Destinations: Iceland
7 Comments Published by Joel March 1st, 2007 in Destinations, Travel. Share This
Brett J., who will already has high scores for recommending Peter Capstick’s “Death in the Long Grass” to me, tells us why he thinks Iceland is the secret sweet spot for international jaunts. Brett works for an airline, too, so he gets around.
Iceland [is] one of the coolest, (literally and figuratively) destinations anywhere, a cross between northern Montana and Hawaii with few people and a modern European aesthetic—and where the average woman is painfully beautiful.
• Best way to get there – Icelandair. Whether you are going only to Iceland or connecting to mainland Europe, this is the ticket. While most airlines charge extra for stop-overs, Icelandair actually encourages you to spend a couple days in Iceland en route between Europe and the States.
Icelandair’s parent company owns several hotels, and offers good package deals, especially in the early spring and late fall.
• What to eat – Seafood. Most seafood in restaurants was caught the same day. The small, clawless lobsters are particularly tasty if expensive.
• What not to eat – Hamburgers. I don’t think these are made of beef. Even if you like ground mutton, you won’t like these.
• What to take – Warm, nice clothes. Icelanders dress up when they go out, so you’ll want to do the same. Also, they go out late. The restaurants in Reykjavik begin to fill up at 9pm, and the bars and clubs don’t happen until after midnight.
Also, outdoor clothes and hiking boots. Iceland has truly surreal scenery, but you’ll need to get out in the chill and walk a little to get the most of it. Numerous hot springs will help you forget any discomfort.
• Money – Take plenty of it. Expect to pay about a third more than you would in the U.S. for nearly everything, and triple for gas if you rent a car. It will be worth it. Keep some Icelandic krona as a souvenir. While the bills feature pictures of men with big beards, the coins are stamped with different kinds of fish.
• Boozing – If you cannot manage a couple drinks without yelling loudly and laughing like the freaking Joker, stay home. Throughout Western Europe, Americans have an embarrassing but well-earned reputation for being noisy and obnoxious. Don’t perpetuate it. Icelanders are nearly all tri-lingual and fluent in English. You will feel welcomed and get along very easily if you exercise polite manners.
When in Iceland, be sure to eat/drink salmiak. Delicious!
When? When is the best time to go to iceland?!?
I have to agree with everything Brett said. I went to Iceland on a press trip sponsored by Icelandair, and nearly everything I saw in the country was fascinating. He laid out everything I would have said about Iceland, but I can’t stress enough to friends how cost-effective and worth it a layover in Reykjavik would be when travelling to some other European city.
If going out in Iceland, have a Viking, an Icelandic brand of beer.
There is also a killer music festival that happens at the end of October- Icelandair sells a nicely priced package that includes airfare, transpo to/from airport, hotel (you can choose from several differently priced hotels), and a full pass to the festival- I went back in ‘01 or ‘02 and they were actually issueing press passes (read: free pre-show food/drinks) to any americanos that paid with a Visa/MC.
Be prepared to drink heavily. If you are on ANY kind of a budget definitely buy at least one bottle duty free at the airport upon arrival. Drinks were like $7-$9 when I went though I think that the exchange rate on the Kroner has softened some since then. Still- you WILL be drinking- stock up and have a few at the hotel before you go out.
The city is awesome but so is the barren countryside- make sure to carve out a slice of daylight to explore each- you will be handsomely rewarded.
I second Brett- the women ARE unbelieveable- looking either like Swedish models or Bjork (no joke).
cdan – Sorry I didn’t mention this, so here you go:
The best time to go will vary depending on your conditions. I was flying standby, and the flights in the summertime are very full, so I chose to go in October. That worked well for me, since the flights had open seats but there was still enough daylight to get a lot done. Keep in mind the country is right below the arctic circle, so if you go in December you’ll get little more than a couple hours of twilight, whereas if you go in June, the sun will barely dip below the horizon. Hotels and airfare will be a lot cheaper in the spring and fall, but if money is not so important go in the middle of the summer. If for some reason you go in the winter, be there for New Year’s Eve, when I’m told Reykjavik is one huge party with fireworks all over the city.
Actually, Reykjavik is one huge party every friday and saturday night. Laugavegur certainly is anyway. I fell in love with the place instantly.. even though I was only there for 36 hours to see the Sugarcubes show. I desperately want to go back.
I still hate you for that trip, Aron.