Me and my gf decided to visit Reykjavík for 4 days in mid-January.

bring a torch? I guess it's pretty dark there now.

>>1064281
Is iceland eternally dark at this time of year?

>>1064281
Yeah it's 5-6 hours of daylight in January. But hopefully this will give a chance to see the northern lights.

>>1064285
There is no polar night in Iceland

>>1064205
I'm going to iceland in jan and I have no fucking idea about anything in this country. Currently reading the wikitravel page but I can't fucking read/pronounce any of these place names and I have no idea how much money to take

>>1064290
The prices are comparable to UK as far as I'm concerned, look for websites comparing the living costs in different countries. We're on a tight budget.

Getting a car is the best (and only?) way of travelling around the country, but driving a borrowed left-hand car in snow in the middle of nowhere with not much experience is not something we are keen on doing. Summer is naturally the best time to explore but then the prices are skyrocketing. It's surprisingly cheap to rent a car at this time of year though, we might get one just to drive around the south-west if the weather is not too bad.

We might go on some kind of guided tour as well, there are plenty of them starting from ~£100 for a whole day if you look around

>>1064205
Locals know the roads well in and out of the city, though they're nicely paved, I wouldn't do it without a guide or a local driving if the weather was crap, there are miles of uninhabited roads, and when the winter is in fact on, you'll notice those random homes are empty vacations homes for Reykjavik dwellers that only live there in the summer. Guides have SAT phones, file trip plans and check in often, and their vehicles have snorkels and a trunk filled with safety gear to get out of a ice slick, or survive until a helicopter rescue. This is exactly what you're paying for when you take a tour with someone. It's not like bears will kill you, it's that the weather and you not being prepared for it will, and who travels with all that crap? It's expensive gear. Another reason to get a guide is to do what are the cool things about Iceland itself, winter stuff like ice walks/climbs, lava tubes, and getting to extreme places.
The circle tour is a lot of driving between the 3 sights, and "circles" back to Reykjavik same day. Certainly pay for that one if you do only one tour. Geysirs, waterfall and historic place where continental plates diverge. (This was closed for close viewing for a big unsafe gap in the ground when I went). You get right up to the geysirs (getting sprayed if you wish). Wear good gripping/non-slip shoes for most of iceland, your call if you want acting hiking shoes, or for high snow. In the city, no issues but there are short 100 meter paths to most of the car parks to water features.

There's some hot dog stand in that city that supposedly has the best hot dogs in the world. The secret sauce is God-tier, I've heard.

>>1064778
I thought you were shitting me at first but this is actually interesting

>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%A6jarins_Beztu_Pylsur

Is it worth booking a 'northern light sightseeing tour'?

>>1064778
The "secret sauce" is fucking remoulade, if you've been to New Orleans it's everywhere. The reason why it's so good (and it really is so incredibly good) is because they prepare everything on their own from the sausages to the mustard to the remoulade to the cronions. It's significantly cheaper compared to every other food option too.

Also OP, I'm not a local but I really enjoyed the national museum (dope ass swords and Viking things) and the nightlife when I went in June. They might go hard in the weekends because there is nothing else to do, but they go hard in general. Clubs are great and the pubs are better. If you have 4 days you might try and leave for the Western sights I guess, as I assume all the waterfalls etc. in the south would be frozen by now. It's weird timing, but the Snaefellsness peninsula (I might have botched the spelling) has a shit ton of cool mountains and small towns and it's like two hours away tops.

>>1064792
>Is it worth booking a 'northern light sightseeing tour'?
Someone else is driving and you'll get to talk to them about their country, and other good stuff. Reykjavik is pretty well lit all night, so, you can see northern lights in the city, and with a good horizon to horizon show, but they're a touch muted. So, yes, I'd say it'd be worth it as a great experience.

My only caveat to you is that you _can_ predict their strength and the weather both 3 days in advance, so check online before the RSVP? or book somewhere that is flexible/refund, should you encounter the worlds worst cloud cover that night.

File: icelandic hot dog.jpg (148KB, 725x483px) Image search: [Google]

148KB, 725x483px

>>1065075
>The "secret sauce" is fucking remoulade, if you've been to New Orleans it's everywhere. The reason why it's so good (and it really is so incredibly good) is because they prepare everything on their own from the sausages to the mustard to the remoulade to the cronions. It's significantly cheaper compared to every other food option too.

They aren't farming for hot dog meat in iceland, where the farming industry is horse and lamb only. These skin-on snappy dogs are the standard delicious franks found in the rest of europe and imported. What makes it so good is the generous length, fresh soft buns, and the combination of ingredients. French fried onions like folks use on top of green bean casserole might even be asian fried shallots which is a cheap import, mayo which is common in south america on dog, could be homemade as you dine at some fancy joint but raw ingredient prices are so high there that it is unlikely, kokkteilsosa is their name for cocktail sauce and it further combines with the mayo but it doesnt make it remoulade which has a ton of add-ins to make it piquant from horseradish to capers, so nooo, ROFL,
Their cocktail sauce recipe is posted online at multiple sources and it varies by establishment, but usually contains sour cream, not just mayo with the ketchup when fresh, and when bought jarred, it has a light almost vinegarless-sweet component very dissimilar from ketchup, almost a sweet mustard tang that is closer to Heinz chili sauce. And, then, last but not least, brown mustard. Both that specific mustard and cocktail sauce is purchased the same brands in their groceries. The N1 gas station/convenience stores use it, and it tastes the same as the airport restaurant and the famous stand in reykjavik. It's the brand of cocktail sauce that makes it truly unique.

(If you ever have a colombian hot dog, you'd see a lot of similarities. It's simply a thing to do in Reykjavik and also the cheapest).

>>1065075
The penisula is interesting indeed but it does not look like an easy place to get to at this time of year

>http://www.road.is/travel-info/road-conditions-and-weather/west-iceland/west1.html

>>1065093
I've done the peninsula in September, and those top of the glacier ideas to cut across? Geez, only a fool would do them in summer, so ignore those red lines. I see wet/snow and slippery.

Call Hotel Budir when you get there, OP, and see what they suggest. They're really the only great place to stay on Snaefellsnes, and utterly fantastic for northern lights, with skylights over the top floor rooms over the beds, a gorgeous 3rd floor deck and catwalk with deck chairs. If they are impassable, up from Bogarnes, which is a bit up from Reykjavik, you'll get info. The Settlement museum in Bogarnes is interesting too.

>>1064778
>>1064789
Hot dogs are total pleb-tier food, no matter how you slicwe it. It's highly-processed scrap meat. End of story.

And it's only "secret" if you're a redneck. Remoulade is pretty typical in Europe at least, where they even put it on fucking hamburgers, the fiends. It's just mayonnaise with a bit of mustard and pickles (relish) mixed in. Well that's not the recipe, which may vary from brand to brand but that's basically what it is. Forget about capers and horseradish.

>>1065235
No matter what you say about the rest of Europe or your understanding of the recipe for remoulade, the icelandic hot dog still doesn't use remoulade, and you'd know that if you ever had one. Since you haven't, stop talking about other European countries and what they do. /common sense

>>1064205
>>1064290
Going there mid/late Jan as well!

I'm sticking to the west (Reykjavik) and moving as far as Vik in the South. So far, I've been recommended the hot dogs and the nightlife.

I'm also doing a couple of hikes and a Northern Lights "hunt". No idea what to expect, but free credit to come back if we don't find them.

>>1065310
We should have a decent chance of seeing the aurora at this time of year, weather permitting. You could follow the geomagnetic activity on the web, basically Kp of 3 or above should guarantee some sighting in Iceland (weather permitting).

>http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/planetary-k-index

File: iceland_kirkjufell_05.jpg (269KB, 800x534px) Image search: [Google]

269KB, 800x534px

>>1065778
I had an agreement with the front desk of the [lace I was stayin, if the Aurora showed up, they were to ring my room and wake my ass up.

Showed up the last night I was there; trip was made primarily because I'd never seen one before and Iceland seemed an interesting place to poke around while hoping for a light show..

(Pic not mine, mine are crap.)

File: AurBorAkranes.jpg (772KB, 2728x1824px) Image search: [Google]

772KB, 2728x1824px

>>1064290

Everything is really expensive from a german point of view. Like really expensive.
If you're also a real budget kinda guy like me: Dumpster diving works really good in Reykjavik, never even found that much in Germany, check the Bonus Supermarkets (for both shopping and dumpster diving) they are the cheapest ones.
You can get really far with hitchhiking in Iceland, I recommend that, you get to meet more native Icelanders.
>>1065310

If you'd happen to come by Hvollsvöllur on your way to Vik greet Jonni from the German, they'll know him. He knows a lot about the best things to do in the area around Eyjafjällajökull (I know I wrote it wrong probably)
ALWAYS stick to hiking routes, everything else can be very dangerous especially in winter, in emergency call 112.
Have fun!

>>1064205
OP, I think 4 days is tight, because whatever you do, you have to backtrack to Reykjavik again. I did 5 days with your itinerary, and so, just a heads up. It might be rougher to see as much each day when it isn't summer.

>>1066520
You were very lucky last night, the Kp peaked 5 at around midnight!

>>1066624
Makes sense

>Consumer Prices in Iceland are 47.33% higher than in Germany
>Consumer Prices Including Rent in Iceland are 47.30% higher than in Germany
>Rent Prices in Iceland are 47.24% higher than in Germany
>Restaurant Prices in Iceland are 66.12% higher than in Germany
>Groceries Prices in Iceland are 71.12% higher than in Germany
>Local Purchasing Power in Iceland is 36.57% lower than in Germany

>Consumer Prices in Iceland are 19.19% higher than in United Kingdom
>Consumer Prices Including Rent in Iceland are 12.83% higher than in United Kingdom
>Rent Prices in Iceland are 2.50% lower than in United Kingdom
>Restaurant Prices in Iceland are 15.83% higher than in United Kingdom
>Groceries Prices in Iceland are 32.85% higher than in United Kingdom
>Local Purchasing Power in Iceland is 21.73% lower than in United Kingdom

Visiting an island is never going to be cheap

I imagine the food is awful and the small immigrant population means it'd be difficult to escape it like you can in the UK, Germany, USA or Scandinavia

>>1067175
The capital is full of touristy eating places so I suspect you're wrong.

>>1067175
Can't be further from the truth. Iceland is a wonderful place and Reykjavík is well worth the visit.

>>1064205

Hotel Viking or Arctic Comfort Hotel are worth staying at if you are just staying in Reykjavík. Rent a car for sure so you can visit the local area. Thingvellir is a nice area to visit if you like hiking, Seljalandsfoss Waterfall is a nice place to drive to and see one of the better waterfalls in the area. Both are very easy drives from Reykjavík. Miðlína (Lucky's Bridge) is worth the visit as well.

>>1067735
Yeah renting a car would be great but (as relatively fresh drivers) we don't feel comfortable driving in such harsh and unpredictable conditions. But we'll make the final decision once we get there and see what the roads look like. We have booked a couple of bus tours for now.

>>1064296
>The prices are comparable to UK

lol no. My friend went and said it was way more than London for ever basic shit.