TRAVEL ALPHABET
The A-Z of My Favourite Travel Destinations — Iceland
Every traveller needs to see Iceland at least once
If I said Iceland is unique, I would not be using “unique” lightly. It’s one of a kind! The landscapes are unforgettable — rock formations, waterfalls, geysers, thermal pools, beaches, aurorae, glaciers and even icebergs! The history, the people, the architecture, the culture, and the food all add to the mix.
So why wouldn’t you make it number one on your bucket list? It’s a long way from Australia but I added it to my European trip travelling from Luton Airport (London) on a cheap Easyjet flight. Yes, the cost is the deterrent for most budget travellers.
Here are the stories I’ve written about Iceland.
So now you know how unique Iceland is, here are a few money-saving, but not strictly legal, ways to be able to afford to experience its wonders.
Book cheap flights — we found EasyJet was the cheapest but they left London from Luton Airport.
Book a hostel — don’t even bother looking at hotels — with an all-you-can-eat buffet breakfast. Take a small plastic lunch box with you to breakfast, and make your lunchtime sandwiches while you are eating your breakfast. We didn’t know this was frowned upon (or illegal) until our last morning in Aurora Guest House when we saw the sign. My reasoning was they want you to make sandwiches for lunch because they provide all of the ingredients for a delicious salad sandwich on the breakfast buffet. Who wants to eat salad for breakfast?
Don’t bother ordering wine with your meal if dining out. If you can’t last a week alcohol-free, pick up some duty-free liquor at Luton Airport. If nothing else, it will warm you up. Forget wine!
Do as many free activities as you can — a walking tour of Reykjavik, Culture House, Settlement Museum, Hallgrimskirkja Church and tower, and aurora chasing were all free from memory.
Use the buses in Reykjavik whenever you can.
When eating out, share your meal with your travelling companion. Chances are they are too big for one person anyway.
Look at booking a tour or a combination of tours and check that the price of the activities is included in the tour eg glacier (crevasse) walking and ice caves, and accommodation at towns out of Reykjavik.
Don’t just go to the Blue Lagoon for your thermal spa experience. Reykjavik has many thermal pools that are frequented by locals at a fraction of the price of the Blue Lagoon.
Splurge just once — you can justify the cost by how much you saved on lunches by making your own!
The last hint is to follow your Iceland trip by visiting a really cheap country — we chose Morocco where everything was cheap as chips!
Have you been to Iceland? Would you like to visit Iceland? I can highly recommend you do so at least once even if you’re a budget traveller.
This is a part of the ALPHABET CHALLENGE SERIES started by Sam Millichap. Here’s Sam’s favourite O place.
And here’s Anne Bonfert’s favourite F place.
Come join us in this alphabet challenge. It’s fun!
