yes! i went in early august for 8 days. my pix
if i had advice for anyone interested in the country it would be..... plan it as a two-day trip as a long layover on a trip elsewhere to europe. i was there on a business trip, but for a personal adventure i would've cleaned out my bank account in just over a day. the only thing inexpensive about it was the flight, i took an amtrak to BWI to catch the nonstop on iceland air. also, i think you can see 95% of what you'd want to see in 2 days, as it's all in reykjavik + a 1-day gorgeous loop of a drive around the countryside (time includes stopovers, there are three big tourist attractions along the way plus a ton of dirt roads leading to remote waterfalls where you won't see another soul). i'd also go in june or july where you can really get your day's worth out of iceland. in early august, dusk settled in close to midnight, still light visible at 1am. then the sky got light again at maybe 3:30am with the sun rising at something ridiculous like 4. i know it was daylight again on several occasions when we managed to tear ourselves from the bars. it's the only place in which i'd actually condone a mid-day nap, because for all of the 8 nights i slept for maybe 2 hours each. the weather then was like a cooler san francisco.

here's what i'd recommend:
1. splurge for the tasting menu at sjavarkjallarinn if you are into eating weird and tasty things with a dramatic presentation. (fog on the table with the dessert courses?) the restaurant upstairs, geysir, had a special of some fabulous monkfish, and is actually a bargain for such a nice place. generally speaking, we paid an average of $200USD per person per meal, but we did get a bit ridiculous than necessary with the wines, which aren't the best selection over there (drink beer).
2. book a room on the executive floor at the hotel nordica IF you have a rental car (all cars are standard transmission - roads are easy to navigate - rent a GPS with the car!) or like to walk, because it's a ways out of the downtown, about a 20-min walk. it's only marginally more expensive than standard rooms anywhere else if you can catch an upgrade special directly on their website, translated to about $350USD a night, less than half advertised anywhere else - BUT the upgrade to the executive level includes free spa access (with free massages in the jacuzzi) and free bar access - free drinks (considering you can't get a beer elsewhere for under $10USD, this was huge). the free bar was on the 8th floor, accessible by keycard, with a stunning view of the harbor. i think the hilton chain recently bought this property, in october, after my visit. in general, though, one of the things i liked most about iceland was how absolutely removed it feels from life anywhere else - barely any recognizable chains or businesses. which is interesting/challenging when you are looking for something simple as a drugstore to buy dramamine, but more on that later.
3. the sirkus bar/dance club - had an excellent DJ and the friendliest locals i met anywhere in the country. i ended up staying til 4am chatting with a couple of them. there was also another bar (maybe with an irish name?) where the bartender was in a cell with bars, interesting place, good vibe, but i don't remember its name or where it was other than in the downtown area. don't waste your money on the ice-bar - a $40 cover?!
4. get used to being naked in a locker room - there are pools everywhere (and i think if you go all that way you pretty much HAVE to visit the blue lagoon, a slightly overrated geothermal pool which is a nice way to unwind after your flight on your way into town) and it's mandatory to strip fully and shower first at any pool or spa you go to. i was shy at first but by the third day ripping my clothes off on the way to the locker room in anticipation of my massage.
5. get your thighs in shape before you go... we did a lot of hiking in some remote areas and while we didn't scale any huge mountains ourselves, i was more exhausted after these hikes than any i've ever been... the terrain is mostly a foot-high layer of bouncy moss that grows over hardened lava. like hiking on some beach/trampoline thigh torture combo. my legs were so exhausted and weak that when i returned to the car, i couldn't muster up the strength to keep my leg elongated in order to keep my foot depressed on the clutch, thus almost stalling the car several times.
6. we had a group of 12, so we chartered a boat to take us whale watching one day. i don't know why every event i plan, i end up on a boat. i get horribly sea sick. actually this wasn't as bad as most, even though it was raining and the winds were heavy. we had the most adorable captain in the world... he steered the ship and his grandson was the first mate (i guess that's what they call them?). they arranged for sandwiches and wine and beers aplenty on boat for us, very hospitable. after we saw whales, he steered us over to puffin island where cute puffins swarm a large rock. he was so excited, just chirping "puffins! puffins!" and pointing wildly the whole time. this is the company i booked: http://www.elding.is/

if you like stark landscapes, if you find comfort in parts of north philly, then you will probably get a kick out of iceland. i loved it... just can't afford it!
so that's my personal guide to iceland. have fun and report back if you do go!!

Thanks for all of the responses, and special thanks to you, rabidog, that is a very good guide you conjured up.

I checked up on some of the places, and yes...its expensive.

You really think a few days is enough there? I'm not sure where else I would fly too, because everywhere else is just expensive as well.

I saw that iceland is about the size of Ohio. I'm guessing that this means I can pick one hotel, and stick with it for the entire trip. Is it easy to drive to any spot in the country (besides the inland part) if you leave everyday from Reykjavik?

We have to do the trip in April, its the only time we both have available. I saw that the sun rises at 5AM and stays up until 10PM in April. That's still alot of daylight.

welcs! travel is my love.

a few days i think is plenty... if you do it like me you'll only get a couple hours' sleep, and it's amazing how much you can fit into a 22-hour day (also as amazing how ready to crash you are after two days of it)!!
if i were to do it again i would: land in the early AM on day one, hit the blue lagoon on your way into reykjavik which should get you into town just in time for a late lunch at, say geysir or one of the more casual spots. possibly a whale-watching tour that afternoon, and dinner at sjavarkjallarinn. follow it up with some coffee from any of the nearby coffee houses then go to the sirkus club. sleep in late the next day, and do the scenic loop - any local can tell you the roads; the three main tourist attractions are the gullfoss (big waterfall), geysir (the first discovered geyser i think, small compared to yellowstone), then the pingvellir thinger (their first sorta parliament-like place). those would take up the better part of the day... i'd bring my own food and beer, as it's slim pickins out there. when i stopped at geysir, it was totally uncrowded save for a group of brits and a few cases of beer, sitting on a bench trying to drunkenly predict when the geysir would erupt. it was cute, and looked fun except i didn't have a coat and it was cold! that would get you back into town in time for a late dinner and more bars. by the third day, i'd fly out because that pretty much covers what i could afford before the bank account was drained! i did the wax museum at the pleading of some of my group, but museums aren't really my thing i guess; short attention span. some others in my group did bus tours seeing basically the same tourist attractions (i prefer to fly solo though) and one pair took their rental car way up to the very northernmost parts of the island, a full day venture for some serious mountain hikes (well past the snow line in august!). too much work for me, personally, on a vacation! it is a small place, and the town is easily done in a day. i'd also advise against shopping much there, as you can get many of the things online for half the price! someone in my group bought a much-needed fleece at a store called north66, to find it online for WAY less upon return!

that's all based on my personal vacationing style, though. you are also hearing this from the girl that did a 24-hour whirlwind trip to mexico city. i like to hit a lot of places, spend little time, cram in as much as i can, sleep later (on the plane). on leisure trips i often skip the hotel for this reason! iceland is perfect for this style, except for how long the flight is! OH, and flying over greenland on the outbound the time of year i did was the most beautiful thing in the world. sharp spiky mountains silhouetted by a firery red sunrise - wish i hadn't checked my camera bag.

oh, and yes - the best place to lodge is in reykjavik, all activities outside of town are close enough to get you back. i probably spent 4 hours of my loop in the car. the roads are easy in the city and country both, just so long as you rent the GPS system - signage is familiar to ours, but all the foreign road names do all blend together (and you won't be able to pronounce anything). everyone in reykjavik speaks english, but you'll encounter some in the countryside who don't (one woman i found out later was trying to tell me i'd left the lights on in my car, but i couldn't understand her and vice versa!).

It has always been a dream of mine to visit Iceland and obviously, as the years go by, it just gets more expensive. I knew that it is definitely a *working* vacation destination, meaning you need physical stamina to really enjoy the area, and that mostly everything you want to see and do can be done in a few days. My husband says that it has become a big destination for people who like to golf when the days are almost 24 hrs. of sunshine. When we looked in the past, it cost a fortune to fly there, but now, as a layover on your way to/from Europe, it is not at all expensive. I really appreciate rabidog posting the personal photos and info as now I have some firsthand info to show my husband.

you are welcome!
yes, when we were there, the only other group i met from the USA was a group of 13 older ladies from florida on a golf tour... they were having a blast!
if anyone has specific questions i can try to answer via email at rabidog@gmail.com ... not always the best at checking the boards, i am!

Another thread that is ironic to pull in light of recent events. Iceland's economy is on the verge of collapse.

http://www.portfolio.com/views/blogs...-big-to-rescue

Snippets:

Contracts on Iceland's debt jumped to 17.5 percent upfront and 5 percent a year to protect 10 million euros ($13.8 million) of bonds.

Not good. And:

How bad can things get in Iceland? Here's what one local emailed Tom Braithwaite:

They are fighting powers that they are powerless to fight. It's like tackling a storm raging in the sea with a teaspoon.
The main supermarket can't get imported goods because they have no currency. The shops are half empty. One of the store managers has advised people to start hoarding. We're running out of oil. And winter came last night - about a month early.

Really not good. The best hope now seems to be that Iceland itself will be backstopped, although how exactly that would work I have no idea. Maybe being named the world's best place to live is like the Sports Illustrated jinx?

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The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? - Psalm 27:1

This was pre-PB before someone got upset that they ween't getting hits to their site.


Here's a link:

http://elainesplace.net/2007/11/iceland-most-desirable/

http://december.unric.org/index.php?...1&Itemid=10244

hot hot

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"And Lord, I pray that you would guard your own reputation, because they're going to think that their god is bigger than you, if that happens. So I pray that you will step forward and honor your own name with all that happens between now and Election Day."--Rev. Arnold Conrad

The same could be said about Antarctica but that doesn't mean I'd want to live there.

I did hear that those big walruses like to get their jiggy on with the seals though

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Liberalism is a mental disorder

Success and happiness drive liberal azzholes berserk.