We decided to book our Iceland tickets in November 2017 when tickets went on sale for about $350 a person. It was such a good deal that we couldn't pass it up. Obviously you read about how expensive Iceland is. But how we took it is that...you only get to experience this once in your lifetime so everything is a part of the experience including Icelandic Cuisine, driving, and more.
We decided to do the ring road because this would be such an adventure to drive in a foreign country and staying in different towns. We've read other blogs that say this is the best way to see Iceland and it truly was.
So we started to plan our trip with the starting point in Reykjavik going from west to south to east to north all the way back around. We wanted to stay in a new town every day because we wanted to make sure we got back in time since we only had a little over a week to drive around the island. One thing I would recommend is to go the opposite way. Start going from west to north to east to south all the way back around because there were more things to do in Southern Iceland.
CAR RENTAL
We rented a smaller car (Hyndai i10) from Avis. The rental was $334. This car saved us on gas because in Iceland, gas is by the liter and not gallons (1 gallon = 3.8 liters). We spent about $300 total for about 9 days. There were gas stations at every town and there were some random gas stations around so you'll always find gas but make sure you pump gas once you see a gas station (N1 gas stations are everywhere). The gas stations takes chip cards and it's pay at the pump. If you want to go off-road, we recommend renting a CUV/SUV.
WIRELESS CONNECTION
I went on so many blogs to find out what to rent for wireless connection in Iceland. A lot of people recommended TEP Wireless. Unfortunately, it only worked 2 out of the 9 days we were in Iceland and those 2 days were in the main city, Reykjavik. We paid $109 for this rental including high speed. Fortunately, we have T-mobile which they offer an international plan that is included in the phone plan so no additional costs except if you wanted to call someone. We relied on our phones for navigation since the TEP Wireless didn't work.
ACCOMMODATIONS
When you're planning on accommodations, you'll probably have to rent a variety of Airbnb, hotels, guesthouses, apartments, etc. It depends on the town and the availability. We rented early because rooms were getting booked really quick. We tried to find Airbnb places in each town but some were not affordable so we started to look at guesthouses and apartments on Priceline. Most places were shared bathrooms so if you don't like that, make sure you read to make sure you don't get shared bathrooms. We didn't mind because we were only there to sleep since we wanted to explore all day. One place we do not recommend staying in is Skogar because it's really only a couple hotels in the area and everything closes at 7pm so if you arrive late then there's really no place to get food.
Here are the towns we stayed at:
Day 1 - 2 - Reykjavik
Day 3 - Skogar
Day 4 - Hofn
Day 5 - Akureyri
Day 6 - Olafsvik
Day 7 - Keflavik
See specific day in our other blogs to see what place we rented.
CURRENCY AND CREDIT CARDS
Iceland Currency is known as the Icelandic Krona. $1 USD equals about 117 Icelandic Krona.
We only took out $100 to use for smaller purchases in Reykjavik otherwise we used mainly chip embedded credit cards/debit cards. Iceland mainly takes cards throughout the whole island so there really isn't a point to have cash. Just make sure you find out how much your credit card charges for foreign fees because it will add up. Or you can find a credit card that doesn't charge foreign fees.
WHAT TO PACK?
So the burning question we always get is what to pack.
When E and I went to Iceland, we went in May 2018 so right after it was done raining in Iceland. We were preparing for the worst such as wind storms, rain and the cold. However we over packed. Every day was 50-60 degrees and sunny so it was nice out and felt like fall weather in Minnesota. We didn't need our winter coats or anything too thick. If you live in Minnesota, you'll understand that 50-60 degrees is nothing.
These are the main things you'll need besides your usual tops, bottoms, undergarments, etc. I've linked some items I've bought for woman. My husband already had most of these items already.
Touchscreen gloves
https://www.amazon.com/JUNLY-Texting-Gloves-Winter-Smartphone/dp/B075ZTM2KN/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1539971634&sr=8-10&keywords=touchscreen+gloves
Knit caps
https://www.amazon.com/Womens-Winter-Slouchy-Beanie-Chunky/dp/B074WNTYZM/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&qid=1539971689&sr=8-16&keywords=knit+caps
Coat that is water resistant and windproof - the specific one we have is sold out. But you can get any at Columbia. (https://www.columbia.com/home)
Scarves
Thermals
Swimwear - if you're planning on going to the spa
Wool socks - we bought these at Costco.
Fleece lined leggings - any from amazon
Day bag
Waterproof Hiking Boots (I bought Columbia Redmond Waterproof low hiking shoe)
Travel plug converter
Water bottle - Iceland water is drinkable from tap and streams.
Eye mask - 24 hour sunlight in the summer so you will need this!
Iceland is really windy so make sure you have some wind resistant coat on.
HOW MUCH SHOULD I SAVE?
Another question we get is how much should you should save for this trip. This question really depends on how many people are going. If there are a lot of people, you can split costs for accommodation, gas, car rental, etc. In this case, it was only me and E so our estimates are based on two people.
Pre-Paid Months in advance (2 people)
Small Car Rental - $334
Accommodations - $1015
Airline tickets - $724
Real time in Iceland (2 people)
Gas - $300
Spending money - $800
Regardless of the costs, Iceland was worth it. It's definitely the most beautiful place we've ever been to where you experience all sorts of weather but also the natural beauty of the place.
Happy Planning!!