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Jeebs



Member Since: 23 Oct 2015
Location: North West
Posts: 197

United Kingdom 1995 Defender 90 300 Tdi HT Barolo Black
Iceland trip February
Folks,

Thinking of planning a trip for my mrs birthday as a surprise. I’ve decided on Iceland as she’s always wanted to go, but apparently a trip down the high street isn’t good enough!

Looking at February, her birthday is in Jan, but Iceland is a bit dreary then, but is said to improve from Feb onwards.

My plan is to hire a little Jimny 4x4 with studded tyres to get about and stay in a few different places starting in Reykjavik and taking in some of the country and finishing in Reykjavik again after 5 days to fly home.

I last went to Iceland at least 14 years ago, so can’t for the life of me remember when I stayed and what I got up to.

Has anyone done anything similar recently that could offer some help with places to stay and things to do and see?

Cheers in advance,

JJ
Post #796999 6th Oct 2019 8:20pm
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Sulisuli



Member Since: 30 Oct 2016
Location: South west
Posts: 4789

United Kingdom 2015 Defender 90 Puma 2.2 HT Corris Grey
Sounds like a nice birthday treat Thumbs Up 2015 HT XS 90
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2000 XS TD5 90
Post #797001 6th Oct 2019 8:23pm
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Jeebs



Member Since: 23 Oct 2015
Location: North West
Posts: 197

United Kingdom 1995 Defender 90 300 Tdi HT Barolo Black
Hopefully, I dragged her to China earlier in the year and she wasn’t overly keen, said it’s somewhere she’s never wanted to go.

All I heard was, “it smells”, “I don’t like the food, what meat even is that?!”, “ergh it’s too hot but too cold and wet at the same time”, “everyone is so rude!”, “oh look another shrine to consumerism!” ad infinitum! 😂

I did suggest ZA, Botswana, Namibia or Zim this year but she wasn’t onboard with that!

The problem I have with Iceland is there is that much to see and do, and I’m not sure where to start as my last trip was for some geological fieldwork, so the days were spent looking at rocks and rock formations and the evenings in strange little hostels drinking aquavit and eating what I was told was puffin and starlings.
Post #797009 6th Oct 2019 8:43pm
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Sulisuli



Member Since: 30 Oct 2016
Location: South west
Posts: 4789

United Kingdom 2015 Defender 90 Puma 2.2 HT Corris Grey
I’d happily do any of the locations you mention and promise not to complain in anyway Rolling with laughter 2015 HT XS 90
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Post #797012 6th Oct 2019 8:50pm
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DSC-off



Member Since: 16 Oct 2014
Location: North East
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I've never been to Iceland, but winter time wouldn't be my choice of season to visit.
Apart from a better chance of seeing the Northern Lights, there can't be any other advantage.
Have you considered the daylight hours? Early Feb it won't get light until 10am, and it's dark again at 5pm.
"It's cold, dark" might be her opinion!

https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/iceland/re...;year=2019
Post #797026 6th Oct 2019 9:54pm
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Supacat



Member Since: 16 Oct 2012
Location: West Yorkshire
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United Kingdom 2013 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 XS DCPU Keswick Green
Jeebs wrote:
Hopefully, I dragged her to China earlier in the year and she wasn’t overly keen, said it’s somewhere she’s never wanted to go.

All I heard was, “it smells”, “I don’t like the food, what meat even is that?!”, “ergh it’s too hot but too cold and wet at the same time”, “everyone is so rude!”, “oh look another shrine to consumerism!” ad infinitum! 😂

I did suggest ZA, Botswana, Namibia or Zim this year but she wasn’t onboard with that!

The problem I have with Iceland is there is that much to see and do, and I’m not sure where to start as my last trip was for some geological fieldwork, so the days were spent looking at rocks and rock formations and the evenings in strange little hostels drinking aquavit and eating what I was told was puffin and starlings.


How about asking her where she would like to go... from your past experience it sounds like you need to?
Post #797121 7th Oct 2019 4:30pm
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Jeebs



Member Since: 23 Oct 2015
Location: North West
Posts: 197

United Kingdom 1995 Defender 90 300 Tdi HT Barolo Black
😂 I know she wants to go to Iceland thankfully!
Post #797125 7th Oct 2019 4:37pm
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Tim in Scotland



Member Since: 23 May 2007
Location: The Land that time forgot
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I worked out of Reykjavik for 5 years in the 1980’s and February will be dark,wet and depressing - not a great place for a holiday. If you really want to go north in the winter though a cruise on the Norwegian coastal ferries (The Hurtigruten) which have daily sailings year round from Bergen. Fewer people travel on it then too but you are also guaranteed to see the Northern Lights. I did the full round trip (12 days) in November 2016 and despite it being a bit of a “busman’s holiday for me as a seafarer, I enjoyed every minute of the trip. You can do one way Bergen to Kirkenes or interport trips on them too. We went on their largest ship, MV Finnmarken. Can also recommend their shorter cruises out to Svarlbard/ Spitsbergen. We are booked to do their Halifax to Anchorage, Northwest Passage cruise around the top of Canada next Autumn but that is 28 days. Pangea Green D250 90 HSE with Air Suspension, Off-road Pack, Towing Pack, Black Contrast roof , rear recovery eyes, Front bash plate, Classic flaps all round, extended wheel arch kit and a few bits from PowerfulUK Expel Clear Gloss PPF to come
2020 D240 1st Edition in Pangea Green with Acorn interior. Now gone - old faithful, no mechanical issues whatsoever ever but the leaks and rattles all over the place won’t be missed!
Post #797129 7th Oct 2019 4:51pm
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MC84



Member Since: 23 May 2016
Location: Near Bristol
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United Kingdom 2001 Defender 90 Td5 HT Chawton White

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Post #797135 7th Oct 2019 5:31pm
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keef9t



Member Since: 13 Mar 2016
Location: manchester
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United Kingdom 2007 Defender 90 Puma 2.4 HT Stornoway Grey
I've looked at Hurtigruten as my wife has always wanted to see the Northern lights. I understand they are working ships (ferries). Not sure if I could take more than a few days on one. Plus my wife doesn't like fish ("local food served"). I take it you need to take Winter clothing and wellies if going in February.
Post #797144 7th Oct 2019 6:11pm
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Jeebs



Member Since: 23 Oct 2015
Location: North West
Posts: 197

United Kingdom 1995 Defender 90 300 Tdi HT Barolo Black
Last time I went (14 yrs ago) it was April time, managed with a pair of US m65 canvas trousers, t shirt, fleece and a water/wind proof jacket. It wasn’t warm by any stretch of the imagination, but it wasn’t unbearable.

If I were to put her on a boat she would never speak to me again. When we moved over to Ireland, it was a glorious sunny day and glass calm. She proclaimed “Wow, ships are my favourite way to travel” 10mins into the journey. 15mins in she was decidedly green and feeing very ill 😂
Post #797170 7th Oct 2019 8:39pm
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Tim in Scotland



Member Since: 23 May 2007
Location: The Land that time forgot
Posts: 3750

 
Menus are “international” with local produce ingredients, not just fish based.
The ferries are what are termed Ro-Pax ships. Finnmarken carries up to 1000 passengers as well as cars and freight - its even the floating school bus on a Friday night and Sunday night raking kids home for the weekend and back to boarding school on the Sunday sailing. Finnmarken has all the facilities of a cruise ship including an outdoor heated pool...... she is the only one in the fleet with a pool. Going swimming when it is snowing hard is quite an experience! We also covered 36 ports in 12 days, some in the middle of the night others maybe long enough to take on 1 or 2 passengers.
in November when we went we saw Aurora every night even when tied up in port. The longest open sea passage we had in 12 days was 4 hours, rest of the time you are sailing behind the coastal islands and skerries so never rough. I’m the Master / Captain of a huge containership and really loved the cruise even though FinnMarken was tiny compared to my command, crew are all Norwegian and although it was not a cheap trip it was worth every penny. Pangea Green D250 90 HSE with Air Suspension, Off-road Pack, Towing Pack, Black Contrast roof , rear recovery eyes, Front bash plate, Classic flaps all round, extended wheel arch kit and a few bits from PowerfulUK Expel Clear Gloss PPF to come
2020 D240 1st Edition in Pangea Green with Acorn interior. Now gone - old faithful, no mechanical issues whatsoever ever but the leaks and rattles all over the place won’t be missed!
Post #797196 7th Oct 2019 10:42pm
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100inch



Member Since: 15 May 2012
Location: Brunswick
Posts: 407

Australia 2010 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 CSW Santorini Black
My wife organised a trip to Iceland a few years ago (in February too). 10 plus days and definitely one of the best trips we did. We jumped on an organised 5 day tour with a fantastic guide and hired an Evoque after for a few days as we had covered the hard core 4x4 part at that stage. m

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Post #797207 8th Oct 2019 2:55am
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