psyke

Will have 3-4 days to spend in ICELAND in the Fall....what to do? where to go? stay?
Don't know anyone who's been...never been there...always wanted to...AND, not sure if I would ever get back that way!

Definitely need suggestions!! Thank you!!

MarthaT

There are some really great suggestions on older posts if you do a search. Including the 100 best things about Iceland. I have been there and loved it. Stayed in Reyjavik at the Esja Hotel but there are some closer to town.

psyke

Thank you so very much...great info where you directed me!

Ardfert

I spent three days in Iceland last week and had an enjoyable vacation.
It is a popular stopover using Icelandair from America to Europe.The country is about the size of Virginia or Britain but most people live near Reykjavik.It is a prosperous Scandinavian type of country with some Scottish and Irish influence.Fishing is the main industry but they make aluminum there too using the natural hot water that bubbles up all over the place.The best-known places to see are the geyser at Geyser and the nearby waterfall.Popular too is the Blue Lagoon where the natural hot water is trapped in a lava pool-I was not too impressed by that myself.Trips to see whales cost around $200 and I did not partake.It is fascinating that 250,0000 people have their own language and culture and 100,000 horses.English is universally spoken too.The people share with the Japanese the longest life span in the world-reckoned to be due to the omega-3 fatty acid in the largely fish diet.It is extraordinary to see that there is no real night in summer,with dusk from about midnight to 3am.A very expensive place to stay though.Recommended for a short trip-it is different.See www.icelandair.com for details.

Debs

Iceland is incredible! Do check out the 100 best things thread for some teriffic ideas of how to spend your time. We didn't rent a car, but rather took a couple of tours from Reykjavik Excursions that were quite good. I can recommend the Golden Circle tour as being teriffic! There's also day trips (via plane-weather permitting) to either the Faroe Islands and/or Greenland. Great shopping and eating in downtown Reykjavik too! The natural beauty of Iceland is incredible ... and it all starts on your ride into town from the airport. Be prepared for sticker shock - Iceland is expensive.

ALF

Lots of people spend 3-4 days in Iceland as part of a layover between N America and Europe. You should look into some packages offered by Iceland Air and other tour companies. They can commonly save you some money on hotel accomodations, tours, and meals. If you are at all on a budget, this can be important, because, as noted above, things are EXPENSIVE in Iceland. I needed to be in Iceland this past Spring, and found a comparatively inexpensive package from ABC Tours (http://www.clubabc.com/index.asp), which included airfare, hotel, breakfasts, and one tour. I don't know if you have purchased plane tickets yet, but if not, definitely check various tour agency packages.

We stayed at the Radisson SAS Saga Hotel, which is located on the outskirts of downtown Reykjavik. While somewhat nondescript, this hotel was reasonably-priced, had great views from the upper stories, and was a short 15-minute walk from downtown.

If you are an independent sort of traveler, you can rent a car, get a guide book (I'd recommend Lonely Planet) and drive the well-marked roads to various sites close to Reykjavik. If not (or if you are by yourself), you can take a tour bus. Reykjavik Excursions (http://www.re.is/) has many trips that you can do in 3-4 days.

The Golden Circle is very much worth it, taking you to one of Iceland's most spectacular waterfalls, Gulfoss; as well as the very active Geysir geothermal area, where the word 'geyser' originates. You will also visit Thingvellir National Park, spectacular volcanic cliffs, and the site of the World's first parliament. You can visit all of these on your own, but the tour guide will give you lots of good information along the way. Unfortunately, the tours insist on stopping at a couple of tourist traps along the way, the most notorious of which (IMO) is 'Eden', a geothermally-heated greenhouse filled with tourist trinkets.

Another really good trip to take is the South Shore, which takes you to more great waterfalls, such as Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss; plus beaches, glaciers, and shore birds (they might still be there in the early Fall).

If you have the time (and money), consider a trip to Westman Islands, where the most recently active volcanoes are. This is the best shore birding location too.

Lots of folks say that you can't visit Iceland without going to the Blue Lagoon. I'm not one of them, but it can be a relaxing thing to do. We took the Reykjavik Excursions tour of the Reykjanes Peninsula, which visited coastal fishing villages, coastal cliffs, a geothermal power station, and then ended up with a soak in the Blue Lagoon. The tour was scheduled to get you to Keflavik airport in time to catch your plane, which is very efficient, particularly if you only have a few days.

bienemaus

I spent my summer holidays in Iceland and had a wonderful time. We had the whole trip organized by Oli, he is available at www.highlander.is. In Reykjavik we stayed at a private home, b&b, the name was Hekla (the owner's name)You can find out with Oli!
Cheers to Iceland