Ideas for iceland itinerary?? (the country, not the frozen food shop) need ideas to plan trip,car hire? thanks?

Question

Going for a week in late october.
Car hire? Whats driving like in southern iceland? can we pick up car in reykjavik and drop off at airport?? what are must see's??
booked all hotels but need days mapped out and how many days for car hire. Guessing some days we can wander round reykjavik or get bus.
Itinerary so far:
Sunday - arrive - stay in Reykjavik 4 nights in one hotel, 2 in another reyk hotel, then saturday night staying near blue lagoon. then sunday to airport and home.
any ideas welcome - thanks

Additional Details

a rough itinerary so we know how many days to get car hire.

Answer 1

It's a shame most visitors don't stray far from the capital as some of the most memorable sights in Iceland are further afield. There are many excursions offered by tour companies, readily available from any of the main centres such as Reykjavík and Akureyri. They will fly you around and take you out to the glaciers and to the big volcanoes for a reasonable price. However, the cheapest option is to drive around with a rented car since none of these sites have entry fees.

National Parks:

Þingvellir National Park (pronounced "THING-vet-lihr") - National Park and a UNESCO World Heritage site. 30 to 50 km (20 - 30 mi) east of Reykjavík. Interesting for a number of reasons: Not only is it the original site of the longest running parliament in the world (the name literally means 'parliamentary fields'), it's also where the North-American and European continental shelf plates are being torn apart.

Vatnajökull National Park - Iceland's newest national park was founded on June 7th, 2008 and includes the former Skaftafell and Jokulsargljufur National Parks. Vatnajökull National Park is Europe's largest national park at 12,000 km2, covering about 12% of the surface of Iceland. The park is home to Iceland's highest mountain (Hvannadalshnúkur), largest glacier (Vatnajökull), and Europe's most powerful waterfall (Dettifoss).

Snæfellsjökull National Park - Located on the tip of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula in southern Iceland, this park is home to the ice-covered volcanic crater that was the setting for Jules Verne's book Journey to the Center of the Earth.

Other Attractions:

Blue Lagoon - (Icelandic: Bláa Lónið) Famous outdoor pool and health centre. The spa is in Grindavík on the Reykjanes Peninsula, south-western Iceland. It is situated approximately 13 km (8 mi) from the Keflavík International Airport and 39 km (24 mi) from Reykjavík. This geothermal spa in the middle of a lava field with its milky blue water is quite surreal.

Mývatn - A lake region near Akureyri in the North of Iceland, Mývatn has an unearthly appearance owing to special types of volcanic craters throughout the lake. There are plenty of activities in this area:
Smajfall (desert where sulphuric steam comes out of the ground) and Dimmuborgir (aka The Black City aka The Gates of Hell).
Gullfoss - The Golden Falls. On the edge of the inhospitable Interior of Iceland about 60 miles east of Reykjavík, the river Hvítá plunges down a double cascade to create what many people believe is the most beautiful waterfall in Iceland

Geysir - Geothermal hot spot located 10km west of Gullfoss. Geysir itself (from which the English word "geyser" derives) is no longer active, but fortunately Strokkur next door goes off every five to ten minutes.

Kerið - Volcanic crater lake in Southwest Iceland


Jökulsárlón (The Jökulsár Lagoon) - The majestic glacial lagoon in southeast Iceland and is located near Höfn on Route 1.

Breiðamerkurjökull glacier retreated very quickly from 1920 to 1965 leaving this breathtaking lagoon, which is up to 190 m deep. Ice breaks off from the glacier keeping the lagoon stocked with icebergs all year round.

Landmannalaugar - A region of outstanding natural beauty reachable by bus (or 4x4) from Reykjavík. Situated in the Interior, it gives a taste of the uninhabited highlands at Iceland’s core.

Hafnarfjörður - City of elves and an annual Viking festival

Skagafjordur The home of the icelandic horse, Glacial river rafting, Old turfhouse / Folk museum Glaumbær and Historical Nature Park Island Drangey

Vestmannaeyjar (Westman Islands) - Pompei of the North, volcanic island, great birdlife, largest puffin colony of Europe.

A car offers the most flexibility for travel around Iceland. Numerous agencies rent vehicles, and ferries allow individuals to bring their own car with them. Rental prices are high - expect to pay at least ISK4000 per day for a two wheel drive vehicle, and upwards of ISK12,000 per day for a four-wheel drive vehicle; these prices include basic car insurance, but additional insurance may be purchased to protect against damage from gravel or other common mishaps. Travelers can see the majority of Iceland's sights with a two-wheel drive vehicle, but those interested in venturing into the interior or to places such as Landmannalaugar will need four-wheel drive - and long experience at the wheel - as roads are rough and rivers may need to be crossed. In some locations it's best not to travel alone due to the difficult terrain and weather conditions. Be aware that renting a four wheel drive vehicle may require reservations made several months in advance as these vehicles are in high demand. In addition, renting cars on-location is almost never cheaper than doing so in advance, and car rentals, including at the airport, are not open around the clock.
Driving in Iceland is on the right side of the road. Headlights and seatbelts for all passengers must be on at all times. There is one main highway

Source(s):

http://wikitravel.org/en/Iceland

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Answer 2

Itinerary?? Why not just go and ENJOY yourself - be spontaneous. Having an itinerary is no way to have a holiday. You might as well stay at home with your daily planner....

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