Flightster

Here’s Looking at You, Iceland

• by Alan Perlman
• on December 2nd, 2010
• 3 Comments

My brother and I talk on the phone every couple of weeks. I’m up in Boston, he’s down in Florida. We do our best to stay in touch. That’s what good brothers do.

Sometimes we talk about school, about live music and the latest TV pitch from Taco Bell. Recently though, we chatted about travel. The last time we traveled together was in the summer of 2008. We started with a 10-day program in Israel, then flew to Istanbul and rode trains around Eastern Europe for three weeks. We endured Euro-style haircuts (him more than me), lived like Serbian royalty for a weekend and even stopped by Dracula’s castle up in Transylvania. It was one hell of a trip.

“So, what do you think about Iceland? Want to go?”

Wait, what?

My brother graduates college in May and is looking for a fun, alternative way to spend his last Spring Break. Iceland..why not? He and a friend found cheap tickets from Orlando to Reykjavik (no, I did not spell that right the first time around), and are exploring Iceland as a trip possibility.

Besides that whole volcano episode earlier this year—remember Eyjafjallajökull?—I don’t know much about Iceland. When I was younger, one of my friends had a Hard Rock Café jacket from Reykjavik. I always thought that was cool.

Transportation and Accommodation

Most travelers will arrive at Keflavik International Airport, 30 miles outside of the capital city of Reykjavik. At the moment, direct flights from Boston with Icelandair are only $470. In North America, you can find direct flights with Icelandair from Seattle, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Halifax, Toronto, Boston, New York, Washington D.C. and Orlando. Of course, it’s much easier and cheaper to fly from Europe. Many cities have direct connections for only a few hundred Euros.

From the airport, the most common way to get into Reykjavik is with FlyBus. It’s a forty-five minute ride to the main bus terminal, which is a short walk to the city center. You can also ask to be dropped off at a specific hotel. A one-way bus ticket from the airport currently costs 1950 ISK, about $11. If you’re getting dropped off at a specific location, the price is a little higher, 2500 ISK or $14.

While plane flights are generally affordable for budget travelers, accommodation can be pricier than some of Europe’s other more-travelled cities. There are a handful of guesthouses and hostels around Reykjavik, one of the cheapest and well-known being the Reykjavik City Hostel. Dorm beds there start at 3300 ISK ($18). There are many mid-tier hotels and a few high-end ones as well.

Getting around the city is easy. Many places are walk-able and bike-able, and the public bus system is clean and reliable. Single rides cost 280 ISK ($1.50). There are also special cards for tourists (starting at 1200 ISK for one day) that include unlimited bus access, free museum entrance and free Internet at the hostel.

Things to Do

With just 320,000 people and slightly smaller than Kentucky, Iceland is a great vacation spot, with a lot to do. Within Reykjavik, there are plenty of noteworthy buildings—the National Cathedral, the Perlan restaurant (with excellent city views) and Alþingi (the Parliament). The city itself was not built for tourism, so you won’t feel like you’re apart of the tourist herd when you arrive.

You can visit Tjörnin Lake, next to City Hall, and feed bits of bread to ducks. If you’re a museum nut, there’s the National Museum of Iceland, the Culture House, the Reykjavik Art Museum and the Reykjavik Museum of Photography, the latter a great place to get a sense of what the island’s vast geography looks like.

If you’re more adventurous, then Iceland is a great place to visit. Hiking is the national hobby. Horseback riding is also a fun and popular activity. There’s also whale watching, whitewater rafting and, in the winter season, snowmobiling.

One activity many tourists look forward to is relaxing in one of Iceland’s geo-thermal swimming pools. With high alcohol prices, these pools are a nice alternative spot to meet friends and socialize. The city’s largest pool, Laugardalslaug, only costs 360 ISK ($2), and has two large swimming pools, a water slide, a steam bath and several hot-pots. If you didn’t think to bring your swimsuit to Iceland, you can rent a suit and towels at all the pools.

Of course, once you get outside of Reykjavik, that’s when the real fun starts. From September to April, you can look for the Northern Lights. There are also many glacial treks and volcanic tours, waterfalls, iceberg-blanketed lagoons, all kinds of experiences just waiting to be seized.

Fingers crossed that this trip works out.

Have you been to Iceland? Any recommendations?

photo from just.in

Alan Perlman

Alan Perlman travels the world as an international cost-of-living surveyor. When he's not hunting for the price of female undergarments in places like Syria, Rwanda and Turkmenistan, he's hanging out in Boston, MA, staying active, meeting people and brainstorming business models. You can read more about Alan and his plans to conquer life at his blog, The 9 to 5 Alternative.