The Details Iceland Travel Guides Leave Out
The land of fire and ice has been written about and photographed countless times. The descriptions of its prismatic waterfalls, vibrant lagoons and explosive volcanoes are unmistakably Iceland. As my boyfriend and I planned our first foray to this diverse country though, we discovered some details that made our trip immensely better.
Making the initial decision to travel to Iceland was an easy one. From Minneapolis, the flight was just under a very reasonable six hours. The tickets themselves cost half of those to European destinations. An intense landscape complemented by the culture capital of Reykjavik sealed the deal.
We had high expectations, and every facet of those were exceeded. The key to our enjoyment though was strategic planning that made our stay effortless. Here are the insights I learned that will make your trip just as wonderful.
Rent your Airbnb ASAP.
Iceland has become an incredibly popular destination in 2016, topping trend lists everywhere. And while that means touring the country has become more accessible than ever before, this land of only 300,000 people meets its tourist capacity - fast.
Iceland is a perfect destination to take advantage of Airbnb. Hotels are expensive and mediocre, and as the safest country in the world (no, really it is), you should use this time as an opportunity to live like a local. While Icelanders appreciate their private space, we found them welcoming. Our Airbnb host even had her father greet us, taking us on a tour of Reykjavik in his car. He pointed out his personal favorite restaurants and bars while sharing the historical and personal stories behind everything we passed. Seeing what a local does when he looks at his city is something no guidebook can offer.
To get this one-of-a-kind take on the country though, you need to think ahead. To offer perspective, we scheduled our stay in February for our trip in July. At five months prior to our vacation, only 10 percent of Airbnb accommodations were still available to rent. With ample time though, you'll have your pick of the coveted apartments and houses in the Capital Region, from which you'll be able to walk everywhere including the main shopping street of Laugavegur.
While you'e at it, book your excursions.
See note above about how everyone and their mom is flocking to Iceland. The two most popular ways to do Iceland are by rental car or tour bus. I've heard amazing things about doing self-drive tours around the countryside - but if you're on a budget and time crunch like we were, opt for someone else doing the work.
Renting a car in Iceland is expensive. Like thousands of dollars expensive. If you travel in winter as well, upgrading to four-wheel drive is mandatory. We had five days in Iceland, and weren't messing around. Having someone else do the driving and tell us the must-know details and where to look was appreciated.
Guide to Iceland was our go-to for tours, choosing a mix of southern Iceland, the Golden Circle, Blue Lagoon, glacier hiking and going inside a volcano. The unexpected benefit of taking these tours? After being on the go for several days, exhaustion hit hard. It was so nice to be able to sneak in naps on the bus.
Buy your alcohol duty free.
When we saw an Iceland Air flight attendant taking a shopping cart into the duty free section, we knew we should follow suit. Alcohol in Iceland is heavily taxed, but the exception to the rule is buying it duty free at the airport. While it's still costly when compared to the U.S., at the airport is actually where you'll find the bargain prices on liquor (I know, this seems completely counterintuitive).
I knew we would still purchase some cocktails and beers at restaurants throughout the week, but we also bought some Reyka vodka duty free. It was relaxing to enjoy drinks back at our Airbnb after long days, and we even took the bottle of this Icelandic spirit home as a souvenir.
While most of my tips circle back to saving money, don't let the cost of Iceland intimidate you. Planning goes a long way to putting your mind at ease so all you have to think about is the epicness of Thrihnukagigur Volcano or the tranquility of the Blue Lagoon.
Are you going to Iceland? What's next on your bucket list?
