Iceland in November
 

My son wants to attend a game convention in Iceland November 6-8.

From my investigations on the Internet, it looks like Iceland might be shut down (tourism tours, etc., closed) by November. Would it still be worthwhile to go? Also, how much time should be allotted to seeing the countryside?
Any spots not to be missed?

Also, our hotel choices are the following: Hilton Reykjavik Nordica, Grand Hotel Reykjavik, Park Inn Island, Hotel Cabin and Guesthouse Borgartun. Any information about any of these? Preferences?

Thanks!

We stayed for a few nights at the Borgartun in 2002. The rooms are ok, small, nice breakfast.

It's about a 15 minute walk to the heart of downtown and most restaurants. Not much nearby the guesthouse though.

I was in Iceland in October a couple years ago, and yes, most of the tours were done by then. Also, the Puffins have left (they are migratory), so don't bother with the island tours.

But Reykavick is nice enough to visit and walk around in, and the spas (Blue Lagoon and others) stay open. There are lots of bars and restaurants in the city, which is really hopping on weekend evenings.

Ask the hotel about tours/drivers:
You can probably find somebody willing to take you around -- I would definitely recommend not driving yourself, after hearing from friends about how scary bad the roads are.

I can't remember the name of my hotel, but it wasn't one you mentioned. I'll try and look it up. It was ok, but the hot water smelled of sulfer so bad that I really couldn't stand to take a shower.

Thanks for y'all's responses.

Does all the water smell of sulpher & is the water safe to drink (or is it even drinkable if it's safe)?

Thanks

The tap water smells fine in most hotels, I'm told. It is safe to drink.

<<< The tap water smells fine in most hotels, I'm told. >>>

The HOT water invariably smells of sulphur, but the cold is quite pleasant

Seeing the countryside?

It should be mainly dark in Nov i would think at that level - bring night goggles or be sure to be at the best of the countryside in the few hours of daylight

Iceland when i have been there is gray and dim even in summer - can't think of a more dreary place in November

It is right that it is pretty dark in Iceland during this time of year but still there are some hours of daylight and not everything is closed. There are bus-tours to the most famous places all year round (for example the Golden circle, including Gullfoss and Geysir, Thingvellir and more). The swimming pools are great and they are also open all days all year round. It is great sitting in the hot pots after a nice swim in the heated pool, and feel the rain or snow on the nose.
The hot water does not taste good but the cold water from the tab is very good.
I got some good ideas from the following web-page: main-iceland.blogspot.com

My husband and I spent three nights at the Hilton Reykjavik Nordica in mid-July of this year. We found it to be a lovely hotel and wouldn't hesitate to return. Our room was very comfortable and well appointed. The service was good and the buffet breakfast, included in our rate, was wonderful. The breakfast buffet offered an impressive selection of hot and cold foods that were replenished regularly. The water from the taps in our room did not have any noticeable smell (neither hot nor cold). We frequently drank from the cold water tap and it tasted just fine, with no ill effects.

From the Hilton it is about a 15 minute walk to the city center. The hotel offers a shuttle bus to/from the city center about six times per day. There is also a city bus stop just across the road from the hotel. Taxis were frequently available near the hotel entrance.

The Hilton is one of the stops offered by the airport bus (Flybus). The day before departure from Reykjavik, just let the hotel front-desk know that you wish to book a Flybus pick-up from the hotel back to the airport.

Reykjavik Excursions is one of the more popular bus tour companies. From their website it appears that there are many tours that run year-round. www.re.is

From the Lonely Planet "Best of Reykjavik" guide, it appears that many of the museums and galleries are open year-round with reduced hours during the winter. (The Asmundur Sveinsson Sculpture Museum is a very short walk across the road and down the street from the Hilton.)

Our stay in Reykjavik was just a quick stopover on the way home from a vacation in Norway. We really enjoyed Reykjavik and look forward to returning for a longer stay in future.