Traveling on a Budget: Iceland Adventures

Iceland has become one of the most popular destinations on millenials buckets list and our contributor Kris Holman booked a trip over the summer for just over $1000 (airfare included). We talked to her about her trip and asked her for a few tips on how to travel to Iceland on a budget and still have  a good time. Her is our interview with Kris:

 What inspired you to take a trip to Iceland?

A few years ago I saw photos of the Northern Lights on Pinterest and it blew my mind! From there I started doing research on what else Iceland had to offer. Even though I didn’t get to see the Northern Lights on this trip due to going in the summer, it was still one of the most amazing places I have ever been to.

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  What are some travel hacks that helped you budget so well?

Iceland is incredibly expensive! I was there for a week and spent a little over $1,000 with airfare included. Some tips I would suggest is booking a hostel/ sleeping accommodations ahead of time, if you’re feeling even more adventurous I have friends who just slept in their car! Now that I look back on the trip that’s probably something I would have chosen to do to save money since Iceland is known to be one of the safest country’s in the world! Another tip I would suggest is doing some grocery shopping instead of eating out for every meal. My sister and I bought some bread, peanut butter, bananas and other snacks so we weren’t eating out all the time.

Did you have a favorite spot?

My favorite location had to be Glacier Lagoon. I had never seen anything like it before. Chunks of Ice just passing through the water it was unreal! Glacier Lagoon is on the east coast of Iceland and took about six hours one way from Reykjavik (the main city of Iceland).

Any favorite restaurants or dishes?

Well I hate to say it but Iceland doesn’t really have great food! You definitely go for the scenery and not so much what you are eating. If anything I would say try the fish and chips since all the fish there is super fresh! Another positive note is Icelandic water is some of the cleanest water in the world. So at least you won’t be thirsty! Again, My sister and I mostly ate snacks and food from the grocery store since we were on a budget.

  Where did you stay and what was your travel schedule like?

We stayed at two hostels. Kex and the Galaxy Pod. We booked them about a month in advance in effort to save some money! Both of these hostels were great! Kex had a bar and eating area in the lobby so it was a great location to be, they also serve breakfast every morning.

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 Anything you would do differently?

I think the only thing I would do differently would have been to rent a car to have more freedom. Iceland has so many places to see all over the country. Being based in Reykjavik the majority of the trip, I didn’t see much of the northern area but nonetheless I saw the majority of the east coast which is what I went there to see!

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 Favorite picture from the trip?

Its difficult to pick my favorite but I think this sums up what Glacier Lagoon looked like! Also this photo of my sister in her alien mask is crazy!

Thanks for reading and share this with a travel buddy! 👽