ICELAND

ABOUT ICELAND

The land of fire and ice, Iceland is an absolute must for my friends who love nature and adventure. I had the opportunity to travel to Iceland twice, once for a very brief layover (only about 24 hours!) and in the summer of 2023 for just under a week. Whether you’re visiting this picturesque country for a short or long period of time, there are countless things you can do! Iceland is incredibly safe, and I felt confident as a solo female traveler, but keep in mind that it is certainly one of the more expensive places you can visit in Europe!

Check out some of my favorite adventures from Iceland!

Travel Tips - Iceland

Lodging

I have visited Iceland two times in total to date and have had very different lodging experiences each turn! For our first visit, my partner Colin and I had a 24-hour layover and got to stay at Hotel Keflavic. We really enjoyed our stay at this 4-star hotel, it was so beautiful and situated in a small fishing town right next to the coast! There were several tour groups visiting during our time there, and so it seems to be a hot lodging location for various travelers! The location is very near the Keflavic Airport, which worked out very well for us! I would recommend this hotel for those looking for private quarters at a nicer location in Iceland, as long as you have a car to get around the country! Aside from the airport, this hotel is not near many popular tourist destinations.

During my most recent visit to Iceland, I was looking for more affordable lodging located in downtown Reykjavik. With that said, I booked a stay at the Loft HI Eco Hostel hosted by Hostelworld. This stay met all of my requirements for the last leg of my three weeks in Europe – cheap, convenient, and safe! As with most hostels, this lodging is not for travelers looking for private, luxurious, and exquisite accommodation. For budget travelers such as myself, I found the Loft HI Eco Hostel to be perfect and quirky! I would recommend it for my fellow backpackers.

Transportation

Transportation around Iceland is truthfully quite finicky. Although transportation to and from the main airport is fantastic (you can book a bus pass into Reykjavik via Flybus), getting around from that point is extremely difficult and EXTREMELY expensive! I paid $40 for a 15 minute taxi! Additionally, provided that Iceland is a beautifully rural country aside from the few major cities, reaching many of the natural tourist sites (such as the Silfra Fissure) are virtually IMPOSSIBLE to reach without a tour, which gets to be very expensive. Although I have not gotten the chance to use a rental car on the island, I truly could not recommend it more as a means of having autonomy in where you go in and around Reykjavik, but also saving some serious money! I will say, I have just heard by word of mouth that speeding tickets are no joke in Iceland, even just a few miles over, so be sure to keep that in mind!

Activities

There is so much to do in Iceland, it is every outdoor enthusiast’s dream! Here are some of our top recommendations for visiting this picturesque country: