That’s a tough time because not much will be open but maybe you can hire a taxi to take you on a bit of a tour just so you can get out in the landscape.
I’m going to follow this thread. More than two decades ago, DW ran a marathon in Iceland, loved it. DS and GF are planning a quick trip there because it’s so inexpensive from the NYC area. I think that DW and I should plan a trip soon also, since we will officially become empty-nesters in September.
@fendrock the area just surrounding the Keflavik airport isn’t exactly a walkable delight, but a cab ride to Harnarfjordur would give you a nice look at lava fields and the town is lovely (the elf park is delightful). I’m not sure what would be open at that hour. Maybe half an hour away? Or there are some towns on the peninsula by the airport. Blue Lagoon doesn’t open until 8:00 so probably not a good opportunity there.
@oregon101 We are leaving for Iceland this Wednesday evening so I’ve been watching the weather. Has it really been raining for several consecutive days? Does it tend to last all day or just here and there?
We will be exploring the southern part of the island. We have 4 different places booked for lodging so we can travel and explore each location for a few days.
Fendrock, I probably would not leave the airport if you only have 4 hours. Last time we were flying (in June), for the flights going into the US, security was pretty tight. Mr. was pulled aside and interrogated; the ordeal took about 20-25 min. The chances of winning that “lottery” were pretty high judging by the number of people being pulled aside.
Okay, we will just wait it out in the airport.
The weather is suppose to improve this Thursday.
We have had a couple of sun breaks since arriving the 16th.
Mostly it is a drizzle, but definitely heavy at times. Driving the East Fords during a wind advisory was
memorable.
Reykjavik is suppose to be sunny but I do not know about the south.
Hope you see sunshine!
I’m watching this thread also as DD and I will have 3 days in Iceland before she heads to her study abroad in Scotland and I head back home in September. Need to figure out how to spend those 3 days!
There is a good juice and coffee shop near the stairs to the arrival area–joes something.
You can do a virtual tour by going to the KEF site. Also, duty free is open during any arrival and you could buy snacks there. It is just after the baggage area. (though you will not be picking up baggage).
It is a nice airport.
It is a pretty compact airport, indeed. However, they are building out the wing from where all US flights depart, and there are NO chairs in that section (at least that was the case when we flew through Keflavik in early June). So I recommend parking at the bar or near the gift/duty free shop and going to the gate shortly before the boarding.
@fendrock, FWIW, The cab ride to Reykjavik was more than $100. Iceland is not a budget worthy place.
We had beautiful blue and cloudy skies yesterday. Today it started windy, and it now (evening) is very windy and rainy. We are in the west fjords for the remainder of the week. Then we are on a 7 day hut to hut trek in the inner volcanic region. We have lots and lots of gortex because it always rains at some point here. I doubt they get more than a week straight, if that, w/o rain. That’s one reason the waterfalls are so awesome and the country is so green.
See if it’s different in the west fjords. When we were there, we saw very little rain and none at all in the extreme NW where we stayed half the time (Breidavik). That is the driest area apparently. We were there in late June.
Tears here – still raining. Very windy.
Seems we have chased the bad weather.still eating great food!
My guess is that there is some serious celebrating going on there, given the Euro 2016 win over England. Wow. Talk about a surprise.
We leave tonight for Reykjavik! I think the rain clears out after tomorrow.
Yes, the weather should be wonderful. Lucky you!
The sun was shining in Reykjavik when we arrived yesterday morning, but the rain moved in and it rained on and off the rest of the day. It cleared by the evening.
We made our way to Selfoss after some sightseeing. It was very windy! We had some sun showers late afternoon. I guess the lesson is to wear layers and be prepared for rain.
We are back after 2 weeks in Iceland. We had GREAT weather all around. Only 2 days with real rain and a couple of days with harsh winds. The food was excellent. Watching the Iceland/England game of the Eurocup was really fun. The west fjords part of the trip was a lesson of patience in driving. Long winding roads with lots of stops for waterfall, awesome views, and sheep. We saw Puffins We also did a 7 day trek in the inner volcanic area, which was spectacular. Our guide was a little stoic at first but opened up. The interior of the country was incredible, especially for geologists (which a number of us were.) Crossing a glacial river in water shoes and neoprene socks (a must) was quite an experience, and we did it over and over again. There were more shades of green than I knew were in nature. I am nursing a few blisters and bruises, but would do it again in a heartbeat.
My S was/is in Iceland this month as well, per D. I can’t wait to hear his impressions. He loves hiking and rock climbing and got a great deal on airfare.
We are back from our two day stopover.
We rented a house about a half hour drive from the airport. It was the home of an Icelandic woman who rents it out during the summer season. It was right on the coast with fabulous views out over the ocean to distant mountains in front, with views over lava fields to the rear. (PM me if you want the Homeaway link.)
We considered going to Thingvellir, but after reading about the crowds on TripAdvisor, decided to head an hour north and check out the Akrafjall mountain outside Arkanes. We were surprised to drive through an extensive tunnel (8 kilometers) to reach the peninsula. Charge was 1000 kroner ($8) each way. The GPS took us to the mountain, but not to the parking lot and trail, so we went into town to inquire at the Information center. The helpful woman there spoke excellent English, which was no surprise as she was actually Irish. Her husband, an Icelander, offered to lead us to the path up the mountain. It turns out that he participates in Viking reenactments and met his wife at one. Their marriage is the ultimate Viking reenactment, as it turns out that the Vikings used to go to Ireland to find wives.
The second day we checked out the geological highlights close by. This included Gunnuhver mud pools and steam vents, as well as the “bridge between the continents,” where the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates meet. These are accessed by driving through volcanic wastelands that make you feel as if you could be on the moon. Note that both these sites are within a 45 minute drive of the airport.
If you want to stock up groceries on arrival, we recommend going into Keflavik. There is also a liquor store there. Liquor stores are state owned, so it is difficult to casually buy beer or wine. We arrived too late on a Saturday at the liquor store (4pm on a Saturday), so we ended up going to a local restaurant and had an interesting chat with the waitress there. Everyone speaks English beautifully.
The airport is a mob scene. Note that there is an extra passport control after security, and that was actually more time consuming for us than checking our luggage with Icelandair or going through security itself.