Help please with planning trip to Iceland

[thesurreyyouth]

Looking to take the family to Iceland for a week in the Easter holidays. I've been quoted a package deal through a travel agent which was a little eye watering and wondered if we would be better off putting a package together ourselves.
We're not confident travellers as the usual family holiday is heading South west to the beaches in Cornwall. Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks

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Planning a trip to Iceland? For a handy round-up of Mumsnetters’ advice on when to go, what to do, where to stay, and how to save a few pennies along the way, take a look at our guide to Iceland holidays. MNHQ.

Just back from Iceland and was fab! We just booked it all separately. Would advise Iceland Travel website. We just booked the tours on there, our transfers etc. They were so good when we needed to make changes and cancellations etc. Really easy to do yourself and we saved hundreds doing it this way!

No help, but would love to do this so place marking!

It is amazing but bloody expensive. We are lucky to have friends that live there. Have you tried Air BnB?

Don't do it despite what the orange one says.

Thanks will look at that website. Dh and I have a week off work during the Easter break and our 2 youngest children have never been abroad. We don't fancy a holiday in the Mediterranean, came across Iceland and became excited about seeing all it has to offer. We took advice from the travel agent, but having last had a break abroad over a decade ago we were surprised at how it added up. Mainly that 13yr old dd is classed as an adult. That's our error and obviously a well known fact in the travel industry.
If we put together our own flights, hotels and trips how do we organise transfer to and from the hotels other than car hire. Sorry to ask such a simple question.

I would read the Foreign Office travel website on Iceland with particular reference to road travel.

Even a body as dry as the FCO note that Iceland is expensive!.

There is a bus from the airport into town so you can just get that. Try Airbnb for accommodation which will probably be cheaper and also enable you to self cater. The blue lagoon is on the way to the airport so you can stop off there on the way to or from. The tours though (to the volcanos and waterfalls) are quite expensive so if you are happy driving you may find that cheaper and more flexible.

We just got a airport transfer from Iceland travel that took us straight to the hotel. Then we got a transfer back via the blue lagoon. We didn't book a car as we stayed in Reyjavik and then got picked up for the tours. I didn't find it super expensive to be honest, you can find places that are cheaper to eat. The tours are worth the money imo. Very beautiful and interesting country, will def be going back. I just liked the fact we could pick and choose what we wanted and then spent a few days roaming around the town too, there are a lot of interesting places to see.

You can do tours or hire a car both a very easy. Most operators are very expensive in the UK, much cheaper to book yourself. In Reykjavik you can book apartments which would be cheaper but I wouldn't recommend staying in Reykjavik for the whole time, get out and experience. I am off on my 7th trip in April.

I booked everything separately; Icelandic air flights worked out cheaper than easy jet when I booked, I stayed at the Downtown hostel which had a really good location and whilst not as plush as a hotel, was clean, very warm and comfy. I'd booked a double ensuite, but ended up with a triple room to myself which would have been ideal for a family.

The staff at the hostel recommended going to one of the city swimming pools as a cheaper and more authentically Icelandic experience than the blue lagoon.

I did the golden circle and south coast tours with geo Iceland. They were both excellent but the south coast was a long day out. I wouldnt have wanted to hire a car and self drive in the winter (the roads were very icy indeed) but it would certainly be a good option in the better weather.

Eating out could be expensive but there were plenty of cheaper options too. The youth hostel had a kitchen so I could make up a picnic lunch and there was a small supermarket close by that had a hot deli food counter.

I really enjoyed my holiday, I found on the whole people were very friendly and the scenery and countryside was stunning.

I would use public transport and tours (it is a lot colder than UK and windy, not an easy place to drive)

Most tour operators will pick you up & drop off from your hotel or apartment

If you do self catering there are supermarkets

I would recommend horse riding trip for children/family and public swimming pools that have thermal pools

Take lots of warm layers, hat, scarf, gloves, waterproofs, swimming gear

It is expensive

Northern lights and landscapes beautiful

Enjoy the music and stories/fables too