dek315

I'm scheduled to fly to Iceland September 10th and the first few days of our trip will be in the South.
Now knowing there's a volcano that might blow any minute, I am seriously thinking of cancelling the trip.
Any advice or thoughts will be most welcome. Part of me wants to go because it could be the adventure of a lifetime, the other part is afraid the smoke and ash will be so thick that we won't be able to fully enjoy the scenery.

MmePerdu

It seems to me unpredictability is in large part the definition of an adventure. So it seems pretty straightforward to me, if you're up for an adventure, go. If you want plans that are unlikely to change, then cancel.

A bit of personal experience with an Iceland volcano, I had a trip planned during the big disruptive eruption several years ago, though not to Iceland. Our flight to Rome took a more southerly route over Spain, just to the south of the Pyranees and the views of the mountains were great. I had no idea they were as vast as they seemed from the air. Then, as flights in Europe were being cancelled, I decided to buy train tickets instead, including overnight trips in a single compartment and I loved every second. Some might call it a disruption, I called it adventure.

Personally, if the flights are going, I'd get right on and hope for an adventure.

Loacker

There may or there may not be a volcano eruption. I would not cancel the flight still. Monitor the news and see how things unfold until your trip.

But yes should there be an eruption, you are unlikely to enjoy your trip.

Dukey1

OK, so it erupts. How about telling us the likelihood that this eruption is going to interfere with life, communications, or anything else where you plan to actully be or is this everywhere in the country?

I'm sorry but an "adventure" is one thing; being a damned fool quite another.

MmePerdu

I'm fascinated by the concept that someone who sees things differently is "a damned fool". Your airline will fly if it's safe and won't if it isn't, and you won't have to make the decision yourself. But then I'm generally a wait & see sort of person, others here not, apparently. And I won't think you a damned fool if you cancel, just more practical than I.

flanneruk

I assume your question really is intended to refer to Ireland.

The flow of aircurrents across the Atlantic is almost utterly unpredictable - as is the timing of any likely eruption of ICELANDIC volcanoes.

So it's almost impossible to predict which way (both laterally and vertically) any debris from an Icelandic volcano will blow. It's also impossible to know when.

AFAIK, there's no history at any time in the past thousand years of volcanic debris seriously influencing Irish weather or visibility - partly because so many other things change these several times a day, no-one could spot the effect of a mere volcano.

BUT, we had one huge example six years ago of WORRIES about possible effects at 30,000 ft seriously screwing up plane flights within a thousand miles of so of Iceland - which meant practically all of Western Europe.

The justification for these worries at the time was dodgy, and highly contested. There's no certainty flights would be as affected today even by a near-identical eruption and debris dispersal in the same direction.

You MIGHT be able to buy trip insurance now if the (completely unquantifiable) risks to your travel plans worry you. There's almost certainly, though, no prospect of a volcano "ruining " a holiday (a truly asinine concept anyway) if you're able to travel as planned.

Whathello

I would cancel.
If you start worrying now about that kind of thing, you are not ade for 'the trip of your lifetime'.
Stay home and enjoy your life.

Macross

Iceland or Ireland, where are you going?

TDudette

I'd wait and see and go with the flow (no pun intended). You could check with the airlines and see what its procedure would be in case of such a catastrophe. Maybe work ahead of time with them for a Plan B.

Jean

Don't ever plan a trip to California. The "big one" earthquake could happen any day now.

Macross

I am going on the 20th, you had me worried about this but only could find info in the mirror and daily mail. Oklahoma had an earthquake this morning and Hermine is headed north from Fl. I hope we just had our last feeder band hit. Stuff happens but would not cancel a trip because it might erupt.

Loacker

The Mirror and the Dailymail are scaremongering newspapers.

Macross

Loacker, that is hopefully all they are doing. We fly on the 20th and I do remember it causing a lot of trouble last time it blew but dang it now I am watching for news. I am not telling my friends about this.

Macross

http://www.livefromiceland.is/webcams/hekla/

dek315, keep an eye on it for me.

annhig

well as others have said, the last time an Icelandic volcano blew, it disrupted air traffic over the whole of Europe, so if it blows, it won't just be tourists in Iceland who may find their plans go awry.

We're due to go to Sicily at the end of this week and Etna or no Etna, we're going. I think I'll be able to live with it if we get stuck there.