can anyone give me tips on weather for the first week in october, how long should i stay and which coast is nicer to visit?

Expect cool temperatures and a great likelihood of rain; I was there the second week in October and wore sweaters and jackets. Some of the time was gorgeously clear, but rain is a good bet for some part of most days.

I'd recommend staying in the South in Reykjavik itself and going out on daytrips from there; of course, you don't have so many hours of daylight, so your sightseeing will be a bit more limited than in the summer, but it's still gorgeous.

If you haven't seen this http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...mp;tid=1278237 click on it for a few ideas.

Happy travels!

thanks amy... i was thinking of staying in reijkavik! do you think 4-6 days is good enough for a first time visit? i know it's not the best time of the year weatherwise maybe, but i'm looking forward to the spas and treatments and thermal pools. in case of bad weather. should i take a tour or venture out driving alone? thanks and i will check out the link! jjj

Since you're travelling solo, I'd recommend tours rather than driving; it will probably be more cost-effective and they are some long and lonely roads!

Six days would be nice; there really is a lot to see and do, especially if you alternate a day of touring with a spa day. Since you'll be travelling so far, though, you might want to see if you can make it six days of being there with a couple days for travel. (It only takes me five hours...I wish I were going back RIGHT NOW! )

gee... thanks amy! a lot of my friends think i'm crazy because i want to go up to subartic island in october, specially coming from the caribbean. but that's precisely it!! the different weather, food, people, landscape( venezuela is gorgeous)is what makes it so special to me! i can only make it either late sept. first week in oct. or mid november which will be even more difficult weather!! but it's my only time frame. i will make the best of it and if the weather is too bad i´ll go to the spa! where did you stay? jjjjjjjjjjj

Anytime is a good time to go to Iceland! (okay, well, for me, anyway...I just love that clean, clean air...)

I stayed at Hotel Ìsland the first time; not the greatest location, not a bad place though; then I've been in Loftleider (basic "business" type) the Radisson SAS Saga (nice big rooms, nice walk into town) and Skjaldbreid, which had tiny rooms but an excellent location right in town and a very nice staff. I'd like to do the farmstay sometime, but that's just summer, I believe.

(PS Now I have to add Venezuela to my list of places that I want to visit...the list keeps growing!)

which hotel would you repeat in the fall? the guy from icelandair told me over the phone he liked the radisson sas. would you repeat this one or the skjaldbreid? would it be too small for one person? i'm looking for a nice cheery place with wonderful breakfast!
would you go to the blue lagoon in the second week of october? weel you know the warm venezuelan blood thing!
mmm clean clean air, sounds wonderful to me! have you been to bhutan?thanks... j

I'd probably go for Skjaldbreid and cheery is a good word for it; the breakfast is at the top of the building in a glassed-in area and it's quite nice. The Radisson SAS Saga has humongous rooms, but it's less personal, and the SK location is easier (especially considering you'll be walking around in the dark a lot.)

The Blue Lagoon is good in any weather; you go straight from the shower room to the beautiful warm water, so no real problems with cold. (Just a moment or two when you get in and out...)

I'd love to get to Bhutan; the closest I've been is Tibet (this summer.) It just seems that every time I go one place there are another five or so added to my "list"!

gosh amy thanks... i will make my reservations as soon as possible and let you know. do you think it will be very dark early in the afternoon? i will try to make it in september! i'll let you know asap...jjjjjjjjj