Prepping for Iceland

Hubs and I leave for Iceland in a matter of days! I can hardly believe we are really going. It's something I added to my bucket list but honestly I never thought I'd get there. I love my husband for helping make this happen.

This trip is one I have prepped for more than any others. We are not going through a tour group as we did in Peru; nor are we going through a travel program as we did in Dominican Republic or as I did in Ecuador. All of the planning has been on us. So how did we tackle it? I narrowed it down months of planning to 6 seemingly simple steps.

1. Researched.

Do your research. Read. Read books, blogs, skim through pictures, whatever helps you learn the most. I read Insight Guides' Iceland. I read about Iceland for about a year or two before we even booked the flight. I mean, who wouldn't want to learn about Vikings and all that geothermal activity? I'm a nerd, I know. I even went on Twitter and asked questions. I was surprised I got so many answers! Even better was that those answers were from Icelanders so I figure they know what they are talking about. I also spent a lot of time on Pinterest reader what other bloggers, authors, and photographers had to say/show. Also, I've been on Google Translate trying to learn the correct pronunciation of different cities.

2. Booked the flights.

Flights are really low right now as a way to draw in tourism for Iceland. Their tourism has definitely been booming recently. As with anything, there are pros and cons to this for Iceland.

3. Rented a car.

We wanted to see as much of this gorgeous country as we could and be free to be spontaneous. We got a compact car. Hubs handled this aspect since he'll be my personal chauffeur.

4. Booked places to stay.

We used Airbnb in an effort to save money and experience a more authentic Iceland. We have even been invited to share meals with the host families. This planning step went hand-in-hand with the next step. We needed an idea of where we'd be in order to know where to stay.

5. Plan the itinerary.

This is where my "teachery" personality thrives. It was like extreme lesson planning for my husband and me. However, I am not as detailed orientated as you may think. I tend to jot down big ideas and then allow the pieces fall into place as they may. Hubs laughed when I came home with a printed out map plan of our trip. Did you know you can make and save maps in Google Maps? That has been a life saver! I can view the trip as a whole and as individual days with all the stops marked along the way.

Here is the map outline of our 8 days in Iceland on Google Maps. We tried to visit as many different regions as we could. This is still up for editing and finalizing, but you can have a sneak peak of our trip overview!

6. Packed.

I have read, and read, and read what to pack for the weather in Iceland. Where I am it's already in the 90s. However, while we are there the weather is expected to range from the 50s to 40s and it could rain at any moment. Fortunately, there is a lot of advice out there from travelers and Icelanders alike. Mostly I read to bring: knit hat, rain coat, hiking boots/rain boots, rain pants, gloves, wool socks, sunglasses, and swimsuit. Here is what I plan on including in my suitcase. Now bear in mind, we will be spending three days in Boston so I had to add in some clothing for slightly warmer weather.

I'll be sure to write after the trip about what I would change for next time and what I would do again. As with everything, especially lesson plans, hindsight is 20/20. 

If you have any important tips you want to share, please feel free to let me know! Leave a comment below, e-mail me, or direct message me on Twitter or Instagram.