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On Travels Tips for Iceland

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Since about 2012, vacation travellers to Iceland has drastically increased – and the trend seems to be continuing. Because one’s travel will probably involve Reykjavik, here are some tips that are worth knowing before arriving.

Consider flying KEF-based Icelandair or WOW airlines (discounter) as they may provide considerable savings. We used Icelandair for our entire trip to the UK, and we would fly them again.

The international airport for Reykjavik is not in Reykjavik, but actually in Keflavik (KEF) – which is about 45 minutes from Reykjavik.

Given the airport location, Flybus and Grayline provide bus transportation to Reykjavik. Visitors can purchase tickets in the baggage area at the airport.

The buses will not take passengers to their hotel – but will stop at designated bus stops within the city, so select a hotel close to one of the bus stops. We got lucky with our hotel as it was very close to two stops. Thumbs up to the Skuggi Hotel.

 

Reykjavik is a very walkable city – so select a hotel in the city center or in the old city/harbor area.

Tour companies are abundant, and also use the same bus stops are airport transportation.

We found hotels and food to be expensive. Before booking we expected $300+ per night for a hotel. Once we were there, you learn to accept the $30 for pizza or spaghetti.

We mistakenly thought restaurants would be mainly fish – Not true as there are a wide variety of culinary offering.

Previous posts about Iceland

Enjoy any or all of the videos about intriguing Iceland.

97 thoughts on “On Travels Tips for Iceland”

    • Carrie,
      We were in mid-August (on the way home from the British Isles cruise). There were plenty of tourists, especially at the major sights on the Golden Circle and South Coast. I could also tell by the number of tour buses/vans in Reykjavik. Reykjavik itself wasn’t too crowded. Well … except for one day as a Icelandic Cultural Festival was in progress, which included a marathon. Many people in the city – so we witnessed the people in the streets that evening – so that was abnormal.

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    • Razor,
      Welcome first-time commenter. Iceland is wonderful – so don’t hesitate to go if you get the chance. I encourage you to visit the other 3 blogs I did on this island wonderland, which are listed at the end of the post (before the videos) … and the videos also show a lot!

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    • Demi,
      Welcome first-time commenter. Tourism to Iceland has greatly increased since 2010. Simply a boom. To see more, watch the videos here plus see the three posts I liked at the bottom of this post (and their support videos). It will be worth the time.

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  14. Iceland is a beautiful and intriguing travel destination, Frank. You can tell by our comments that you’ve planted some seeds in many of us that one day may lead us to this magical country. I say “magical” because of those wonderful lights!

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  15. Debra,
    Beautiful, intriguing, and magical are great descriptors of this tiny island the size of Ohio. Because my wife wants to see the Aurora, I wouldn’t be surprised if we take a winter trip there in the future. Especially with Wow coming to Cincinnati this spring.

    I can’t remember (without looking), but if you didn’t see the other posts I did on Iceland, they are listed at the bottom of this post.

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  19. Pingback: On Travels Tips for Iceland — A Frank Angle - The Punk Rock Hobo

    • Harvey,
      Welcome first-time commenter. Glad you enjoyed the videos. Hopefully you will get to Iceland sooner rather than later. I suggest you see the other posts I did (linked at the end of the post) – and each of them also have wonderful videos! Enjoy!

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  25. We absolutely loved Iceland!! You should definitely go!! If I were going again though my top tip would be to go in the summer and hike and camp. This saves looooads of money as accommodation is so expensive and means you get to see much more of the country on your own two feet

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    • Sofie,
      Welcome first-time commenter. I try to capture the experience more in a nutshell – for instance, it is important for me not to be too crazy with images and words. Also why I chunked Iceland into 4 posts. Meanwhile – I encourage you to go. Given your location, check the two airlines I mentioned.

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    • Waypoint,
      Welcome first-time commenter. Iceland’s vacation industry boomed in 2010 – the year of a major volcanic eruption. The land provides constant visual stimulation – very unique giving a sense what it may be like on another planet. Simply beautiful!

      Both Icelandair and Wow airlines are expanding US services in 2018 to meet the demand. Wow’s demands in my city (Cincinnati) have been good enough that they expanded service (more days) before their service has actually begun. To raise your curiosity, I invite you to see the other posts about Iceland linked at the end of this post. Enjoy!

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    • Where&Knit,
      Welcome first-time commenter. Seeing the Aurora borealis is also on our list. We would like to return to Iceland in the winter for that … then again, there is no guarantee. I invite you to see the other posts I did about Iceland that are linked in this post.

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    • Stephani,
      Welcome first-time commenter. You obviously have a love for travel, so I salute that! Carry on!!! Meanwhile, Iceland was wonderful, but it also came with a few uncertainties. We had heard that it is expensive, but until one experiences it, one never actually knows – hence this post. Enjoy your trip to Iceland whenever you get there!

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  33. The wife and I are going on a Norwegian Fjord cruise in May, and In the process of booking it, I checked out Iceland as a future possibility. Thanks for the info; Iceland seems doable.

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    • Ridgeline,
      Welcome first-time commenter. Make no mistake about it, Iceland is a visual feast. Yes, it is a tourist destination, after all, tourism is a huge industry for them – and has been the past 5-7 years. On the other hand, I never felt overwhelmed with crowds.

      Keep in mind Iceland is about the physical size of Ohio with a much lower population. My Cincinnati area has many more people than Iceland. With only a third of a million in the country, and with one third of them in Reykjavik. Go!!!! … and I encourage you to see the other posts I linked on this here.

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    • Eater,
      Welcome first-time commenter. The food was in Iceland was as expensive as anticipated. On the plus side, there was more of a variety than I expected! Hope you make it there someday!

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    • Sunnies,As
      Welcome first-time commenter. Iceland is wonderful, so cheers to your upcoming visit. I’m not a vegetarian, so I honestly don’t know. However, given that Reykjavik is a city, I’m confident that culinary options exist. I quickly searched “vegetarian options Reykjavik” and saw options listed. In terms of hotels, we enjoyed Skuggi. Two tour stop locations were very close (important if you take any tours and for airport transportation). As you look for hotels, I wouldn’t suggest anything any further away from city centre than Skuggi. Enjoy!!!

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  38. WOW does have amazing deals. I got my Iceland tickets for $292 rt from Los Angeles on WOW, and the airline was actually better than I expected. Also, I stayed at an Airbnb one day in Reykjavik which slept 4 people and was about $200, and then a hostel the second night there which was about $30 per person. Hotels are definitely too expensive, but there are other options.

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