Traveling from Toronto to Italy and considering a 3-4 night stopover in Iceland on the return. The caveat is that it would be the very end of October. Primary concern is the weather. The cold doesn’t bother us but if it’s very rainy or a snow storm comes, that would definitely hinder us. Ideally we’d love to explore Snaefellsnes Peninsula and as much of the south coast as possible. Maybe 2 nights at each? Obviously accommodations need to be booked well in advance, what do we do in case of bad weather or road closures and can’t make it to one of the hotels? Should we book just 1 central-ish location between the 2 and decide based on weather once there? If so where would you book? As a side note, we have no interest in Reykjavík and will be renting a car. Any help is appreciated. Thank you in advance.
Posted by
Snohomish, WA
3169 posts
Yes, the weather can be anything. Two of our trips have been the end of October and one trip was clear as could be, the other we had snow. Snow is common by that time.
I would not try and do 2 nights in each of those locations. The biggest reason is that you want to be back near KEF the night before your flight in case of road closures. So that leaves you with 3 night. Coming from Toronto, you also do not want to go far on that first day, only about an hour or so is wise. Iceland has been dealing with too many accidents from visitors that come in on overnight fights and don't realize that they are tired/jet lag. So while you have no interest in Reykjavik, that is the smartest thing to do. So that leaves you with 2 nights to explore.
What I suggest is staying in Reykjavik the night you arrive. There is a lot to see and do. Then in the morning head to either Snaefellsness or the south coast. Note that snow is usually not the issue with road closures etc, it is the wind, which can and does blow vehicles off the road. The roads are 2 lane, basically no shoulders, and the roads are built up a bit so if you go over towards what wood be a shoulder, you are going to roll down an embankment. The weather there changes on a dime, so you need to check road and weather conditions multiple times a day.
As for what to do in case of road closures, you stay put. You call the next hotels and try to rearrange, and most will accept a cancellation, but not all so you are at risk of losing money. Don't worry about that though, and just hunker down.
Trying to stay in one location does not work. It is too far for both, and you will be wasting time.
If you don't want to deal with this, then I would suggest taking a 1 night/2 day tour. Leave the driving to someone else and you still get to enjoy the sights.
Posted by
Big Island of Hawaii
799 posts
yes, weather at the end of October can be a concern, so I would agree that you should look into a multi-day tour. Troll Expeditions, Reykjavik Excursions, Arctic Adventures, Nordic Visitor, and Nice Travel get mentioned often. Let the tour company deal with possibly closed roads and hazardous driving conditions.
I think you will find that all the tours start and end in Reykjavik.