ISLABONITA Posted May 23, 2015 #476 Share Posted May 23, 2015 Still not sure what to pack.. will be in Norway for a week before arriving in Iceland June 12th. I have been reading that I should wear layers for all types of weather , but it gets a suitcase full in a hurry if I have to pack a raincoat, turtleneck, fleece, sweatshirt, leggings, hiking boots, winter hat, gloves, coat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karlth Posted May 23, 2015 Author #477 Share Posted May 23, 2015 Still not sure what to pack.. will be in Norway for a week before arriving in Iceland June 12th. I have been reading that I should wear layers for all types of weather , but it gets a suitcase full in a hurry if I have to pack a raincoat, turtleneck, fleece, sweatshirt, leggings, hiking boots, winter hat, gloves, coat. The weather is very unpredictable, but at least it won't be boring! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pmjnh Posted May 23, 2015 #478 Share Posted May 23, 2015 (edited) Still not sure what to pack.. will be in Norway for a week before arriving in Iceland June 12th. I have been reading that I should wear layers for all types of weather , but it gets a suitcase full in a hurry if I have to pack a raincoat, turtleneck, fleece, sweatshirt, leggings, hiking boots, winter hat, gloves, coat. From everything I have read one must be prepared for all types of weather. I don't know how far up the coast of Norway you will be but our cruise to Norway takes us up past the Arctic Circle to Honningsvag, thus I will be packing for unpredictable weather in both Norway and our post cruise trip to Iceland on the way back to the US. You are so right about warm weather clothing taking up space in a suitcase but if you concentrate on thin wicking hiking type shirts,light fleece and waterproof jacket in layers the shirts take up very little space and if soiled can be rinsed in a sink. Hiking boots are problematic as well so whenever we travel we bring hiking boots and the best way we have found to do so is to wear them on the plane. We sometimes will take an extra backpack of just hiking clothing and stuff the boots on the bottom..pack the boots with socks. Edited May 23, 2015 by pmjnh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VernaF7449 Posted May 30, 2015 #479 Share Posted May 30, 2015 Hi I wanted to get current information about Rekyavik and my upcoming Celebrity eclipse cruise. I am renting a car for our overnight stop at Rekyavik and I am planning on keeping it overnight at the cruise terminal. I have seen earlier posts on CC and Tripadvisor that parking is free and available at the terminal is that still true? Also I have a chip and signature credit card will I be able to buy gas at gas station kiosks? Will I need to go inside the gas station and use the card there? Should I try to get a chip and pin credit card? Thanks. Verna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nitemare Posted June 1, 2015 #480 Share Posted June 1, 2015 You will most likely need to go inside and buy a gas card (it's like a gift card) and then put that in the automated machine outside to get your gas. The cards come in round amounts (I think 3,000, 5,000 and 10,000 ISK). We got a chip and pin card before we left (from Bank of America) but it didn't work there, so don't bother. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare itsanita Posted June 1, 2015 #481 Share Posted June 1, 2015 You will most likely need to go inside and buy a gas card (it's like a gift card) and then put that in the automated machine outside to get your gas. The cards come in round amounts (I think 3,000, 5,000 and 10,000 ISK). We got a chip and pin card before we left (from Bank of America) but it didn't work there, so don't bother. Do you remember how expensive the gas was? And did you have a GPS in your car? Were the addresses already loaded for the 'touristy' sites? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nitemare Posted June 1, 2015 #482 Share Posted June 1, 2015 Gas prices are here: http://www.bensinverd.is/gsmbensin_web.php?region=city you'll have to convert gallons to liters and Dollars to Icelandic Krona (about $7/gallon, IIRC). The good news is all stations are pretty much the same price, so you never have to worry that you'll save money at the next station. The bad news is gas is expensive there. We had a GPS that the agency preprogrammed with our hotel information. Most of which was correct. It's really hard to get lost in Iceland, though, as everything is off of Route 1. Get a good road map, this one is best, as it tells you all the cool things to see on every side road. Touristy things are well signed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare itsanita Posted June 1, 2015 #483 Share Posted June 1, 2015 Gas prices are here: http://www.bensinverd.is/gsmbensin_web.php?region=city you'll have to convert gallons to liters and Dollars to Icelandic Krona (about $7/gallon, IIRC). The good news is all stations are pretty much the same price, so you never have to worry that you'll save money at the next station. The bad news is gas is expensive there. We had a GPS that the agency preprogrammed with our hotel information. Most of which was correct. It's really hard to get lost in Iceland, though, as everything is off of Route 1. Get a good road map, this one is best, as it tells you all the cool things to see on every side road. Touristy things are well signed Thanks, just ordered it from Amazon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TMLAalum Posted June 2, 2015 #484 Share Posted June 2, 2015 Wanted to share some of our experiences that may help others visiting Iceland. Weather: We had sunny days but the wind was very strong. Do dress in layers. Bring gloves and headgear that covers the ears. Car Rental: Be sure to check out the windshield of your vehicle very carefully. We rented from SIXT. When we returned the car, the agent took a flashlight and, from inside, found a chip that we had no idea was there. Of course we were blamed and had to pay 751 euro then & there for a replacement. We are seeking reimbursement through VISA. Word of warning is that to be covered by your credit card, you must decline the extra coverages. With the high winds and volcano dust, as well as some gravel on the roads, it might be worth it to take the coverages offered by the rental company. Speed Bumps: These are prevalent in towns and places along Golden Circle. Take them at no more than 5 mph because they are quite jarring otherwise. Credit Cards: Our swipe/sign cards were accepted everywhere except at self-serve gas pumps. Just go inside to the attendant who will set the pump and then you can pay when the tank is filled. Food: The many horses in Iceland are not there only for riding. You will find horse, whale and puffin on the menu at Icelandic restaurants. Lamb is a specialty. Fish & chips are among the best in the world. Icelandair: We had no problems with 3 of 4 flights on this airline. Great inflight entertainment. The leg from YYZ-KEF was on an older plane with little legroom and seats that could be described as solid as a rock. Excellent service and the usual beverages, such as sodas, juices, coffee are complimentary. You can also purchase tickets for the bus into Reykjavik aboard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wassup4565 Posted June 3, 2015 #485 Share Posted June 3, 2015 Thanks, Tim, very helpful. I plan to inspect the car carefully and take photos before we accept it. However, I didn't think of the flashlight test. Pretty outrageous. I wonder how many people they have billed extra for that little spot on the windshield???? Hope you had a great time, notwithstanding. Any other tips are very welcome. Lindy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VernaF7449 Posted June 4, 2015 #486 Share Posted June 4, 2015 Thanks for the tips! I have read about problems with car rentals in Iceland as well. I will take the time to inspect the car carefully and take photos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julia’s Journey’s Posted June 4, 2015 #487 Share Posted June 4, 2015 I have rented with thrifty anyone had problems renting from them? Sent from my iPhone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angeleyes27 Posted June 4, 2015 #488 Share Posted June 4, 2015 I rented from Avis in 2013. We had a compact manual car. Everything was fine. They were right at the airport. We did drive on one dirt road but other than that, we stuck to main paved roads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare itsanita Posted June 4, 2015 #489 Share Posted June 4, 2015 I have rented with thrifty anyone had problems renting from them? Sent from my iPhone We have rented from Thrifty too. We will be on the Eclipse and in Reykjavik on June 30th for 2 days. Planning on parking overnight at the cruise ship pier... hope that is still allowed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VernaF7449 Posted June 5, 2015 #490 Share Posted June 5, 2015 We have rented from Thrifty too. We will be on the Eclipse and in Reykjavik on June 30th for 2 days. Planning on parking overnight at the cruise ship pier... hope that is still allowed. I'm on the same Eclipse cruise and renting from Thrifty as well. Hope we can still park at the Reykjavik pier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northern Aurora Posted June 6, 2015 #491 Share Posted June 6, 2015 We spent a week in Iceland in May 2014. We rented from Hertz, and don't recall any sort of "flashlight test." But we will pay extra attention to the windshield the next time we rent in Iceland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northern Aurora Posted June 6, 2015 #492 Share Posted June 6, 2015 .... We will be on the Eclipse and in Reykjavik on June 30th for 2 days. Planning on parking overnight at the cruise ship pier... hope that is still allowed. I'm on the same Eclipse cruise and renting from Thrifty as well. Hope we can still park at the Reykjavik pier. We will be on an Eclipse sailing in May 2016 and will probably rent a car in Reykjavik for our overnight port call. Could I ask either/both of you to post whether you were able to park overnight at the Reykjavik pier? Thanks in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare itsanita Posted June 6, 2015 #493 Share Posted June 6, 2015 We have reserved a tour for a full day in Akureyri. There are 8 of us, price per person around 23000.ISK or 175.oo USD. or 115 british pounds. What kind of tip would be appropriate? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nitemare Posted June 7, 2015 #494 Share Posted June 7, 2015 $20 each couple would probably be correct, if you enjoy the tour. More if it's amazing, less if there were issues Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare itsanita Posted June 7, 2015 #495 Share Posted June 7, 2015 $20 each couple would probably be correct, if you enjoy the tour. More if it's amazing, less if there were issues So that would be about 2600.00 Iceland Krona correct? Thanks again for all your help over the last several months!! Plans made, we will be leaving in just a couple weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beckybuu Posted June 8, 2015 #496 Share Posted June 8, 2015 (edited) We have reserved a tour for a full day in Akureyri. There are 8 of us, price per person around 23000.ISK or 175.oo USD. or 115 british pounds. What kind of tip would be appropriate? Thanks Check the tour company's website. I noticed that several of them said the price includes a tip, service fee, or something similar. Edited June 8, 2015 by Beckybuu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beckybuu Posted June 8, 2015 #497 Share Posted June 8, 2015 I have a couple of questions I hope you guys can answer: Where is the best place to get the famous Icelandic hot dogs in Reykjavik? For those of you who have come via cruise and docked at the bigger cruise terminal (begins with an S), I heard that there were shuttles into town. How much are they? How often did they run? Where did they stop in the city? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nitemare Posted June 8, 2015 #498 Share Posted June 8, 2015 This is the famous pyslur (hot dog) place in Reykjavik They don't update their website too often. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angeleyes27 Posted June 8, 2015 #499 Share Posted June 8, 2015 If you go to the major shopping area in Reykjavik, Stroget, there are a couple vendors there that have the hot dogs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruiseMGM Posted June 8, 2015 #500 Share Posted June 8, 2015 Hi, do you have any info on the June 10-17 Electrical Technician strike in Iceland? I'm currently on hold with Iceland Air, waiting to talk to someone there. We are flying Denver to KEF on 6/11, then flying on to Copenhagen on 6/14, with our cruise leaving there on 6/17. We're trying to figure out what we should do, book something directly to Copenhagen and skip our trip to Iceland, or take our chances ....and potentially missing our cruise (we may make it TO Iceland, but what about leaving?). Any information you have, or suggestions you can offer would be appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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