Calling all visitors to Iceland

Genoma · 28 Dec 2015 at 14:57

flights - check skyscanner, when you select the calendar to enter the date, select 'whole month' to see the cheapest days to fly.

Look at the apartments, they are cheaper and a better option to hotels.

The northern light tours are a great way to fill the evenings, if you don't see the lights, you get to go again for free.

For other tips have a look at my guide on flickr:

https://www.flickr.com/groups/icelandiclandscape/discuss/72157649714487286/

DB_SamX · 28 Dec 2015 at 21:46

Genoma said:
flights - check skyscanner, when you select the calendar to enter the date, select 'whole month' to see the cheapest days to fly.

Look at the apartments, they are cheaper and a better option to hotels.

The northern light tours are a great way to fill the evenings, if you don't see the lights, you get to go again for free.

For other tips have a look at my guide on flickr:

https://www.flickr.com/groups/icelandiclandscape/discuss/72157649714487286/

THanks Genoma, proved to be very useful.

I have lots of airmiles with BA, so will fly with them as will get a great discount. Also the apartments aren't working out much cheaper than hotels at that time so likely to stick to a hotel. Got a few trips planned with the tour company you mention in the guide.

Shame I have to wait till next week to book though, haven't got my week off approved from work yet.

Genoma · 29 Dec 2015 at 09:00

Cool. Comes down to personal preference. Just bear in mind apartments give you more flexibility for things like making packed lunches for your trips (fridge+cooker) and, if you get snowed in because of a storm you have a nice lounge to stay in + watch and make a pizza (this happened to us).

I personally found them great, the ones we stayed in were impeccably clean, and there was someone come every day to make beds, wash-up, etc.

DB_SamX · 29 Dec 2015 at 22:52

Genoma said:
Cool. Comes down to personal preference. Just bear in mind apartments give you more flexibility for things like making packed lunches for your trips (fridge+cooker) and, if you get snowed in because of a storm you have a nice lounge to stay in + watch and make a pizza (this happened to us).

I personally found them great, the ones we stayed in were impeccably clean, and there was someone come every day to make beds, wash-up, etc.

Good point, regarding being snowed in. Will have another look once I've booked the flight.

Question regarding batteries - did you take more than 2 batteries? Golden Circle is probably the longest day trip I will have without charging them, so no idea if 2 will suffice (alternating use i.e. one kept warm on me, one in camera, and then alternate regularly, which I read somewhere as advice).

Genoma · 30 Dec 2015 at 13:36

I managed the golden circle with 2 (must have it's all i have now

but on the cold windy nights and on the whale watching trip (wind & cold) the batteries really took their toll.. Take more if you can to be on the safe side.

DB_SamX · 5 Jan 2016 at 22:52

Flights booked for first week of March for 5 nights. Flying with BA due to being able to use £200 worth of avios as discount, so only paid £160 for two people. Reasonable times as well which allow me to do something on arrival and departure days.

Booked an apartment as well after all - £306 incl. breakfast. I did find slightly cheaper hotels but heeded your advice, Genoma, on having option of self-catering if required.

Ordered a Tamron 24-70 f/2.8 too today, and just need couple of spare cards and batteries.

Really looking forward to this now; not invested as much as I would have liked into photography last year.

Genoma · 6 Jan 2016 at 14:53

top job you will love it. remember northern lights can be elusive so make sure you have a few nights free for the hunt

Rimsy · 6 Jan 2016 at 17:13

Really pleased I spotted this thread. Have wanted to visit Iceland for ages and theres some great info in here. Smr's photos have also convinced the missus its a good idea too

Genoma · 6 Jan 2016 at 18:11

A few more

Postcard from Santa by Andrew Young, on Flickr

Blue Lagoon Panorama by Andrew Young, on Flickr

Slender White World by Andrew Young, on Flickr

Camera, lights. Action! by Andrew Young, on Flickr

Tysonator · 6 Jan 2016 at 19:09

The_Abyss said:
Well, finally able to sort through some of the photos (been redecorating the study and the Mac has been out of action). What a stunning country to visit. We had mixed weather, but not much clear sun at all. The scariest part was driving the last leg to Hali at night in an absolute gale - the jeep was all over the place and we had to slow to 30 mph for a couple of hours. But there really is nothing bad to say about Iceland at all, other than the ridiculous price of alcohol of course. We'll head back one day soon at a better time of year, as all this trip did was whet the appetite. Perhaps to catch those northern lights on a clearer night!

Last embers of the northern lights by Greg Kingston, on Flickr

Big country by Greg Kingston, on Flickr

Ice lagoon by Greg Kingston, on Flickr

Ice and black sand beach by Greg Kingston, on Flickr

Some great shots.

Much better than mine when I went as I was on an organise tour so I had time limit, coaches ( waiting for people to down the steps from the coach,..arrr ) tourist people, and onlt went to the places on the tour.
I would love to go back in the summer !

DB_SamX · 25 Jan 2016 at 22:28

Genoma, the Northern lights tour I am booking offers pickup at 1930 and 2100. Is later likely to be better for it?

Genoma · 26 Jan 2016 at 07:48

Can't really remember to be honest, I think we just checked the weather on the day and decided what time to go based on the best possible clear skies.

The_Abyss · 26 Jan 2016 at 11:08

I think clear skies are more important. If I understand it correctly they the aurora can happen at any time including day time - you just see it at night.

Pot luck.

smr · 26 Jan 2016 at 11:09

Yep clear skies or scattered clouds and luck are involved, that's it really.

http://en.vedur.is/weather/forecasts/aurora/

Jase · 26 Jan 2016 at 12:51

Nice, I'm going in March, how was it like for Driving? I've got a RAV4 booked at the moment but thinking of changing it a Land Cruiser.

smr · 26 Jan 2016 at 13:23

Jase said:
Nice, I'm going in March, how was it like for Driving? I've got a RAV4 booked at the moment but thinking of changing it a Land Cruiser.

petrifying.

It's not really that bad, but I was scared pretty much the entire 4 hour trip to Reykjavik from Jokulsarlon, think I've mentioned it before but it was pitch black, no one else on the road and it was raining, hailing and snowing with a howling wind buffeting the car as it wooshed down the mountain side. Saying that I went in February, maybe the roads won't be as snowy in March and conditions for driving will likely be a lot more favourable. It was also my first time driving a 4x4 and winter (studded) tyres - I didn't have as much confidence in them as other drivers clearly had - after spending winters on UK roads with normal tyres and icey conditions its really hard to get that out of your head, at least I found it was, even if I was assured by other people that the studs would do their job... if the roads weren't clear I basically felt my way along and tippy toed

Prophet · 26 Jan 2016 at 13:30

Jase said:
Nice, I'm going in March, how was it like for Driving? I've got a RAV4 booked at the moment but thinking of changing it a Land Cruiser.

I drove a total of 600 miles in a Hyundai i20 last November. Speed limit is 56MPH mostly and they all have winter tyres. As long as you drive carefully you'll be fine.

It the locals you need to watch out for. I was over taken by a bus in a breaking zone a fast road with 3" of snow :eek:

Janesy B · 26 Jan 2016 at 17:12

Jase said:
Nice, I'm going in March, how was it like for Driving? I've got a RAV4 booked at the moment but thinking of changing it a Land Cruiser.

RAV4 will be fine, you'll have studded tyres.

DB_SamX said:
Genoma, the Northern lights tour I am booking offers pickup at 1930 and 2100. Is later likely to be better for it?

I'd say later purely because because it will be properly dark then, but by all means wait and book it closer to the time. It will be pointless if it's cloudy or the Aurora isn't active.

You can check here: http://en.vedur.is/weather/forecasts/aurora/

Amazing place, my aurora shots aren't great as by the time we were out of town they had faded so needed to rely on longer exposures - anyway I got to see them so I am happy. Amazing place, would like to go back in the summer to see the contrast between the seasons.

a1ex2001 · 27 Jan 2016 at 09:00

Pictures of Iceland should be banned from the forum, they always have me itching to go back!

Best advice I could give anyone for seeing the Northern Lights would be stay outside Rejkavik it saves the need to travel for 30 minutes just to get somewhere dark and raises the possibility of seeing the lights from the comfort of your guest house patio or hot tub! I would also avoid any northern lights tour that involves a bus they can't go anywhere that you can't in a rental care and are actually more restricted than you, there is no 'special place' to see the lights and all the information they rely on is freely available online.

Genoma · 27 Jan 2016 at 20:19

Depends what you are after, I went in December and didn't fancy driving at all in those conditions. The buses were great for us, cheap and flexible for a few nights when we didn't have anything scheduled to do, we just packed lunches and enjoyed being driven around. If we didn't see anything, got to go again for free. They also kept in touch with each other by radio, so they would share the places with best visibility.