Dave_

I am part of a group of 5 travelling to Iceland for four nights at the end of April. We will be based in Reykjavik. Research so far means we'll probably spend a day or so in Reykjavik, see the Golden Circle sights, go to Blue Lagoon on the way to the airport on the last day, plus other things to be decided (any ideas welcome).

Is it worth hiring a car for the period or using a combination of public transport, taxis and bus tours? I don't know what the roads and weather conditions will be like in April and I hear that hiring a car can be very expensive. However the cost of tours, buses etc for 5 people seems to add up quite quickly.

Thanks in advance for any help/ideas.

Deborah

Hey Dave,

I went to Iceland last year and I think the cost of a rental car is about 100 a day, maybe less. The roads in Iceland are very long and vast. I took the bus tours and I was glad, although I was traveling alone. The South Shore Adventure tour is a good one to go on, or if you decide to drive, you should go down that way. The bus drivers know all the back roads which can be a bit bumpy and some are quite steep. It's a really interesting place. You will love the Blue Lagoon. Have a great time.

Amy

Try http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...=2&tid=1278237 for a couple of suggestions about what to do in Iceland.

(I hope this works...)

Have a great trip!

Hiroshi

If a tour goes to where you want to go, you may consider this. My guess is that tours are not cheap as nothing is in Iceland.

Consider driving. It is easy to drive in Iceland because the streets are not narrow and there is not too much traffic in the city. If you drive, you can spend as much or as little time at Geysir and Gulfloss as you like.

Dave_

Thanks for the info. Amy, the link worked perfectly so thank you for posting that.

One of the downsides of getting a car is it doesn't sound like we'd need it in Reykjavik and parking etc (we are staying in central Reykjavik). A car would be useful for the away days and getting to/from the airport. My main concern is what the conditions will be like at that time of year (end of April) and whether the roads are okay. We will only be going round the main tourist parts but these seem to be away from the main road that circles the island.

If we decide to do the South Shore sites as well, could this be done in a day trip from Reykjavik on the same day as the Golden Circle sites, assuming we drive?

Deborah

Hey Dave, me again. The south shore tour took 8 hours, so it was quite a long day. I wouldn't recommend doing both the Golden Circle and South Shore Adventure sights the same day. I'm not sure what the roads are like in April, but the guides all told us on the bus that the roads are kept open in Iceland year round, so I think at least the main ones are fine. Like I said, there are some back roads that you take to go the waterfalls, glaciers etc. I was amazed at how long the roads were and wondered how they could possibly keep them open!! The Golden Circle was an all day tour as well. Iceland is amazing.

Debs

Dave-If you decide to drive, be careful and watch out for *heavy* fog. Last June, we were on the Reykjavik Excursions Golden Circle tour (you'll just fall in love with Gulfoss), and all of a sudden it became so thick with fog (granted, it didn't last long) that you couldn't see in front of you. I would imagine the fog will be worse on the South Shore tour since you're closer to the water than on the Golden Circle trip.

Be prepared for the unexpected beauty of Iceland ... oh yeah, and sticker shock! ENJOY!