Today I will share my experience making reservations for flights
and lodging in Iceland. Rental car booking and other trip planning topics will
be covered in the next blog.
There have been quite a few deeply discounted package deals with flight,
lodging, etc. offered by companies such as Groupon and Living Social. Those deals are usually for short (3 - 5 days)
and off-season travel around Reykjavik, great if you only have a long weekend,
don't mind traveling in sub-zero temperature, and want to make another trip in
the future for the ring road. Here, I'm only sharing my experience as
a DIY traveler.
Air
1. WOW Air. Here
is what a single-trip (double the fare for round trip most likely) fare looks
like for June 2017 (start of high season) from Boston. Late June to end of
August is prime season with higher airfare and hotel cost. You will get a
better deal if your dates are flexible and you can travel in early June or early
September, which was what we did. ible and you can travel in early June or early September, which was what we did.
2.
Iceland Air. I just checked the price and a round trip costs close to $600 for
a June 5th departure. We paid over USD 600 for an early September trip with a
detour to Oslo. I would suggest booking 2-3 months in advance.
Of
course, you can also book through travel sites, such as Expedia and Kayak, if
you have an account with them and want to accumulate points. It used to be more
expensive to book directly with an airline, but that is no longer the case. Still,
it's always a good practice to spend a little time shopping around.
Lodging
Once
we decided where we would end the day each night, I started making lodging
reservations. There are a variety of options in Iceland: hotel (mostly in
larger cities), hostel (only in larger cities), guesthouse (often a converted and/or
expanded private residence), airbnb (only in larger cities), camp ground, and camper
car. Camper car is a great way to travel, because it is cheaper, and you can
literally stop and spend the night anywhere you want…by the ocean, waterfall,
mountain or anywhere in between. But, please know that weather in Iceland can be
very unpredictable. After watching this video on YouTube, we decided we would meet
Icelanders and stay in guesthouses. :-)
I
started my search in Expedia but soon found out that it did not offer many
options for some parts of Iceland. I eventually settled on using Booking.com. I
feel Booking.com covers
Iceland more extensively, publishes good and "bad" guest reviews, and
offers competitive pricing,, as well.
Speaking
of pricing and rating, my criteria in accommodation are mid-range in cost
(since we had a tight schedule and wouldn't spend much time in hotel rooms),
good guest rating and reviews (so that we didn't end up in an unkempt, run-down,
unsafe, or noisy place), on or close to the ring road or main road. Below
is where we stayed and a brief description of each place.
Night
1 - T10 Hotel. We were scheduled to land in Reykjavik right
before midnight, so I booked the T10 Hotel, a property less than 30 minutes
by car from the airport and on the way to our next destination. I booked via
Expedia, because I had points that I redeemed. The hotel was easy to locate,
simple, clean, and offered a simple yet tasty breakfast. The hotel has a 9.3
out of 10 guest satisfaction rating on Expedia.
I think the 9.3 is
representative of the fact that the quality is consistent; T10 is clean and
convenient, and delivers what it claims.
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| Toilet |
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| Dining area |
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| Our room |
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| Lounge |
Night 2 - Skogar Guesthouse, off the
ring road and adjacent to the famous Skogar waterfall near Vik. This guesthouse has two stories with
multiple bedrooms, three shared bathrooms, a fully equipped kitchen, a nice
living room, and an outdoor space including a deck, a treehouse and a hot tub
(not in working condition when we were there.) I think I booked the last room
available so it was a small space with three twin beds and hardly enough space for
us to move around once the suitcases were open. It got a bit noisy the next
morning when a group of guests started their day early. Breakfast was very good
classic Icelandic faire, and the owner/chef engaged us in very pleasant conversation.
The most memorable experience there though was that we saw the Northern Lights
(Aurora Borealis)for the first time in our lives!
I would recommend this guesthouse based on its convenient location, amenities, good breakfast and a warm family feel.
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| Our room |
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| Backyard |
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| Kitchen |
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| Northern Light |
Night 3 - Brunnholl Country Guesthouse south
of Hofn. This guesthouse is part of an active farm right off the ring road. It
was very quiet, peaceful and the food served was very fresh. We got there late
in the evening and Hofn was still some distance away so we dined in the
guesthouse restaurant. There were two dinner options, one a buffet with
traditional Icelandic dishes such as cured salmon, meatballs, etc.; the other
soup and salad. We chose the latter, but it was more healthy than we thought -
not much variety of veggies and only veggies. I wish we had dinner
elsewhere but the breakfast next morning was great!
The room we had was in a building (see image 1) separate from the main and was
spacious with its own bath. Staff were very friendly and service was great. When we first got to the
guesthouse in the evening we almost ran out of gas, and the nearest gas station
was 25 km away. Luckily, the guesthouse manager keeps extra gas on hand for
travelers like us, and he readily offered gas for less than the going rate so
we could continue on our way undeterred the next morning. It was a life saver,
and we were very appreciative.
In summary, I like their quiet and spacious room with private bathroom. Breakfast was tasty and staff friendly.
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| Building where our room was |
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| Breakfast |
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| View in the front |
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| Room |
Night
4 - Borgarfjörður Eystri (northeast).
It was a long drive from Hofn and a detour from the ring road but I highly
recommend visiting, if you have a day or half a day extra. This guesthouse is
rated 9.4 as Wonderful, and we absolutely agree!
When
we arrived, it was around 9pm (we did see the Northern Lights again as
we approached the town!) The hot tub and other facilities were closing,
but we did manage to rush into the hot tub facing the bay. Sitting in the hot
tub gazing at the stars and listening to waves crashing in Iceleand was
surreal... It melted away the fatigue of a long drive over dirt roads and
winding steep mountains.
Our room had an ocean view, and it was small but cozy. There were a
few shared bathrooms and a lounge/dining area. The guest rooms are all off a
long hallway similar to a typical hotel hallway. Breakfast was a
semi-self-service in a shared kitchen, but it was a nice meal and a solid way
to start the day.
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| Guesthouse |
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| Guest house facility |
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| Hot tub |
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| View of the hotel from across |
Night 5 - Hotel Gigur by Keahotels. This hotel, located on the southern shore of
Lake Myvatn, offers a sweeping lake view, and it has a very good
restaurant/bar. There is a paved walking trail around the lake if you want to
take a stroll and see the lake up close. The room was small but had a private
bathroom. We went into the town for dinner, but the buffet breakfast was
awesome! Staff were friendly and helpful.
I highly recommend this hotel for the lake view, the breakfast, and the walking trail.
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| Dining room |
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| Buffet breakfast |
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| Overlooking the lake |
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| Bar |
Night
6 - Guesthouse Tilraun in
Blonduos (guest rating 9.2). We stopped here to break the longer drive from Lake
Myvatn to Hellnar The guesthouse was newly updated with a nice shared bathroom
and washer/dryer. The hostess/owner greeted us, even though we arrived late in
the evening. The room was comfortable and clean. Although there is no breakfast
served, there is a fully-equipped kitchen, if you have your own groceries.
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| Kitchen |
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| Living room |
Night
7 - Fosshotel Hellnar (or Hotel
Hellnar. Guests rated this hotel 8.5 for the price mostly I think. I would give
it a 9). Hellnar, at the southwestern tip of the Snaefellsnes peninsula, is a
picturesque fishing village overlooking a rocky bay. The hotel is located
by the Snaefellsjokull National Park and has amazing oceanfront views. Our room
faced the ocean, and it was small but comfortable with its own bath. The hotel
lobby had high ceilings and a fireplace and was very cozy. We made reservations
for dinner as many had recommended and enjoyed the locally sourced organic produce
and the Icelandic dishes. The only suggestion I have is that they remove the
cod from the menu, as it is simply too salty. Other dishes and service were
exquisite.
A famous 2.5 km coastal walk starts right outside of the hotel to Arnarstapi. The slender trail follows the jagged coastline through a nature reserve, passing lava flows and eroded stone caves. You should definitely not miss this short walk.
Highly recommended this hotel for the beautiful setting, the wonderful restaurant, and the close proximity to the coastal trail.
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| Hotel |
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| Room |
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| Dinner |
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| Buffet breakfast |
Night 8 - Svitan Guesthouse & Apartments near Reykjavik
airport. We had an early morning flight so decided to stay close to the
airport. Our room was spacious and clean, as usual. Bathrooms and kitchen
were shared. This guesthouse was basic but served the purpose.
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| Room |
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| Guesthouse |
Overall, we were very happy with our lodging choices and would go back
if we drive the ring road again.
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