Advice: Iceland or Alaska?

[Bobo912]

March? Wow. Was it cold then? That's great that they worked so hard to get you to the Northern Lights! It's so on the top of my bucket list! I'll check out that walking tour, too.

Ooo! That sounds interesting, too! I'll check it out. Thanks!

Sayhello

It really wasn't very cold, but the weather was very strange and unpredictable. In Reykjavik it would be in the 50's and sunny and then all of sudden a cloud would come up and it might rain or it might turn into gale force winds pelting you with ice. That happened on our first day and I thought we were going to be blown away or freeze before we got back to the hotel - the wind was brutal and it felt like the ice might just go right through you. We met a couple in the lobby later that day who said they had rented a small car and were driving outside of the city when the ice storm came and they said they thought they were going to die. Funny thing was it never lasted longer than 20 or 30 minutes and then the sun was shining again. So after that first time, we just learned that when we saw the cloud approaching, we should go do something inside for awhile and wait for the bad weather to pass (which was usually just heavy rain). When we did the Golden Circle, there were varying levels of snow at the various stops, but still not very cold. The most snow was at Gulfoss Waterfall and it was actually snowing big, fluffy flakes there. It was beautiful. I don't tolerate cold well at all and I was comfortable just wearing my regular jacket that I wear during the not very cold Nashville winters and sometimes a knit cap.

 

[sayhello]

It really wasn't very cold, but the weather was very strange and unpredictable. In Reykjavik it would be in the 50's and sunny and then all of sudden a cloud would come up and it might rain or it might turn into gale force winds pelting you with ice. That happened on our first day and I thought we were going to be blown away or freeze before we got back to the hotel - the wind was brutal and it felt like the ice might just go right through you. We met a couple in the lobby later that day who said they had rented a small car and were driving outside of the city when the ice storm came and they said they thought they were going to die. Funny thing was it never lasted longer than 20 or 30 minutes and then the sun was shining again. So after that first time, we just learned that when we saw the cloud approaching, we should go do something inside for awhile and wait for the bad weather to pass (which was usually just heavy rain). When we did the Golden Circle, there were varying levels of snow at the various stops, but still not very cold. The most snow was at Gulfoss Waterfall and it was actually snowing big, fluffy flakes there. It was beautiful. I don't tolerate cold well at all and I was comfortable just wearing my regular jacket that I wear during the not very cold Nashville winters and sometimes a knit cap.

Good to know! If I don't see the Northern Lights this time, I may schedule a short trip during more prime-northern-lights time!

Sayhello

 

[aggiedog]

Yes, it's not the cold, per se, that is the issue with Iceland, but the wind, and rain, and snow. Particularly on the south coast where the gulf stream meets the land. It is not uncommon for cars to be blown off the road, and because it frequently hovers around freezing, and there is frequent precipitation, the roads get iced very quickly with the melt/freeze cycle.

I was there in March as well and alternated between every layer I had and walking around in shirt sleeves. Unbelievably, since I hate being wet and cold, I even sat comfortably out above the water in my suit at the Blue Lagoon.

You can see NL any time there is full dark, there is good solar activity, and there are no clouds. So it's hit or miss, unfortunately. If you take a NL tour, book it early in the trip. They will usually bring you out again if they can't find any. Some hotels will also wake you upon request if there happens to be good activity over head.

 

[sayhello]

Yes, it's not the cold, per se, that is the issue with Iceland, but the wind, and rain, and snow. Particularly on the south coast where the gulf stream meets the land. It is not uncommon for cars to be blown off the road, and because it frequently hovers around freezing, and there is frequent precipitation, the roads get iced very quickly with the melt/freeze cycle.

I was there in March as well and alternated between every layer I had and walking around in shirt sleeves. Unbelievably, since I hate being wet and cold, I even sat comfortably out above the water in my suit at the Blue Lagoon.

You can see NL any time there is full dark, there is good solar activity, and there are no clouds. So it's hit or miss, unfortunately. If you take a NL tour, book it early in the trip. They will usually bring you out again if they can't find any. Some hotels will also wake you upon request if there happens to be good activity over head.

Thanks! That's all great information. Especially about the hotels waking you up!

Sayhello

 

[tgeorge]

That is good to know!

 

[canadakath]

Great thread - we actually have a Rhine River Cruise booked for next year but based on everyone's rave reviews I've been looking at Alaska instead. We just spent 2 weeks in Washington and Oregon and our family loved our mixture of city and outdoor activities, especially the whitewater rafting! Although I think we would love both, Alaska maybe fits our family better right now.

 

[acndis]

We had booked the Danube Cruise (and eventually switched to Peru) but the active nature of the Alaska Adventure really appealed to us. The Danube sounded great but like a lot of touring. With the Alaska Adventure, you are in nature all the time! It's amazing and a place I think everyone should see.

 

[DCPhotoGal]

Well I made the switch--we will save Iceland for another vacation and Alaska is going to be next summer's ABD. Thanks for all of the advice! Now I just need to figure out pre/post trip plans.

 

[acndis]

Great choice! Seattle is great for pre-days and think about the stay on Fox Island for the post and then tell me how it was! I would LOVE to do it.

 

[WDL]

Great thread