To ask what Iceland is like over Christmas?

[badgersbrooke]

anybody been ... just wondering whether to book or not.

Limited daylight. Won't get light until about 9am, and will be dark by 2pm.

Actually, just checked, sunrise 11:30am, sunset 3.30pm!

Definitely not open on Xmas day not sure about Boxing Day....

I've just come back - I was there last week! It was pretty bleak, but beautiful. Incredibly expensive, though. A cheap one course meal in a pub was £25.

The sun rose at 10 and set at 4.30, but from 3 pm it was dusk. The weather was wet and very windy - on one day the airport was shut and on the preceding day the passengers couldn't disembark for ages because of the wind and then the staff couldn't get the bags off. I'd only take cabin bags.

Obviously sunrise/set will change, but don't expect it to be light until sunset.

And it was literally pitch black until 10 am.

Some people found a sulphur smell in the bathrooms, because the water is from the hot springs. I didn't find that, though.

They don’t tend to have much in the way of special offers - they know everyone will be after nibbles for their NYE party.

I’m going on Dec 13th. Im expecting cold but all the travel blogs say it should be ok otherwise and while the sun is only up for a bit, twilight is long.

Don’t think they’ll be open Christmas Day but you might be able to pick up a prawn ring on Christmas Eve.

We went a few years ago for christmas. We loved it. Apparently we were lucky with weather, it was clear and sparkly - cold but not too windy. The week before had been blizzards with zero vision.

It's true sunrise is around 10.30-11 am and sunset around 3pm but weirdly we barely noticed this. We were always outside during daylight hours, hiking round the Golden circle, watching the geyser erupt or walking up to frozen waterfalls. When it was dusky we were inside having lazy late breakfasts or pottering around the coffee shops and music shops in Rekjavik, listening to free live jazz concerts at Hallgrimskirke or snoozing on buses on the way home from excursions. We were often bathing in hot springs in sparkly midday sunshine (and also by starlight at the secret lagoon.)

We had an amazing time there in mid winter.

It's better for new year.

I was coming on to say people raved about their desserts on a thread last Christmas but I see I got the wrong end of the stick .

Chaos, but I managed to get a last minute turkey crown and some party nibbles day before Christmas Eve last year. Although I think Lidl is much better value!

I'm loving the juxtaposition of Icelands, all unwitting.

Actually, just checked, sunrise 11:30am, sunset 3.30pm!

Only about 90 min less sorta daylight than Durham, then.

Oh I don't think unwitting pickle

Metoo pickle

Dark. Starkly beautiful. Expensive.

If you happen to be in the honeymoon period of your relationship, an excellent excuse to spend a week in bed with occasional excursions to outside to refresh for the next round :)

I am literally here on honeymoon! Tips:

There is an Iceland in Reykjavik, so if you are mixed up, you can't go wrong.

The late mornings are a godsend if you're a night owl, and there's plenty of evening activities like visiting the blue lagoon or skywatching - we actually got up earlier for sounder sleeping.

You can eat much more cheaply - bakeries and street food, as well as top ups at supermarkets, all help keep the bill down. But yup, it will be pricey!

Don't pin your hopes on the northern bastard lights bastard showing up however long you sit in the bastard hot tub.

Honestly an amazing place though, we're already planning our trip back (if nothing else to see the bastard lights).