Please sign in to post.

Iceland?

Where is the forum for Iceland? It's in the EU. ????

I wanted to ask if it was a good idea to go there with a hip problem. Stairs can be difficult, but I can walk just fine on an easy/moderate slope. Reykjavík? Golden Circle?

Thanks!

Posted by
244 posts

I agree. And its such a popular spot to stop from the US to mainland Europe. And so many cool things to do!!!

Posted by
8889 posts

Pedantically, Iceland is not in the EU.
But it is in the Schengen Area, and is usually counted as being geographically part of Europe.

Posted by
353 posts

All of the Golden Circle sights I've visited would be easy to do with a minor mobility problem, with the exception of Gulfoss which IIRC has a long staircase to get to at least one of the viewing areas. I believe there is at least one vantage point that doesn't require stair climbing.

Þingvellir and the geysers should be easily navigable with a dodgy hip.

Reykjavik center where most of the tourist activities are is fairly flat with a few minor slopes and a couple of steeper areas. It's a harbor, which means some slope is inevitable!

Posted by
15125 posts

If Rick doesn't have a tour there, it doesn't get a forum. (Iceland, Luxembourg, Malta, Albania, etc.)

As stated, the majority of the Golden Circle should be okay. A few light hills, steps you can avoid, and not a lot of walking.

Reykjavik is fairly flat with a few short inclines. Nothing serious. Stairs can be avoided.

Don't miss it. A beautiful, fascinating place. Just bring lots of money. It ain't cheap.

Posted by
15593 posts

I don't know if it's geographically part of Europe but geologically it is partly North America and partly Europe and gradually being pulled apart, which means it's getting bigger.

Posted by
334 posts

Geographically, Iceland is mostly Europe, but part of the country sits on the North American plate, so volcanoes! Culturally, it is a part of Europe sharing close ties to the other Nordic countries. It is not a part of the EU, but it is a part of the EEA (European Economic Area) and Schengen Area. Iceland applied for EU status a while back but then suspended their application. If the application were to ever be resumed, the issue of fishing would have to be resolved in some way (fishing practices are one of the reasons why Norway never joined the EU).

There is no Iceland forum (unfortunately) because Rick does not have any books or tours covering the country. Iceland is one of the easier countries to travel, so Rick may not feel that it is in his interest to spend a lot of time on it as there's no much he could add to the information that is already out there. Personally, I would like to hear Rick's take on Iceland beyond the short article he published about it a few years ago. But as long as there is no tour or book, there is no forum.

As far as your hip goes, Iceland is hilly, but depending on your length of stay, there are many places you can go that do not have a long walk or substantial grade. If you have a long stay, traveling the Ring Road is easy and many of the pull-offs have only a short walk to get to a point of interest. For a shorter stay, the Golden Circle route is popular. You can do this on your own or as a part of a tour. If walking longer distances is of concern, you may want to skip Thingvellir National Park. I recall that I did a lot of walking there, although none of it was really that difficult, but I was trying to see a lot of the park and don't remember how much can be seen with just a short there and back.