I traveled to Iceland back in January with 11 other people but mostly friends and it was one unforgettable trip! I literally booked my flight 2 months ahead from Wow Air for only $320 round trip.
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) โ๏ธ Keflavik International Airport (KEF)
The cheap airfare was what caught our attention. We wanted to be able to say "we went to Iceland!!!" ๐ฎ๐ธ And that's what we did.
Wow air is a new budget airline that was founded in November 2011, serving 33 destinations across Europe, North America and Asia.
If you never use any budget airline, you gotta be aware that they charge you for every little thing. As in luggage space, snacks, food, drinks on the plane, and additional destination paperwork submission. Most fees can be voided if you plan in advance. For example, most of us paired up and shared luggage space to cut cost. Given that a carry on is like 50 bucks and $70 for a check-in luggage and that's the price one way!!! ๐
Make sure to bring your favorite snacks and eat a big meal before departing since a regular sandwich on the flight will cost you like $8.00 and a cup of noodle is $5.00! Everything in Iceland is not cheap, food/lodging/traveling costs will add up easily. I would recommend to pack food/snacks to take on your exploration.
Icelandic food isn't the greatest and there's not many grocery store/restaurants around so I was proud of myself for packing my favorite snacks before I left LA. ๐ช๐ซ๐ฌ
Remember to read the fine detail on the airline website to understand all the potential travel cost you might encounter. Learn the Icelandic currency so you will be aware of the value of a krรณna. Download useful apps that would benefit you on your trip.
When we landed ๐ฌ at KEF, it was raining and snowing ๐จ hard. Make sure to pack a really good rain/winter coat and always layer! What I learn most about this trip is to layer up especially living in SoCal my whole life I'm totally not use to the cold weather. The average temperature in January is -1ยฐC โ +1ยฐC (30-33 Fahrenheit), that's freezing!
I been in negative degree weather but being outside and exploring, it can get extremely freezing. I highly recommend to pack lots of heat pads to give you that extra warmth when you're driving/hiking to your next adventure.
Before you leave to your Iceland trip, make sure you do all your research and book all your lodging/rental/map your point of destination. It will make your trip a lot easier to have an agenda. Here is a list of some cool attractions to explore, we actually visit almost all of them. ๐๐๐ป
Each day we had a main event and along the way we visited the list of attractions base on our route to the next destination. The days are shorter during the winter season, the sun rises around 11:00am and set at 3:30pm. So most of your days are darker but with clear sky, you may be able to see the Northern lights!
Here is a short summary of our trip day by day.
Driving in Iceland during bad conditions can be very dangerous when speeding and not paying attention to the road. The road is narrow, wet and dark during the night. Always be cautious and remember safety first! Here is a great website to learn more on how to drive in Iceland.
http://www.icetra.is/road-traffic/how-to-drive-in-iceland/
We got lucky having a few days of sun during our stay. It was extremely beautiful especially during winter time. The weather can be unpredictable during the winter season. One hour, the sun will be out and the next there will be a gust of snow and wind.
Traveling to Iceland ๐ฎ๐ธ during winter was definitely an experience I will always cherish for the rest of my life. It was so different being out exploring an unfamiliar country and during one of the most coldest time of year. There are certain things you can only do and see during that time of year.
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Glacier Hike
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Northern light - aurora borealis
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Iceland Winter wonderland
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Ice Cave Tour
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Hot Springs
So when you think about your next adventure, think of Iceland! Get some of your friends to take a trip during the winter season for an amazing unforgettable epic bucket list traveling done.
Explore the beauty of Mother Nature in a land of ice, so you too can say you "been to ICELAND!"
I hope you find my steemit post useful. Please upvote, comment and stay tune for a more detail blog of my travel to Iceland with more incredible photos from my trip. ~> When in Iceland. xoxo
From what I've heard, it's supposed to be "way more fun" for American guys, than girls, in Iceland ;-)
It would be interesting to see how much more it costs in Summer, which I would imagine is even way more fun!
Pretty sure when you travel out of the US, it's always more fun for the guys! ๐ And when you're in Iceland... find those special hot springs! ๐๐ summer time is probably beautiful as well but you can't catch the Northern light then. I'm pretty sure the night life during the warmer days is a plus plus for the American guys! ๐๐๐
amazing! It looks like you had the experience of a lifetime! Beautiful but scary landscapes, I bet it was spooky at night
It was amazing and I'm so glad I was able to experience it! Another thing that I liked about Iceland was that it was safe. These Scandinavian countries are known to be safe for traveling. But yes, driving in the darkness can be. Definitely best to caravan or go with more people when traveling during the nights. I'm glad you enjoy my steemit, wait for the next blog "when in Iceland" ๐
meep
wow great pictures! Adding Iceland to my bucket list!!
Yes, please do! You will enjoy your trip and if you can go during winter... it is absolutely beautiful!!!
Great images, and a fun travelogue! Have to keep these bucket items in mind.
Great choice of word "travelogue!" ๐
Great trip in Iceland..Its so far from japan and Korea. But someday I want to go there..thank you for information and story. If you and your friends visit Japan, please let me know..:-)
Japan is on my list! I have extended family out that way and I heard so many good things. Canโt wait to go out there to try all the delicious food! but when u can visit Iceland, flights are affordable and thereโs always way to cut costs. Pretty sure thereโs many amazing spot to visit in Japan, what would you recommend?
I followed you..
If you come ro tokyo, you can experience both of morden and traditional Japan culture in tokyo. And if you like eating, tokyo is fantastic place. I recommend the tokyo for first visiting and then kyoto is great place to visit..If you want any questions ,please let me know. Regards David
Bello
Hello!!!