Iceland: some thoughts

We have been back from Iceland three weeks, I think. And some thoughts on what was good and what we could have done better, and so maybe help you plan such a trip.

Biggest lesson for us was that staying in Reykjavík meant that when the northern lights appeared, we relied on the tour company to arrange buses and get us up to the viewing point at the correct time. Us and nearly a thousand others.

Our experience that night on the mountain waiting for the lights was grim. Cold and grim.

Our original plan was to stay at the Northern Lights Hotel near The Blue Lagoon, where the skies were dark, and we could just walk out of the hotel to see the lights. The eruption in November closed that hotel, but there are many others, in the countryside and so when the lights appear you can just walk outside to see them. When our hotel was changed, we just accepted staying in the city, not realising how much of a faff going to see the lights would be.

Staying in the city is fine. Lots to see and shop and eat. But probably three nights is enough. Downtown is a compact area, with most sights being just an half hour walk from the main street.

We hired a car, orginally as we were staying in the Northern Lights Hotel, and that would give us flexbility. When staying in the city, no car is needed. We ended up using it just once, due to the poor weather, and parking is hard, especially in winter when there is piles of snow everywhere. There are parking garages, but hard to find. If you hire a car, make sure it is fitted with studded tyres. Off the rain roads in the city, roads are icy and dangerous.

Most people stay just a few days, less than a week, and do the Golden Circle Tour. Everyone. Each site is packed most of the day, and you see the same buses and same people at each site. If you go in the summer, doing these in a car and planning could mean you have these to yourself, pretty much.

Food and drink is wonderful. But expensive. You can buy tax free booze at the airport when you arrive. Do this. The food tour we did was excellent, if expensive, but fun, and we got to meet other people and chat in a relaxed fashion as the three hour tour went on.

Be prepared to chage plans. The weather and geology are unpredictable. If you want to see the northern lights, allow as long as you can afford to maximise chances, even then, the weather could block them out. Choose a time at solar maximum in the week of a new moon. Stay somewhere out of the city and hope the weather and sun spot activity are kind.

It can get very cold. And windy. But also can rain. Most times, I just wore what I wear at home in winter, but on two occasions it went beyond cold.