Iceland Help
Apr 9th, 2015, 06:21 AM
#1
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Iceland Help
My husband and I are doing seven nights in Reykjavik in the first week of August. We rented an apartment so will be based in the Capitol and are looking to venture out for three of those days. there are a couple of things I would like to do but am unsure if they are feasible.
-is it possible given our location to get to a glacier?
-is there a place we can do whale watching outside of the Capitol. Somewhere we could get to by car or bus, leaving early in the morning and returning that night?
-we do have free parking at our apartment and I'm sure it's possible for us to rent a car. My biggest concern is finding an automatic. The other concern is that driving will be stressful (e.g. Lots of tour busses , getting lost, high mountain roads).
Thanks for your help!
-is it possible given our location to get to a glacier?
-is there a place we can do whale watching outside of the Capitol. Somewhere we could get to by car or bus, leaving early in the morning and returning that night?
-we do have free parking at our apartment and I'm sure it's possible for us to rent a car. My biggest concern is finding an automatic. The other concern is that driving will be stressful (e.g. Lots of tour busses , getting lost, high mountain roads).
Thanks for your help!
Apr 9th, 2015, 06:37 AM
#2
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you can do whale watching right from Reykjavik, I'm not sure why you'd want to go outside? We used Elding Whale Watch, although we just did the short puffin cruise. They were quite good and convenient.
I know there was whale watching in Keflavik as well, but I can't imagine it makes sense to drive there to do it, rather than leave from Reykjavik.
I know there was whale watching in Keflavik as well, but I can't imagine it makes sense to drive there to do it, rather than leave from Reykjavik.
Apr 14th, 2015, 03:22 AM
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You can indeed go whale watching from Reykjavik, and I would recommend you do that given you are here for only a short time and time and money spent driving elsewhere to go whale watching could be better spent somewhere else.
Driving in Iceland is very easy as long as you follow some basic rules.
Do not attempt to drive "off-road" anywhere as that is illegal and very damaging to the environment. Do not drive a 2WD on Mountain Roads (roads that are labelled with an ´F´) as these are for 4WD vehicles only. Your car rental firm and/or the police can issue you with a heavy fine if you are caught on an F-Road in a 2WD.
Iceland is stunning, so try and resist the temptation to stare out of the window admiring the landscape and not concentrating on the road. This is a small but still significant contributor to road accidents!
Stick to the speed limit. The roads are perhaps not in as good a condition as in other countries, so even going a few km over the speed limit can be dangerous, particularly if you are new to Iceland. In some places in the countryside the roads are not tarmac but gravel , so extra care is needed here.
We always advise drivers to be aware of the weather, but the first week of August is very much the height of summer, and whilst I cannot guarantee "good" weather I can say the road conditions will be free of ice and snow.
You will find the roads outside of the capital area remarkably free of traffic and very easy to drive. You will not get lost, simply invest in a road map of Iceland and you will see what I mean!
Some car rental companies offer GPS in their vehicles for an additional cost.
I would recommend you book a car with CarsIceland. They can advise you as to what car to hire based on your itinerary and driving experience and preferences. I found them extremely helpful when I first came to Iceland.
www.carsiceland.com
Driving in Iceland is very easy as long as you follow some basic rules.
Do not attempt to drive "off-road" anywhere as that is illegal and very damaging to the environment. Do not drive a 2WD on Mountain Roads (roads that are labelled with an ´F´) as these are for 4WD vehicles only. Your car rental firm and/or the police can issue you with a heavy fine if you are caught on an F-Road in a 2WD.
Iceland is stunning, so try and resist the temptation to stare out of the window admiring the landscape and not concentrating on the road. This is a small but still significant contributor to road accidents!
Stick to the speed limit. The roads are perhaps not in as good a condition as in other countries, so even going a few km over the speed limit can be dangerous, particularly if you are new to Iceland. In some places in the countryside the roads are not tarmac but gravel , so extra care is needed here.
We always advise drivers to be aware of the weather, but the first week of August is very much the height of summer, and whilst I cannot guarantee "good" weather I can say the road conditions will be free of ice and snow.
You will find the roads outside of the capital area remarkably free of traffic and very easy to drive. You will not get lost, simply invest in a road map of Iceland and you will see what I mean!
Some car rental companies offer GPS in their vehicles for an additional cost.
I would recommend you book a car with CarsIceland. They can advise you as to what car to hire based on your itinerary and driving experience and preferences. I found them extremely helpful when I first came to Iceland.
www.carsiceland.com
Apr 14th, 2015, 02:23 PM
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Hi!
Husavik is the place to see the whales - and there are tours (jeep or bus tours).
Rent a car - and everything will be feasible. Road 1 is fully asphalted, traffic is not intense at all, and people are extremely friendly. Be ready that it make take several hours of driving, like to get to Vik or Hofn from Reykjavik - and that may be tiresome.
Plan your route in advance - so you could see which roads you will take. 2WDs are fine for the asphalted Road 1. But if you want to get inside the country, it is prohibted to get to gravel roads without a 4wd car.
As I said, people there are really helpful, so car rental representatives really will help you to choose a car depending on the itinerary.
Cars Iceland (www.carsiceland.com) are pretty good.
Husavik is the place to see the whales - and there are tours (jeep or bus tours).
Rent a car - and everything will be feasible. Road 1 is fully asphalted, traffic is not intense at all, and people are extremely friendly. Be ready that it make take several hours of driving, like to get to Vik or Hofn from Reykjavik - and that may be tiresome.
Plan your route in advance - so you could see which roads you will take. 2WDs are fine for the asphalted Road 1. But if you want to get inside the country, it is prohibted to get to gravel roads without a 4wd car.
As I said, people there are really helpful, so car rental representatives really will help you to choose a car depending on the itinerary.
Cars Iceland (www.carsiceland.com) are pretty good.
