An awesome trip to Iceland, for some it may be very far away, but from Europe it may be less than 3 hours to fly to the edge of the North Pole. There live about 280.000 people on an area of 100.000 km2. The nature is beautiful here and if you like hiking, then a vacation in Iceland is worth considering. You can go to the rough coasts and admire seabirds. Think about the puffins, that you can find here and the breeding grounds of the seabirds that you can admire on the steep cliffs.
The culture of Iceland is beautiful and this can also be a good reason to visit the country. Iceland is known as the land of the Vikings. You can still notice this, because the country does not have an army but a Viking commando. In the National Musuem in Reykjavik you can get to know everything about the history of Iceland (from the time of the Vikings until now).
There is a lot to do in Iceland and the possibilities are endless. You can go for hikes, bicycle tours on the mountain bike, horseback riding and drive around the island in a rental car. You can swim in many places and there are plentiful opportunities to relax. The Blue Lagoon may not be forgotten, here the warm water comes from the deep layers of the earth and that could have a healing effect on you. Are you more into waves or do you like to make a boat trip, so that you can see dolphins and whales? All of that is possible during your holiday in Iceland.
If you want to discover the island with the car, then you can rent a car in Iceland. It is a good idea to check if the car is damage free. If there is damage, you can use stickers to mark the damage. Pay attention here, because in these way you can save yourself from paying for somebody else's damage. Always ask the rental company what the amount of excess is in the different instances you may be confronted with. So can it be that you get yourself in a situation where you drive through Iceland with a high excess, and thus a risk to getting a high bill at the end of your trip if you make any damage. Because driving a car is very expensive, you can also choose to make a roundtrip on the island outside of the high season. Sometimes this will save you half of the total amount. May you be coming with a big group, then you can also rent a bus.
As a tourist it is a good idea to prepare yourself well for a visit to Iceland. If you are going hiking it is important that you wear sturdy and waterproof clothing and footwear. Sometimes the tracks can be quite bad, but also slippery and muddy.
In the summer there are many people that decide to go camping in Iceland. In the open nature you are allowed to set up your own tent. But it may be wiser to look for an official camping (there are more facilities there).
It can be a good idea to bring bedding to Iceland. If you bring a pillow case and a sleeping bag then that is sufficient if you are staying in a hostel. This will save you the rental costs. You can also save money on breakfast if you do some shopping at the local supermarket.
If you want to eat some fish in Iceland, then you can go to the harbour of Reykjavik and there you can find a couple of seafood restaurants that have good prices (considering we're in Iceland, because the country as such is quite expensive). There are also 24-hours shops where you can get food day and night. There are also shops and supermarkets that close early, especially outside of Reykjavik. Therefore make sure that you always do your shopping in time, especially if you are staying outside of Reykjavik.
The nature in Iceland provides you with the opportunity to enjoy yourself without spending too much money. You do not have to choose expensive excursions, because a lot of the nature attractions are free. You can think about glaciers, geysers, but also the waterfalls and hot springs. You need a couple of good hiking boots and a raincoat and then you can enjoy yourself fully!
You can avoid the high season if you are not prepared to spend a lot in Iceland. July and August are very expensive months, but to be sure you might be better off avoiding June and September too. If you are driving around Iceland then you can encounter the toll tunnel under Hvalfjord (in between Borganes and Reykjavik). This can be avoided if you take the free touristic route (then you will take the winding road around Hvalfjord).
