Iceland Stopover Late September
 

After our stay in France in late September, we are taking a 2-night stopover in Iceland. Our flight from Paris arrives on Sunday morning at 9:20, and our flight home on Tuesday doesn't leave until 5:00 p.m., giving us a half day Sunday, all day Monday, and quite a bit of Tuesday. I've booked the Hotel Fron in Reykjavik.

My current plan is to look around Reykjavik Sunday, including a visit to the National Museum, then do a Golden Circle tour on Monday. For Tuesday, I'm thinking of picking up a rental car in the morning and heading down to look around the Reykjanes Peninsula before returning the car to the airport.

I'd love suggestions for sightseeing in Reykjavik on Sunday. We will visit the National Museum.

Any recommendations for the Golden Circle tour? There are several companies doing essentially the same thing and I've seen recommendations for renting a car and driving the circle at your own pace.

Any comments about Hotel Fron? A couple of TA reviewers mentioned noisy bars, etc. Any other hotel recommendations?

Would love recommendations for places to have dinner that aren't exorbitantly expensive? We are not foodies but might like to experience something local and interesting. Rotten shark doesn't seem too enticing, though.

Quite a few years ago, I took a 24-hour stopover in Iceland with a young granddaughter. We stayed at the Northern Lights Inn (wonderful) near Grindavik, went to the Blue Lagoon, walked around lava fields with steam rising, and visited the town of Grindavik and the Saltfish Museum. I'd like to see more of this area and plan to drive from Reykjavik to Keflavik Airport on Tuesday, possibly via Krysuvik, Grindavik, then around Highway 425 back to the airport. Does this sound doable? Any other suggestions?

I know this will just be a small taste of Iceland, but hope to make the most of the short time we have. Any comments and suggestions will be very helpful and greatly appreciated.

Hello!
Well, for Reykjavik I suggest Perlan, church of Hallgrimur, whale watching. If you are going to rent a car (try Reykjavik Cars
www.reykjavikcars.com by the way), it makes sense to book it for two days and do the Golden Circle by yourselves. Moreover you'll have an opportunity to cook dinner on fresh air - disposable grills can be bought at every big supermarket (e.g. Bonus) and allow to combine unusual Icelandic experience and good meals.

Anastasia - Thanks for the suggestions. I'm following your trip report and interested to learn more about your driving experiences.

Still hoping for restaurant recommendations for Reykjavik and information about driving conditions from Reykjavik to the south coast on Highway 42 via Krysuvik, then continuing on Highway 427 to Grindavik, then on Highway 425 along the coast and back to Keflavik Airport.

I did a two day stopover a couple of years ago. Also stayed at the same hotel.

Here's my trip report -
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...pover-trip.cfm

Be happy to answer any other specific questions if I can.

Great trip report and pictures, isabel. Very helpful - thanks!

I had a 10 day trip in March of this year. I ate a few places in Reykjavik that were very cheap and pretty solid in terms of food:

Cafe Babalu - cozy, adorable, great food (I had a grilled cheese and tomato soup combination)

Noodle Station - fragrant, spicy, VERY cheap, mostly locals

Svarta Kaffi - soup in a bread bowl and bar type of place, very laid back, filling and hearty and cheap (great if you run into cold rainy weather)

My splurge meal was at Dill - high end, expensive, tasting menu only - but it was entirely worth it (though I am a mini foodie).

I stayed at a few properties, but my favorite in Reykjavik was the Alda Hotel, which is on the quieter end of Laugavegar from Hotel Fron.

Definitely visit Hallgrímskirkja if you get a clear day: the views over Reykjavik are incredible from the top!

Good suggestions, inspiredexplorer. Thanks!
Soup in a bread bowl, bar, hearty and cheap sounds like our kind of place.