• If You Are Having Trouble Logging In with Your Old Username and Password, Please use this Forgot Your Password link to get re-established.
  • Hey! Be sure to login or register!

Iceland?

stewartb

MEMBER
Who's familiar with Iceland? I'll be in Reykjavik for a couple of days in early June. No agenda. Where to stay? What to see? Not much time so want to do my best to get it right.


Thanks!
 
Who's familiar with Iceland? I'll be in Reykjavik for a couple of days in early June. No agenda. Where to stay? What to see? Not much time so want to do my best to get it right.


Thanks!

We still need to have lunch. I’ve been a few times. Can give you some good maps and some insight from our visits.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
I’m in a warm (-11F) Fairbanks, with light snow and big cold coming in a couple days.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Who's familiar with Iceland? I'll be in Reykjavik for a couple of days in early June. No agenda. Where to stay? What to see? Not much time so want to do my best to get it right.


Thanks!

Stewart, lots of folks here, and we have a number of members from Iceland. Lots of US super cubs are over there now (Darrell Starr, Lou Furlong, others). Dan Carroll has been going there since he was stationed there many years ago.

Sadly, we no longer have non-stop flights from Kansas City to Reykjavik, but it is on our list too.

sj
 
The wife and I spent 2 weeks in Iceland about 4 years ago. We did a self drive tour around the whole island. The geothermal features, ice fields, huge waterfalls and the ancient history of the vikings were awesome. Two days will be very limited to seeing much. The one feature in Rekyjavik that is deffinitely worth visiting is the massive cathedral. The pipe organ, containing over 5000 pipes, up to 30' tall, is amazing to see and hear. The elevator ride to the top of the bell tower offers a great view of the entire city.
Mike
 
It's an extended layover on the way home from the primary trip. I just want to see some sights and experience some of the culture. We'll probably charter a heli for the away from local area sights.
 
Great idea. With a heli, you'll be able to see many of the natural features. I'm sure your pilot, guide will know the sights. The waterfalls at the town of Selfoss and a very active geyser at at the village of Geysir aren't far out of town.
 
My daughter and her husband spent three days on an extended layover and loved it. Did a bicycle tour, plus hiked and such. Seems like they got a free hotel deal for stopping and staying, will verify.
 
Last edited:
We stayed there on a one day Iceland Air layover in 2001. We stayed at the Flug and visited the Blue Lagoon. Very nice.
My buddy was there before us and rented a C172. They flew out to West Island saw geysers, waterfalls, etc.

Have fun. It’s a very interesting place.
 
Update:

According to my daughter and her husband who travel extensively and know where the deals are, it’s an amazing stop to make on the way back from Europe as the country and people are really special and they said the stop really helps with the time change, also on Icelandic Air it is a no charge lay over meaning they wave all fees associated with a lay-over up to seven days.

They stayed a couple nights at an Airbnb in Reykjavik and said there aren’t many hotels so plan accordingly.

They highly recommend the “Golden Circle Tour with RE tours” to see the local area without renting a car. They also recommended stopping at the blue lagoon on the way from the airport into town to relax after the flight, it’s a free shuttle stop and they will, store your bags while you lounge in the hot springs.
 
I remember an airstrip on the nw section of the island having a sole hangar. Inside were parked two pristine PA18’s. This was two winters ago so there is likely still a Cub contingency there! What a scenic area in which to fly.

With only two days, I’d spend at least an afternoon/evening in Reykjavik itself - maybe sitting in a pub later in the evening and meeting some locals. Icelanders are very interested in US & western politics and memories of bases and ops from WWII are still discussed. If you’re there on Fri or Sat, that social time can go until the very wee hours.
It’s a fascinating place. I had an interesting discussion once with a fellow that had gotten his graduate degree outside Iceland then came home to work in their banking industry. A main point he wanted me to take away was that Iceland, in his estimation, remained in the Middle Ages until the 1940’s, when the war brought outside influences and electricity generation front and center.

Enjoy your trip and let us know how it went!
 
We went to the Blue Lagoon for a dip in the hot spring. The place was a zoo!! We left shortly as it was going to be at least a half hour to be admitted. We did enjoy several other hot springs on the remainder of our trip, as there are lots of hot springs in Iceland. Amazing country. Another thing I appreciated about Iceland was they believe in the Darwin theory. The weak and stupid should be allowed perish. No guard rails on anything!!! We stood very close (15') to the vent of the geyser at Geysir. On the upwind side as the people downwind side got drenched with hot water. You can"t get within 300' of old faithful in Yellowstone!!
 
P.s. Ask them about their dating app. You’ll get a chuckle and find most people use it...
 
Hotel and car are booked. We're staying in Reykjavik city center. I have books that point out things to see but my joy in travel is getting to experience the people and their culture. We enjoy the cities and a car will allow us an exit from the city so we can visit smaller towns and experience the different lifestyles at our own pace. I'm curious about their .02 blood alcohol limit and how it came to be. I want to eat local food. Visit stores where locals shop. I know almost nothing about Iceland except what the landscape looks like. While that's interesting it's only a small part of what we're looking forward to. Thanks for the replies.
 
Likely their national temperance. Check out their alcohol history
https://warontherocks.com/2015/09/your-guide-to-drinking-in-iceland/

I agree with you in touring philosophy. If you’ve flown around AK, you’ve seen stunning vistas. The people make a trip for me as well. Renting a car and getting out to the hinterlands is key.

As our daughter would say, the country runs on pony power. They have a long standing connection with horses and visiting one of their breeding farms is a worthwhile experience.



Hotel and car are booked. We're staying in Reykjavik city center. I have books that point out things to see but my joy in travel is getting to experience the people and their culture. We enjoy the cities and a car will allow us an exit from the city so we can visit smaller towns and experience the different lifestyles at our own pace. I'm curious about their .02 blood alcohol limit and how it came to be. I want to eat local food. Visit stores where locals shop. I know almost nothing about Iceland except what the landscape looks like. While that's interesting it's only a small part of what we're looking forward to. Thanks for the replies.
 
Stopped over in Iceland last May on a trip to Ireland. We rented a car and stayed at an AirBnB in Reykjavik. Drove the Golden Circle one day and then the south coast another. The roads are great and cell coverage everywhere we went so map apps worked great. And they even know which side of the road to drive on ;-)
 
Although I can't tie this to anything Super Cub related, Þingvellir (Thingvellir) national park is really cool. There is a chasm there that was the site of the world's first parliament where the viking chieftains would meet to hash out differences, make laws, etc. It also happens to be the exact spot where the North American and Eurasian plate tectonics are pulling apart. When we were there in the spring it was REALLY windy every day-- I can't imagine flying a Super Cub in those kinds of winds (maybe its not like that ALL the time). If you could get up in a super cub, you would see some amazing landscapes.
 
I've been there a few times and the landings can be fun with near zero vis.
 
Back
Top