FormerHangie
En-Route
I'm taking the family to Iceland for a week at the end of May. For those that have been, do you have any suggestions what to see? Thanks.
Iceland recommendations
- Thread starter FormerHangie
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I proposed to my wife there. Rent a 4x4, drive all over the place. There are tons of roads off the beaten path to explore/camp/hike. Stay at little B&Bs, everyone is friendly and most speak good English. The ferry to the fjords to see the puffins on the western most point of Europe is worth it. Do watch out for the sheep and especially some little game bird that kamikazes right in front of you across the road. Don’t be surprised if you leave a trail of carnage, they’re on a suicide mission. Glaciers, volcanoes, all worth a visit since you can’t do that in the lower 48(except the NW)
Soups are good, fermented shark is not. In May the sun barely sets so get ready for permanent daylight. We were there in August and it was trippy.
Soups are good, fermented shark is not. In May the sun barely sets so get ready for permanent daylight. We were there in August and it was trippy.
jordane93
Touchdown! Greaser!
It’s VERY touristy but go to the Blue Lagoon. There may be other less touristy natural spas but we went to the Blue Lagoon. Also, you have to get an Icelandic hot dog. They are delicious!
Do one of the bus tours that takes you to the golden falls, the geysers and the big park. I think we did the "Golden Circle" tour, well worth it. Be aware that EVERYTHING there is very expensive, though the beauty of the whole place helps you forget about that part.
Stewartb
Final Approach
Wife and I will be there in early June on the way home from Spain. Hotel and car are booked. Looking forward to it!
Shawn
En-Route
Do it this way:
Sac Arrow
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Fermented shark. Blech. Doesn't sound appealing.
FormerHangie
En-Route
I wasn't planning on that. Let's face it none of the Nordic countries are known for their food.
Doc Holliday
En-Route
I spent a summer in Keflavik. Fortunately once you get away from the base the rest of Iceland is fairly scenic.
Sac Arrow
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Maybe that is why they are so thin?
Stewartb
Final Approach
I can't wait to get familiar with their food, drink, and customs. That's the good part of traveling. Bring it!
SoCal RV Flyer
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Yes, Blue Lagoon. The turquoise water seems almost phosphorescent...so cool to see that contrasted with the black lava rock. Also, go to the intersection of the European and North American tectonic plates; kinda neat to see the topography there. And the tremendous waterfalls, and Fjords...even if you're a Chevy man. 
I'll try to dig up a pic or two that I took.
Ah, here are a few:
I'll try to dig up a pic or two that I took.Ah, here are a few:
Last edited:
schmookeeg
En-Route
We were able to circumnavigate the island in 8 lazy days, and were sick of volcanic rocks and waterfalls by the end of it. That's sort of what they have on offer, along with some odd architecture. English is spoken more than you'd suspect, but like anywhere, they appreciate the attempt to mangle out a greeting in their language.
We took the rental car off-roading in the NW peninsula (Hornstrandir?) for 3 days, don't do that. It's rugged as hell and there is nothing there.
Get very clued in about when the northern lights run, cross-referenced to the chance of overcast -- they put on one hell of a show up there if you can align things.
Renting the Diesel Subaru outback was money well spent. We literally did the island on a single tank, and it handled the gravel roads like a champ.
There is a less touristy lagoon in Myvatn. It was also blue and very pleasant and only like 15% of the tourist load.
If you do have a car, prepare to be hit up by stoned backpackers looking for a free ride when you stop at a market or restaurant. Those clowns are everywhere on the southern half of the ring road. Completely absent on the northern half.
AirBnB can save you a few coins. Many of them serve dinner as part of the deal. While we will never know for sure, I'm certain that it was a rural Icelandic AirBnB where we ate green salad with horse. Chewy. 2 stars. Would not order again.
Skip the reykjavik mall except for stocking up on strange supplies or snacks. Don't be tricked by the mexican food place. I can't explain what I was thinking. There are plenty of small grocers along the ring road, route 1.
The puffins are rad, but bring a long lens, the tour buses hog the best spots and you'll have every freaking Ansel Adams out there with his giant articulating tripod arrangement blocking the view and trying to get that perfect shot. God those guys annoy me, I wish I had shoved a few off of the cliffs. It would've doubled viewing capacity of the nesting grounds.
After doing that, there are restaurants that serve puffin. We were there late in season so I didn't get to troll my wife who is an aspiring photogue herself by ordering an 8x10 of roasted photogenic creature with potato salad.
It's windy as heck, not terribly cold, but layers are a strong choice. I did most of iceland in only the windbreaker, but there were 2 days where I was happy for the fleecy liner.
You gotta do it once and say you did.
We took the rental car off-roading in the NW peninsula (Hornstrandir?) for 3 days, don't do that. It's rugged as hell and there is nothing there.
Get very clued in about when the northern lights run, cross-referenced to the chance of overcast -- they put on one hell of a show up there if you can align things.
Renting the Diesel Subaru outback was money well spent. We literally did the island on a single tank, and it handled the gravel roads like a champ.
There is a less touristy lagoon in Myvatn. It was also blue and very pleasant and only like 15% of the tourist load.
If you do have a car, prepare to be hit up by stoned backpackers looking for a free ride when you stop at a market or restaurant. Those clowns are everywhere on the southern half of the ring road. Completely absent on the northern half.
AirBnB can save you a few coins. Many of them serve dinner as part of the deal. While we will never know for sure, I'm certain that it was a rural Icelandic AirBnB where we ate green salad with horse. Chewy. 2 stars. Would not order again.
Skip the reykjavik mall except for stocking up on strange supplies or snacks. Don't be tricked by the mexican food place. I can't explain what I was thinking. There are plenty of small grocers along the ring road, route 1.
The puffins are rad, but bring a long lens, the tour buses hog the best spots and you'll have every freaking Ansel Adams out there with his giant articulating tripod arrangement blocking the view and trying to get that perfect shot. God those guys annoy me, I wish I had shoved a few off of the cliffs. It would've doubled viewing capacity of the nesting grounds.
After doing that, there are restaurants that serve puffin. We were there late in season so I didn't get to troll my wife who is an aspiring photogue herself by ordering an 8x10 of roasted photogenic creature with potato salad.
It's windy as heck, not terribly cold, but layers are a strong choice. I did most of iceland in only the windbreaker, but there were 2 days where I was happy for the fleecy liner.
You gotta do it once and say you did.