I was in Iceland in October and loved it. Thor's Woods (Thorvald) for hiking isn't open, and some of the other more rugged trails may not be, but the classic activities (swimming, horseback riding, whale-watching, etc.) and sights are still on.

Of course, you don't get a whole lot of daylight, but the weather isn't really cold (Gulf Stream) and it's so cute and cozy with all the candles in the restaurant windows. Autumn also has the advantage of lovely color in places like Thingvellir.

If you base for half the week in Reykjavik you can actually get to see and do a lot, with a wider range of choices for evening activity.

Although my favorite time to be in Iceland is high summer, any time is a good time to go!

julieod
It's gonna be cold and rainy for the most part, and daylight hours will be short.
The fare is cheap because october in Iceland is definitely not peak time. The weather will limit some outdoor activities, and you will need to pack for cold, wet weather.
Still, I'd do it in a minute as Iceland is a fascinating, unique place. Maybe spend a little more time in Reykjavik.

On the 1st, there will be 11½ hours of daylight. Here's the calendar for October: http://tinyurl.com/kjfmf

More daylight than Nothern Minnesota in October..... go for it!

Low fares to Iceland aren't all that uncommon outside of the summer months if you happen to live near one of Icelandair's gateway cities: Baltimore/Washington; Boston; New York; Minneapolis; Orlando and San Francisco. I would spend more time in Reykjavik, but that is a personal choice. You may want to package in your lodging with your airfare because it can save money. Iceland is an interesting place with friendly people, but be prepared for the high on-the-ground costs. You may be just as well off doing a three-day stopover and adding another European country since you have a week to play with -- particularly in October.

The October that I was in Iceland was in 2001, and of course weather varies, but it really wasn't what I'd call cold (and I'm a MidAtlantic resident, so it's not like I live in subarctic temps) and I had some lovely sunny times as well. The old cliche about "If you don't like the weather, wait five minutes" does apply in Iceland; you can get some really terrific skies that way. As far as the hours of daylight, I was comparing them with the summer (20+) in saying that summer would be my first choice; although the sun isn't all the way down until 7:30 or so, dusk descencds pretty early. It certainly wasn't a problem, though, as I was in Reykjavik and had spent my daylight hours quite actively.

If you sign up for Icelandair "Lucky Fares" you can get some great bargains (unless that's where you've already found this?); the week you've chosen may be a bit higher out of the US due to Columbus day.

Icelandair also offers land/air combos; I've never used Priceline for Iceland, but I guess it's worth a try, and I have heard that "Room with a View" is quite decent for less than the typical hotel. I've stayed at Hotels Island, Skjaldbreid, Saga, and Loftleider in Reykjavik; Skjaldbreid has small rooms but a great breakfast room and is right on the main street.

Happy trails!

Thanks everybody- i did find the fare on iceland air- i'm going to look into the packages- that's a great idea. I'll be back with more questions!