Hello,
We are a family of four (two 14 year olds and 2 adults) who enjoy active vacations. We’ve wanted to go to Iceland but have not been able to make it work between May and October. So, we are hoping to go in February. But, we don’t know where to start our plans. There are so many sites that offer packages but we’ve never been the package vacation types. That said, the pre-booked car and accommodations on a planned route seem helpful. What are some recommendations for how to go about planning this trip?
Thanks!
Posted by
Big Island of Hawaii
743 posts
Your profile doesn't say where you are from, but unless you have extensive winter driving experiences in all conditions (including strong winds) don't plan on self-driving. Even if you can handle the conditions, there's a fairly good chance that roads may be closed due to bad weather.
The other problem with February is the shorter days. Sunrise around 9:30 am and sunset around 6:00 pm. You can get more info on this here: https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/iceland/reykjavik?month=2
Posted by
Wyckoff, NJ, USA
7738 posts
This is an extreme case, and it's not entirely fair to Iceland. But I read a long story in The New Yorker magazine that mentioned that the Icelandic rescue squads have a term they use for a particular wind and winter problem. It's called "Death By GPS." If you've ever found yourself in a strange place in good weather, you may understand how this can arise.
You might go to your public library and see if they have Rick's Iceland guidebook. This can give you a good overview that you can't really get in a single newsboard discussion thread.
Posted by
Snohomish, WA
2468 posts
Two of our Iceland trips have been in February. Both times we had hotter weather, but also had the best time. We did rent a car in one of those trips but only for the one day that was decent. We have extensive winter driving experience but are not stupid so booked tours to do things. The Icelandair packages are actually a good deal. We have done that twice as it was much cheaper to do that and then add in other stuff. The days are short, but being at a waterfall in the twilight/dark with lights shining on it and it being particularly frozen is a sight you will never forget. Glacier hikes and ice caves are both great activities for February.