Iceland – Planning and Packing

When I first chose Iceland as the destination for my 40th birthday, I was ready for an adventure. The truth of the matter is, planning an “adventure” can be hard! Especially when that adventure involves my husband and I traveling with our two children, ages 7 and 9; my 65-year-old parents; my pregnant sister, her husband, and their two toddlers, ages 2 and 3; and my active, childless brother and his girlfriend, both in their mid-30s. Each one of us was sure to want different experiences, and seamlessly integrating those desires in a country I knew nothing about would be out of my travel planning range.

Zicasso

Enter Zicasso, my favorite travel planning site. And no, I’m not being paid to endorse them! Just read their reviews to figure out how great they are. You pick your country, enter as much or as little information as you like about your wants and needs, and then they connect you with two to three travel specialists. Those travel specialists then send you sample itineraries and ideas for your trips, and if you like them, you can set up a call.

I have used Zicasso in two ways. For Portugal, I just took the sample itineraries that the travel agents sent me, and did my own research to plan a fabulous getaway for me and my husband. However, for Iceland, I knew there would be a lot more involved with a multigenerational group of twelve. Plus, there were more unknowns in Iceland than in Portugal – weather, driving, etc. So, this time around, I actually hired one of the travel specialists.

Meili by Traveo

The specialist I ended up going with was Jonathan Guisset at the agency Meili by Traveo. Jonathan had multiple qualities I was looking for. He was knowledgeable, calm, responsive, and he lives in Iceland. (One of the other travel agencies recommended was U.S.-based, which I saw as a disadvantage.) Jonathan made it sound like it was no trouble at all to find accommodations that would suit all our different family units. He had great reviews and was happily willing to answer all my questions. I immediately got a good feeling from him, which is the most important determinant of all. Luckily, my feeling turned out to be correct. Through months of a few calls and numerous emails*, I always knew I was in good hands.

*Disclaimer – I like to involve myself heavily in the process of planning a trip. If you are not one to do that, Jonathan would still do an excellent job of planning everything for you!

Planning Tips

I made sure I would have cell phone service while I was in Iceland with the AT&T International Day Pass. Luckily, most of Iceland has very good cell phone service (except, of course, if you’re inside a glacier!) I also printed all our vouchers for our excursions in case I wouldn’t have access to my cell, and prepared all our passports.

Another planning tip – MAKE SURE YOU CHECK YOUR PASSPORTS! The expiration date has to be at least three months before the final day of your trip, although you really should be safe and make sure it doesn’t expire for six months after the final day. And, if there are any recent name changes (i.e. your passport has your maiden name but your ticket has your married name), make sure you bring the proper documentation to prove it’s you. My family learned both of these lessons the hard way. But, in the end, we all made it to Iceland together!

Packing

There’s no getting around it – packing for Iceland was truly a beast. Here are the essentials Jonathan told me to pack:

• A shell jacket. Gore-Tex if possible (waterproof)
• A thick layer like a fleece or a woolen sweater
• Gloves
• Waterproof pants are not absolutely necessary but always nice to have – I would say they are necessary!
• Scarf
• Hat
• Sunglasses
• Sunscreen – This can be needed even in the winter.
• Good hiking shoes, preferably waterproof and going above the ankles
• No need to bring cash, you can use your cards everywhere (even for the small amounts) – If you want to tip at all, Icelandic Krona is good to have. However, tipping is not expected at all (even less so than in Portugal) and you most likely will not tip anywhere you go. The only person we tipped was our tour guide at the end of the trip.
• Icelanders like to dress up when going out. It’s not mandatory, but it is certainly something that is done here – I definitely brought a few nice outfits. Reykjavik has a great restaurant and bar scene!
• Bring your camera if you have one. Phone is good, but camera is better 🙂 – I did not bring a camera as I found it to be just one more thing to carry, but this is a personal decision.
• Swimsuit! – You would be amazed at how many opportunities you have to swim in Iceland. Every town has a swimming pool that is geothermally heated, so you can swim all year round. And of course, there is the Blue Lagoon, plus multiple other spas, to visit.
• Thermal underwear
• Warm socks
• Microfiber towel – I love that Jonathan suggested this. In the long run, it saves money and the environment!
• Eye Mask – This was not necessary at the time of year we were there (April) but would be important in the summer when there can be almost 24 hours of daylight.

In addition, we made sure to pack:

• Travel plug adapters (very important)
• External chargers to make sure our phones were always charged and ready for pictures
• Hand sanitizer
• Headphones
• Ear plugs
• Travel-size toiletries – We found that the toiletries were good but not quite as extensive as in the U.S. Many places only had shampoo and body wash, no conditioner or lotion.
• Balaclavas or gaiters
• Snacks – We brought a lot of snacks, mainly because we knew we would be driving a lot. I had a whole suitcase full of snacks I brought from the U.S. Visitors are allowed to bring roughly 6 lbs. of snacks per person, which I highly recommend doing. First, the food in Iceland is EXPENSIVE. Everything has to be imported, so prices are much higher than in the U.S. or mainland Europe. Second, I wasn’t sure whether my kids would be into the snacks in Iceland. Luckily, they were, but you never know. Finally, snacks are the best way to keep a 9, 7, 3, and 2-year-old happy and quiet!
• Packing cubes – These saved my sanity! There are many out there to choose from, including some more expensive ones that will really condense everything, but I went cheaper with three sets of these. Rather than packing one with sweaters, one with pants, etc. I organized them by where we were going to be, since we were going to be staying in four hotels. I used the biggest one for all my Reykjavik clothes (since we would be there for three nights) and the two smaller ones for our next two stays (each of which was only two nights.) Then I used the smallest one for undergarments. I couldn’t fit everything into the cubes, but it was amazing how much I could fit. They really helped keep me and the kids organized for the whole trip.

At long last, we were ready to go. Next, read my thoughts on Icelandair, our trip to the Blue Lagoon, and Reykjavik.