Oct 07
21
Folks around Mississauga Ontario might be heard to say “Let’s go over to Iceland”. I can’t find a brave soul to go with me to Iceland the country but many will go to Iceland Mississauga. This is Canada after all and ice, skating, and the sound of puck on ice is what they do. But thoughts of going to somewhere far away that might be icy is out of the question. The picture is blurry from being nearly dark and from a moving car. But I had to take it.
Good Morning fellow Torontonian. I have just recently began to discover iceland and am considering a trip in 2010. I have read some sagas and studied Runes in medieval studies at York University (ages ago). Do you have any suggestions on the best method of travel for a family? I have 2 boys (4 and 11).
Hello and thank you for coming by. Iceland is one of the most unique places on the planet so if you’re looking for something different then you can hardly go wrong by visiting. The first thing to consider is the time of year you want to go if you have flexibility. The “solar season” is pretty radical compared to here and makes a difference in how things look. The high season is summer and you might not see any darkness. The “heel” season during spring and fall is closer to our familiar light. The winter is mostly dark and has its own charms. Expect to pay more during peak season.
There are direct flights out of Toronto and Halifax between April and October, verify the exact dates. Otherwise you can travel from NYC or Boston. It might be cheaper going via the U.S. but of course that involves a more complicated process. I hope that the Toronto route is competitively priced in 2010.
The locals will suggest going in summer and using camping and hostels to save money. There are nicely priced packages with hotels depending on your plans. You could base out of Reykjavik or wander around the whole country and stay in different places and rent a car. Car rentals can be expensive but there are much better deals if you research carefully. The bus system is the other option and you can do day trips out of the capital, there is plenty to see within the area.
I’d suggest getting breakfast included with any hotels. Visiting grocery stores and making some of your other meals will save money. I usually pack a lunch and do a restaurant for dinner. I also like the city card that includes local buses, museums, and the public pools; well worth the money. For sure you’ll want to do the pools. They are the low cost and of very high quality. Every town has one or more pools. Even in the middle of the winter the pools are open and a real treat. I also enjoyed visiting the geothermal power plants. At least one of them has the biggest attraction and worth a visit, the Blue Lagoon.
Iceland is very kid friendly and very safe. With the current economic situation the cost for us is about half what it was. It can still be an expensive country to visit but is priced nicely these days for many things and isn’t difficult to save money with a little creativity. It isn’t the typical all inclusive beach style vacation you’ll get in most places. It is much different and in my opinion much better. Truly an amazing place.