Lonely Planet Iceland's Ring Road

Alexis Averbuck

Description

Discover the freedom of the open road with Lonely Planet's Iceland's Ring Road. This trusted travel companion features 5 amazing road trips, from 1-day escapes to 5-day adventures. Marvel at majestic glaciers, discover Reykjavik, and swim in the Blue Lagoon. Get to Iceland, rent a car, and hit the road! Inside Lonely Planet's Iceland's Ring Road: Lavish colour and gorgeous photography throughout Itineraries and planning advice to pick the right tailored routes for your needs and interests Get around easily - easy-to-read, full-colour route maps, detailed directions Insider tips to get around like a local, avoid trouble spots and be safe on the road - local driving rules, parking, toll roads Essential info at your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, prices Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sleeping, sightseeing, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss Useful features - including Stretch Your Legs, Detours, Link Your Trip Covers Reykjavik, The Golden Circle, Hvolsvollur & Around, Skogar, Vik, Lomagnupur & Around, Skaftafell, Hali, Hofn, Djupivogur, Myvatn & Around, Akureyri and more The Perfect Choice: Lonely Planet Iceland's Ring Road Road Trips is perfect for exploring via the road and discovering sights that are more accessible by car. Planning an Iceland trip sans a car? Lonely Planet's Iceland guide, our most comprehensive guide to Iceland, is perfect for exploring both top sights and lesser-known gems. Looking for a guide focused on a specific Icelandic city? Check out Pocket Reykjavik & Southwest Iceland, a handy-sized guide focused on the can't-miss sights for a quick trip. There's More in Store for You: For more road-tripping ideas, check out Lonely Planet's USA's Best Trips guides to California's Best Trips and Pacific Northwest's Best Trips or Road Trips guides to New England Fall Foliage and Civil War Trails. Also, check out Lonely Planet's US Best Trips guides to Southwest USA and Florida & the South or Road Trips guides to Route 66 and Pacific Coast Highways.About Lonely Planet: Lonely Planet is a leading travel media company, providing both inspiring and trustworthy information for every kind of traveller since 1973. Over the past four decades, we've printed over 145 million guidebooks and phrasebooks for 120 languages, and grown a dedicated, passionate global community of travellers. You'll also find our content online, and in mobile apps, videos, 14 languages, armchair and lifestyle books, ebooks, and more, enabling you to explore every day. 'Lonely Planet guides are, quite simply, like no other.' - New York Times 'Lonely Planet. It's on everyone's bookshelves; it's in every traveller's hands. It's on mobile phones. It's on the Internet. It's everywhere, and it's telling entire generations of people how to travel the world.' - Fairfax Media (Australia)

Sujets

• Iceland
• Islande

Informations

• Publié par: Lonely Planet
• Date de parution: 01 novembre 2022
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781837580378
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 27 Mo

Extrait

CONTENTS

PLAN YOUR TRIP

Welcome to Iceland’s Ring Road
Iceland’s Ring Road Map
Iceland’s Ring Road Highlights
Reykjavík City Guide
Need to Know
Ring Road Planner

ROAD TRIPS

1 The Golden Circle & the Southwest 2–3 Days
Þingvellir
Laugarvatn
Geysir
Gullfoss
Flúðir
Hvolsvöllur
Skógar
Vík
2 Southeast Iceland 3–4 Days
Fjaðrárgljúfur
Kirkjubæjarklaustur
Lómagnúpur
Skeiðarársandur
Skaftafell
Ingólfshöfði
Fjallsárlón
Jökulsárlón
Hali
Route F985
Heinabergsjökull
Hólmur
Hoffellsjökull
3 East Iceland 2–3 Days
Höfn
Stokksnes
Djúpivogur
Berunes
Breiðdalsvík
Stöðvarfjörður
Fáskrúðsfjörður
Reyðarfjörður
Egilsstaðir
4 North Iceland 4–5 Days
Möðrudalur
Dettifoss
Krafla
Hverir
Mývatn Nature Baths
Reykjahlíð
Mývatn
Goðafoss
Akureyri
Varmahlíð
Glaumbær
Hvammstangi
Staðarskáli
5 West Iceland 1–2 Days
Borgarnes
Hafnarfjall
Hvalfjörður
Reykjavík
DESTINATIONS

Reykjavik
Around the Ring Road
The Golden Circle
Hvolsvöllur & Around
Skógar
Vík
Kirkjubæjarklaustur (Klauster)
Lómagnúpur & Around
Skaftafell
Ingólfshöfði
Hali to Höfn
Höfn
Djúpivogur
Breiðdalsvík
Egilsstaðir & Around
Mývatn & Around
Akureyri
Varmahlíð
Hvammstangi
Borganes & Around

ROAD TRIP ESSENTIALS

Iceland Driving Guide
Driving Licence & Documents
Insurance
Maps
Hiring a Car
Roads & Conditions
Road Rules
Fuel
Iceland travel Guide
Getting There & Away
Air
Sea
Directory A-Z
Accessible Travel
Accommodation
Electricity
Food
LGBTIQ+ Travellers
Internet Access
Money
Opening Hours
Public Holidays
Safe Travel
Telephone
Tourist Information
Visas

Language
Behind the Scenes
Our Writers

COVID-19
We have re-checked every business in this book before publication to ensure that it is still open after 2020’s COVID-19 outbreak. However, the economic and social impacts of COVID-19 will continue to be felt long after the outbreak has been contained, and many businesses, services and events referenced in this guide may experience ongoing restrictions. Some businesses may be temporarily closed, have changed their opening hours and services, or require bookings; some unfortunately could have closed permanently. We suggest you check with venues before visiting for the latest information.
WELCOME TO ICELAND’S RING ROAD

Hitting headlines, topping bucket lists, wooing nature lovers and dazzling increasing numbers of visitors: Iceland, an underpopulated island marooned near the top of the globe, is literally a country in the making. It’s a vast volcanic laboratory where mighty forces shape the earth: geysers gush, mudpots gloop, ice-covered volcanoes rumble and glaciers cut great pathways through the mountains. Its supercharged splendour seems designed to remind visitors of their utter insignificance in the greater scheme of things.
Bravely forging through the geological magnificence is the Ring Road, Iceland’s Route 1, which joins nearly all the places you can get to without a serious 4WD in one long circumnavigation of the island. Epic doesn’t even begin to describe this road trip, but it’s not only about jaw-dropping vistas: the counterpoint to so much natural beauty is found in Iceland’s vibrant cultural life, handicrafts and locavore cuisine, and the warmth of its creative, no-nonsense, welcoming people. It’s a drive like no other.

The Ring Road between Jökulsárlón and Höfn NELLA / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

ICELAND’S RING ROAD HIGHLIGHTS
Jökulsárlón
A ghostly procession of luminous blue icebergs drifts serenely through the 25-sq-km Jökulsárlón lagoon before floating out to sea. See it on Trip 2

LEONOV.O/SHUTTERSTOCK ©
Skaftafell
A gem in the expansive Vatnajökull National Park, Skaftafell encompasses a spellbinding wilderness of glaciers, volcanoes and mountains. See it on Trip 2

JEAFISH PING/SHUTTERSTOCK ©
Reykjavík
A vibrant cultural hub, the capital boasts music, museums, shopping, interesting architecture and a staggering number of coffeehouses serving designer microbrews. See it on Trip 5

DENNIS VAN DE WATER/SHUTTERSTOCK ©
CITY GUIDE

Reykjavíc The view from Hallgrímskirkja BERNHARD RICHTER/SHUTTERSTOCK ©
REYKJAVÍK
Although tiny in size, Reykjavík has a huge cultural presence. Imaginative Reykjavikers embrace their sense of community and bring a joy to life, creating captivating museums, cool music, and offbeat cafes and bars. The city is also a superb base for touring Iceland’s natural wonders: glacier-topped volcanoes, shimmering falls and black-sand beaches.
Getting Around
You won’t really need the car in Reykjavík itself. Walking is the best way to see the compact centre, while there’s excellent bus coverage around the town.
Parking
Street parking in the city centre is limited and costs 320kr per hour in the Red Zone and 170kr per hour in the Blue, Green and Yellow Zones. You must pay between 9am and 6pm from Monday to Friday and from 10am to 4pm Saturday.
Where to Eat
Little Reykjavík has an astonishing assortment of eateries. Loads of seafood and Icelandic or New Nordic restaurants serve tried-and-true variations on local fish and lamb, but the capital is also the main spot for finding international eats.
Where to Stay
Reykjavík has loads of accommodation choices, with hostels, midrange guesthouses (often with shared bathrooms and kitchen) and business-class hotels galore, and top-end boutique hotels and apartments seem to be opening daily. June through August accommodation books out entirely; reservations are essential.
Useful Websites
Visit Reykjavík ( www.visitreykjavik.is ) Official site.
Reykjavík Grapevine ( www.grapevine.is ) Great English-language newspaper and website.
Lonely Planet ( www.lonelyplanet.com/iceland/reykjavic ) Destination information and more.

TOP EXPERIENCES
Old Reykjavík
Explore this historic quarter and shopping in nearby Laugavegur and the capital’s many design boutiques.
National Museum
Learn about Iceland’s settlement and fascinating history.
Old Harbour Dining
The Old Harbour is loaded with excellent eating options.
Hallgrímskirkja
Photograph the striking exterior then zip up for sweeping views from this landmark’s modernist steeple.
Whale Watching
Sight the whales leaping off Iceland’s shores on an excursion from the Old Harbour.
Reykjavík Art Museum
Check out contemporary art from installations to paintings and sculpture at the three branches of this well-curated art magnet.
Settlement Exhibition
Peruse a Viking longhouse and artefacts from Reykjavík’s first days.
Harpa
Enjoy a performance or simply be dazzled by the shiny surfaces and gorgeous interior of Reykjavík’s iconic concert hall.
Cafes
Sidle up to cool cats sipping coffee at quirky cafes.
Laugardalur
Soak at the geothermal pool or stroll through botanical gardens.
Culture House
Examine a mix of art, artefacts and manuscripts illustrating Iceland’s interesting history.
NEED TO KNOW

CURRENCY
Icelandic króna (kr or ISK)
LANGUAGE
Icelandic; English widely spoken
VISAS
Generally not required for stays of up to 90 days.
FUEL
Petrol stations are regularly spaced but check the distance to the next station when in the highlands. At research time, fuel cost about kr225/L.
RENTAL CARS
Some of the numerous car-hire companies:
Átak ( www.atak.is )
Europcar ( www.europcar.is )
Geysir ( www.geysir.is )
SADcars ( www.sadcars.com )
IMPORTANT NUMBERS
Make sure you get a breakdown number from your rental provider.
Emergency Services ( 112)
Weather forecast ( 902 0600, press 1 after the introduction)
Road condition information ( 1777)

When to Go
Climate

High Season (Jun–Aug)
A Visitors descend en masse, especially to Reykjavík and the south. Prices peak; prebookings are essential.
A Endless daylight, plentiful festivals, busy activities.
A Highland mountain roads open to 4WDs from mid-June or later; hikers welcome.
Shoulder (May & Sep)
A Breezier weather; occasional snows in the highlands (access via mountain roads is weather-dependent).
A Optimal visiting conditions if you prefer smaller crowds and lower prices over cloudless days.
Low Season (Oct–Apr)
A Mountain roads closed; some minor roads shut due to weather conditions.
A Winter activities on offer, including skiing, snowshoeing and visiting ice caves.
A Brief spurts of daylight; long nights with possible Northern Lights viewings.
A New Year’s Eve in Reykjavík is becoming a big tourist event.
Daily Costs
Budget: Less than 18,000kr
A Camping: 1500–1800kr
A Dorm bed: 4000–7000kr
A Hostel breakfast: 1800–2000kr
A Grill-bar meal or soup lunch: 1500–2200kr
Midrange: 18,000–35,000kr
A Guesthouse double room: 18,000–28,000kr
A Cafe meal: 2000–3500kr
A Museum entry: 1000kr
A Small vehicle rental (per day): from 8000kr
Top end: More than 35,000kr
A Boutique double room: 30,000–45,000kr
A Main dish in top-end restaurant: 3500–7000kr
A 4WD rental (per day): from 15,000kr
Eating
Restaurants Across the country, the emphasis is on farm-fresh, local produce.
Cafes Open usually from lunchtime into evening, serving simple fare.
Accommodation In rural areas, guesthouses and hotels may offer meals.
Grill bars Often found at petrol stations. Standby for hot dogs and burgers, plus simple soup, fish and lamb dishes.
Vegetarians No problem in Reykjavík. Elsewhere, usually there’s at least one veggie item on menus, but it’s often boring.
Sleeping
Hotels From small, bland and businesslike to designer dens with all the trimmings.
Guesthouses Run the gamut from homestyle B&Bs to large hotel-like properties.
Hostels Popular budget options, spread across the country.
Campgrounds No requirement to book. Exposure to the elements. Campervans increasingly popular.
Arriving in Iceland
Keflavík International Airport
Bus Public buses (kr1680) and door-to-door shuttle bus companies (kr2100 to 2700) run th