re: Just booked tix to Iceland for April

Went there for a week in August.

My thoughts:

1) Most certainly rent a car. Easy, automatic cars - nothing fancy. We rented from Hertz.

2) Phone - My sprint plan has unlimited data and 20 cents a minute on calls so we were golden (and had reception everywhere we went). Used our phone GPS map and everything. If you have sprint, talk to their international department about that.

3) Blue lagoon - a little touristy but a must. We did it right off the plane, some do it on the way back. It is out near the airport so it makes sense to do it right away or last. If you are in to hot springs, there are a few others around the Golden Circle that are a little more quaint.

4) Golden circle - you have to drive it. First off you can control your time. You may want to spend more time at Gulfoss or less at Geysir or opposite. Plus there are several minor tourist spots (you will start recognizing the symbol) for it that you will see around the way. I liked Kerid Crater lake for example.

5) We did Reyjavik, Golden Circle and South Coast. I would recommend the south coast out to Glacier Lagoon (Jokursarlon) and back. Book the zodiac boat tour and you will get close to the glacier cliff and maybe here it break off.

6) Vik is amazing with the black beaches. go around to Reynisfjara side and see basalt columns, caves and the sand turns to stones

7) Between Reyjavik and Vik are a few cool waterfalls. The first is Seljalandsfoss which you can walk behind. But then keep walkng down the path about .3 miles and there is another waterfall behind a boulder (Gljúfrabúi). You can jump the stones and get behind the boulder and will be in a cave like caven with the water coming down. Unbelievable somewhat hidden gem. If you have a fourwheel drive vehicle you can drive up a gravel road forever that at the beginning goes above these falls. We explored and found several other falls by ourselves. Amazing thing about Iceland is you can just wonder off and find an abundance of amazing everywhere.

8) Skogafoss - Amazing waterfall, but if you walk the 567 stairs to the top there is a trail that walks the river and several other amazing waterfalls and eventually leads to a glacier (18 miles or so). We went a few miles in to a large waterfall almost comparable to Skogafoss. Passed a dozen or so small ones along the way. Unbelievable hike and beauty.

If you hit the coast and reach Stokkseyri, try the lobster soup at Fjorubordid - amazing.

Here is the deal with Iceland, it is somewhat devoid of history (little remnants of Vikings), Rejykavik is newish looking and feeling. Some places where things happened - Thingsvlir for example. But what puts Iceland over the top is its geography and concentration of it. Every day is another awe inspiring site from this land of fire and ice. I was amazed. Think American west but concentrated into a few hundred miles.

Other tidbits - English is basically universal. Locals friendly but direct. More Americans than you expect wherever you go.

Anything else I can add let me know. I am a walking billboard for the place :)