Visiting

Getting there:  Situated in the North Atlantic accessible by major airlines ( Icelandair, United, SAS, WOW, Delta etc. ) and a ferry from Denmark (almost 4 days) . The airport is south of the city about 45 minutes by car.

Destination ( 1 week +) ? =

Iceland has been on everyone’s list since 2010 when the Eyjafjallajӧkull volcano blew up in March and made everyone aware of the country: the Icelanders were horrified when I told them we call the Volcano E15 because we can’t pronounce the name.  I am probably going to cause offence here but I don’t think Iceland is a Destination, it’s a stopover, unless you are in western Europe and can hop over for a weekend.  Why do I say that?

• it’s expensive – seriously expensive. In 2018 I spent  US$57 for a hot dog, 1 small glass of wine, 1 beer and a bowl of Pho. Gourmet dinners, without wine, were more than US$100 per person
• there are interesting hikes, enormous glaciers and pretty waterfalls but there are lots of other places with these
• there are geo thermal pools and spas, again not unique
• the food isn’t that out of the ordinary – and you can get the same or similar ingredients elsewhere, better and/or for less
• Northern Lights – you can see these in many places on the planet.

Stopping over =

Having said I don’t think it’s a destination I highly recommend a  3 or 4 day stop over – Icelandic Air even price tickets to allow this from the US.

What to do/see on a stopover?

Summer

Winter:

You can do much of the above wearing warmer clothes and boots,  but you can also

• See the Northern Lights.
• Go snowmobiling
• Skiing and snowboarding are both available – no trees so no tree skiing!

What to eat and drink

The food in Iceland did not impress me, especially considering the price; this goes for cheap eats and gourmet restaurants. Tomatoes, lettuce and cucumbers are grown in geothermal greenhouses, and there is domestic cheese production, but all tree fruit and most other items are imported, hence the lofty prices.

• Lamb is available widely, including in hot dogs – you’ll see sheep everywhere
• Atlantic Char is a tasty local fish. I didn’t see much cod, I was told its almost all exported.
• Hot dogs – there is a famous stand in Reykjavik (BBP) with long lines that move quite quickly. The dog is made from lamb and comes covered in raw and grilled onions, a homemade ketchup and mustard.
• Plokkfiskur at Messin Seafood Restaurant..traditional and quite tasty
• Rye bread Ice-cream at Café Loki ..delicious.
• DON’T eat Puffin or Whale – it’s tacky, touristy and cruel. If tourists stop eating it then the fisherman will stop killing them

What to bring home:

• Clothing: If you like wool, the sweaters (jumpers) are very nice and warm and made by hand. There are also some Icelandic brands of outdoor gear that are very good.
• Delicious jams from local crowberries and Iceland sea salts flavored with lichen and lave
• Chocolates from Omnom, they taste great and the packaging is very pretty
• Brennivin the Icelandic alcohol – though it’s available overseas now

What you should know before you go

• As I mentioned above, Iceland is expensive, be prepared.
• Getting to/from the airport to Reykjavik city is over $100 each way by taxi
• Buy alcohol to bring with you or like a local, at Duty free when you land, before entering the country.
• The Icelandic people are really very nice and very liberated (Women have been able to vote since 1915 and make up more than 40% of the parliament and 44% of company boards)
• Bring warm clothes, layers, hats, gloves and scarf.
• The majority of hotels were nice, select one that includes breakfast, preferably downtown so you can walk in Reykjavik. There are some further out but they really aren’t convenient.
• The explosion in tourism means that there will be busses and cars, dozens and dozens, at every spot you visit. Legions of people trekking, and because some tourists have been disrespectful a number of private landowners have closed off access.