5 Mistakes You Make When You Arrive in Iceland

[@ThePinoyAggie]

We started our trip to Iceland with a visit to Sky Lagoon in Reykjavik. We arrived at around 9:30 AM in Keflavik, picked up our car, and drove to Sky Lagoon. We ate brunch at the cafe inside Sky Lagoon introducing ourselves to some Icelandic food. We then enjoyed the lagoon doing the seven steps ritual and a couple or more glasses of Gull beer and white wine. Our jet lag was gone and we were ready for the next day's adventure.

[@BillHong19.56]

A possible alternative to the Blue Lagoon for those heading into the City is the Sky Lagoon, on the tip of the Kopavogur peninsula. It's an artificial creation, and smaller than the Blue, but the experience is very enjoyable, with some optional experiences that are invigorating, plus a fantastic ocean view. We also spent our first evening in Reykjavik at a concert in the beautiful Harpa Concert Hall, before heading out on the road the next day to Snaesfellsness. Can also recommend the camper van experience.

[@ericwright6608]

This is honestly my choice over the Blue Lagoon. Sky Lagoon is more expensive last I checked of you want the full package, but Blue Lagoon has the big crowds depending on the time of year you go. Camper van is what I'd do as well. Once everything is done and I have the van, I'd travel to get food at Bonus and Costco on the way into town, then to Sky Lagoon to get the stress and stiffness from flying out. Then just walk around downtown Reykjavik and do some light shopping and sightseeing. And after that drive out to a spot to park the van and relax for the rest of that first day. Nothing too packed.

[@animated000]

​@@ericwright6608yeah last time i was there for 10 days we got a car. hindsight, should have gotten a camper. There's another spa close by that'really nice is Laugarvatn Fontana. it's out the way, not overly crowded and has a cold splash pool...which helps when you've been sitting in 102f degree water

[@JorgeLopez-nq4jj]

Went to Iceland last June. I found a flight IcelandAir JKF to Keflavik arriving 11:00 Pm. Stayed at the Aurora hotel next to the airport, didn’t have to worry getting a rental car on the arrival day. Everything worked perfectly, no jet lag. Next day we stated our 7 day Iceland trip fresh

[@sukalyan_naskar]

Thanks for your comment. This is a nice option to just get in, hit the bed and then wake up fresh and get on with the day.

[@hoser7706]

We nailed our first day thanks to your vlog and guide. The airport transition from landing to rentail car to Trawire. Then hit the Blue Lagoon at 7am, Grindavik, Fridheimars for lunch, skowly hit Selfoss and then the Golden Circle big sites, dropped the crowds, hit Reyjavik, famous hot dogs and chased it all with a night walk to Reykjadular hot river. Honestly thanks to your guide. ❤

[@tracylowe9994]

Just got back, absolutely loved it. Sky lagoon..amazing

[@ashleyjones2458]

Okay so it’s still good? I’m going to Iceland next week and wasn’t sure if it’s still good and not like Blue Lagoon

[@humboldtfisher8319]

In mid-May, we flew from Seattle WA and arrived at 930AM (which was 230AM our time). Took Fly Bus to Reykjavik = super easy. Had time to check into our lodging at Snorri's Guesthouse and take a nap. Woke up, went into town, walked around for about an hour and then did the Food and Drink Tour, which was BIG fun! After three nights in Reykjavik, we took the Fly Bus back to airport to pick up our rental van from Camp Easy = great company. The only van rental company we heard bad things about was Go Indie. We did a 10-night loop around the Ring Road, went in a counter-clockwise direction. Jeanie's videos were very helpful in planning our trip!

[@BaDik_Jacob]

I live in The Bahamas and ready for a change in scenery and the Nordic countries are looking so welcoming

[@adamwenz8761]

Great advice, as always. Thanks for the video! When we came to Iceland in June 2022, we arrived at Keflavik airport at 9:30 am and then eventually made it to Reykjavik at around 12:30 pm. We were able to leave our luggage at our accommodations, and then walked around the city for a few hours. I agree about the later afternoon "wall" that you mentioned. We made it until 6:00 pm and then slept for about 10 hours! We were glad we didn't have any tours planned for that first day! The 24-hour daylight that time of year was something I didn't get used to during our 8 days in the country. Looking forward to the next video!

[@shelleybergen1232]

Your videos help me plan the most amazing trip last year! We absolutely fell in love with Iceland. We loved just wandering around Reykjavik, sitting in quaint little coffee shops, the harbour! Amazing, amazing city and country. The people are so friendly and helpful! I had emailed our hotel to see if we could store out luggage until check-in time and they said sure! When we got to the hotel at around 8:00am to drop off our bags, they told us that our room was already empty and cleaned so we could check in then! It was fantastic! Because of you I knew about the Fly bus so had pre-booked that, I knew about Kronan and Bonus, tours etc. Do thank you for your great and informative videos!!

[@IcelandwithaView]

I am happy to help! I’m so glad you loved your trip! ❤️

[@carolynBulldog5]

A few years I flew into Iceland for a 5 days. I stayed at Hotel Berg in Keflavik(recommend highly) They picked me up at airport and stored my luggage as I got there at 0900. I got their rental car and drove to Blue Lagoon and vegged out for day until my room was ready in the afternoon. My cat naps at Lagoon gave me energy for the rest . Had a great arrival day!

[@carableu]

I would definitely book an accommodation for the night before. I’ve actually never been able to check in early in Iceland. Well worth having a room ready.

[@jacquibiggart1578]

We did blue lagoon after we landed, loved it and we could check our suitcases (since we hadn’t checked into our hotel yet). The only downside was we were tired from the red eye (coming from Toronto) then sitting in the warm cozy hot spring. I got sooo sleepy 😂

[@live.travel.]

Your tips were so helpful many years ago on my visit. I got in bright and early, got my car- which I camped in because I was solo and wasn’t spending extra money. Went to the campground later, bonus for groceries and ventured a bit in the city

[@jonpitmanyp]

One thing you might add is for those getting in at 4 am from the East Coast of the US... we were of the assumption we would be able to get right through to get our rental car and get on the road. Despite jet lag, we planned a full day that first day (glad we did since we only had 3 full days in Iceland) so we wanted to get our rental car and get going! What no one told us, including Enterprise/Alamo, is what time the car rental shuttle runs. The airport employees were surprisingly clueless. We first asked one of them what time it started, and he said 5am, and that we needed to go out of the airport to the spot where the sign was to wait for the bus (which our car rental instructions said to do as well, just didn't specify what time.) We did that and froze for 30 minutes in 30 mph winds waiting for a bus that never came. We finally went back inside, and I asked the airport information desk what time the bus ran and he said, "6:00 I think?" 6:00 came and went and still no bus. I then called Enterprise and the automated response said customer service doesn't open until 8 am! We then looked at the Google listing and it said the rental location opened at 6:30. At About 6:20 we finally just grabbed a taxi and rode the 2 minute ride to Enterprise/Alamo (could've just walked but didn't want to walk in the cold) only to find them already open unbeknownst to us. I still don't know what time they officially opened and still don't know what time in the morning the shuttle starts 😂. We got our car and got on our way, but it was a cold, confusing, frustrating, uninformed start to our first day. Enterprise/Alamo needs to give more details for that location in their rental agreement, and the airport could use a better/more Sheltered spot to wait for the bus. Oh and communicate to the "airport information desk" the details as well so they can give out correct information!😁 My advice to those planning to go is the call your rental car counter ahead of time to find out some of these details before you go. All that said, we loved Iceland, had a blast, and can't wait to go back!

[@ovrowner]

Thank you for providing this content. My wife and I recently took a cruise to Iceland and stayed three nights in Reykjavik. Your videos were helpful for things to do while we were there and much appreciated.

[@IcelandwithaView]

Great to hear! I am happy to help ❤️

[@garrydelday5816]

Superb advice Jeannie for both visitors from the west and east, landing times are such a big determining factor in what you can do on day one. Planning day one is essential according to where you are coming from, we arrived from Europe and put off hiring a vehicle until the following day (simply wasn’t worth paying for a day where you can’t use it) better to get a taxi to your first nights accommodation, we chose Keflavik for that £15 from the airport, Reykjavik is nearer £100. So for visitors from Europe I would strongly recommend staying in Keflavik for your first night, then pick your rental up from the airport the following morning. The opposite may apply to visitors from North America (get your rental straight away and head for Reykjavik) 😉👍

[@AA_8184_1]

I literally “LOLed” when you mentioned falling asleep standing up @ 4PM. Has happened to me on trips to Iceland and European destination multiple times! :) Great advice as always!

[@josephr9551]

Thanks and I would do exactly as you suggest. That camper van sounds tempting.

[@shimvision]

Great! Very helpful. Had a great time when we visited in 2018

[@alonsolopez3541]

I landed in Iceland at 5 am got my rental at 6 am and hit the golden circle with my bags in the car when I got back to Reykjavik at around 8pm. It was time to eat shower and check in and slept like a baby…I suggest you do the golden circle the first day coming from America

[@boatlover1875]

Just got back from Iceland. Flybus is okay but pack your patience. Figure out the bus stop numbers on day one, it does kind of make sense when you get it as far as tours. Don't expect any bus to be on time or have enough room for everyone. They always did eventually bring another bus sometimes 30-45 minutes late standing in the cold. We got a second bus from Blue Lagoon to Reykjavik on day one, the bus driver dropped us at what we learned was the second best stop for our hotel, gave us poor directions and didn't bother to get off the bus and even open the luggage door. (Russian sounding frizzy hared red head lady if they care) I did enjoy Blue Lagoon. Currently it is not along the way to Reykjavik, rather a 45 minute or so detour each way when it is open do to recent volcanic activity.

[@fa9183]

Is the fly bus just a shuttle bus or it takes you around iceland?

[@Llum_edits]

Hi Jeanie from Iceland already. Your videos and your guide has help me A LOT!! Thanks for your pieces of advice. For example today we have gone to a public swimming pool. Thanks!!!

[@IcelandwithaView]

You are so welcome! ❤️

[@sabrinapeterson7144]

Very helpful information. We will be in Iceland next month for 1 day and have booked 2 excursions. I am sure we will be visiting again for a longer stay.

[@gnarlycat]

Thank you for the video and the arrival guide!

[@IcelandwithaView]

I am happy to help!

[@ashamoosai9200]

I thought I was the only person who did the night before thing!! 😅 great trip

[@chamfly5783]

If you get an air B&B make sure that you get the key-code BEFORE you arrive in Iceland. Unfortunately, we did not get the code and we couldn't contact our air B&B host due to bad cell service. We ended up having to bail on the air B&B and had to search Reykjavik for a hotel on zero sleep. After our accommodations were sorted, we had an amazing time and will go back for sure!!

[@MojganSHaji]

Jeannie, been following you for a while and I've been trying to visit Iceland since 10-15 years ago when I had a connecting flight to EU thru Reykjavik....finally my day is coming, Sep 10, 2023. Thank you for all your advice, can't imagine going there without all your great videos and guidance. This will be first of a few more visits there, unless if things go horribly wrong 😂😢 🙏🙏

[@micheller4794]

Great tips...thank you!

[@IcelandwithaView]

Glad it was helpful!

[@StrayDogVideos]

We landed and had our Blue Car Rental before the sun came up, lol. Pretty full day before we made it to Reykjavik in the evening, including The Blue Lagoon and other sights close to the airport.

[@jdds1165]

We went to the blue lagoon at 830 am it was practically empty. Everyone arrived around 1030-1100 when we were winding down

[@kylesandstrom853]

Off to Iceland tomorrow, can't wait and almost can't believe we're doing it again a year later! Yeah the arrival time and checking in was an issue last year so I think we'll do Sky Lagoon and found a place that will let us get in quicker so I can crash before dinner. (last year we somehow found the energy to hike a mountain)

[@schattenmefisto]

I discovered your channel today and subscribe. 🤩Plenty useful information. I've plan visit Reykjavik in May 2024 - so I can't wait! 😎Greetings from Copenhagen. ❤

[@IcelandwithaView]

Thanks for watching ❤️

[@jfog06]

Thank you so much for all this content! Just suscribed to your channel Don´t now if you allready made a video of this topic but, what is your recommendations for a solo traveler for his first time in island? Im planning for a trip for next year in a camper van but I havent found anyone to travel with. Big salute from Colombia!

[@TheTravelingHatter]

The airport at Keflavik is fairly laid out. The airport did throw me three curves. First, I wanted to drink coffee at the airport after arriving. I was refused service as they will only serve people who are going to fly, not people who have just arrived. Really odd and rude. Second, the passport control was deserted and I had to wave someone down. Lastly, the Flybus taking me to the airport simply drove past the stop and I had to order a $120 taxi to get back to the airport. Iceland was great to visit, but they will not help you so be prepared to be frustrated.

[@Tashhunt85]

No coffee! First red flag :( Thanks for the heads up! We are travelling in September for our honeymoon, so my eyeballs are sore from watching all the do's and don'ts haha!

[@Justreg86]

Super helpful! Thank you!

[@IcelandwithaView]

You're welcome! I am happy to help!

[@boatlover1875]

They do some of both. They have scheduled runs from the airport to the Reykjavik bus terminal and from their there are buses that run a loop with set stops around the city mostly the main downtown area. If you see a map, you might see bus stops, they may have numbers, those are for these buses from my experience. You might take them back to the terminal and get on pre determined tours, we did the great circle with them. We also went direct to Blue Lagoon from the airport and then from there to near our hotel in Reykjavik. The service is not "white glove." You may, or may not, have to load and unload your luggage at certain times. The buses were reasonably comfortable. There are alternatives, cost more, not sure what they are like. We did use them for a night tour to see the Northern Lights, total fiasco. Hundreds of people gathered at bus stop 1 with many different tours picking up people, yelling out names. Flybus finally came, filled up and had to wait for them to send an additional bus, same thing at the bus station. We did get to the viewing site in time, last ones their. The night was a bust, not their fault. We had seen them on an earlier evening by boat so just wanted more.

[@animated000]

landing up north would be great, KEF/REY is getting crowded. Not to mention you can see the northern part without taking that long 6 hour drive

[@fionasharp595]

This would have been super useful when we visited - obviously we need to come back to try out these tips 😂

[@craignelson-swiftyenzed7578]

Yup - arriving in UK at 6 am following 24 hours + travel from New Zealand - totally booked the hotel room the night before. ... but let's not talk about having to find an emergency dentist on day one, on a Sunday... after breaking a tooth eating breakfast at hotel... How much was that taxi Windsor-Reading return again? Lolz. Yay for travel insurance!

[@kaaytie84]

I'm in Iceland now and one tip I would give is to pack enough food and water while driving around. Also if you find a place to use a bathroom use it so many areas have no places to go. I have seen a place where it looks like people are going outside.

[@IcelandwithaView]

Great tip!

[@kaaytie84]

@@IcelandwithaView after todays high winds I should have worn safety glasses. I had so much dirt and small rocks hit my face. You are so right about the winds. Savage.

[@pjhosang2977]

When I flew from the West Coast, we landed after 10 o’clock at night. I would have loved to have landed in the morning or even afternoon.

[@koloasurf2012]

Where do you recommend we stay, I am torn between reykjavik or selfoss which have more to do? we are there two nights and then on our tour in selfoss after

[@catiewitt2621]

You’ve inspired me to officially book a trip! My flight lands in Iceland at 6:45am. I booked a food tour through Wake Up Reykjavik (bc I watched your video on it!) for 11:30am. Should I be good on time?

[@UChris1995]

I have been to Iceland twice and have always slept in a tent as accommodation in Iceland can be at least 150€/night. I have to say there are very few things I found more disturbing than hearing Jeannie say "book accomodation for the night before" :D (Why would you need a hotel room in the morning?!?) And by the way: the campsites are truly amazing and imho THE best way to explore Iceland

[@lubystkaolamonola529]

How is the city bus communication in Reykjavik? How much does it cost? Can we have the map? I planning to visit Iceland this year in June. I will be appreciated for some advice.

[@sukalyan_naskar]

Thank you for sharing so much about Iceland and this is one of your many videos I have seen and loved. It just makes planning for Iceland so much easy. The way I see it, I will probably be reaching somewhere around midnight to the airport. I wonder if I will get a car rental at that time and if my accommodation will allow me in during the wee hours of the night or should I just spend the night in the airport.

[@IcelandwithaView]

You would need to check with the car rental company and where you will be staying to see what their protocol is. Here is a link to my free Arrival Guide, may be helpful as well! Have a fabulous trip! icelandwithaview.com/arrival

[@PrinceofMacedonVlogs]

hey there, I love your videos. Great tips. I haven't watched all of them yet as I'm just now exploring video tips about Iceland. I do have a question. I plan to hit up Iceland in Autumn. I planned to land, spend the night in Reykjavik, and then start the Ring Road drive. I should have about 11 or 12 days in Iceland. If I'm making the Ring drive around the country, how many miles do you think I can hit up before needing to grab a hotel along the Ring Road? I want to sleep in a hotel each night if possible.

[@terrancekayton007]

Thanks!

[@jend.5999]

Is it easy to get a taxi from blue lagoon to Reykjavik?

[@NinaBailey]

Can you do a video on job hunting In iceland? Did yall have jobs lined up ahead of time? If so, what's the process and what do yall do for work?

[@AusNetFan13]

Greetings Jeannie. Your videos are so fun. I have a question about the Costco store there. You mentioned in a prior video that liquor sales are only for businesses. In the US there are two membership levels, the Gold Star and the Executive. For US members who have the Executive level, could they purchase liquor from Costco? Yep, us from North America are so lucky on our arrival times. Have fun.

[@IcelandwithaView]

Thank you for reaching out! Unfortunately no, you would have to purchase your alcohol at the duty free or Vínbúðin stores.

[@AusNetFan13]

@@IcelandwithaView I see. Just seeing if there was a loophole. For Iceland, for duty-free, is the limit 3 liters?

[@karaJ]

Will there be busses available from KEF to Blue Lagoon & back or Blue Lagoon to Reykjavik? Plan to do BL before heading the town but no driving, coming from Toronto so thats the early arrivals.. Thanks Jeannie!

[@saraiporretta571]

I would like to know where to eat breakfast affordably at or near Keflavik airport when arriving in the morning? Great video by the way, we are going on Saturday and super excited for our first trip to Iceland! Coming from Canada. Totally plan to take it easy that first day, hitting the Blue Lagoon in the morning and then Reykjavík in the afternoon just walking around. Fully expecting that exhausting jet lag to hit at some point so probably going to bed early!

[@carolynBulldog5]

Take a nap at Blue Lagoon to revive yourself for rest of day. I loved Iceland.

[@paulorocha6349]

Great tips as always. Your channel helped me a lot in my 2 previous trips to Iceland. Already planning a group travel for next year. If I may suggest one topic for a possible future video: Restrooms (public WC/Toilets or in service stations) that tourists can use across the intire country. We can drive for hours without finding a chance to relieve ourselves. In Iceland it's not possible to do it in the wild ;-). This is specially important when travelling with a group. I was unable to find a map of those facilities available across the country.

[@IcelandwithaView]

I am happy to help! Thanks for watching ❤️

[@jeweloholic]

On the Circle Road there are no bathrooms for MILES!!! I ended up opening two doors of my rental, sat on the edge, relieved myself between the 2 doors. No one noticed. My friend suggests bringing a toddler's pottyseat for emergencies. For guys, bring a can. It's desperate times on that Circle Road.

[@charleneware6574]

I am leaving for Iceland in less than 30 days!!! I planned nothing for the first day. I will stay in Keflavik for two days before heading to Reykjavik. I want to do Blue Lagoon or Sky Lagoon but.... I need advise on transportation. I don't want to rent a car. Will the bus/shuttle drop me off/pick me up at either lagoon?

[@IcelandwithaView]

Sky Lagoon and Blue Lagoon both have shuttles :)

[@HRRDOAN770]

is it the northern light is only in december and january

[@Alex-zs4vb2lt5c]

I can't say that the buses are all that convenient for the flights arriving in the afternoon -- if you miss that 1630 bus there aren't many other options, and for four people it looks like a taxi might even be cheaper or at least around the same price but way more convenient and efficient?

[@rossleasure5604]

I've always wondered whether there was an advantage to using Gray Line vs. FlyBus for transpo to Reykjavik. We've done both but they seem to be interchangeable. Any thoughts?

[@danielleoliver1734]

I’m flying in at midnight after almost 2 days of flights, my first day is sleep and walking around town

[@michelevannoni9833]

How does the discount for Blue Rental work?

[@IcelandwithaView]

Here's the link to grab the discount (NO code is required, simply click this link and the discount will be automatically applied!): bit.ly/IcelandCarDiscount

[@Justrandomvideos-2023]

Visiting is one thing but what if I decided to live there 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@kmichal456]

Is blue lagoon closed these days?

[@HanktheFrank]

My biggest mistake when I arrived in Iceland was going through customs. They asked if I had anything to declare, and I said, "War!!". 😜🤣

[@Tashhunt85]

hahaha!!!

[@Chris.Plunkett]

I purchased your course on Teachable. Why does it say, "This school is offline"?

[@glofacekilluh]

The link isnt working anymore?

[@alonsolopez3541]

Some flights get there at 5 am but the blue lagoon opens at 8 it doesn’t make sense waiting 3 hours

[@nancycara7947]

I keep trying to get the free arrival guide but it never comes over….I have checked spam….

[@apeel2008]

Same here. I get the request to sign up for subscription, but no arrival guide makes it to my inbox, trash, or spam folder. Hopefully Jeannie sees these messages and is able to get the issue resolved.

[@IcelandwithaView]

Thank you for letting me know! ❤️

[@apeel2008]

@@IcelandwithaView Thank you!!!! Seems you have had the issue corrected as I just tried again, and now when I click the link in the email that gets sent to confirm my subscription, my web browser is directed to the page where it opens up the Arrival Guide and I am able to download it as a pdf successfully. Many, many thanks! Also to @nancycara7947, give it another try. Should work this time!

[@Travelbug6543]

Received the free guide. I realized that you have to include only your first name.

[@apeel2008]

@@Travelbug6543 maybe Jeannie needs to make a video called … 5-mistakes to avoid to receive your free guideline to Iceland! 😂😂😂

[@CliffSun-q8h]

It looks like the 5% discount code doesn't work anymore.

[@jacobs4985]

Do you need cash in Iceland? how do you pay for the bus?

[@IcelandwithaView]

I did a video all about this, check it out here ➡️ kzbin.info/www/bejne/pGWupWCqadGWq5o

[@davejohnson6738]

No you don’t need cash, CC will just fine, make sure you get PIN number for your CC. Most Gas stations will require to enter pin.

[@varsobalan9864]

4 or 16, 9 or 21 o'clock?

[@susanneostermann5774]

Warum muss die Hintergrundmusik so laut sein, das lenkt ab und stört

[@dominiquedupont2061]

What about taxis?

[@theresehorton-td4dw]

At self checkout, chose your language (country flag) and your experience will be less stressful.

[@lawrence5371]

Yes happy campers. Then head to Costco!!!!! Get some premade meals.

[@davejohnson6738]

Do your research, you don’t really need campers van 🚐 that she is promoting here.

[@lawrence5371]

@@davejohnson6738 100% don’t agree. Cooking your own food saves so much money and time. For us it was the difference between making it around the country and not. But I guess everyone has an opinion.

[@RonieNerbes-mt9ko]

I Love Jonna Napire 🧡💜♥️ APRIL 19, 2024

[@pamrobinson4350]

? People need telling to book the night before after a red eye flight? Oh dear.

[@isabellamarais8494]

Glad I'm not living in Iceland.

[@scottjohnston6768]

stupid common stuff that any traveler knows