Why visit Iceland? So glad you asked. Epic scenery, quirky shops, adorable horses… you should probably just check out this post.
Let’s talk logistics. Mainly – $$ and time. Iceland is a great place to save up for because you can have a fantastic adventure in a breathtaking country – even if you don’t have a lot of vacation time and you’re on a budget. The first time I went to Iceland it was on a long weekend (I didn’t have much vacation!) and it was an unforgettable experience.
Long Weekend, Travel in the Off-Season
When I happened across some cheap flights to Reykjavik, Iceland, I found that it was actually pretty viable to take a day and a half off work and spend a long weekend in Iceland. Especially flying from the East Coast – NYC, Boston, or Washington, D.C., you can get a great deal if you are flexible about your dates, harness the power of the internet, and travel in the off season.
Going in the off season – when it’s colder and with less daylight – sounds intimidating at first. But though we went in late October for our first trip, when the sun set around 5:00pm, we found PLENTY to do. Plus, trips from October to February also have a higher chance of getting to see the elusive Northern Lights! Car rentals, hotels, and even excursions are cheaper at this time, and you won’t miss the crowd.
How to find the best deals on your Iceland vacation
- Icelandair already has great prices on tickets and often runs promotions – but sometimes the real deals are in the packages. The second time I went to Iceland my husband and I took advantage of an Icelandair promotion that included airfare+3 nights at a hotel+a spa/northern lights tour for $670 each. That’s as much as you might spend on just the FLIGHT to Iceland
- Some great tools for checking these flights include: Fly.com and Airfarewatchdog.com. Fly.com has a great fare calendar feature, that is very helpful for exploring flexible dates. Airfarewatchdog.com is great for email and Twitter alerts. You can sign up for fare alerts on their website, but be sure to follow @airfarewatchdog as well – I snagged $400 tickets to Budapest) because of their tweets! Travelzoo.com is also fantastic for *ahem* enthusiastic researchers – I frequently get updates on flash sales for Iceland.
- Finally, no matter where you’re going, you need to sign up for the Scott’s Cheap Flights mailing list. I get at least one email a day with an incredible deal on flights all around the world.
Up Next: That time we climbed a mountain 2 hours before our flight.
