I would have to say that Iceland was a unique experience but, it’s a certain type of traveler who would enjoy it. It’s certainly a beautiful place but, in my opinion, it’s not for everyone.
If you’re looking to visit Reykjavic on a quick layover, I don’t know if I’d do that. It’s a lovely little city but, you can see it in half a day. If that’s worth the time to you, you should go for it. If spending a day to see a city in 4 hours is worth it in your time budget, it’s easy to do.
If you want to explore the rest of the island, that’s worth it to me. The island is beautiful and if I had time or if I were to ever come back, I’d rent a camper and drive the entire island. Just the little bit that we saw on the south coast to Vik tells me I’d love it.
A couple things that you should consider. First, there is no real summer unless you think low 50’s (10-12 C) with sporadic rain, fog and wind is summer. I’m her in late June and while it may warm up a couple degrees next month, this is about as good as it gets on average.
Second, you need to like to be outdoors. All the better activities are outside. Glacier hikes, trips to volcanoes, trips to hot springs, snow sled tours, everything is outside. If doing these things, in the weather that I described earlier is not your thing, go somewhere else!
Finally, if you’re on a tight budget, Iceland is not your place. Lunch will run you $40-50. A beer is $12, wine is $15-18. Nothing is cheap here. Lots of other places to visit first that are easier on the pocketbook.
With all that said, I enjoyed my visit. The people are very friendly, the speak very good English and, they’re used to tourists. One warning, if you rent a car, make sure you have plenty of time to find a gas station that can handle our credit cards with no PIN. I knew the N1 Stations could do it but, the only one in Keflavik was blocked off while they resurfaced the street. I went to another station that was selling only diesel. Another could not take my CC. Finally, I went to a Bonus station that sold prepaid cards but, because they were near the airport, you could leave ID and fill up then come back and pay. All told, it took me an hour. One last note, as I drove back to the hotel, they were picking up the traffic cones and had I left later, I could have gotten to the N1…oh well, that’s life.
If I haven’t scared you off, pack warm clothes and rain gear and come on up to 66 degree north and have a good time.