hanleyster

Ireland has banshees, leprechans, 4 leaf clovers, guiness, celtic music, gealeic tounge, the cheiftans music, beer pubs, castles, towers, green grass, great accents...

iceland has no ants and good heating systems, TAHTS IT

Amy

I like Ireland; I had a good time there, and could probably have lots more if I had the time. But Iceland is very special to me, especially for its gorgeous scenery and geographic dreamscapes.

Here's a thread with, oh, more than a hundred things about Iceland:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...mp;tid=1278237

PalenQ

Five most expensive

1. Iceland - USD 7.45
2. Norway - USD 6.63
3. Réunion - USD 6.23
4. Finland - USD 6.11[4]
5. Sweden - USD 5.33

The Big Mac Index is a rather accepted index of costs in countries and Iceland is BY FAR the most expensive in that rating

enough said

Viajero2

If you only have 5-7 days, go to YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, one of the most spectacular places for wildlife sigthseeing in the world. Nothing that I saw in Ireland (not been to Iceland) came even close to the spectacular scenery AND outdoor experiences you see and you get in the USA.

Jay_G

"Enough said" PalenQ?

I think not. Spouting cherry-picked figures (along with a nicely patronising lesson in global economics) does not constitute a valid argument.

A couple of links showing the most expensive cities and countries in the world for your viewing pleasure;

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0933749.html

http://www.aneki.com/expensive.html

Being proved wrong shouldn't be viewed as slight on your manhood (such as it is) and result in terse responses. Ever heard the phrase "You learn something every day"?

Enjoy.

PalenQ

Well after having been in every european country i have NEVER seen sticket shock like in Iceland - not even in Norway

so i guess it means what you think Expensive - i found i could not buy anything in a supermarket almost that was not outrageous

My advice - take everything you can into Iceland - esp Booze (though at Keflavik duty-free you may pick up cheap booze)

Bring in cosmetics, first-aid - everything you possibly can

MissPrism

It depends very much on where you have been before.
The scenery in Iceland is quite unique.
The Black Castles near Lake Myvatn are very strange. You can imagine trolls living there.
Not you... (bites tongue) ;-)

Jay_G

For someone so well travelled PalenQ (every European country? Really?)you're not very open to other people's opinions. Which is a shame.

On the other hand, this thread has conjoured up the marvellous image of you sitting in Reykjavik harbour, greasy big mac in one-hand, washbag full of cosmetics and first aid gear in the other, berating passersby who deign to tell you where you could have bought better and cheaper items just 'round the corner.

And they say travel broadens the mind...

PalenQ

No i am not open minded to the fact that Ireland is as expensive as Iceland

In Ireland i can go in a supermarket and buy things that are more expensive than at home usually but not 3 or 4 times as much

I can go in a pub and pay yes $4 for a pint - not 3 or 4 times that much for less IME in Iceland

I can afford to go to Ireland i cannot to Iceland

Again it's in what one calls 'expensive' and i am comparing it to ALL, yes ALL other European countries i have been in

that's my opinion based on my own experiences

that others may not consider Iceland expensive is their relative feeling about what expensive is

but to say Ireland is as expensive as Iceland i think is sheer fantasy

PalenQ

YouTube - Iceland - The Expensive Isle
Iceland is one of the most expensive countries on earth ...
1 min 6 sec -

Rated 4.8 out of 5.0

Jay_G

Oh PalenQ, I think you might need to take 'How to formulate an argument 101'.

Nobody said that Ireland is as expensive as Iceland, they merely took you up on your point;
<If you budget is not limitless than avoid Iceland at all costs>.

People who have posted on this forum of their experiences in Iceland have disproved this point. I know I'm being presumptuous by guessing that all the people who have visited Iceland -myself included - don't have 'limitless funds', but I'm willing to take that chance.

Just because you can afford to go to Ireland and not Iceland, doesn't mean that you should be peppering this thread with personal opinions that you phrase in such a way as to make them seem like accepted knowledge, when they are little more than idiosyncratic rantings.

As for you comparing the costs in Iceland to all (yes, that's ALL) the European countries you've visited, that's fair enough. What I was picking you up on was your line;

<Well after having been in every european country i have NEVER seen sticket shock like in Iceland>
(spelling errors, all author's own)

If you want to be held up as a font of travel knowledge, you should avoid over-egging the pudding when it comes to your experience and try giving useful advice, rather than platitudes gleaned from who knows where.

Changing the crux of your 'argument' half way through a discussion is not great technique, particularly when the entire exchange is saved in black and white a few centimetres above the ongoing conversation.

Perhaps if you took on board other's opinions (or ignored them if you prefer) rather than trying to hammer your half-baked theories into the ground in order to prove a point, more useful information could be shared and threads such as this (apologies knicola)wouldn't degenerate into an electronic p*ssing contest with only one participant trying to prove his omniscience.

Just a thought.

astein12

I'll throw out one more item on the expense of going to Iceland...

There's an old saying related to traveling there... 'the food is expensive, the scenery is free'

Basically, you generally go to Iceland for the wonderful scenery, hiking, etc. Unless you take some of the admittedly expensive tours, you basically don't have to spend any money on sightseeing in Iceland. There are no fees for the national parks, historic sites, etc. (and the fees for museums are very reasonable if you choose to visit them). Compare this to museum entrance (except in London, where the major museums are free), the Eiffel Tower, British Heritage Passes, National Park entrance fees, etc. and Iceland becomes somewhat more affordable.

While we did pay quite a bit for food, in a two week period my wife and I only spent about $60 total on 'tourist attractions' (Lake Myvatn Nature Baths and one museum in Reykjavik).

Just one more thing to keep in mind...

PalenQ

Jay - fair enough but i still am entitled to say that of any European country i have visited - all of them - to me sticker shock was greater in Iceland than anywhere else

that said astein12 makes a great point - since there is little there to spend like museums and the scenery is free then the overall expense could be about the same

My fault perhaps was judging on what i encountered - tremendously costly food - any food in stores, etc. and beer in stores or pubs

But astein's point is very valid - i stayed in rekyavik both times i was in Iceland and only did a few bus forways to nearby natural wonders like geysers. So i was judging city expenses - but yes if hiking, etc. your costs can be minimal

i still advise bringing with you anything you will need after landing that you can. Especially booze.

astein12

PalenQ - your point is well taken on alcohol in some restaurants. $12 for a beer and $15 for a glass of table wine is more than a bit of shock.

However, wine bottles in wine stores was quite affordable (lots of decent $15 bottles) and beer in the supermarkets and gas stations was cheap (anywhere from about $1.25 to $2 for a 16oz can). This made having a drink on a picnic a decent bargain (not sure how the Icelandic police would have felt about the 6pk and bottle of wine we generally had in the car, but we didn't drink while driving so I don't think there was an issue).

PalenQ

is not that supermarket beer some low alcohol 3% max brew? not sure but seems to have been when i was there - not in the past few years

so i guess prices may not be so bad as before. Though dollar was very high then.

astein12

There is that 'light' beer, but there were also real brews... you had to be careful though!