<p>I'd be interested in hearing comments about experiences in Iceland. Don't need tour company recommendations, since we have one already chosen. But the trip is expensive and we are debating the cost vs value.
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Iceland in June
Message Submitted by Diana on Wed, 01/19/2011 - 11:23
We did it back before the crash of the krona and it was extremely expensive but worth every penny. We got a package with Icelandic airlines called the Ring Route with a self drive car ($70 t0 fill the tank of our thrifty Yaris) with bed and breakfast included. The breakfasts are huge so you can fill up to start the day.
There is some okay snack food at gas stations for $6-10 for lunch and dinners will set you back almost $100 in even the most modest road side stops. But the food was always 100% terrific and the scenery was priceless. We did the Lake Myvatan baths up north instead of the Blue Lagoon and they also were not cheap but less than Blue Lagoon but also one of the most incredible experiences ever.
We got several road atlases and travel books and just wandered from point to point. No one book was sufficient for our self-drive exploration. Lonely Planet was good if you only want one but that road by road atlas they sell at the car rental place, again very pricey, was well worth it if you self drive which we highly recommend.
They days are incredibly long so you almost get double the trip all in the day light since you can keep exploring from morning to midnight. Highlights were the tiny details beside the big obvious places like finding the sparkling water springs after hiking in a moon scape out side Rejkavik, buying heavy (and pricey) iceland sweaters right away in Vik for "summer" and wearing them every single day, the oceans of blue lupine in June, Thor's alter, tasting the fermented shark near the mystical Bezerker's path way hewn through inpenetrable rock, the former herring town up north, following the Iceland Saga tales, the moonscape that is Iceland, the moonscape that is Iceland, the moonscape that is Iceland.......
So ......uh, yes, it is worth it! Save money doing something else but do not miss doing Iceland right and that means a week at least and self-drive if at all possible having done lots of homework ahead of time. Easy route because there is just one way around the island but there are these side trips that penetrate into its heart and soul a few miles off the beaten track that make the whole thing magic and unforgettable.
Thank you so much, TravelCenturian, for the marvelous - and reassuring - trip report. We'll be there in June, and will look for the blue lupine.....and the moonscape....! Your report certainly made our uncertainty vanish!
You'll find prices moderate on your upcoming trip due to Icelands currency problems. The USD is trading at 116.650 to the Krona. For a sample of (average) current prices, this site is a good indicator:
http://www.visitorsguide.is/practical_information/185/default.aspx
Thanks, Joe. That is welcome news.