Iceland Hotel Recommendations & Transit Question.

What a nice celebration idea:)

Late March/early April is still winter in Iceland, as their spring is not what anyone else thinks of as spring;) What/where do you have in mind for this trip? Staying in Reykjavik itself or getting out into the countryside? Do you have significant winter driving experience? Not just in NYC, but in the mountains and with ice etc. If you are coming from the US, then definitely stay the night of arrival in Reykjavik before venturing out in a car.

We have been many times and I am not sure where you are looking for lodging, but no, there are many that do not have shared bathrooms. There are numerous guesthouses as well as hotels and cottages. I would suggest cottages, which some places that are named a guesthouse have cottages on site as well, so delve deep into this when looking. The reason I suggest cottages is that they work well for a family. We have done that with our 3 adult kids the time we did the ring road, and it was really nice. Otherwise yes, you will need two hotel rooms.

I would not stay in Reykjavik itself the entire time. Just the first night to get over jet lag, and then venture out. With just 4 days, that is a really short trip. So arrival day in Reykjavik, then either a day on Snaefellsness and a day in the Golden Circle, our two days on the south coast would be my suggestions. Then stay the last night somewhere around Selfoss so you are not too far from KEF for your flight home.

Can you extend for a couple extra nights? I ask because this is such big trip and it would be a shame to cut it so short.

I usually book hotels in Reykjavik directly with them, but the lodgings elsewhere around the country, I use booking.com .

Food can be expensive, but it doesn't have to be. It vary's a lot actually. We are in the Seattle area and I have not found that eating out in Iceland is all that much different than eating out here at home price wise. The food in Iceland is so good!!!

Your post is in the reviews section, but hopefully the webmaster will move it to the Iceland Forum. However, in the reviews section here, look for several of my reviews and then in the trip report area look for my reports from various trips there. Those may help you figure out what you want to do and a time frame. My trip the other week would be a good start as we had 8 days, and you can see how much we packed in, but also how spread out things are.

I'm not sure what sort of guest house you are imagining. Is it something with 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms? If so, that might be tough. But if you are looking for 2 bedrooms and 1 bath there are plenty of apartment hotels in Reykjavik that meet that criteria. I did a random search on booking.com and found a number of places with a wide variety of prices. As mikliz said, weather in Iceland will still be cold and potentially snowy in March and April. So if you aren't accustomed to that sort of driving staying in Reykjavik and taking organized day tours might be the way to go. You will not really see Iceland - the glaciers, hot pots, waterfalls, etc. - if you just stay in Reykjavik.

Take a look at Hotel Fron in Reykjavik. Their penthouse apartment is a 2 bedroom, one bath unit and very spacious. The twin beds in each room can be moved apart, so that would work for your niece and nephew. There is a kitchen, a dining table, and a couch, as well as a small balcony. This hotel is very central! We had a good stay in this apartment.

Thank you so very much for the quick responses @mikliz97 & @trotter !!!

The N&N are from Colorado, so weather is a relative thing. ;-)

We will be going out into the countryside mostly, plan on doing some day-tours to the Golden Circle and Snæfellsnes. Was delighted to see you recommend them.

Yes, I was hoping for a 2-bed/2-bath, but if it's not to be we'll survive such first world problems (LOL). I will definitely check out Hotel Fron & booking.com for accommodations. I've just always been a bit leery of travel sites, particularly when I'm not dealing with a chain.

Anyhow, I'd love to do a few more nights, but the N&N want to spend a few days in NY with the grandparents before heading back home.

Glad to hear food isn't as crazy as advertised. We were in Seattle fairly recently and the pricing is on par with NYC, so no sticker shock is a good thing.

Thanks again for the insights, very much appreciated!

Hi TJ Mac,
when in Reykjavik I stayed at Berjaya Reykjavik Marina. It's right on the waterfront in close proximity to restaurants and downtown. I bought tickets to a show at the Harpa Opera House, and walked from the hotel. Took all of 8 minutes to get there. Granted it was August. There is a restaurant/bar in the hotel and many restaurants close by. I walked everywhere, and it was not a killer. Even though Reykjavik is the capital, its smaller and manageable to walk about, and safe.

Location: Mýrargata 2, 101 Reykjavík.
Website: https://www.icelandhotelcollectionbyberjaya.com/en/hotels/reykjavik/reykjavik-marina