There are many countries and destinations I have on my bucket list, and Iceland is one of them. The land of Fire and Ice has always appealed to me because of its legendary beauty and unspoiled nature. Perhaps a road trip around Iceland could be on the cards very soon?
“Eyjafjallajökull” by Andreas Tille – Own work: http://fam-tille.de/sparetime.htmlImage with Information in EnglishBild mit Informationen auf Deutsch. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 viaCommons.
Road Trip Around Iceland
As regular readers of my blog will know, I am all for independent travel. When looking at Iceland, I see two potential ways for me to explore the country.
One is to go bicycle touring, and the other is to rent a car in Iceland.
As I want to see the Northern Lights, I would need to go during the winter period. This means that hiring a car would be the most sensible option.
For accommodation, I would probably use Booking.com.
as it's easy to use. Much of the accommodation I used during my recent 2 week road trip around Crete was booked online through there.
Reasons Why I Want To Visit Iceland
To see the Northern Lights – To be honest, this is the main reason I would like to visit Iceland. Also known as the aurora borealis, I have always been intrigued by this almost magical phenomenon. The closest I have got to them so far, is this YouTube video below! Hopefully that will change in the near future.
The Glaciers – I have seen countless documentaries about the monumental glaciers in Iceland, but it is not the same as seeing them myself! A road trip around Iceland would be a great opportunity to see them up close and personal.
Volcanoes – This is the ‘Fire' part of Iceland! Volcanic activity has played a central role in forming the natural landscape. Dozens of extinct, dormant, and active volcanoes remain. Lava flows have also created impressive ‘tube' caves. I would definitely plan my road trip to include a volcano or two in Iceland!
Geysers – The volcanic activity has also resulted in a number of geysers, thermal hotpools, and underground springs. A large number of geysers can be found in Haukadalur which is in the south of Iceland. One of the most popular is Strokkur which is beside the Hvítá River.
“Erupting geysir” by Dieter Schweizer (Obersulm, Germany) – taken by author. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons.
Game of Thrones – Iceland was used as a filming location for some scenes in the Game of Thrones TV series. Rumour has it, that filming will begin in 2017 for season 7 of Game of Thrones
. As a fan, it would be great to visit some of the areas used as locations. I have visited a few other filming locations for Game of Thrones in the past, including Dubrovnik.
Routes For Driving Around Iceland
Picking a logical route for a road trip around Iceland would be key in making the most of my time there. There is a ring road around the country, which would be a good starting point.
It would then be a matter of matching up which attractions I wanted to see, and fitting them in. From the online research I have done so far, it would seem that a 2 week road trip would be needed. This guide to driving in Iceland was particularly useful.
Have you visited Iceland, and if so, do you have any suggestions for a road trip there? If you do, please leave a comment below, as I would love to hear from you!
Travel inspiration: Check out these 50 great bucket list quotes!
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