Anyone Been To Iceland Recently

[WHU010]

We are thinking of having a girls hen do in Iceland in October - can get a reasonable deal for flights and hotel but wondering about prices for food and drink (most important!) and wondering if anyone had been there recently and could offer some info

[KARL]

Prices of food varies in Iceland as elsewhere and if you ask around and are careful you can find a quite reasonably priced meal in the larger towns. In Reykjavik there is a wide choice, ask at the hotel and information centres. Unlike in the UK, alcoholic drinks are not culturally considered a necessity in Iceland but an indulgence/luxury and alcohol is heavily taxed so therefore fairly expensive. To get prices, browse the internet for bars/places you might want to visit and then phone them if necessary. Remember to ask what volume you get per drink - it will of course be quoted in metric units, imperial units are only used in the UK and generally are a mystery to everyone else. That said, apparently the night life in Reykjavik draws in a lot of tourists.

[needawin]

Try the prawn ring!

[whistonian]

And I thought you meant Iceland store.!!lol

[atalanta]

Food prices are atrocious. A couple of years ago, a bowl of soup in a very simple roadside cafe was £8.50. I found the place dreary - it rained all the time. Go to Morocco instead - it's not as far as you might think.

[gingejbee]

Are you hardy souls from Newcastle? Weather in October is cold and wet.

[EdmundD]

Have a look here:

http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_countries_result.jsp?country1=United+Kingdom&country2=Iceland

[WHU010]

No we aren't hardy souls from Newcastle, we live all over now but originally from the East End of London where we all met at school and I still live. The girls all fancy Iceland have been to Morocco twice on business and hated it for reasons I won't go into here!!

[KARL]

Regarding town buses in Reykjavik, buy a one, three or seven day pass - that is an incredibly cheap way to go anywhere, any time from end to end of the entire capital area as often as you like. You will not feel as cold in Iceland as in the UK because unlike the UK everywhere in Iceland is heated - you get up feeling warm, the bus stations and every single building is heated to 20 degrees or more, and the buses are all warm. I know lots of people all over Europe who refuse to visit the UK because it is cold, wet and dreary. The weather in Iceland, as in the UK, is unpredictable - it could be unpleasant but (unlike the UK) you can actually have a freak heatwave in mid winter. Temperatures can go past 20 degrees somewhere in Iceland in December. Take with you wet weather clothing that is also good in windy conditions, but (depending on the length of stay) just dodge the weather ifþwhen it is bad and move around by transport between indoor venues.

[KARL]

Oh, don't waste your money on bottled water - tap water is not only perfectly safe but also very good.

[mikey4444]

Iceland is a spectacular place to visit, but the prices for almost everything are bl00dy horrendous ! If you are tea-totalers and have small appetites than it won't be too bad !

[WHU010]

Thanks for all your info, really helpful and I have passed on to the girls and will see what they think - have to be a majority vote I think