Just booked tix to Iceland for April

What do I need to rent a car up there? Just a international license?

Thanks for the tips. I especially like your advice on self driving the Golden Circle. I was between taking a tour or doing it ourselves. I'll be traveling with a 7 and 9 year old and would probably prefer not be at the mercy/schedule of a tour bus.

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Make a reservation at GrillMarket in Reykavik for dinner one night.

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Boom. This. Fish market is the same owner and just as good. Reykjavik is easily walkable so just knock yourself out.

Just like anything here in America, same companies -- think I rented from AVIS. I had a Ford Focus for a rental, but you could get SUVs like Tahoes and Land Cruisers as well.

- Reykjavík
If you're out before 9am, head to Grái Kötturinn for pancakes, bacon, and strong Icelandic coffee. go see the stage at the Tourist Information Center, where you can pick up maps and brochures, and arrange tours and car rentals if necessary. Nearby are three great sites -- the Settlement Museum, the City Cathedral in Austurvöllur Square, and the Harbor House Museum (Hafnarhús), dedicated to contemporary art. All three open at 10am; if you need to kill time until then, stroll over to Tjörnin Pond and see the enormous 3-D map of Iceland inside Town Hall (Ráðhús).

On weekends, most of Reykjavík's best restaurants are closed for lunch; exceptions, both close to Austurvöllur Square, are Fjalakötturinn and Við Tjörnina. lunch, visit Sægreifinn for lobster soup and a seafood kabob. After lunch, head to the eastern half of the city center and survey Reykjavík's two main shopping streets, Laugavegur and Skólavörðustígur. Nearby is Culture House, with a exhibit of medieval manuscripts.

go into the city's oldest cafe, Mokka Kaffi.Skólavörðustígur leads uphill to Reykjavík's most iconic landmark, Hallgrímskirkja, where you can ascend the elevator for a panoramic view. Don't miss the Einar Jónsson Museum next door, dedicated to Iceland's most renowned sculptor; weekend hours are 2 to 5pm. From here it's a half-hour walk to the National Museum south of Tjörnin Pond.can also catch a bus 14 to Laugardalslaug for a rejuvenating taste of Iceland's geothermal bathing culture.
great expensive dinner at Sjávarkjallarinn (Seafood Cellar), great nightlife and try the 2am hot dog at Bæjarins Bestu with everything on it.

-The Golden Circle
Plenty excursions depart from Reykjavík, but the most popular is the "Golden Circle" tour to Tþingvellir, the historic rift valley where the Icelandic parliament first convened in 930; Geysir, the geothermal hot spot that lent its name to all geysers; and the majestic Gullfoss waterfall. Sign up for an 8-hour bus tour, or for more flexibility, rent a car.

- Hot Springs Tour
The hot springs of Reyjkadalur Valley are inside the scenic Mt. Hengill hiking area, near Hveragerði. You can reach Reyjkadalur on horseback; Eldhestar offers a 9-hour tour from Reykjavík, with 5 or 6 hours in the saddle. (The small, manageable, good-natured Icelandic horse is great for beginners.)
Alternatively, rent a car (probaly most convenient and easiest) for the day and hike the route. The drive is less than an hour one-way, and the hike can be accomplished in as little as 2 1/2 hours round-trip. Don't forget your swimsuit.

- The Blue Lagoon
The Blue Lagoon spa -- built around a blue-green geothermal lake within a jet-black expanse of black lava -- is Iceland's most popular visitor destination. Sign up with tour company Tþingvallaleið for transportation to the lagoon on the way to the airport. Allow 2 hours at the lagoon, more if you plan on spa treatments or eating at the restaurant.

Any advice on rental cars in November? TripAdvisor forum has locals saying not to do it


FYI I am born and raised in the south if that helps

1. I used a Vodafone SIM and just bought it at the airport duty free. Works pretty much everywhere. We used it a lot as we needed it for directions via Google maps. Google maps was spot on everywhere by the way. Never led us anywhere but where we needed to go.

2. Don't bother taking robes, slippers etc. if you do the right package (I think we did the higher end one, can't remember the name). The one we did included all of this. Go in your own clothes, change at your locker they give you into robe/sandals. You can also go to lunch at Lava in robe/sandals.

3. I used my Amex pretty much everywhere. It worked better than cash because they don't have any foreign transaction fees. It seemed everywhere took credit cards, even the most remote places we went. Gift shops at waterfalls, small shops in town, bars, cafes etc. I would bring a small amount of cash of course just in case but doubt you will use much. Many places take Icelandic Krona, Euros, and some also USD.

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 :)