Around Iceland in 7 days
Iceland is a unique place in many ways. For example, here you can find the most incredible wonders of nature: volcanos, glaciers, giant waterfalls, black sands. The weather here changes several times during the course of a day. There is even a saying: “If you don’t like the weather, just wait 5 minutes”. Only 13% of its territory is inhabited, and 80% of the population lives in the capital, Reykjavik. Icelanders seem to be both independent and friendly, all at the same time. There are no visible fences between private properties, people often leave their houses open, and it looks like most of the time they are glad to see guests. Hopefully this will all pique your interest and make you want to see this amazing country with your own eyes.
If you're interested in learning more about Iceland or planning to have a trip there, this post is for you.
Planning
Choose the time of your visit carefully. The weather is always unpredictable in Iceland. If you want to catch at least some sunny days, go in the summer (from late May through August). By the way, in the summer you’ll have more time for any activity due to the White Nights. Around the summer solstice, the sun is visible 24 hours in the Westfjords. During the winter solstice, on the other hand, the days are dramatically shorter with only 2 hours of daylight in the Westfjords. For the same reason you won’t be able to see the Northern Lights during the summer. The Aurora Borealis can only be seen between the months of September and May. The coldest months are December and January, with temperatures dropping below 0 °C. The average temperature in Reykjavik in January is -0.6 °C. August and July are the warmest months with an average temperature of 10.4 °C.
Getting around
Though they say that hitchhiking is common in Iceland, from what we observed, it can take hours to hitch a ride. The most practical way to get around and see as much as possible is to rent a car. There are lots of car rental offices in Iceland. We used SadCars. They give you a car, which has already been through some misadventures and has the battle scars to prove it. So if you add a couple of new ones no one will even notice. And you will most likely do just that, since even if you take the Ring Road you’ll have some gravel areas on your way. Moreover, to see some breathtaking views you’ll have to leave the 1st road anyway. So, no matter if you plan to go deep into the island or take the main road, you're better offrenting a Jeep and having the freedom to climb the gravel hills in your path. It’s hard to get lost in Iceland even if you don’t speak the language, since all the roads are numbered. However,you have to keep your eye on the road, since the narrow gravel roads, tiny one-way bridges, sheep running around or sleeping in the middle of the road and crazy fat birds flying right in front of your windscreen will demand your full attention.
The general speed limit is 30 to 50 km/h in residential areas and 90 km/h on the highway. On good gravel roads the maximum speed is 80 km/h. A driver may lose control of the vehicle while driving too fast when tarmac (or asphalt) changes to gravel. Also mind the blind rises, single-lane bridges, and remember that all the passengers must be buckled up and the lights must always be on, day and night.
There are lots of recommended places to see on the main road. But sometimes you need to go a bit off the beaten path to see something amazing. So find out where to look at in advance and map out an itinerary. And be prepared to spend a fortune on gas: in May 2014 the price was about €1.59, and we spent around €300 over 7 days driving a Toyota RAV4.
Mobile homes are another common mode of transport for traveling around Iceland. But these are only good for traveling the Ring Road exclusively.
Accommodations
Iceland is a perfect place to hike and stay in camps. But if you have little time there, it's better to travel by car and stay in guest houses, hostels, hotels, farms... everything which is situated more or less on the route. Visit Iceland website can help a lot with looking for a suitable accommadation of any kind. Spending 4-7 hours on the road including breaks and sightseeing, you'd probably stay each day in a new place.
The most interesting and authentic place to stay at is definitely a farmhouse. Lots of them not only have an incredible views, but also hot tubs to admire the view from. Because of the abundant geothermal energy in almost all parts of the country, most places have a reliable source of hot water so you can spend all day in the shower without racking up a huge evergy bill.
Almost all houses in Iceland have naturally heated geothermal water running through their pipes. And a strong sulphur smell usually comes with it. This smell is reminiscent of rotting eggs, but we only noticed it only in the western part of the country.
Prices
Even after the financial crisis of 2008 which resulted in high inflation in Iceland (and made it possible for mortals to visit this country without going bankrupt), it is still expensive to travel there. Even though we had taken some basic food with us and shopped only at the gas stations and supermarkets it wasn’t that cheap to eat there. The average expense per person per week is (in May 2014):
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€147 on food (including one meal out and two ales);
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€263 for the accommodation (considering that there were four of us and we all bunked together);
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€65 on small gifts for family and friends (nothing fancy);
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€23 on museums in Reykjavik (visited 3 places);
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€48 spent in Blue Lagoon (admission plus one drink);
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€320 for the flight from Moscow;
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€77,5 for gasoline (so €310 total);
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€124 for car rental (€496 total);
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€13 ticket for a bus from the airport to the bus station.
For a total of €1080. Pretty much what we expected to spend.
How to Save Money in Iceland
Staying in campgrounds and hitchhiking is definitely a good way to save some cash, but you should make sure you have enough time for this mode of travel.
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There's no need to buy bottled water while in Iceland. What comes out of the tap is pure, clean and free.
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In some hostels you’ll have to pay extra for towels and sheets, so if you bring your own, you’ll save around €8-10 per night.
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Eating out is quite expensive here, but there are shops at gas stations and supermarkets like Bonus, where you can get food at normal prices and cook it yourself. Additionally, in some supermarkets they offer free coffee.
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Don’t buy alcohol there :)
Speaking of cash – we didn't use any the whole 7 days we were there (well, not counting thechange we got as souvenirs). Even in small shops far removed from cities you’ll be able to use your Visa and other cards.
Must-see on the Ring Road
West: travel northwest from Reykjavik to visit the stunning Westfjords. This is a rather vast territory, so if you only have one day for this part, visit the city of Sjávarpakkhúsið, where you can hike up to a lighthouse and take in some beautiful fjords. If you take Road 60, you will come to a valley where we rented a big cozy house with a hot tube, not far from the farm, where the owners live.
North: here you can visit the “Northern capital” of Iceland, Akureyri, and then spend a night on the shores of Lake Mývatn. We stayed in a farmhouse there and were fortunate enough to sample the local milk, butter and meat – just as delicious as it can be. Right after you pass Myvatn, look for a turn to Krafla. You’ll find two beautiful calderas there. Go back to the 1st road, drive on for 5 minutes and you’ll arrive at the Mývatn Nature Baths. Useful Tip: there are two baths – one hot, one cold. Don’t confuse them :) A bit further on, you’ll find one of the greatest waterfalls in Iceland – Dettifoss. This one is absolutely huge (and the opening scene of “Prometheus” was shot there). Additionally, you’ll pass what we called “Mars Field” on the way there. The place is interesting for… nothing. There is literally nothing growing or standing on that road. Looks rather peculiar.
East: probably most people prefer to stay over in Fljótsdalshérað, but if you have some patience and are not afraid to cross some snowy mountains in the fog, where you cannot see a thing, you’ll arrive at a breathtaking valley called Seyðisfjörður. The city is well-known among divers since there is a shipwreck at a depth of 40 meters. Another remarkable spot here is Jökulsárlón, which is a glacier lake covering an area of about 18 km2. Incidentally, it appears in “Die Another Day” :)
South: this part is for waterfall lovers. You’ll find LOTS of them here, just make a stop everytime you see a name ending with –foss: Seljalandsfoss, Gullfoss, Skógafoss, Öxarárfoss, Ófærufoss and so on. Not all of them can be found on the Ring Road though. There are also some cool spots to hike, like Dyrhólaey and Hjorleifshofdi.
Reykjavik
Reykjavik is unexpectedly calm and quiet for a capital. Life goes very slow here compared it to Moscow, New York, London, Barcelona and other big cities. It seems that everyone here knows each other! But still, the city is big! There's no underground, so you’d better have a car (again) or bicycle if you want to see all the places in a short amount time. As for the main points of interest, they are Hallgrímskirkja Church, The National Museum of Iceland, Ingólfur Arnarson's boat and monument, Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Center and, of course, the Blue Lagoon, situated not far from the city. We also recommend visiting the bar, Kaffibarinn, where Bjork hangs out from time to time. They have good music, awesome Icelandic ale and a very cool atmosphere, where even newcomers feel like they're among friends. And yes, there's a Latvian waitress, who's been working there for 7 years and speaks Russian :)
