Iceland - questions answered

We spent ten days in Iceland without getting currency. You don’t need it - unless you want some for fun.

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Aloha from Oahu (Ko Olina) Tutuwahine!

Your name implies that you live in Hawaii. Might we be neighbors? We live in Ko Olina (Kapolei) on Oahu.

Hullo,

We will be visiting on the Jade on October 3/4 and want to visit Hallgrimskirkja. It's a bit to far for my 70 something mother to walk. When the ships are in town, are there any kind of shuttles or transport from Skarfabakki Harbour to the town center? Or are taxi's easy to get from the pier?

 

Thank you for sharing your expertise

 

Tutu

I have been reading all of this helpful information, as I am planning for a visit this June.

Thank you of all those who have posted.

We will overnight one night at each Reykjavik and Akureyri, and will definitely rent a car at both ports and plan on seeing and doing as much as possible. One thing we really want to do is go horseback riding, they look so gorgeous.

Could you please tell me if you recommend doing this while in Reykjavik or Akureyri? The horses in Vik and the black sand beach looked fun, but the North looks amazing too. Any suggestions would be appreciated! 

Thank you!

On 12/23/2018 at 7:38 AM, yvonneh said:

I have been reading all of this helpful information, as I am planning for a visit this June.

Thank you of all those who have posted.

We will overnight one night at each Reykjavik and Akureyri, and will definitely rent a car at both ports and plan on seeing and doing as much as possible. One thing we really want to do is go horseback riding, they look so gorgeous.

Could you please tell me if you recommend doing this while in Reykjavik or Akureyri? The horses in Vik and the black sand beach looked fun, but the North looks amazing too. Any suggestions would be appreciated! 

Thank you!

 

 

Both town would be excellent for horse riding. When we disembarked at Akureyri there was a private tour at the wharf looking to fill a van. It was an excellent day and included an opportunity to swim at the mineral pool.  I would probably horse ride at Akureyri if the weather is good. There is an information office ( with wifi) not far from the wharf and they were happy to book Reykjavik excursions.  Check out the hearts in the traffic lights.

15 hours ago, Aloha3 said:

Both town would be excellent for horse riding. When we disembarked at Akureyri there was a private tour at the wharf looking to fill a van. It was an excellent day and included an opportunity to swim at the mineral pool.  I would probably horse ride at Akureyri if the weather is good. There is an information office ( with wifi) not far from the wharf and they were happy to book Reykjavik excursions.  Check out the hearts in the traffic lights.

Thank you so much! 

There is a lot to do in and around Akureyri. We have done two car trips there - they ended up being very long days but worth it. I blogged about the second trip on this website, starting with post #56 here: 

The first Akureyri stop was over 10 years ago, before I really did any blogging. From what I remember, we drove to Godafoss, Myvatn, Dimmuborgir, and Viti, as well as some other geothermal region whose name I can't recall now.

Have not yet ridden the horses but you are right, they are gorgeous. The best experience we had with them was on Grimsey. We walked through a field of them, and were within a few feet of them. Such magnificent creatures - we were in awe.

On 9/4/2018 at 2:00 PM, kandtq said:

I'm looking for car rental companies that rent cars at the port. It looks like Europcar does. Are there any others? Thanks in advance!

Me too! 

Thank you!

Hi, I've booked a car through Europcar rentals for our two days in Reykjavik.   Europcar gave me a choice of picking up in port which they are calling "East Cruise Ship Harbor"

I'm kind of freaking out wondering if I chose the correct location...  is there more than one port there?   We're on the Celebrity Reflection in May.  Thanks in advance 

Yes, there are two but you almost certainly chose the correct one. The port authority website (faxafloahafnir.is) shows Celebrity Reflection docked at Skarfabakki from 13:00 on May 9, to 15:00 on May 10. Same pier for Reflection on the later visit, May 19-20.

Skarfabakki is on the east side of town and is the usual docking site for larger ships. We've been at the downtown location before, but on a 300 pax ship.

If you're worried, email them and clarify that you're at Skarfabakki. As I recall from a rental several years ago, they're not far from that pier, so it makes sense that they'd offer a pickup there.

56 minutes ago, jpalbny said:

Yes, there are two but you almost certainly chose the correct one. The port authority website (faxafloahafnir.is) shows Celebrity Reflection docked at Skarfabakki from 13:00 on May 9, to 15:00 on May 10. Same pier for Reflection on the later visit, May 19-20.

 

Skarfabakki is on the east side of town and is the usual docking site for larger ships. We've been at the downtown location before, but on a 300 pax ship.

 

If you're worried, email them and clarify that you're at Skarfabakki. As I recall from a rental several years ago, they're not far from that pier, so it makes sense that they'd offer a pickup there.

Thank you, this makes me feel better, it says that the location is only open when a cruise ship is docked so I must have the correct location...  I emailed them anyway though :)       May I ask if you took out the extra insurance for ash/ice damage when you rented?   I think our credit card automatically gives insurance to rentals but I'm not sure about the ice/ash clause.  

On 3/9/2019 at 6:02 PM, cruise kitty said:

May I ask if you took out the extra insurance for ash/ice damage when you rented?   

We never have. AFAIK, the potential for ash damage is (was?) only in the Southeast part, and I say (was?) because I thought it was a temporary issue due to Eyjafjallajökul.

40 minutes ago, jpalbny said:

 

We never have. AFAIK, the potential for ash damage is (was?) only in the Southeast part, and I say (was?) because I thought it was a temporary issue due to Eyjafjallajökul.

Thank you, you're probably right :)

That insurance is for Sand & Ash Protection.  Sand damage is a real problem year round in Iceland, especially in the south, due to the strong winds.  Many visitors have returned to their cars parked outside of lodging after an overnight or while away on an excursion to find that the winds have blown the sand that covers the plains in the south right at their vehicle, effectively sandblasting the paint off and even scoring the window glass.  VERY expensive repair if not covered by insurance.

Ash is less of a problem . . . unless there is an eruption during your visit.

Thanks, Nitemare. Was hoping that you'd come by and clarify. Appreciate all your great advice!

7 hours ago, Nitemare said:

That insurance is for Sand & Ash Protection.  Sand damage is a real problem year round in Iceland, especially in the south, due to the strong winds.  Many visitors have returned to their cars parked outside of lodging after an overnight or while away on an excursion to find that the winds have blown the sand that covers the plains in the south right at their vehicle, effectively sandblasting the paint off and even scoring the window glass.  VERY expensive repair if not covered by insurance.

 

Ash is less of a problem . . . unless there is an eruption during your visit.

Ok, thanks, this is the insurance the I'd read about somewhere.   I think I'll take it out, we have the car overnight, & I'd rather pay a bit more money & have peace of mind while on vacation. :)

I would love advice on what to do with a day in Akureyi.  Should we book a tour to Lake Myvatn ahead of time or just spend the day in the town?

We will coming to Akureyi in June 2019 on the NCL Spirit. 

Thanks for any advice?

One more question:

We will be in Rejkavik from 12 noon on 6-5 to 12 noon on 6-6.  We are thinking of doing a Golden Circle tour on 6-5 that begins at 1pm.  Will we have time after the tour to explore Rejkavik?  What time do shops/etc close? We booked a trip to the Blue Lagoon for the morning on 6-6 so I know we won't be able to go into the city then. 

2 hours ago, livelyreader said:

I would love advice on what to do with a day in Akureyi.  Should we book a tour to Lake Myvatn ahead of time or just spend the day in the town?

 

We will coming to Akureyi in June 2019 on the NCL Spirit. 

 

Thanks for any advice?

Absolutely do not spend the day in Akureyri, it is not that interesting. But the countryside around it is (which is the reason to visit Iceland in the first place). Full day tours from Akureyri will usually take you to Godafoss, Hverir, Dimmuborgir, the nature baths at Myvatn, and more. We were there last summer, did a full day tour. It was spectacular.  Do a private tour if you can. 

Re: Akureyri, if you are comfortable striking out on your own there is a lot to do in the area. In addition to what Turtles06 points out, Akureyri is also within striking distance of Husavik (whale watching in season), the Tjornes Peninsula (cliffs and views), Dettifoss and two other waterfalls (the most powerful waterfall in Europe), Krafla (volcanic region where you can hike a crater), and Hverfjall (a volcanic cone, where you can hike to the top in about 15 minutes, for views of Myvatn).

In Akureyri itself, you can see the church and a small botanical garden but an hour in town was enough for us. 

Europcar has a rental office at the pier in Akureyri. Pick-up and drop-off is easy. Enjoy, whatever you decide.

I would do Myvatn Nature baths every time if given the choice between there and Blue Lagoon.  Much more natural surrounding, SO much less expensive, and much less crowded, for a very similar experience.

On 3/18/2019 at 6:10 AM, Nitemare said:

I would do Myvatn Nature baths every time if given the choice between there and Blue Lagoon.  Much more natural surrounding, SO much less expensive, and much less crowded, for a very similar experience.

Thanks for information.  We are visiting Iceland next year and trying to make the most of our port times!

On 3/18/2019 at 6:10 AM, Nitemare said:

I would do Myvatn Nature baths every time if given the choice between there and Blue Lagoon.  Much more natural surrounding, SO much less expensive, and much less crowded, for a very similar experience.

We loved the Myvatn Nature Baths!   We visited as part of an all-day tour from Akureyri, so we only had about an hour in the water; we could have spent the whole afternoon there, it was just wonderful.   (Everyone else in our mini-van opted for a more leisurely lunch instead; we made the better choice! )

BTW: a tip for Americans who may not realize this: the bathing culture in Iceland is very different from (and better!) than it is in the U.S. in that you are required to take a soap and water shower without your bathing suit on before you get in the water.  We knew this beforehand, but our guide as well as the guy checking people in at the Nature Baths made sure to tell us this.

(photo by turtles06; Myvatn Nature Baths)

I would think it might be difficult to find tours in any of those stops other than Akureyri, as they are very small villages that may not have any tour companies.

I would start with a google search for each town's name plus "tours" to see if any local companies come up.  If any do, I would check their rating over at TripAdvisor under the Things to Do link on the Iceland board or local board for those locations.  A rental car will also be difficult in those other places, too.  You might have to stick with ship's tours or just walking around the town.

19 hours ago, babydoc2 said:

We are traveling around Iceland this summer by cruise ship (Seabourn Quest) and are interested in private or small group tours for each port. . . .

In addition to Nitemare's suggestions, you might also want to email some of the reputable, bigger tour operators, like Saga Travel/GeoIceland, and see if they have anything to offer.   Even though they won't be located in the small ports, the nature of Iceland is such that some of the tour providers have a sort of "regional" operation.  If they can't help you, they may be able to recommend someone.     

Enjoy your trip!