Muttakin3

New to Fodors.. Can anyone give me advice on how to get around in Iceland?

I'm from England UK and want I am planning on travelling to Iceland for 7-14 days around June 2016. I've always wanted to explore Iceland as the nature there inspire me so much. I am going alone and need advice as to what I can do and how I get around in Iceland. This will be my first time travelling alone but i feel ready.

I know the minimum car hire age in Iceland is 21. But I hear there is such thing called a 'young drivers fee' Are there any companies out there that will allow me to rent a car at my age (19) also I want to keep costs as minimum as possible. How much would temporary insurance be too? If renting a car is out of the question I want to know if there is any other way to travel around and get the most out of Iceland. I am really excited about travelling to Iceland alone but feel lost as to what to do and how to do it.

Should I book a hotel in Reykjavik or just camp out in a car for my whole journey as I want to get the most out of the natures of Iceland.

Please get back to me with advice about Iceland and what I need to see. Also how I should structure my days and what form of transport I can use to get to the places.

Thankyou

thursdaysd

Suggest you find a copy of Lonely Planet Iceland or Rough Guide Iceland. Try your library if you can't afford to buy one.

sparkchaser

Excellent advice from thursdaysd.

Additionally, I would check out wikitravel:

http://wikitravel.org/en/Reykjavik

http://wikitravel.org/en/Iceland

Jay_G

Have you thought about couch surfing?

It could get lonely for two weeks on your own as Icelanders are lovely, friendly people, but often it only becomes apparent after everyone's had a few drinks. Which aren't cheap.

No idea on the insurance / car hire costs I'm afraid, but again Iceland isn't cheap and the few times I've rented a car there, my bank account certainly knew about it. And this is from someone literally twice your age.

As for "camping out" in your car, I'd very strongly suggest that you don't do that (unless you have a camper van). I know it seems like a way of getting closer to nature and going on a true adventure, but after even two nights of trying to eat, sleep (and do pretty much everything else) in a very small space it suddenly becomes a lot less fun. Take this from someone who tried it and almost immediately regretted it...

There must be something you want to see in Iceland in particular as its inspired you to go there. If you let folk here know what you want to do, I'm sure people will be able to help out with suggestions on the best way of doing it.

Mathieu

"Try your library if you can't afford to buy one."

Why ? Are they that expensive to assume that someone cannot afford them ? Was there any indication in the OP's post to assume what he or she can or cannot afford ?

Muttakin3, if you type "Iceland Trip reports" in the search box (top right, search box in orange bar) it will bring up many Trip Reports that travellers here have written based on their experiences to Iceland. I've found them very useful in planning my own trips. Keep a map of Iceland beside you or on-screen while you read them so you can follow their journey. Reading about what others have done and how they organized their trip, will give you some good ideas about what you might like to do.

Here's an excellent one for starters, that was posted in November 2015 by a pair of travellers who give very helpful and interesting information about all their trips, not only this one to Iceland : http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...y-november.cfm

Good luck !

thursdaysd

"Was there any indication in the OP's post to assume what he or she can or cannot afford ?"

Did you actually read the OP?

See:

"I want to keep costs as minimum as possible."

"just camp out in a car for my whole journey"

Mathieu

Yes I did actually read the OP. Several times in fact, before I wrote my response.

Here's what he said, in case you missed it :

"Should I book a hotel in Reykjavik or just camp out in a car for my whole journey as I want to get the most out of the natures of Iceland."

and before that,

"I've always wanted to explore Iceland as the nature there inspire me so much. I am going alone and need advice as to what I can do and how I get around in Iceland. This will be my first time travelling alone but i feel ready."

Saying that he wants to keep costs minimum doesn't mean he's that poor to assume he might not be able to afford a guide book in the few words of advice you gave to him. That just comes across as a little catty and unhelpful, whether you meant it that way or not.

He's willing to book a hotel as well as rent a car. And 'just camp out in my car for the whole journey' had nothing to do with costs, but a reason not to miss out on Iceland's unique nature - which he reiterates as being the reason for his trip. It's a well known fact that some of that nature happens at night, whether viewing the northern lights or observing a waterfall in moonlight - for which people have been known to drive out in the early hours to see, and many end up spending a night in their car in order not to miss.

thursdaysd

Seems to me that the operative phrase is:

"I want to keep costs as minimum as possible."

Which is why I gave an alternative. And I almost always read guidebooks from the library or at Barnes and Noble before actually buying one. Even when LP has a sale on ebooks I prefer reading paper books, but I see no reason to buy until I am sure I need one.

Since the OP has not returned, no way to know whether she was offended.