I am planning an adventure abroad

[Chri5]

I agree with Manfred's posts.

A red warning flag went up when you posted that you don't have your driving license yet. I need to add a bit to what Manfred wrote about driving there. First, I have been driving for many years, and I spend a lot of time in mountains, etc., but I have rarely encountered roads as frightening as some in Iceland. The main roads are fine, and drivers behave themselves. However, things deteriorate quickly. Many roads are very rough dirt roads, and many have no guard rails. For example, here is one in the NW fjords area, south of Isafjordur:



It's even worse than it looks, because the volcanic rock is friable, and pieces just fall away. Not far from where I took this picture, a piece of the road had simply fallen off into the ocean. And this was a road that had been repaired not long before. So if you are a new driver, some of the secondary roads will be quite dangerous.

I asked an Icelander with whom I went kayaking the fjords whether people often drive off the roads. He said that it is seasonal. If I recall, he said that it was OK in the winter because people are more careful, but I may have it backwards.

Second, once you get away from the southwest, there can be very few people, so if something goes wrong, you can be stuck for some time. My son and I were on the road in this photo for hours and saw only two other vehicles. The drivers of both stopped when they saw us and gave us the traditional (if maybe revealing) Icelandic greeting: "Are you OK?"

However, leaving driving aside, it is an amazing place, and the hard thing is figuring out which parts to see in whatever time you have.

Re Manfred's comment about the redheads--there has been a lot of genetic study of Icelanders because of their isolation (until recently) and their superb data. The museum in Rejkjavik had an exhibit about this when I was there. Genetic studies confirmed that the Vikings took captured Celtic women with them.

One last thought: be prepared for bad weather. It can happen any time.

Thank you Dan. Very informative. That road looks scarey as hell.

All these photos look amazing, It is just fueling my want to go to Iceland
I am hoping to have my driving licence within the next few months and the trip wont happen until next year so hopefully I will have gained a good bit of experience by then. Plus I have been riding a motor bike on the road for a few years now so I already have the road sense.

[Chri5]

That river crossing looks like fun Is there any requirements when hiring a car e.g. do I need to have my licence for longer than a year before I can hire?

All these photos are doing is fueling my want to go.

[Manfred M]

That river crossing looks like fun Is there any requirements when hiring a car e.g. do I need to have my licence for longer than a year before I can hire?

All these photos are doing is fueling my want to go.

You'll have to check with the car rental agencies to see what the requirements are. If you stick to the Ring Road, you won't need a 4x4 and the driving is okay. There is a short stretch in the far south-east that wasn't paved. but that is as adventurous as it gets to be.

Our initial trip there was for a week in 2007, where we stuck to the Ring Road. We went back in 2009 and rented a 4x4 specifically to explore the interior.

[Chri5]

Yes I might just do the same. Maybe you could start a thread with your images from the ring road trip? Did you get many spectacular landscapes?

[Manfred M]

Yes I might just do the same. Maybe you could start a thread with your images from the ring road trip? Did you get many spectacular landscapes?

The shots I took in 2007 were with a tiny little point & shoot. I got my first DSLR a couple of months before the 2009 trip and was just starting to learn how to use it, hence one of the reasons I plan to go back and do some "serious" photography. A few shots are on my Flickr site. I'm sure that both Dan and Mike have images they can supply links too.

Lots of waterfalls, interesting hexagonal basalt, etc.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/524694...57626351488325

[rpcrowe]

I have no specific advice for Iceland since I have never traveled there.

However, I do have some general advice for travel anywhere:

1. Travel as light as possible - wash and wear garments are usually light in weight and can be washed and hung to dry. Your needs would depend on the climate where you are visiting as well as the venues you enjoy. As an example, if you enjoy fine dining, you might need dressier clothes than if you eat the way I eat; in less expensive and less formal eateries. I have found that I can do quite well with a single pair of shoes for a trip - this saves weight...

2. A photo vest is a very handy travel companion. Here is an exaMPLE OF ONE: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Convertible-...item51ad2428ae
You can store passport and other documents as well as having a place for boarding passes. Of course, you can carry photo equipment in the numerous pockets. I would definitely choose a purpose built photo vest rather than the many fly fishing vests sold as photo vests on ebay. A vest that has zip off sleeves and is convertible from vest to jacket can also save weight. I also carry a couple of days supply of my medications - in case the checked on bag is misplaced.

3. NEVER - NEVER - NEVER carry your photo equipment in your luggage that is checked aboard - always have it in your carry aboard luggage. Have a list of equipment with serial numbers available. However, there may be problems carrying monopod or tripod aboard (if you use them). I usually pack a light travel tripod (I have one that is relatively sturdy and only weighs about 2 ounds or one kilo or so) and a lightweight monopod in my check aboard gear.

4. Ensure that all your equipment is clean and in working condition and ensure that all your equipment matches. I had a right angle finder that I had used for years with my Canon 10D, 30D and 40D cameras. When I got my 7D cameras for a european trip, I never tried to fit the fight angle finder on that camera. I just assumed that it would fit! It didn't fit and I didn't learn that until I was setting up to shoot the Grand Canal of Venice in the evening. Talk about egg on my face!

5. Ensure that your credit - debit - bank cards have been approved for international travel.

[Mike Buckley]

Maybe you could start a thread with your images from the ring road trip?

My trip on the Ring Road began in Akureyri and went clockwise from there to a half-day drive away from Reyjkavik. We spent 8 1/2 days doing that (plus the time needed to fly to and from Iceland). If you click the advanced search capability displayed in the top right corner of the CiC window and "Search Titles Only" using keyword Iceland and threads posted using my screen name, you'll find 13 threads discussing my photos made two years ago.

[Polar01]

Chris found this link that I was looking for. it has some good info on places to stay while in Iceland. One place to look is called "Farm Holidays", it is in the article. Give it a serious look, I have happen to stay in 3 or the 4 that Les mentions.

http://www.lesterpickerphoto.com/201...eland-lodging/

Cheers: Allan

[CP140]

Unfortunately I didn't get to see a whole lot of Iceland during the many times I visited ( we used to deploy to NAS Keflavik quite frequently) as I was stuck in a dark windowless tube or trying to catch some sleep before the next sortie. I recall Keflavik and Reykjavik being quite pleasant with very friendly people.

FWIW, looking at my logbook I last visited Kef aboard tail number 107 in May 1989....