One of the main reasons I quit my job was so I could travel more often. Being a freelance writer, I can easily bring my laptop and work on the road.
Visiting Europe was always on my bucket list, but with my busy career, I never seemed to have the time to do it. Although I’ve done some travelling in Canada and the U.S. since I burning my mortgage, I haven’t had the opportunity to venture outside these two countries, so I decided to change this.
When my dad turned 65 years old, my family and I wanted to do something special to celebrate the special occasion and thank him for always being there for us, so we planned him a surprise trip to Iceland the United Kingdom.
Many of us take our health for granted. I used to, too, until my uncle suddenly passed away from cancer and my dad got Parkinson’s Disease. These life events had a profound impact on me. Instead of working all the time like I used to, I’ve been trying to get a better work-life balance. One of the ways I’ve been doing this is by making travel a bigger priority. You never know when your number’s up, so might as well make every single day count.
Originally, we were just going to visit London, England, but I convinced my family to stop in Iceland for a couple days since it’s on the way. (On a side note, who would have thought Iceland would be the first country I visited outside Canada and the U.S.?)
I booked a red-eye flight from Toronto to Iceland. We’d be leaving Toronto Saturday night and arriving in Iceland Sunday morning. It was my step-sister, step-mom, dad and me on this trip. I booked an airport limo to pick us up from home. Normally, to save money I’d take public transit, but since we were splitting the limo four ways, we actually saved money, not to mention we didn’t have to lug our heavy luggage around on public transit.
We booked our flight on Icelandair. The airline tickets were affordable, but the fees were quite costly for checked baggage, so if possible, try to get away with just a carryon bag.
Besides the seats being a little uncomfortable, the flight was a pleasant experience. I didn’t get much sleep, but at least we arrived on time.
Day 1: Sunday, September 23
We landed in at Keflavík Airport in Iceland on a rainy Sunday morning. If you’re travelling to Iceland for the first time, you might assume that Keflavík Airport is within walking distance of Reykjavík, Iceland’s capital. It’s actually about a 45 minute drive into Reykjavík, so you’ll need some sort of transportation to get there.
I’d encourage you to plan ahead for transportation. My family decided to “wing it,” but it didn’t work out so well. My dad has mobility issues, so the bus wasn’t an option. I looked into taking a taxi into town, but the taxi wanted $225US one way. Yikes! This was way more than we expected to pay, so we looked into renting a vehicle.
If you’re travelling to Iceland, renting a vehicle is a must. You won’t be able to see some of Iceland’s most beautiful sights without one. I’d encourage you to rent a vehicle from the airport. That way you don’t have to worry about transportation into town. I’d also strongly encourage you to plan ahead and book a vehicle well in advance.
We tried to rent a vehicle the morning we arrived and had a really tough time. All of the car rental places were out of vehicles. As the rain continued to pour, my family wondered out loud why I dragged them to Iceland. I was beginning to second guess my decision as well.
We went to nearly 30 car rental place (no joke) before we found one with a spare vehicle. We rented a Jeep for 2 days for $500US. The vehicle wasn’t ideal and it was a little on the expensive side, but at this point we were just happy to have a vehicle.
Iceland is a country with a lot of natural beauty. The drive into Reykjavik was quite scenic and gave us our first glimpse. I’ve never driven through an area quite like the countryside of Iceland. The rural parts are mostly free from vegetation. The craters almost reminded me of driving on the moon (not that I would know). We also got a nice view of the ocean. Overall, it was a nice preview of things to come on our trip.
Iceland is a climate that’s best described as not too hot, not too cool. With a name like Iceland, you may be surprised to learn that winters in Iceland are milder than Canada for the most part. Similar to Europe and the Scandinavian countries, Iceland benefits from the warm air of the gulf stream.
Iceland’s peak tourism season is from June to August when the weather is the nicest. Although Iceland doesn’t have a rainy season, it rains a lot from October to February.
If you travel to Iceland, be sure to pack your warm clothes. Even during summer you’ll be lucky if the temperature cracks 15°C. And don’t forget your umbrella. Iceland’s weather is unpredictable. It’s not uncommon for it to be sunny, raining and snowing all in the same day.
Iceland’s official currency isn’t the Euro. It’s actually the Icelandic króna. Although everywhere I went to accepted Mastercard and Visa, I’d encourage you to get some of the local currency just in case. (I went to a restaurant where the point of sale terminal was down and it was only accepting cash.)
The official language in Iceland is Icelandic, although everyone I spoke with was fluent in English. You shouldn’t have a problem getting by even if don’t speak a lick of Icelandic like me.
Iceland’s economy has been through some tough times. It experienced a financial crisis from 2008 to 2011 when the country went bankrupt. Thankfully it has since rebounded with tourism helping it on the road to recovery.
Iceland may look like a small island on the map, but looks can be deceiving. Iceland has a highway around the outer perimeter of the island called the Ring Road. Driving around the 1,333 kilometre road would take you 12 to 13 hours (although I’d encourage against doing it in one day). Iceland has a population of less than 350,000 with over a third of the population living in Reykjavik.
Iceland looks and feels a lot like a European city on a smaller scale. The building architecture and license plates on the vehicles remind me of Europe. Iceland also has some of the most polite drivers on the planet. Not once were we honked (despite not knowing where we were going half of time).
Iceland’s an island, so it can be an expensive place to live. Just like northern Canadian towns, most of its goods are flown in. Although you’ll probably want to check out the local restaurants and try out authentic Icelandic food (Icelanders love their lamb), to save money consider buying groceries at the supermarket when you can.
Iceland uses different electrical outlets from Canada and the U.S. Iceland uses a standard Europlug socket with two round prongs. Its oulets output 230 volts compared to Canada where the output is half that. You’ll need an adaptor like this one to be able to charge your cellphone , laptop and other electronic devices.
When we arrived in Rekjkavik, we drove to our Airbnb to check in. Our host was nice enough to let us check in early at 11am. That way we didn’t have to carry around our luggage all day. Our Airbnb was in a great location and super affordable. It worked out to less than $50 per person, per night for a spacious apartment. Not bad!
After catching up on our sleep, we boarded our Hop on Hop Off bus tour. Since we were only in Iceland for a couple days, the bus tour was a great way to see Reykjavik! I’d highly recommend it! Despite the roads in downtown Reykjavik being quite narrow, I was amazed at how well the bus driver could navigate them.
After the bus tour, we visited the Harpa Concert Hall, a beautiful building with a distinctive coloured glass façade. After that we walked along the water-front path stretching around the peninsula and admired the Sun Voyager, a massive steel sculpture of a dream boat and ode to the sun.
We finished off the day by visiting Reykjavik’s main landmark, Hallgrímskirkja Church. The church is easy to spot. It can be seen from almost anywhere in the city. It’s magnificent on the outside and just as spectacular on the inside. For $10 or so you can go up the tower. It’s well worth it! It gives you a wonderful 360° view of the city.
Day 2: Monday, September 24
We kicked off our second and only full day in Iceland by visiting the main reason we came – the Blue Lagoon. The Blue Lagoon is an easy 40 minute drive from Rekjavic in the same direction as Keflavík Airport. The Blue Lagoon is in quite an impressive sight to see! When you get there, you’ll instantly recognize the majestic blue water.
Before I arrived at the Blue Lagoon, I didn’t know what to expect. I spoke with family and friends who had visited. Some people loved it, while others thought it was overpriced and crowded. Perhaps it was because we went on a Monday, but I for one loved it! For a once in a lifetime experience, I found it well worth the price! (It’s a lot more affordable than going to most spas in Toronto.)
You choose the time you want to check-in, but you can stay as long as you want. You can spend the whole day there if you like. (Too bad it was our last day in Iceland, otherwise I probably would have.)
It was a chilly day in Iceland. When I first walked out in my bathing suit, I thought I was going to freeze to death. But once I got in the waters, I forgot all about the cold weather. My family and I made the most of the Blue Lagoon. We got our complimentary drink at the swim-up bar (I went with a smoothie, although there are alcoholic drinks, including beer and wine).
I also tried the silica mud mask that you’ve probably seen countless times in your Instagram feed, as well as the algae face mask. Besides being pelted in the head with ice pellets, the Blue Lagoon was an overall pleasant experience. I would highly recommend it!
After lunch we headed to the Golden Circle. The Golden Circle is a popular tourist route looping from Reykjavik into the southern uplands. It’s a perfect day trip and has the 3 of the must-see natural wonders.
(Although not a natural wonder, while driving in the countryside we saw some Icelandic horses. These pony-sized horses are a breed of horse developed in Iceland.)
Our first stop on the Golden Circle was Thingvellir National Park. Thingvellir offers you a breathtaking view of the valley where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates meet. Iceland is the only country in the world where the Mid Atlantic Ridge can be seen above sea level. If you have some time, Thingvellir is a great place to go hiking.
Our second step was the Geysir Geothermal Area. As its name suggests, it’s a geyser that shoots water out of the ground. If you stick around for a few minutes, you might be lucky enough to see it erupt.
Our third and final stop was Gullfoss Waterfall. Iceland is known for having some of the most beautiful waterfalls in the world and it didn’t disappoint. I’ve seen Niagara Falls and Montmorency Falls, but this was by far the most breathtaking waterfalls I’ve ever seen. Gullfoss Waterfall tumbles down, not one, but two drops. If you’re lucky and it’s sunny, you might even be treated to a rainbow at the waterfalls!
Although the weather wasn’t the greatest, my family had a great time in Iceland. We were disappointed to be leaving after only a couple days, so I’ll definitely be back one day. I didn’t get to do everything I wanted to do like glacier hiking and ice cave tours. I didn’t see the Northern Lights either.
We headed back to our Airbnb to pack up for part 2 of our trip in London.
Sean Cooper is the bestselling author of the book, Burn Your Mortgage: The Simple, Powerful Path to Financial Freedom for Canadians, available now on Amazon and at Chapters, Indigo and major bookstores, and as an Audiobook on Amazon, Audible and iTunes.