Everything I’d read/heard about Iceland is true - it is an amazing place and well worth visiting. Yes, accommodation, car hire, and dining out are, by most standards, expensive. And yes, there are other countries with fjords, mountains, volcanic craters, waterfalls, glaciers, ice lagoons, whales, and puffins that may be (slightly) less expensive to visit, but I cannot think of one that comes close to providing all of this and more in such a relatively small and accessible package. Photo Gallery Getting there: We flew Icelandair Saga Class from JFK terminal 7, flt# 1616. Icelandair are sticklers about weight/size of check-in & hand luggage. Our flight was delayed from 8:50 to 10:40 and eventually took off at 11:40. Flying time was 4hrs 50 min, arriving at 8:30am (Iceland is 4 hours ahead of N.Y.). Icelandair use the B.A. Galleries lounge, which is also used by other airlines so very busy. The flight was fine, with a bit of a delay getting stairs to plane on landing. Transit through the airport was quick & uneventful. Car Hire: We booked a car with Sixt,. The 4 major car hire co’s have desks in airport, for others, including Sixt, you need to take the car rental shuttle. Sixt was the first stop. CDW was covered by my credit card, we opted for an extra driver, just in case, but declined the sand/gravel/ash cover. We had booked an SUV (expected a Suzuki Vitara) and were given a Ssangyong Tivoli, which turned out to be surprisingly agile, and well appointed (reversing camera & folding mirrors) if a bit thirsty on diesel! The luggage area was small - the rear seats were permanently folded down to accommodate our 3 suitcases & 2 carry-ons. Also the passenger seat had no height adjustment which, for a small passenger was an inconvenience. Returning the vehicle in Reykjavik, although requiring a longish walk back to town, was straightforward. All in all, I would use Sixt again. Our Itinerary: We allowed 8 days to circumnavigate the ring road, which we knew was a bit ambitious, but didn’t realise just how much so. Forget what your satnav tells you, driving around Iceland takes twice as long as you think - and that doesn’t take into account time spent looking at the attractions/scenery. The speed limit on major roads (outside of urban areas) varies from 70 - 90 kmph, but our effective average speed was 53 kmph overall, and 49 kmph along the more touristy South Coast. In our 8 days we covered a distance of 2,230 km with a driving time of 42 hours! Day 1: We had intended to drive the Golden Circle route, but because our flight was delayed we drove straight from the airport to our guesthouse (Guesthouse Garun) in Selfoss (80km) for a few hours sleep before driving to Gulfoss (Golden Falls) & Strokkur Geyser in the evening - a 140 km round trip. Day 2: Selfoss to Fosshotel Nupar, Kalfafellsvegur (261km), taking in Seljalandsfoss, Skogarfoss, Dyrholaey (natural arch, black beach, puffins), and Vik. We had intended to visit Fjadrargljufur Canyon and Foss a Sidu, but ran out of both stamina and time. Day 3: Fosshotel Nupar to Seljavellir Guesthouse (Hofn) (188 km) stopping at Skaftafell (glacier), ice-lagoons Fjallsarlon & Jokulsarlon, and Diamond Beach. If doing again would skip Fjallsarlon for more time at Jokulsarlon/Diamond Beach. Day 4: Hofn to Kalda Lyngolt Holiday Homes, Egilsstadir (256 km). Very scenic drive following the coast/fjord. We stopped at Djupivogur (fishing village), Fossardalur (blue waterfall) and, after checking in drove to Hengifoss (Hanging Falls). Day 5: Egilsstadir to Guesthouse Storu-Laugar (nr Myvatn) taking in Dettifoss/Selfoss and Namafjall mud craters. Planned mileage was 278 km, but we added a 140 km side trip to Borgarfjordur taking the days total driving to 418 km. Our original itinerary included Viti Crater Lake & Myvatn which we had to skip due to lack of time. Day 6: Guesthouse Storu-Laugar to Hotel Blanda, Blonduos (286 km) via Godafoss, Akureyri and, departing from the ring road, following the coast on routes 82 and 76 through Sigulfjordur. Day 7: Blonduos to Hotel Fransiskus, Stykkisholmur (244 km). Scenic drive on mostly unpaved roads and along the northern edge of the fjord/peninsula. Day 8: Stykkisholmur to Center Hotel Arnavoll, Reykjavik (321 km) around the Snaefellsnes peninsula via Grundarfjordur, Kirkufellfoss, Snaefellsjokull National Park, Arnastapi, Budir & Borganes. Would I do it again? In a heartbeat. But, I would stay 2 nights in each location to allow more time to explore/enjoy what each area has to offer. Link to Full Notes
John