Kelly ([info]lean968) wrote in [info]_backpackers,
@ 2008-03-28 13:06:00
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Current location:work
Current mood: excited

Iceland
 

I’m going to be in Iceland April 9-14 and would love some advice…


Does the bus station in Reykjavik (or anywhere in central Reykjavik really) have luggage storage?  My flight arrives at 6:30am and I’m not meeting my couchsurfing host until later, so I really don’t want to lug my backpack all over the city.

 

I read that credit cards are widely accepted in Iceland.  How widely exactly?  In the US, I could get by without ever visiting an ATM, but is it like that in Iceland too?  I know I’ll need cash for bus fares, but will everywhere else (tourist sites, shops, cheap-ish restaurants, places that sell hotdogs) take credit cards?

 

Is there anything to do in Reykjavik at night besides bars/clubs (I’m not really into that atmosphere)?  Maybe some kind of theater or folk music?

 

Does everything in Iceland shut down on Sundays like it does elsewhere in Europe (and the US too for that matter)?  I was thinking I’d do the Golden Circle guided tour that day if nothing will be open.

 

Is it too late in the season to get a good view of aurora borealis?  I don’t want to waste my money on a tour to see them if there’s no hope.

 

Can anyone recommend a cute little town that would be good for a daytrip from Reykjavik?  I was thinking either Vik or somewhere on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, but I guess those might be too far away.  It needs to be accessible by public bus, and I’d prefer it be on the coast, but if there’s somewhere cool in the interior that’s great too.

 

On that same note, is the Snæfellsnes Peninsula accessible by public bus?  From the route map I found on bus.is, it doesn’t look like it.  None of the tours seem to go up there until the summer, so I thought maybe it’s not accessible right now.

 

Are there any hiking trails that would be a good day trip from Reykjavik?  Or would they all be buried in several feet of snow this time of year?  Again, must be accessible by public bus.

 

Anyone know of a company that does dog sledding tours this time of year?  None of the tour companies I’ve looked at have anything with dog sledding.

 

 

Thanks for any help you can give me!!!

 

Cross-posted a million different places, including the Iceland community – sorry!


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[info]lordstorm
2008-03-28 08:31 pm UTC (link)
I'm sorry I'm not able to contribute to the extra info you needed, but could I ask you where you got your existing information? I'm interested in an Iceland trip myself sometime later this year from the UK, over 4-6 days, and I'd love to see what sort of options, tours and such are available outside what Lonely Planet/Fyodor's/et al suggest.

Much appreciated!
LS

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[info]charlie_delta
2008-03-29 12:19 am UTC (link)
Check out http://www.hostel.is/displayer.asp?cat_id=13

Even if your not staying there they have a ton of information on the website about tours and things to do.

I'm going in December as part of a bigger europe trip... i can't wait!!

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[info]sabregal
2008-03-29 07:31 am UTC (link)
Iceland... sigh...
My dream is to go to Iceland:(
They have some hostels on hostelworld.com

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[info]cowprintavenger
2008-03-29 04:37 pm UTC (link)
I worked in Iceland from Jan-April in 2004 & spent most of April 2005 there as well, and I can say that April is a reasonably good time to visit - it's still pretty cold at times, especially if you go further north, but it stays light fairly late and it didn't rain/snow too much when I was there.

Snaefellsnes is definitely accessible in April, and there should be public buses going to it. The only thing is with the buses, they're not very regular so you can't just get off one, have a wander around a place and then get the next bus - once you get off the bus, you're usually there for the rest of the day or overnight! If you can drive, I'd recommend splashing out and hiring a car for at least one day. It's reasonably pricey, but it's definitely worth it. I drove around Snaefellsnes just before I came home and I was constantly stopping the car to have a look around, you'd really miss out on some good sights if you were on the bus. You can easily drive around the whole Snaefellsnes peninsula in a day, and it's gorgeous scenery. The Vestmannaeyjar (Westmann Islands) on the south coast are supposed to be pretty great as well, but I don't know if you could do them in a day.

A nice walk to do (and you don't have to leave Reykjavik) is around the coastline from one end of the city to the other, and you can get the bus back to the centre if you want. The route is marked in red dots on this map: http://www.visitorsguide.is/resources/Files/visitorsguide.is/Maps/Reykjavik_L_1600x900.gif
I'd recommend starting on Aegisiða (by the bottom left corner of the red triangle on the map) - try and get onto Aegisiða where it joins Hofsvallagata as there are some cool sculptures next to the path there. Follow the path from there, around the coast, to Perlan (http://www.perlan.is), which is well worth seeing. It's a really pretty route and you don't feel like you're in a city at all.

I really wouldn't bother with a tour to see the Northern Lights - they're mainly in autumn and it's a case of being in the right place at the right time to see them, I know lots of people who've lived in the north all their life and never seen them. That said, make sure you take a look at the night sky on a clear night in Iceland cos it's pretty spectacular even without the northern lights!

You've obviously heard about the club scene in Iceland - it's pretty crazy! There's a lot of live music though, check out http://www.musik.is/dofine.html for listings. Gaukur a Stongon Tryggvagata is pretty well known for being a good music venue. If you do go out to any bars, Kaffibarinn on Bergstaðarstræti or Sirkus on Klapparstigur (both just off Laugavegur, one of the main streets through the city) and have a nicer, less clubby/trendy atmosphere than most of the other bars. I'm not a clubby person either, but these bars are a lot more chilled out and cosier than most. I love Sirkus - it's tiny and has this crazy little attic area that's just like being in someone's house instead of in a bar. Also bear in mind that no-one goes into town until about 1am on a weekend, so if you go out any earlier than this, it'll be nice and quiet in most places!

As for using your credit card, most places will accept it but not if you're only paying for a small amount (like souvenirs or a hot dog). I'd carry some money with you as well, and Iceland is a pretty expensive place so you'll be certain of using it!
Have a great trip, just ask if you have any other questions.

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