but once we got in the country, it was FAAAAAR more expensive than we thought. Had I known the cost of things ahead of time I probably would not have gone, but in the end I'm glad we went.

What we did was rent a campervan and drove the ring road with offshoots to certain things. You can stay at campgrounds all throughout the country and from what we could see, it's a pretty normal (and popular) thing to do. It seemed like it was a lot more fun than doing hotels since you're essentially driving your tent around, and you had more versatility in where you could stay. We also did it with a 3mo old baby, so it's not hard by any means, though it did get cold for a few nights. If you want to book a camper, do it FAR in advance as they get booked up quickly.

Iceland really is a magical place and there is no other place on the planet like it from everywhere I've been; I'd love to go back. As others have said, the main city was kind of boring.

When you get to Iceland, you'll probably be surprised at the number of "monster trucks" you see. For the Icelandic people, these are just normal cars that are capable of driving to more locations but more specifically, they can drive on the F roads. A big factor in your trip planning will be whether or not you want to drive the F roads. The F roads in Iceland are for 4WD only, and these roads are usually off-shoots from the ring road and go into the interior. If you go down these roads you will be rewarded with unbelievable views, experiences and isolation, very few people do them! These roads range anywhere from gravel only to crossing streams, and they have easy and hard F roads, so do your research here based on type of F road and type of 4WD you need. If you rent a Subaru Outback because it has AWD/4WD, that's not going to cut it on the medium to hard F roads. You can rent a 4WD Hilux that will probably do the job, but you need to pay extra for premium insurance, etc... Bottom Line, F roads require another level of planning that most tourists do not do.
Topic Author
Calico
Posts: 1003
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 2015 4:45 pm

Re: Best resources for planning a trip to Iceland

Post by Calico »

Hey there. I just wanted to thank everyone again for the help. I got some of the books at the library, looked at websites, and followed some ideas here. It looks like an eight day trip to Iceland will be more expensive than other places in Europe, but I think I can make it work. My estimate for eight days (in May) for three people is $11,000 (that's just for lodging, food, and car rental). I played around with the idea of just three or four days in Iceland and the rest someplace else, but that ended up being more expensive or about the same price. It would be cheaper to just go to another place, but I kind of have my heart set on Iceland for my next trip. In any case, I now I have a figure to work with/to save up for and resources to sort though to start planning. Thanks again!
I am a mere Boglehead apprentice... even after all these years.
halfnine
Posts: 2421
Joined: Tue Dec 21, 2010 12:48 pm

Re: Best resources for planning a trip to Iceland

Post by halfnine »

Calico wrote: Thu Jun 01, 2023 8:59 pm Hey there. I just wanted to thank everyone again for the help. I got some of the books at the library, looked at websites, and followed some ideas here. It looks like an eight day trip to Iceland will be more expensive than other places in Europe, but I think I can make it work. My estimate for eight days (in May) for three people is $11,000 (that's just for lodging, food, and car rental). I played around with the idea of just three or four days in Iceland and the rest someplace else, but that ended up being more expensive or about the same price. It would be cheaper to just go to another place, but I kind of have my heart set on Iceland for my next trip. In any case, I now I have a figure to work with/to save up for and resources to sort though to start planning. Thanks again!
The longer the trip the less time one really needs to spend in and around Reykjavik as most everything one can find in/around Reykjavik can be found elsewhere in better quality. The notable exception being Gullfoss Falls. But certainly skip the Blue Lagoon for the alternatives elsewhere.
Post Reply