Iceland is a stunning country that offers a great adventure and natural beauty. Whether you’re a nature enthusiast or just looking for a fun time, Iceland is the perfect destination for you. The experience you’ll have in Iceland depends on the season you visit. During the summer, you’ll experience the midnight sun and warmer temperatures, while in the winter, you’ll witness shorter days and the magical Northern Lights. No matter when you visit, Iceland’s natural beauty will leave you in awe. We visited Iceland during the summer and we’re already planning our return trip! Here are three tips to make your Iceland adventure your best trip yet.
Mt. Kirkjufell & Kirkjufellsfoss
Go with an open mind and be flexible with your plans.
In Iceland, it is so important to arrive with an open mind and be flexible with your plans, mostly because of the weather. This is important in both the summer and in the winter. When we were planning our trip to Iceland, we had a general idea of what we would like to do and where we wanted to visit, and we allowed our schedule to be flexible. Having a loose itinerary helped us make the most of our trip because we were able to easily pivot our plans when the weather wasn’t exactly ideal. Iceland is such a diverse country, which means you can drive an hour north or an hour south and have totally different weather conditions. Weather in Iceland can change really quickly and can also be very localized. There can be wind advisories, snow advisories, and all different weather warnings. Listen to these advisories and allow your trip to be flexible around them! If you are flexible with your schedule, you will be able to enjoy better weather more often.
A stop on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula.
One day, we had planned on spending a day in southeast Iceland and then the next day we planned on driving through the Golden Circle. Southeast Iceland’s forecast called for super strong winds and rain and the Golden Circle was completely sunny and warm. We swapped our days and we were so happy that we did! If we did not have that flexibility, our days would have looked a lot different.
For weather and travel information, we relied on the website Safetravel.is. We checked regularly to plan our days and ensure safe travels. We always checked it for where we were headed next, so we knew what the conditions would be like and could plan accordingly.
Skógafoss around midnight!
Rent a car.
Renting a car will give you so much freedom and grant you the flexibility to change your itinerary if necessary. If you want to avoid crowds and visit places off the beaten track, renting a car will definitely get you there! We rented a car from Blue Car Rental and they made the whole process so seamless and easy. We picked the car up from their office right near the airport and everything was very smooth. All rentals from Blue Car Rental include unlimited mileage and certain damage waivers and protections. It’s always nice when the price already included and covered so much without adding anything on! Our car was reliable and the perfect size for our Icelandic adventure. We would definitely recommend renting from Blue Car Rental on your trip to Iceland! The customer service and company as a whole can’t be beat.
Driving in our car from Blue Rental Car.
We prefer to travel at our own pace and renting our own car allowed us to stop anywhere that we wanted to on our journey. There are a lot of tour groups and tour buses that visit the most popular sights in Iceland. If you arrive somewhere at the same time as the tourist bus, it will feel extremely crowded. We were able to avoid crowds from these groups because we visited the most popular areas later in the day, by the time the buses were long gone. We visited Iceland in June and were so grateful for the midnight sun. We visited Skogafoss Waterfall, one of the most visited places in Iceland, around 10pm, and there was barely anyone else around. It made such a difference and created such a serene feeling when it was practically empty. We knew that renting a car was the reason we were able to have those experiences.
Utilize technology and rent a portable wifi for your trip.
We rented a portable Wifi device from Trawire and it was so convenient to be able to connect to Wifi whenever we wanted. We used it to navigate with Google Maps, find restaurants to eat at while traveling, locate our next destination, and even explore some lesser-known places. Iceland has natural beauty everywhere that you turn. There are so many well known areas in Iceland, and there are also so many beautiful places that you may not read about online. Wherever we were, we would check on Google Maps to see what was nearby, and stop anywhere that looked interesting. We found a ton of beautiful waterfalls this way! Sometimes the best places are areas that most visitors don’t know about.
A beautiful location we found on Google Maps.
We were able to keep in touch with our friends and family back home and send them photographs of our adventures right as we were experiencing them. We even sent a “Happy birthday” video to our friend right as we were on top of a crater, all thanks to Trawire. The best part about the Wifi device was how easy it was to pick up and drop off. We picked it up from a convenience store in the airport. Afterwards, we returned it by putting it in the envelope that Trawire provided and dropping it off in a post office box at the airport before we left. It literally couldn’t have been any easier.
Our portable wifi device from Trawire was easy to use and very convenient.
Trawire is a family-owned business located in Iceland, established in 2012. The Pedersen family started the company after their children were diagnosed with autism and found solace in using technology. Trawire allows people to rent modems, tablets, and other devices while supporting autism. The Pedersen family wants to provide the same solace that their kids feel from using technology with everyone that visits Iceland.
Up close and personal with a waterfall.
Iceland is a land of stunning natural beauty that captivates visitors with its otherworldly landscapes and unique culture. To make the most of your trip to Iceland, it’s important to go with an open mind and be flexible with your plans, allowing yourself to be swept away by the unexpected wonders of this amazing country. Booking your own car from Blue Car Rental is also crucial for avoiding crowds and taking control of your itinerary, while bringing a portable Wifi device along from Trawire can help you stay connected and informed throughout your journey. By following these three tips, you will be well on your way to having a truly unforgettable Icelandic adventure. So pack your bags, set your sights on this incredible destination, and get ready to experience the magic of Iceland for yourself!
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