first trip to Iceland
 

we are planning a one-week-trip to Iceland this summer, what should we NOT miss, should we drive a rented car to get around? What are the temperatures going to be?And, last but not least, some good advice for nice accomodation....Thanks!

Just for a little start, try http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...mp;tid=1278237

To answer your specific questions, it's possible to do a lot without a car, but many people do recommend driving; the temps should be 50's-60's; accommodation in Reykjavik comes in many price ranges--Skjaldbreid is a good location, not too expensive, but not ultimate luxury; Borg or Hotel 101 are luxe, Saga has huge rooms and is a 10 minute walk to city center. There are farm accommodations available in the summer in the countryside as well.

(I'd really recommend longer than a week if you can!)

I stayed at the Saga and it was fine, nothing fancy, just your standard European hotel. Beware the gym costs extra per day. I would say, don't miss the Golden Circle Tour or the Blue Lagoon. It's a must do in Iceland. Iceland is a very windy place, so a good hat or windbreaker is advisable. I was there in July and it was not too cold, just windy. It's a really interesting place to visit. I did not rent a car. I enjoyed leaving the driving to the bus drivers. Enjoy your trip.

I was there for four days at the end of April, what an amazing place!

I would recommend Pingvellir, Geysir, Gulfoss which are the Golden Circle tour and an easy day trip from Reykjavik. There is the South Shore tour as well which has good reviews and includes Selfoss I think. We hired a car which was definitely a good idea, being able to come and go as we pleased. However, car hire is not inexpensive but we were a group of five so that helped split the cost. You don't say how many are in your group.

In Reykjavik I would recommend you go to the top of Hallgrimskirkja for great views over the city. Another good view is from the observation deck at Perlan. There are plenty of geothermal pools in Reykjavik if you want to try out a typical Icelandic social meeting place!

Don't miss Blue Lagoon, probably best on your way back to the airport.

After speaking to some locals we wished we had time to take a day trip to the Westman Islands, a very short flight from Reykjavik Airport in the city. Note you will probably fly into Keflavik Airport, 40-50km from Reykjavik.

What I have mentioned is all in south-east Iceland. I'll hand over to others to tell you about the rest.

Does anyone have any reccommodations for hiking guides in Iceland - day trips or 2 or 3 days of hiking?

Any comments on the Farm System sleeping accommodations?

Thanks,

Good advice already - car is great but it's expensive so do it sparingly. Use the bus for longer journies Accomodations - Borg or Holt for right in the down town area. Saga is nicer to me than just average European hotel (particularly their food - for a splurge and great view, go to their top floor restaurant even if you don't stay there). I figured the Loftleidir was going to be cheaper but was almost as much for a room that wasn't quite as good. Both hotels are quite good, just I prefer the location and smaller size of Holt or Borg.

Sights have already been mentioned, mostly the Reykjavik priority ones. Since you have more time than just Reykjavik, Akureyri and Myvatn are the next things to consider. You might take the bus from Reykjavik to Akureyri and then rent the car to see the Myvatn country side.

Who ever asked about hiking, Myvatn would be a great place for that. Get one of the tourist board tour brochures. They may be guided but it would give you the ideas of the routes to take, and the youth hostels are also listed. There are any number of huts the Icelanders use in the summer with a sleeping bag. Or farm houses are fine too, just plan well your exact itinerary.

The Saga was nothing fancy to me and I stand by my original comment. They had a nice breakfast which was included, but there was nothing special about the rooms there for the cost (ran me almost $160 per night U.S. with the exchange rate at that time and I still feel it wasn't worth it). The Westmann Islands is a lovely day trip if you decide to do it. The weather can play tricks though and my flight was cancelled after waiting for hours to see if the plane was going to take off. We ended up being given a shorter 1/2 day trip the next day. I also did the South Shore Adventure and it was a lovely day.

Thank you so much everybody....does anybody have an idea if we could manage to drive round the island along the Ring Road in one week ( two drivers )?

Of course, I should have said in my earlier thread that all the attractions I mentioned (including Reykjavik itself and Keflavik airport) are in south-WEST Iceland and not south-east Iceland. I'll learn to get these these right way one day! Sorry for the mix up.

It is possible to drive the Ring Road in a week, but you will feel rushed, or will miss good stuff along the way. I would only spend a day in Reykjavik. Its a lovely little city, but I think the best attractions are the natural features of Iceland. I would then restrict my trip to the southwest, going to the Golden Circle, South Shore, Vestmannaeyjar, the Highlands, Vatnajokul, and Hekla.

The Golden Circle is a must, but I would suggest driving it yourself, with a guidebook. To be sure, the guides on the tours are very informative, and you don't have to worry about driving, but you don't get to spend the time you want in various places. I took a Reykjavik Excursions Golden Circle tour. I'd recommend them as a tour company, but we spent far too much time stopping at a tourist trap called, 'Eden'; and then far too little time at Thingvellir and Geysir.

The South Shore is great too - the waterfalls are fantastic, as are the coastline and shore birds. Again, you can easily do this with a car. One good idea, if you can afford it, is to take the rough gravel road up to the Myrdalsjokul glacier, just before the town of Vik, then rent snowmobiles (Icelanders call them 'scooters') to head out into the middle of this gigantic icefield.

You might also consider ferrying over to Vestmannaeyjar (Westman Islands), where there is an active volcano and huge rookeries of shore birds.

Lastly, I'd recommend a trip into the Highlands, either with your own rented 4WD, or a 'SuperJeep' tour. The highland scenery is awesome, but hard to get to, and usually only available in the summer.

As mentioned by others, there are wonderful farmstay opportunities along the South Shore, as well as other places (http://www.farmholidays.is/). Also, check out the Hotel Edda chain (http://www.hoteledda.is/EN/), which runs hotels during the summer in schools that are not in session.

The Blue Lagoon is nice, and it is on the way to the airport from Reykjavik. I would go there if I had the time on the way to the airport, but I wouldn't go out of my way. Clearly, I have a minority opinion on this!