I did the research, read the blogs and followed all the travel tips, but sometimes no matter how much I prepare, everything just seems to go wrong. My friends and I had planned a trendy Iceland trip and had everything lined up. We flew direct to Reykjavik and made reservations for the first opening at the Blue Lagoon. We had an amazing time there, and an incredible breakfast at Hotel Silica. Our hotel was in a perfect central location, and we had all purchased an extra night (the night before) so that our rooms were guaranteed to be ready early. We took some time to relax and change before heading out to see the city. Perfect trip so far, right? Not so fast.
I can’t tell you how many times I have been told that food in Iceland is expensive. It’s not that I didn’t believe it, I just assumed it was overblown. Restaurants are expensive everywhere right? After a few $25.00 per person breakfasts at simple cafes it was apparent that I was wrong. We tried some amazing food, especially the fresh fish and seafood stews that were absolutely worth the hefty prices. Just be prepared for the $10 croissants and $15 coffee drinks. Not Iceland specific but one more important lesson, if multiple waitresses say they don’t like a certain dish on a menu.. skip it. My friend found that out the hard way after insisting on trying a baked dish of fish, cheese and other things that should never have been mixed together. The locals know their food best!
Honestly, I feel silly for saying this, but don’t expect to see the Northern Lights. I know, I know, you can’t predict mother nature, but since we were going to be there a week and planned to go out every night looking for them, we were overly optimistic. We drove out of the city each night to a lookout point and stared at the sky to no avail. It was disappointing, but no amount of planning would have made a difference.
Little annoyances aside, this is where it just got crazy.
One day, we drove 5 hours to Glacier Lagoon for a boat tour. The weather was getting rough and all the tours had shut down for the day with the exception of our little boat. The women at the ticket booth told us we could have a refund if we thought it was too dangerous to venture out. Since we had come all that way, we went anyway. It was one of the most horrifying experiences of my life. Our little boat almost flipped over countless times. We had to hang on for dear life not to fly off into the water, and got drenched by freezing waves. Most of the time there was so much water in my face I couldn’t even open my eyes to see the scenery. Despite our flotation suits, we were all soaked through and half frozen when it was finally over. I’m cold just thinking about it. Pro Tip: Even if you bring waterproof clothing along with you, bring a change of clothes to keep in the car.
Wet, freezing and grumpy we were in too much of a hurry getting back to Reykjavik and got stopped for speeding. Instead of just getting handed a ticket like expected, my husband was taken from the car into a police van. We weren’t allowed to accompany him. He was told he would have pay a $700 ticket, but if he paid right now they would knock it down to $500. If he didn’t pay now, he couldn’t leave the county without paying the full price ticket. We quickly paid the $500. Looking back, I have no idea if this was a legit transaction or not. Did they scam us? I don’t know, but what I do know is that getting into any kind of legal trouble abroad is terrifying and you just want to get out of the situation ASAP. If something like this happens to you, don’t be afraid to call your country’s embassy and ask for advice. They are there to help.
Shortly after that fiasco, a rock smashed into the windshield of our rental car and cracked it. All we saw were dollar signs riveting through the glass. Had we bought the extra insurance? Nope. When it was time to turn in the car, we were told that one third of cars in Iceland come back with some kind of windshield damage. Another $500 down the drain. Am I going to tell you to always get the extra insurance? Of course not. What I can say is to review your personal insurance plan, and know your rental car coverage. We found that we did have coverage for the incident, but after paying out deductibles it wasn’t worth it to file a claim. Knowing this ahead of time wouldn’t have prevented it, but it would have put our minds at ease knowing that we did have coverage if the damage was worse. It would have saved a lot of concerned guessing and speculation.
Needless to say all those events added up big time. Do I regret going to Iceland? No way! Good or bad, we made memories and had a lot of fun. I learned a lot on that trip, especially about managing expectations. Not all vacations are picture perfect, nor should they be. Isn’t that the whole point of travel, to experience the world and grow as a person? It’s easy for our expectations to get inflated, especially seeing gorgeous travel photos and posts all over social media. I hesitated a little bit before posting this, because it’s the opposite of all that. Here is my messy, imperfect experience. But that’s life, and I love it. Best travel lesson ever.
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What month did you and your husband go to Iceland? I’m planning to go and my main goal is to see the Northern Light’s,
So I wondered when you went. Sorry for the problems that you had but it sounds like you still had a good time! Thanks
I have chased the northern lights for several years. Yellowknife is a short flight from Edmonton, Canada. If you are there five nights in March, you have an 80% chance of seeing them. We saw them 3 of 5 nights. The other prime viewing spot is north of Fairbanks. We have seen them many nights in Chena Hot Springs. We also saw them in Lapland. I've been to Iceland 7 times and have never seen them. Going back in March, fingers crossed! I use https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/aurora-30-minute-forecast to track my chances.
Hi Ginger, we went in October. September-March is the peak season in Iceland to see the Northern Lights!
we are going to Iceland in 2 weeks. I'm crossing my fingers !!!!!!!
Very nice narrative - thank you. Much of it echos our trip to Iceland 3 years ago. The food was the most expensive we've seen, so we got into a routine where we'd split a meal and make do with grocery items for much of the day. Our last evening near Reykovic the waiter was memorable. We had decided to split a beer, in addition to our meal. The waiter felt sorry for us, and brought a second beer, on the house. Yes, the weather there is unpredictable, and can get very wet and windy. Part of the Ring Road was closed for a couple of days due to high winds. But the natives were accostomed to bad weather, and one thought it was a good day for a picnic primarily beasue it was raining less hard than usual. Everyone was helpful and friendly. Thanks again.
We’re leaving for Iceland next week! Thanks for the tips. We’ve definitely had vacations like this but they sure do make good stories in the end.
Have a fantastic trip Paula! Honestly, you're right about the stories. We will laugh about this trip forever!
This was a super helpful review in planning our trip to Iceland! Doesnt deter us from going, but man I feel so much more prepared. I tend to have a lead foot too, so I will have my husband drive. 🙃
Thank you Missy I'm so happy it was helpful. Sounds like letting your husband drive in Iceland is good call, haha! Enjoy your trip!
I went to Iceland for 7 days. Rented a camper with 3 other people. The whole trip including camper and flights was <$1000/person. You can bring ~6lb non-perishable food on the plane. Don’t waste your money on hotels, why go anywhere if you’re focused on where you’re sleeping and amenities. Sucks about the cops and window, it can happen anywhere.
Hope you still liked Iceland, the speeding ticket was legal. Also people living in Iceland can pay it right away and get it cheaper. Sorry you got a ticket but we mean it when it says don’t drive over 90, the roads are just to dangerous to drive faster 🤍
You're right Linda, totally our fault and I didn't mean that we didn't deserve it. We don't have the option in the states to pay right away, so for us that was a scary moment.
Wow , sounds like anything bad that could hapoen , did 🥺 The Good news is That Americans now get more kroner For their dollar , so a coffee will run you $5 and a crossiant $3 ❤️Speeding is never a Good idea in Iceland because of the conditions of the roads and especially if there is black ice🤔 The prepay ticket price and collection is legit , but $500 for new wind shield is outragious , all cars in Iceland have windshield insurance and it only cost us $150 if we need to replace windshield💕 Hope you come again soon❤️
OMG what a story! I'm drafting a post on my biggest mistakes in Iceland as well, but it seems like you had way more harrowing experiences with that boat - and the windshield mishap! Girl, I relate on so many levels. This would be an amazing story in your future book!
We made lots of mistakes for sure.. but it was worth it. I'd love to hear about your trip as well, let me know when you publish that post!
Seems to me I need to bring a boat load of money. Good trip report.