Iceland - any one been?

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

I'm procrastinating at the moment (am supposed to be doing proper stuff on computer but hey ho)

I'm vaguely considering the possibility of going to Iceland next year for a holiday. Huge fascination with volcanic stuff, always wanted to see geysers and magma and the like. Also whales and glaciers would be rather a bonus.

But I know nothing about it, is it ridiculously scarily expensive? (is this just a pipe dream?) We would probably hire a car. Can anyone recommend a good travel company to look at?

Thanks

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Planning a trip to Iceland? This thread is a little old and some of the recommendations may be out of date. 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.

It is stupidly expensive (we went last year) not sure if virtual bankupcy has changed anything.

But it is absolutely brilliant.

We stayed in Reykjavik and hired a 4 x 4 (went in October and had scary snowstorms on the way to Pingvar) The weather can change in an instant.

Not sure you'll see a lot of magma !

We booked individually (but I'm sure a quick google will throw up all sorts of packages)

Make sure you go to the Blue Lagoon.

I thought you meant the supermarket

Both of my sons have been on school trips and my daughter will be going next year.

It is a fantastic place to go, but I would recommend that you go on a tour in order to make the most of the sites.

A good friend of mine went, she said it was great but, again, really expensive, and definitely not the place to go if you like a drink or two of an evening!

They went in the winter and it rained solidly for the whole trip so I'd definitely only go in the summer when it's nice and light. Am envious though - I'd love to visit Iceland. Apparently it's a great place to ride, if you're into that

We wnt for our honeymoon 13 years ago it was fantastic. It was expensive but if you don't mind staying off the booze it cuts the pricec. We hired a car for 2 weeks and drove round virtually the whole island with a couple of days either end in Reykavik. we went in June so it was daylght 24/7 but still saw volcanoes gysers glaciers icebergs hot springs mudpools etc. the company we went with was called Arctic Experience and they organised the whole thing - car booking, accommodation each night and itinary, but we were on our own all the time so no feel of a 'coach trip' type set up.

Yes - loved it! Booked flights and hotels ourselves and hired a car. The driving is so easy as there are very few cars outside the big towns.

Discover the World are a good travel company - request their brochure on line and then copy the itinerary you like the best!

We loved it so much dd was conceived there

We have close friends in Reykjavik and have been twice - once with kids once without. The crash in the Icelandic economy means that now is the very best time to visit and flights are very affordable. We were lucky enough to borrow a car on our visit with kids but you can get by without. The buses are excellent (drivers speak perfect English in the main) and you can do very affordable bus / coach tours to the Golden Triangle sights (Blue Lagoon, Geysir and Gulfoss) and further afield to the ice floes. Booze is very pricey but we took a box of wine each in our luggage and got duty free spirits - do as the natives do and get drunk before you go out . It is an amazing country - best family holiday we've ever had. Summer probably the best - winter would be fab but you'd have to invest in lots of snow gear if you don't own it already.

It is faaaaaabulous!

I went on a Uni field trip in (counts ...) eeek 1991!! A week cost £100 - benefits of studying Geography!.

Its dear, and deffo take your own booze (very expensive!). Geysers, waterfalls, glaciers, hot bubbling mud pools, whales, etc etc etc .....

I was there in June and it never got dark. I'm used to living in the far north of Scotland where I thought it never got dark, but it really didn't in Iceland!

I would avoid an organised tour tbh as you never know what might totally capture your imagination - you might want to spend a week watching the Strokkur geyser erupt (like me! But couldn't as we only had one day of "tourist" stuff).

Spent the rest of the time measuring the size of Rhizocarbon Geographicum lichens on recessional moraines!!

Yup we went on honeymoon, yes it is expensive and yes to hiring a car. We also used Arctic Experience and found them to be very good and helpful. Flew into Reykjavik then internal transfer to Akureyi. Drove all the way back (west) to Reykjavik from there. Oh and we went in August

Went at the end of September another time and the change in weather was phenomenal!

Since the4 crash last Ocotber it has become much more affordable. There are some good deals to be had and it is now not much more expensive than any capital city (like London).

Dh and I went last November and had a fabulous time. I had been there are few times on business and had always hankered after visiting for pleasure. Got a package via IcelandAIr which included 3 nights in a 4 star hotel and the flights from Glasgow (the weekend before the direct flights stopped) for IIRC, £250 each. We also did the Golden Circle Tour (well worth it) and got the transfer back to the airpot via the Blue Lagoon (again, also well worth it - touristy but a lovely relaxing way to finish a holiday)

Both of those tours we booked through Iceland Excursions who I would recommend. We bought a single transfer from the airport for the "simple" airport transfer to Reykjavik which is operated by Reykjavik Excursions. It does drop offs to all the main hotels - they ask as you get on to the bus.

Another Fan here; one of the few places I want 2 go back to.

Oh wow - fantastic, thank you for all your replies
I'll read through properly later.

weegiemum - lichen measuring eh?! Thats actually kind of cool

I've got lots of websites to look at now. Really really hope we can do this (depends on how much replacing our boiler will be) You've got me all excited at the idea!

oh wow and theres fossils in Tjörnes.....

Revitalising an old thread but does anyone know about staying in apartments?