My wife and I, have been to Iceland for 10 days from May 5 to May 15 2010. Lonely Planet guide was as always very valuable since we travel alone and drive ourselves around.
However I have to mention that an update of the latest edition is certainly needed because the prices although not a high season yet, have doubled or even tripled from what is written in LP. Also suggested itineraries should be added.
Also readers, keep away from Metropolitan Hotel in the capital because it is like a short time hotel (that I can imagine) in Pat Pong-BAngkok (dirty, filthy bed sheets with stains and hair, a receptionist who was the waiter at the same time during the breakfast and piles of used dishes everywhere, very small rooms and very old with broken lights etc etc) and all these for a great deal of 90euro for 2 nights........!
At the same time Vik hotel in Reykjavik was great value for money!
Finally if you travel now to iceland do not take into account the weather forecasts (at least BBC that I was following). They do not mention the wind shield!!!! So when they say it is 7 celcious, it feels like -10 celcious or even lower as you approach ice caps!
The prices that have "doubled-tripled" - are that in ISK (that have fallen to 40% of former value?) or have the prices tripled in €/USD/£ ?
In case you are talking ISK you were fine with those prices I guess. Remember the guide has a table of the rates that were due at time of print in the Money section.
I really think that all forecasts primaruly notes the REAL temperatures, and not (primarily) the temperatures corrected for the wind chill factor.
the prices have doubled in actual euro rates! so if a room in a guesthouse that i ve stayed said it cost 4,000ISK we paid for the same type of room same guesthouse 10,600ISK in "low" season...
The forecasts talk about REAL temperatures and I am aware of it, but I would never expect such a vast difference.
that's the 43th country that i visit the last 30 years I am travelling so I know exactly what I am talking about.
Anyways everything was great, safe and beatiful.
Hint: If you book a car with SADcars (the cheapest) CHECK THE TIRES! ours were "bald" making our 2,400km road trip a real challenge!!!!
4000 ISK before the collapse of economy seems to me to be exactly the same price for a foreigner as ISK 10 000 after the collapse!
Chill factor of 5-10-15°C is normal everywhere where the is temperatures below skin temp + wind: mountains, winter in NEurope. Seen often af ski resort in the Alps.
It most parts of western Europe it is normal to report actual air temperatures. That's because it is windy most of the time anyway, so we are used to experiencing temperatures in windy conditions. "Temperature corrected for wind-chill", as commonly reported in the USA, is not a real temperature. It is intended as an impressionistic "comfort measure", and only makes much sense to people who are used to experiencing temperatures in calm conditions.
Prices change in most countries. I think people should use price information to compare prices between things e.g. Hotel A is cheaper than Hotel B, rather than actually assume that 3 year old price has not changed.
That is why ihg i think a new edition is needed.
if an economy is going into a crisis situation a currency may be depreciated and not the prices sky rocketing in terms of Forex. Dec. 31 2007 1 euro= appr. 90 ISK, May 2010 1 euro= appr. 116 ISK. so if you do the math you are going to see that increase of prices was not proportional i am talking in some cases to 200% increase.
but anyways don t miss the point that Iceland is great place to visit!
that s it for Iceland
Now we are heading to Sri Lanka
The current rate of exchange is around 1 € = 160 ISK ( http://www.xe.com ) - so actually the value of the € has increased 180% relative to the Icelandic currency unit. Any price increase up to 180% counting in ISK cannot be considered a priceinscrease for the foreign visitor.
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