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Hey fellow TL'ers,
I am planning to go to Iceland somewhere around this December, mainly to catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights.
It would be great if anyone living in Iceland or been to Iceland could contribute by giving me any tips/strats regarding almost anything that might help me in planning and traveling there. I would especially like a backpackers take on it. (Don't just tell me to go for a tour lol =/)
One big question I have is where exactly is the best place to view the northern lights? I hear that you can catch em in the city itself but I would really like to be out in the wilds enjoying it. Another question is transport. Is it true that transport becomes relatively scarce during winter in comparison to summer? Will it be a problem for a solo traveler?
Anyway, if you've been to Iceland and want to share your experience here, please do so. It should really be help.
 
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I'd like to visit Iceland and have planned to do so for about 2 years.
That's all... No tips, no worries or unworries. I'd just like to wish u a pleasant journey!
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Hah, I've been wanting to go to Iceland myself for a few months now. Really interested in the nordic mythology and the landscape and activities you can do there. I'd love to hear more myself.
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Not From Iceland never been either... Would really love to go, hope we get some real Icelandic masters in here
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There aren't man activities to do there. Besides from watching the geysers and mabey check out some of the old history and go to the blue lagoon or what the name was. Other then that it's just a regular as country. Beatiful though.
Dont go there for more then 1 week really. The other week of it will just be you either partying or you trying to do something but you cant since you already did it all.
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I've been to Iceland once, though mostly in Reykjavik. We also rented a car and drove along the south coast to check out some of the volcanos etc. It's nice place, and people are very friendly. Definitely check out the blue lagoon, I have never seen anything similar, it's definitely unique. Other than that, you might want to go to Akureyri for the northern lights, as it's even farther north than Reykjavik. I agree with Buffy in that there isn't really much to do in Iceland after a while, so if I were you I'd consider maybe going to the north of Norway or Sweden as well. This way you could get more out of your trip. Tromsø for example, is very pretty in the winter.
Hope you have a nice trip, and sorry I couldn't be of more help. Hopefully some Icelanders will see the thread and offer you more advice!
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Public transport is lacking a bit over here and quite expensive, so if you're traveling on your own, and not in an organized group of people, you might want to consider renting a car.
I'm not very aware of the touristy things people like to do so I'm not of much use when it comes to that stuff.
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Iceland can be a very different experience depending on what your personality is, and where you hail from. I am from the states and i worked there from September to December last year, it is a very nice place to be. I worked at a hotel in the Selfoss area called Hotel Hekla, in those 3 months i feel like i experienced enough of Icelandic life to give some tips.
In regard to travel, you can rent a car like anywhere else, or, you could take advantage of Iceland's bus system which will bring you to many destination with a small fee (even less if your not above taking advantage of the price differential for young people). Also oddly enough hitch hiking is very viable in Iceland, when walking between towns you will almost always be offered a ride (if you don't look like a creeper) and most Icelanders speak English quite well so you are unlikely to end up away from your destination.
If you seek the lights you may want to venture out f the city since they can be viewed much more clearly away from major areas.
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Btw where're you from? About the Nothern Light, you get a much better view of it in northern Norway for sure, but Norway is damn expensive. Some info!_!
I got no idea about Iceland, but get a sword,shield & a helmet and you're ready to travel like a viking.
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+ Show Spoiler +On September 14 2011 09:43 tSaR wrote:
Iceland can be a very different experience depending on what your personality is, and where you hail from. I am from the states and i worked there from September to December last year, it is a very nice place to be. I worked at a hotel in the Selfoss area called Hotel Hekla, in those 3 months i feel like i experienced enough of Icelandic life to give some tips.
In regard to travel, you can rent a car like anywhere else, or, you could take advantage of Iceland's bus system which will bring you to many destination with a small fee (even less if your not above taking advantage of the price differential for young people). Also oddly enough hitch hiking is very viable in Iceland, when walking between towns you will almost always be offered a ride (if you don't look like a creeper) and most Icelanders speak English quite well so you are unlikely to end up away from your destination.
If you seek the lights you may want to venture out f the city since they can be viewed much more clearly away from major areas.
Thanks for the info. Really helpful. I think it would be really exciting to hitch hike my way across. Its a shame that you wont be in this december, that sliver of hope I had when I saw your country of origin next to your name faded pretty fast, haha.
But yea, I dont intend to stay for longer than 7 days. Wont be able to make it to Norway this time around as I dont have enough holiday time.
Any notable Icelandic artists (a la Sigur Ros) having a concert around that time?
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United Kingdom10823 Posts
I went to Iceland a few years ago. can't say that I'm an expert, but a few things I did notice while I was there
1. Its cold even in the summer, so wrap up. Yeah, I know its Iceland, but you'll be surprised how many of my mates turned up without a coat, and had T-Shirts only. Sure it worked for a few of the days, but the rest they were freezing.
2. Bring a decent amount of cash. It was pretty expensive in Reykjavik when I was there, so be careful.
3. I'd say rent a car, because while you can take public transport, its just cool to drive around and look at the geographical madness, and you're not limited to where you can go then. Best part of the trip was driving out in the middle of nowhere (literally) and just chilling in a random field. I say field, but there were volcanic rocks everywhere...God Iceland is awesome
Hope you have fun dude
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Sorry about that, i had not yet bothered to change my position to my current home.
Im not sure about concerts and stuff, but im sure you can find something and plan your trip with that in mind.
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EPT
