Iceland - Rent Car or take Bus?
 

Greetings,

I'm planning a two week trip to Iceland in summer 2015. My friend and I are trying to decide the best way to get around the island. We'd like to do some day hikes, sightseeing, and see quite a bit of the country (loop road maybe). Can anyone give me advice on how we should travel?

Should we rent a car or is it easy enough to take public transportation?

Thanks!

There are plenty of tours [not cheap] and it's easy enough to rent a car [also not cheap] and drive round the ring road which goes all the way, more or less, round Iceland.

as for public transport, looking at the Lonely Planet or Rough Guide to see if it's viable.

A good website for planning is this one: http://www.farmholidays.is/

they do tours, accommodation, and day trips and have lots of ideas of how to organise your trip.

Good luck!

Thanks! Looking for the most affordable that can also help see a variety of places.

MainerGirl,

normally I am one for staying in one place and using it as a base for a few days. but Iceland is different, in that the places you want to see are separated by long stretches of not a lot. therefore some sort of tour is a very good idea.

if, as i infer from your post, you are relatively young, then there are lots of outdoor activities that may appeal to you - riding, white water rafting, canoeing - try the Icelandic tourist board for ideas, or just google.

This may help for bus schedules:

http://www.nat.is/travelguideeng/bus...landic_old.htm

Scheduled public transport in Iceland is sparse. Whilst a tour may work, I'd rent a car to give you flexibility.

If you want to rent a car I would recommend www.lotuscarrental.is. I used them last year and they have very good prices

Two weeks to drive around the Ring Road is ideal as you can drive at a leisurely rate and not feel rushed. I would concentrate on spending as much time as possible in the South East (around Skaftafell) and North East (around Myvatn) - at least 3 days each.

Rent a car. Relying on public transport and hitchhiking will play havoc with your itinerary. So many of Icelands hidden gems are very infrequently served by public transport, especially true the further you go from Reykajvik.

There are lots of car hire firms, the one I used and got the best price was www.carsIceland.com, but shop around.

Rent a car and do some research for a route that suits your interests. I'd recommend Tripadvisor forum for advice from locals to help with building an itinerary.

I just replied to Tally who will go there next year!

I highly recommend http://www.goiceland.com/ and now they have a monthly competition where you can win your rental fee back. http://www.goiceland.com/blog/want-y...ar-for-free/4/

I missed it for they started it after I left this year but I will be back again next year (and again and again :) )

I would recommend you to rent a car or you can even rent a camper (www.happycamper.is) if you want to be able to sleep anywhere and don't want to camp.