Hrannar and I spent the last three weeks doing some work around our apartment. Two years ago (two weeks before our wedding, to be exact) we had flooding in our apartment that basically ruined everything. It wasn’t a hurricane style “everything is gone” kind of flooding but more a “neighbor with early-onset dementia who forgot to turn off a faucet” kind of thing. As it turns out, water does a lot of damage regardless of the force it hits your home with.
Because our apartment was old and outdated, to begin with, the remodeling after the flooding was a lot more extensive than the damage called for. It just didn’t make sense to spend money on fixing something that we knew we were going to replace eventually so things that had been on our 10-year plan were moved to our right-now plan.
To make a long story short, we have basically been working on our apartment in one way or another since this accident happened. We have new floors, a new kitchen, new furniture and a plethora of new trinkets that I pick up when I’m supposed to be buying something more practical. I may have a problem.
We also have substantially less money in the bank. My trinkets are not at fault though, I swear.
The latest chapter in our apartment remodeling saga was the work we were doing now. We basically decided to switch our daughter’s bedroom with our guestroom/home office to give her some more space. Her new room was the room that got hit worst in the flooding and the room we had kept putting off redoing because it was full of stuff that that somehow ended up there over the last two years. So it’s been a lot of work but it’s finally finished and I have reclaimed my apartment and my sanity.
In our new office, my desk is now by a big window that overlooks our garden. So as I write this I’m looking at the trees that are changing into their autumn costume and the amazing golden light that makes them glow as only the fall light can. At night, if I turn the lights off, I can see the northern lights dancing in the sky above the trees and the cozy atmospheric lights in my neighbors’ windows as they go about their night. It’s glorious!
September is one of my favorite months. Both because Iceland is beautiful at this time of year but also because the change of seasons doesn’t just mean that a good thing is ending (the summer) – it also brings new beginnings. I feel that air of new opportunities much more profoundly in the fall than around the new year. Maybe because the new year is in the middle of Winter and all that January 1st brings is more darkness and some of our worst months weather-wise.
So new beginnings, new opportunities and big sweaters – what better time to tell you about what the change of season means for travelers in Iceland?
What’s it like to travel to Iceland in autumn/winter?
After September, things start to change dramatically for travelers in Iceland. We start to see more of our autumn and winter storms, the frost returns with slippery roads and sneaky ice patches and activities that are unavailable in summer return while others go on hiatus for the winter.
Area wise, the biggest change, of course, is that most of the highlands become inaccessible to the average visitor unless you do a super-jeep Tour in a modified vehicle. Many of the F-roads close down and areas like Landmannalaugar are officially off the drive-it-yourself menu.
As the winter progresses, it also becomes riskier to travel further afield if you only have a short time in Iceland. Risky doesn’t mean impossible though, it just means you have to think about your itinerary a bit more than you have to do in the summer. You don’t want to have an 8 hour day of driving ahead of you on the day of your homebound flight, for example, because you never know when the weather gods decide to close down our roads.
Another thing to consider is the daylight that gets more scarce by the day. By November, the lack of daylight becomes an important factor in how you plan your days and it stays like that well into March. So if you’re following advice from friends or bloggers that visited Iceland in summer, you need to take those recommendations with a grain of salt and modify your plans to factor in those winter conditions.
Although the Icelandic winter weather gets a worse rep than it deserves, we do get some pretty horrendous days in between where the wind is your biggest foe. Personally, I love a good winter storm (if I get to stay inside with tea and my knitting needles) but the storms give no consideration to your travel plans and mess them up without thinking twice. Therefore, you’d be wise to pack some serenity and patience in your suitcase along with a good pair of rainproof pants.
It may sound like I’m advising you against visiting Iceland in autumn and winter but that’s not at all the case. Despite there being many more things to consider, I’d argue that in many ways visiting Iceland in winter is better than the summer You just have to be prepared and know what you’re getting yourself into.
Some practical advice
Rental car vs. tours
I know that a lot of people disagree with me on this (in particular people who have visited Iceland in winter and got extremely lucky with the weather) but I think that more people should consider doing tours in winter than renting a car.
This is not a self-serving suggestion because you can book tours through my business, it’s just my experience that a lot of people overestimate their abilities to drive in winter conditions. The cars I see upside down on all around the side of the road when I drive out of Reykjavík in winter seem to support this theory.
The main argument for renting a car over doing tours is the freedom it gives you and the fact that it’s more cost-effective.
I can’t argue with the freedom but at what cost does that freedom come if your muscles are sore and your knuckles white from holding the steering while for your life because you’ve just completed a drive that traumatized you? It’s not like that every day but every winter I meet people that describe their experience with one of our storms exactly that way.
As for the cost-effectiveness – it all depends. I’ve worked with a lot of people where when I did the math, doing tours ended up costing them a lot less than renting a car. I’ve also had a lot of guests where the rental car was the cheaper option which is why I say that it all depends.
Either way, if you plan to come to Iceland in winter and you’ve never even seen snow, let alone driven in it, you are almost certainly better off doing tours.
What to pack
If you want to visit Iceland in fall or winter, I suggest you master the art of layering. If the problem with the Icelandic weather in winter was that it got super cold, it would be really easy to work around that. You’d just bring a big parka.
In fact, it doesn’t get all that cold in winter in Iceland. It feels cold though because we get a lot of precipitation (rain or snow) and wind. Iceland is a windy place at any time of the year but in winter, in particular, the wind can become a pain in your behind.
Another issue you’ll face is that the weather is constantly changing. So it may be snowing in the morning but by the afternoon it’s sunny and strangely warm. And then it might start raining.
Because of all this, the only sensible way to dress for the Icelandic winter is layers. If you’re not familiar with layering, this post explains it pretty well.
Winter activities worth checking out
Although the end of winter means that most hiking tours go on hiatus, the winter in Iceland is a playground for adventure lovers. The biggest attraction in winter, of course, is the northern lights but a close second is the ice caves.
Although we do have some ice caves that are available all year now, they simply don’t compare to the amazing blue ice caves of the Vatnajökull region that are only accessible in winter.The reason the other ice caves are becoming more popular is that Vatnajökull is quite far away from Reykjavík so they are much more convenient for those who don’t want to travel too far.
If you’re not renting a car, the best way to visit the ice caves in the Vatnajökull region in winter is by doing 2-day tours that include all of the south coast and an ice cave.
Although you can do snowmobiling year round, I prefer doing snowmobile tours in winter. Mostly just because the surroundings and the views are much more impressive at that time of year. To me, at least. I really enjoyed the snowmobile on Mýrdalsjökull glacier tour but I’ve also done a snowmobile tour on Langjökull glacier which was really nice too.
The winter also brings back some of my favorite tours like the Golden Circle and Magical Nights and Glacier Walk and Northern Ligths, both of which now offer a second chance at the northern lights which makes them even more attractive than before.
Finally, some tips on how to stay safe in Iceland this winter
- If you are not used to driving in extreme winter conditions and you don’t feel like you can handle a snowstorm or ice on the roads: Don’t rent a car!
- If you do decided that winter conditions are nothing to worry about do yourself a favor and rent from a reputable company where you can be sure the tires are good and the cars are in good condition. I know it’s tempting to save some krónur on renting cheaper cars but don’t compromise your safety.
- Before you head out always check the weather conditions and road conditions. Pay special attentions to warnings that are displayed at the top of the weather website and checking safetravel.is should be the first thing you do every morning.
- Listen to local advice! If we tell you something is a bad idea it’s probably because it IS a bad idea!
- If you encounter a road that is closed, it really is closed. Also, don’t trust your GPS over common sense, they’ve been known to give bad advice because they can’t factor in the different seasons and weather conditions. If there is a sign, a road block or a chain you have no business being there on your small rental car.
- Consider investing in a local SIM card. If something happens to you it’s much easier to help you if you can actually call for help. You can of course also use your foreign number but if the charges are really high on them it might be worth it to invest in a local card which are relatively cheap. It can also be good to have access to the weather and road condition websites on the go and data is cheaper on a local SIM.
This post first appeared on I Heart ReykjavÃk - Iceland Travel, please read the originial post: here
