Trip to Iceland

I'm planning a trip to Iceland in late August for about 2 weeks and would like any tips or advice that some of you might have. Like the best rental car company for the money, and where to stay, that sort of thing. I have given some thought to car camping for some of the trip and getting a room now and then when I feel the need. I'm also interested in photographing from the air so if anyone has any info on chartering flights that would be helpful as well. Thanks for any and all input!

Michael, Iceland was a popular topic at the Shindig last night.

My wife and I were there for a week stopover on the way to Europe last September.
Send me an email with your phone number and we can talk about the options and our experience.

We loved the trip. Incredible variety in the scenery. Much better than I had expected for such a small volcanic rock!
I certainly plan to return ASAP. So much left to see and do.

I was there for 3 weeks in 2006. By brother and I went the car camping route. We made a hotel reservation for the night we arrived and the night before we left. The rest of the time we car camped which is very easy there. For the most part you can pull over anywhere and set up a tent. There are also numerous camp facilities that have showers. We stayed at a hotel about once a week. The advantage of the car camping is you are closer to where you want to shoot. Outside Reykjavik towns are fairly sparse and there aren't a lot of hotel options. On the other hand it seemed like every other farm doubled as a bed and breakfast.

I took a plane trip around southern Iceland which was one of the highlights of my trip. We got the name from a brochure at the hotel we stayed at our first night. We lucked out and were the only 2 on a 5 passenger plane so we each had a row to ourselves and could shoot out each side of the plane at will. One tip, I have flown multiple times in small planes and was never airsick, but I found if you continually shot with your eye in the viewer you get very queazy.

Feel free to email me and I'd be happy to talk to you more in depth.

Check out this masterful new eBook titled 'Forever Light:The Landscape Photographer’s Guide to Iceland'

I spent 2 weeks in Iceland in July of 2009. My wife and I rented a 4WD Truck with camper shell, giving us ultimate flexibility in deciding where to go and how long to stay without the hassles of reservations. It was pricey! The Ring Road is easy to follow and will give you the biggest bang for the buck, but there are definitely sights off that beaten path that are very worth seeing. Two weeks were barely enough, I would have preferred 4 weeks, but that camper truck was pricey! If you have any specific questions just email me.

Michael,

I leave for a 10 day trip to Iceland at the end of February and will send you information on the hotels I have booked before I go and then a mini-trip report after I return.

John M. - thanks for the e-book tip. I've already downloaded it and will be studying it starting this afternoon.

Doug Beezley
Snellville, GA

I was there in March and got some good northern lights displays. I also did a hiking trip across the ice sheets in July about 10 years ago.

Car rentals aren't a huge difference, I actually booked via Expedia. Get a 4WD at least if you plan to explore, there might be some river crossings depending on your plans.

I recommend Hotel Framnes in Snaefellsness Peninsula (western peninsula). Good restaurant, basic rooms but a good launching point for scenery. Coastal stacks and mountains there. The bay is good for whales too, though they were there in March so probably not in August. Akureyri is pretty too. I also liked Hotel Hekla - centered between lots of places like Gulfoss. It is also close to Selfoss/Arborg which is a cheaper place to get groceries. Have fun!

John, thank you for the mention of our e-book! Ron and I obviously think it is a good resource on planning a trip to Iceland. The e-book includes information about more than 30 locations plus information specific to planning a trip for photography. We wrote the book we wished we had in planning our first trip.

We have spent about 6 weeks over there in three different seasons over the last two years and are heading back for our third trip in late February. If you like camping, we highly recommend a camper van. They are just a little more expensive than an SUV rental and give you the ultimate flexibility. We have used Happy Campers and will be using them again in February. Icelanders love their swimming pools, so you can stop in many towns for an easy shower and dip in a hot spring pool. Iceland is an incredibly windy country so tent camping can be a toss up. It might be great or it could be miserable. Like Scott mentioned, you can camp almost anywhere so no advance reservations are needed unless you want to have a scheduled itinerary. There is also a pretty extensive network of hostels. Lodging in Iceland is surprisingly expensive outside of Reykjavik and the hostels can provide an affordable option. Many of them have private rooms, as well.

I, too, am happy to answer any questions you might have.

I want to thank everyone for their help and the sharing of information! Ill the info has been a big help and I'll be in touch with some of you in a few days.