Reykjavik Questions

Check out the Travelchannel's Web site they have a lot of recent trips to Iceland Without Reservations was especially funny.

Depending on your preference, the IHA youth hostel in downtown Reykjavik is very nice. It's just like a hotel in terms of privacy, but more basic in terms of room appointment. Location is perfect - right downtown. You must go to a public thermal pool. It's an incredible back door experience. We were the only tourists at the pool we visited (Lágafellslaug), and it was really cool to be there with the residents doing their daily soak, swim, steam, etc. http://visitreykjavik.is/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-241 Personally, I would skip the Blue Lagoon. Between the thermal pool in Reykjavik and a natural hot spring I visited away from the capital, the Blue Lagoon was cheesy and a disapointment. Except for the famous hot dog stand, our dining experiences were pretty unmemorable. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bæjarins_Beztu_Pylsur The opera house looked promising but was still under construction when we went in October 2011. The light was amazing for taking photographs.

What a fun lark!!! It seems Mike and I did the same things. We stayed at the YHA "downtown" though it was a mile+ away from the real city center, but only a block away from the athletic complex and public thermal pool. It was wonderfully full of Icelanders. I'll never forget the perky 5yo girl who rolled her "r's" like a little bird and the dad splashing her around in the water. There's nothing like frolicking in bathtub-warm water while it's 55 degrees outside. There are numerous 6-10 hour bus tours that take you to the most iconic spots outside of town (the youth hostel has info on those). Combine two of those with a few hours in Reykjavik and you could have a great "lark" trip!

Definitely worth seeing Reykjavik. I'd recommend the National Museum of Iceland, and getting out into the countryside. It may be colder than you'd expect even that early in Sept. I can't speak to the economics of a weekend trip from Boston, but you could also include it as part of a longer Europe trip. All Icelandair's flights change there, they offer stopover packages, and the fare's the same whether you stop over or not.

We did a Wednesday-Monday "lark" trip to Reykjavjik a few years back (thanks to an awesome special by Icelandair) and had a great time. Definitely worth going! It seemed like everyone spoke English, so it was easy to get around. The food was on the expensive side, but the lamb was sublime. We liked the Pearl restaurant (Perlan) - it's in a dome on top of water tanks on a hill, and rotates for a great view of the city. And we also really liked the pylsur (hot dog) stand.

Definitely go to the Blue Lagoon or if you have time to do some research, there are several less touristy "lagoons" like it. Call your credit/debit card companies to advise them that you will be in Iceland. I had a card rejected because my CC company thought my card was stolen. The airport is one of the best I have ever been in, great layout and nice atmosphere. If you like trying different foods, they serve puffin and whale. Bring a rain shell and be prepared for wind.

I went on the HI website. Frankly, I ve never stayed at a hostel. Is there an age requirement..meaning, am I and my wife too old! Also, there are 2 Hostels in Reykjavik, downtown and center..any thoughts on which one has better accomodations vs location? (The "Downtown" location offers a pvt room with facilities and the price is reasonable)