A trip to a European country with only 4 days of sightseeing? It’s possible! The important thing to making a short trip like this work is researching what you are interested in seeing beforehand, and making the best use of your time. For us, we decided on a road trip focused around southwest Iceland. Our trip revolved around the following locations:
1. Reykjavik
2. Vik
3. Landmannalaugar
4. Gullfoss
5. Fossatun
Although Iceland is a friendly and safe country where hitch hiking is not only allowed, but also encouraged, I would suggest renting a 4 wheel drive vehicle. Hitch hiking is definitely something you want to experience while there, but I wouldn’t recommend using it as your mode of transport for your entire trip. If you are short on time you will find it is much quicker to simply rent something. You aren’t legally allowed to take a regular car down most of the roads toward the middle part of the country. Its worth it to pay the extra money for a more heavy duty vehicle. If you are only planning on staying in Reykjavik and the surrounding areas, public transit is an easy solution for getting around. Most of the information we found online before our trip directed us toward tour buses. However once we arrived in Reykjavik we noticed public transit was abundant, and we were able to figure out the system pretty quickly.
Credit cards are accepted pretty much everywhere. However if you are using the bus system you will want to exchange currency and have cash on hand.
Most people who live in Iceland speak English. In my experience everyone was very friendly and happy to chat with tourists.
Hotels tend to be pricey in the city. We used Airbnb for all of our stay. It is an app you can get for your phone where you rent accommodations from local hosts. Depending how much you want to spend you can find yourself renting a couch in someone’s home, all the way to an entire home or apartment. This was a great way to experience the real Iceland as well as make new friends.
I enjoyed the food in Iceland. I don’t think I had one meal I didn’t like. I had an easy time finding options as a vegetarian, especially in Reykjavik which is becoming more known for its foodie culture. I suggest trying some of the smaller restaurants and cafes rather than the chain restaurants. You’ll have better luck finding authentic cuisine that way.
Well, there you have it! My short list of tips and tricks to enjoying a short stay in this lovely country. Happy travels!
