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Old Oct 1, 2018, 2:38 pm
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Iceland on my own without driving

I'm considering going to Iceland in June 2019. I don't drive so exploring the country by myself won't be possible. Would I be OK basing myself in the capital and taking a few day trips around? Would 7-10 days be too much there? I'll have 2.5 weeks off from work so maybe I could combine Iceland with somewhere else in Europe...
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Old Oct 1, 2018, 6:40 pm
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Originally Posted by mcbg1
I'm considering going to Iceland in June 2019. I don't drive so exploring the country by myself won't be possible. Would I be OK basing myself in the capital and taking a few day trips around? Would 7-10 days be too much there? I'll have 2.5 weeks off from work so maybe I could combine Iceland with somewhere else in Europe...
There are interesting day trips in Reykjavik, including an excellent one to a volcano, another to boiling springs. Sightseeing in the city is also nice, and the Blue Lagoon deserves a visit despite naysayers' claim it's a tourist trap. And after all, when you return home the first question you'll be asked is whether you went there.

But three days would be plenty. Hop over to London! Three hours by plane, and reasonable air fares.
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Old Oct 1, 2018, 7:42 pm
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Originally Posted by catcher1
There are interesting day trips in Reykjavik, including an excellent one to a volcano, another to boiling springs. Sightseeing in the city is also nice, and the Blue Lagoon deserves a visit despite naysayers' claim it's a tourist trap. And after all, when you return home the first question you'll be asked is whether you went there.

But three days would be plenty. Hop over to London! Three hours by plane, and reasonable air fares.
I just came back from a week in London but I actually just saw a cheap fare that would take me to London and I would fly back home from Reykjavik. I would be in Reykjavik for my birthday and their national holiday.

I could maybe add a few places in between as I have 2.5 weeks total off from work. For some reason, Finland and Sweden are also interesting to me...
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Old Oct 1, 2018, 10:30 pm
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We looking into doing a 7-day tour around Iceland, till someone's schedule changed so we doing some day tours instead (up to 14 hours!).

With a 7-day tour, you hop on in Reykjavik and go around the ring road, stopping off at a different hotel each night. These tours are usually small, with only 19 passengers. And you can get to places not possible to get from on a day trip.
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Old Oct 2, 2018, 6:25 am
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Originally Posted by DragonSoul
We looking into doing a 7-day tour around Iceland, till someone's schedule changed so we doing some day tours instead (up to 14 hours!).

With a 7-day tour, you hop on in Reykjavik and go around the ring road, stopping off at a different hotel each night. These tours are usually small, with only 19 passengers. And you can get to places not possible to get from on a day trip.
I hate group tours though.
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Old Oct 2, 2018, 6:44 am
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Originally Posted by mcbg1
I just came back from a week in London but I actually just saw a cheap fare that would take me to London and I would fly back home from Reykjavik. I would be in Reykjavik for my birthday and their national holiday.

I could maybe add a few places in between as I have 2.5 weeks total off from work. For some reason, Finland and Sweden are also interesting to me...
Bergen, Norway is a fabulous destination and easily worth three days. You can do a day trip from Bergen to see beautiful fjords, the city itself is charming and has a rich history, and the people are warm and welcoming.
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Old Oct 2, 2018, 6:50 am
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I did a small day tour with an outfit called GeoIceland Tours.

I found the Golden Circle Tour to be really nice. Small bus. Fun people. Great guide.

That being said, I had a quick 2 night stay. I could have done a 3rd day, but that would be about it.

I found Iceland fascinating, but too stark and cold for my tastes, and I was there in June. I am glad I went, I have no compelling desire to return.

I went on to Germany and had a blast there.
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Old Oct 2, 2018, 8:49 pm
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Originally Posted by mcbg1
I hate group tours though.
There are many tours operators that specialise in private tours. They are out of our budget, but they would allow you to avoid groups, even the small ones.
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Old Oct 3, 2018, 4:31 am
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Multi day tours are the best option, either a couple 2-3 day tours or that Around the Island tour, although 7 days is an Express Ring Road trip

There is also this option: https://www.re.is/iceland-on-your-own/ that might work for you, taking buses from place to place on your own schedule
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Old Dec 4, 2018, 12:07 pm
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Yh, there are many day tours you can enjoy directly from Reykjavik.
Most famous tours are the Golden Circle and Vík, the south coast, Jokursarlon, and Snaesfellness peninsula.
You can also join a Whale watching tour from the old harbor in Reykjavik!

Sadly, the agency-made round trips would mean huge groups...
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Old Dec 4, 2018, 1:28 pm
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That's true but those tours are probably my best option.
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Old Dec 4, 2018, 2:15 pm
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Originally Posted by mcbg1
That's true but those tours are probably my best option.
I went to Reykjavik in 2011, only 2 weeks after the last major eruption (the one of the Grimsvötn) and before Iceland became a tourist hotspot.

I stayed for 5 days and took 3 day trips from Reykjavik:
- combi tour Whale watching and Golden Circle. Bus ride with 5 people in total: bus driver, his wife, another tourist, my sister and me so rather empty bus but so nice and calm
- trip to Thorsmork valley and the base of the Eyjafjallajökull. guide + 5 people in a jeep. The movie the guide made that day is still online
- trip to Vik with stops along several waterfalls. Again in a jeep so small group.

The first day I spend walking through Reykjavik and the last day was for the Blue Lagoon and flying back home.
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Old Dec 4, 2018, 10:23 pm
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Originally Posted by mcbg1
I just came back from a week in London but I actually just saw a cheap fare that would take me to London and I would fly back home from Reykjavik. I would be in Reykjavik for my birthday and their national holiday.

I could maybe add a few places in between as I have 2.5 weeks total off from work. For some reason, Finland and Sweden are also interesting to me...
There are upsides and downsides to being in a country during a national holiday. Something to consider when it comes to Iceland where holidays are taken pretty seriously.
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Old Dec 8, 2018, 3:53 pm
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Originally Posted by GUWonder
There are upsides and downsides to being in a country during a national holiday. Something to consider when it comes to Iceland where holidays are taken pretty seriously.
I don't think Iceland National Day is too big a deal for the average tourist. Yes, some pools and museums are closed. But it's not like they shut the waterfalls off or dim the midnight sun
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