Traveling to Iceland on May 20 for a week. Two mid-agers travel fast to see as much as possible. Looking for tips on car rental, routes, hotels and food. Thanks for sharing!
Posted by
Texas
59 posts
My husband and I were in Iceland for 2 and a half weeks in June/July 2016. We rented a car from Blue Car Rental. I would highly recommend this car rental agency! The rental process was seamless. The SUV we rented only had 9km on it when we got it!! Considering you only have a week, you won't have time to properly go around the entire country like we did, but you could definitely visit Reykjavik and drive around South Iceland. This region was among the most beautiful!! During our road trip, we stayed in Airbnbs as hotels were not always available. Regarding food...one of our favorites was Gamla fjósið right off ring road 1 near E15. Also, in Selfoss was a great little burger place called Hamborgarabúllan. PM me if you have any specific questions, and I would be glad to help! Iceland is a beautiful country, and you will very much enjoy your time there.
Posted by
Frankfurt, Germany
9089 posts
As a tip, both Fodors and Trip Advisor offer tons of information on things to see and do in Iceland. Their forums and their Things to Do section are very helpful.
Sadly, Rick offers nothing as they don't have tours there. No tour, no forum section.
Posted by
London, UK via Seattle, Washington
34 posts
A few years ago, I was in Iceland in December so days were short, sunlight was limited and it was cold so your experience in May will be very different.
I would highly recommend driving out to Jökulsárlón. We drove from Reykjavík over two days, stopping at Skógafoss on the way and staying in Vík í Mýrdal. If you're short on time, you might be able to do it in one very long day (it's 4.5 hours each way according to Google), but it'd better over two days so you can relax and see a few sights on the way there/back.
Closer to Reykjavík, the Golden Circle is a must, especially if you have a car.
Be sure to know whether your car is suitable for the roads you'll be on. They might not be clearly marked on maps, but a 4WD is necessary on F roads in the mountains and highlands. If a road looks questionable, it's best to turn around before it's too late. You're not likely to have a flood of cars passing to offer assistance if you need it.
My experience: I rented a car in December with a few traveler friends (we met in Iceland through mutual friends) and we drove to Jökulsárlón. The driver on the first day didn't notice the low gas light... or the funny sounds... and on the morning of the second day, we slowly puttered out on a main road. After sitting along the dark road for what felt like forever, a passerby offered to take us to the nearby town to get gas and then back to the car to fill up. Luckily since we were on a main road, we didn't have to wait more than 30 minutes, but on a side road, we would have been pretty stuck. If you'll be driving, be prepared... and fill up your gas tank at every opportunity! Icelanders are friendly, but can be hard to come by outside of cities and villages.
Have a great time. Iceland is incredible!