We Go With Kids!

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Icelandic Weekend Getaway With Kids: Family Budget for Iceland

Traveling to Iceland with kids? With airfares as low as $99 one way from many cities to KEF, a trip to Iceland sounds like a bargain… until you factor in the price of accommodations, food, and attractions. Although Iceland is filled with natural beauty and waterfalls that are free to view from the Ring Road, other costs and expenses can come as a surprise to those who were expecting a “cheap” getaway. One of the most common questions I’ve been asked is “just how expensive” Iceland is and “how much should a family budget” for Iceland. With that in mind, I’d like to share with you the cost of my recent trip to Iceland over Memorial Day Weekend with my nine year old son.

Airfare + Transportation + Gas = $1053.54

Wow Airlines round trip airfare for two + one checked bag for each leg of the flight (added at the time of booking for $49.99 each way) = $567.06

Route1.IS four day rental car = $359.36 (booked via holiday autos)

Gas = $127.12 (1.25 tanks diesel gas used)

Accommodations = $700.99

Cottage at Reynisfjara Beach (two nights) = $515.99

Nina’s Guest House (one night) = $185

Excursions = $253.50

The Blue Lagoon (admission for one adult, children under 13 free) = $70

The Lava Tunnel (admission for one adult, children under 12 free) = $64

Hallsgrimskirkja (admission for one adult and one child) = $10.50

Jokulsarlon Glacial Boat Ride (admission for one adult and one child) = $77

The Viking Museum (admission for one adult and one child, including buffet breakfast) = $32

Food: $298.01

Food was a surprisingly expensive part of our trip. I don’t mind spending money on food and we love dining out and do so frequently, but I was a bit taken aback by a simple pizza that cost about $30. Nevertheless, we didn’t end up spending all that much on food because we had access to a grocery store and a kitchen at both locations. We only ended up eating out on a few occasions. On the first day, we had a large, late lunch of burgers and fries for lunch and then opted to just snack on cheese and crackers for dinner. Our second day, we spent a grand total of $19.89 at the Glacier Lagoon cafe but otherwise, ate items that we picked up at the grocery store and made spaghetti for dinner. On our third day, we shared a small snack at the Reykjavik Fish Market and then splurged on our most expensive meal – pizzas and wine at Endofninn. Our final morning, we enjoyed coffee and baked goods at a bakery in Reykjavik and then, due to timing, did not eat again until we found ourselves at the airport (although we did enjoy some refreshments at the Blue Lagoon). At the end of the day, we saved quite a bit of money because we were able to purchase and store groceries at our accommodations. Our dining expenses are as follows:

Smidgen brugghus (one kid’s meal, one adult burger, one beer) = $42.42

Kronan (local grocery store chain where we purchased light snacks, breakfast supplies and spaghetti materials for dinner) = $45.54

A small jar of pasta sauce that was just enough for the two of us costs nearly $4.

A $3 baguette at the Kronan in Vik.

Sandwich and soup at the Glacier Lagoon = $19.89

Endofninn (two pizzas, one soft drink, two glasses of wine) = $62.59

Reykjavik Fish Market (one entree of fish and chips) = $28.03

Breakfast coffee and pastries = $16

Blue Lagoon Cafe (one beer, one slushy) = $16.44

Bonus (local grocery store where we picked up food souvenirs to bring home) = $21.27

Nord (our pre-departure dinner of one pizza, one soup, and one beer at KEF airport) = $45.83

To be honest, I wish I had the opportunity to spend more on food. I happen to love dining out and my husband and I are very adventurous eaters. My nine year old, while a wonderful traveling companion, isn’t one to enjoy fish or lobster stew and he can also be particular about his meat. That said, I glanced at many menus and simply decided that it wasn’t worth trying to eat a nice dinner with my son as there was very little, if anything, that he would enjoy on the menu. This ended up saving us quite a bit of money, even if it left me a bit disappointed that I did not get the opportunity to explore the Reykjavik dining scene or the local cuisine. I guess I’ll just have to wait for my next trip to experience the hot dog and fish soup!

As for grocery store prices, I found grocery items to be more expensive than in the US, but not astronomically so. A $3 baguette costs more than the $1.50 baguette at my neighborhood grocer and one kg of oranges cost $3.50 (so ~$1.65/lb), but it was still such a significant cost savings over dining out.

Grand Total = $2,306.04

Our grand total for flights, transportation, accommodations, food, and gas was just over $2300. Yes, we spent a bit more than that on incidentals, such as the $12 travel adapter I had to purchase when I realized I had neglected to pack one from home and the $70 vase I purchased as a souvenir for my mother-in-law, who was graciously babysitting my three year old back home. But, for non-negotiable items, we managed to stay within a reasonable budget. Of course, your own travel patterns and practices will dictate what your trip ends up costing. I was fortunate that we found a nice balance between free activities and paid experiences and that my son was more than content to eat items we picked up at the grocery store for a number of meals.

I hope you enjoyed reading about our trip to Iceland! Planning your own Icelandic adventure with kids? Be sure to check out our listing of all Iceland posts or join our Facebook group We Go To Iceland With Kids, a forum to ask questions and share ideas about family travel to Iceland

July 12, 2018
Icelandic Weekend Getaway With Kids: Final Thoughts
Traveling to Iceland with kids is something I would recommend without reservation. I absolutely loved our time in Iceland and it was a perfect destination for our first mother-son international trip. Thanks to Catherine’s extensive write ups on her family’s trip to Iceland last summer, I was likely more prepared for this trip than any international trip I’ve ever taken. That being said, there were still a number of things that came as a surprise that anyone traveling to Iceland with kids should be mindful of.

Our 5AM Arrival to KEF Airport:

Our 5am arrival to KEF Airport was rough. Although I am generally a great sleeper on planes, a number of things conspired to keep me from getting any rest on our red eye flight from BWI to KEF. First, the flight departed BWI at around 9pm, a few hours prior to when I usually go to sleep, and it’s really a rather short flight at just over 5 hours, so there wasn’t a lot of time to get relaxed and tired before we landed at 5am. I did not end up sleeping, at all, on the flight over, and I paid for the lack of sleep dearly as I was exhausted and could barely keep my eyes open on the long drive from KEF to Reynisfjara. I had visited a number of forums online prior to our trip and I knew this was a common problem prior to our trip and one that many people choose to remedy by visiting the Blue Lagoon immediately upon arrival and then staying in Reykjavik that first night just to ease the transition. That said, although the first day was difficult, I was glad that we quickly adjusted to the time change so that we could maximize the rest of our trip. Luckily, my son is a seasoned traveler and at almost nine years of age, he had no problems sleeping in the car and rebounded quickly. Those traveling with younger children will need to plan ahead, depending on their child’s ability to manage the time change and red eye flight. While trolling the online forums prior to our trip, I read that a number of hotels in Reykjavik are extremely accommodating to the flight schedules and will often have rooms available for check in as early as 8am. If you’re staying in Reykjavik, this is definitely something you might want to consider as it would allow you a quick nap and time to freshen up upon arrival.

The Price of Gas, Groceries, and General Dining Out:

I had been told that Iceland was expensive, but I didn’t quite realize how expensive it was until I was eating our $45 lunch of burger and fries our first afternoon in Vik. That said, I didn’t particularly mind how expensive the food was as my nine year old is a relatively picky eater and thus, I didn’t fully expect to be dining out as much as I would have been had I been traveling solo or with my husband. We ended up picking up spaghetti supplies at the local grocery store and making a meal out of it – for a total of less than $10 USD. While grocery store prices were slightly higher than typical in the US (for example, $3 for the smallest bag of spaghetti versus $1.50 or $1.99), this was without a doubt a more economical option than dining out and for a traveling family, this can result in significant cost savings.

Prices a fish and chip restaurant in Reykjavik.

Home to our expensive, but delicious $45 meal of two burgers, fries, and a beer.

While restaurant prices were high, I will note that the quality of the food was very good. My friend, who traveled to Iceland last year as part of a couples trip, reports that while prices at mid-level restaurants were high compared to the US, prices at fine dining establishments were comparable to prices in the US, which may be something to keep in mind for those traveling with older children who can appreciate a fine meal or two.

Note: Airport food is generally more expensive than non airport food and the prices at KEF airport are simply outrageous. We ended up at KEF airport on the day of departure with quite a bit of time. We had spent the day traveling between The Lava Tunnel and The Blue Lagoon and had not eaten much more than a nibble here and there, so I simply decided we would grab something at KEF, which ended up being one of our most expensive meals. And, unlike food quality outside of the airport, the pizza was mediocre and the soup was pre-made and simply sitting in a giant vat.

My $22 bowl of soup and my son’s $18 pizza.

As with food prices, I was surprised by the gas prices. I had been warned previously that most cars are diesel and that prices were high, but I did not expect to pay nearly $100 for a full tank of gas. I also was slightly unprepared none of the three gas stations I visited would accept a credit card – I was required to enter a pin each time I sought to purchase gas and thus, I was glad to have packed my ATM card.

Also, do not underestimate just how remote and far between gas stations can be when driving outside the city. My gas light went on at some point while we were driving around in Reykjavik prior to leaving for the Blue Lagoon, but I just assumed that since it was a relatively heavily traveled route that there would be gas stations along the way. Boy was I wrong. I ended up driving nearly 10km on empty and it was a rather panicked trip the entire time as I feared not only running out of gas with a nine year old, but possibly resulting in some kind of delay that would have us missing our departing flight home.

Get gas and get gas often, even if you think there is surely a gas station along the way!

Tax Refund:

One surprising aspect of our trip to Iceland was how simple the country made obtaining a tax refund for purchases. During our day in Reykjavik, I purchased a vase that cost approximately $70 as a souvenir for my mother-in-law and had been given a tax refund receipt. I did not expect to actually pursue obtaining a refund as past experiences traveling abroad had suggested that it was simply more trouble than it was worth.

After checking in for our return flight home, I spotted the tax refund booth and decided to go ahead and investigate. It turns out that all I needed to do was fill out a form, present my receipt and passport, and the taxes paid would be automatically refunded to my credit card. The whole process took less than 10 minutes and I confirmed that my ~$7USD refund was credited shortly thereafter. If you find yourself purchasing lots of goods to bring home, be sure to save your receipts and check out the Tax Refund booth at KEF!

Note: Cash refunds are an option, but will involve a processing fee that is some portion of the refund.

Currency:

Speaking of money, we had no issues using our credit cards at just about every destination, with the exception of when purchasing gas. I did withdraw approximately $100 USD upon arrival at KEF and although we never needed the cash, I did use it on occasion simply for the novelty of the experience.

At most retailers, the credit card machines were prominently displayed at check out and I was given the choice of selecting whether to charge the amount in my native or local currency.
- Note: Bring a chip enabled credit card (visa or mastercard) and always select native currency rather than local currency when purchasing abroad.
Driving in Iceland:

I had no trouble driving in Iceland and hardly needed a map as the Ring Road is pretty self-explanatory. I brought our Garmin GPS, which was helpful for maneuvering within Reykjavik, but otherwise, simply followed the signs along the major highways to reach our destinations. There are a number of portions along the Ring Road where the highway narrows from two lanes to one, particularly when crossing rivers and streams, so just be aware and pull off to the side in the face of oncoming traffic.

Language:

Everyone, without exception, spoke English. I did not expect to have any language barrier issues and there were none with the exception of our car! Our car was programmed in Icelandic and would frequently ding out warnings at me, which completely freaked me out while attempting to drive. I managed to take some photos of some of the warnings and googled them later when we had arrived at our destination for the evening… turns out, the signs were telling me I had reached the speed limit and should slow down.

Note: Although the car was telling me to slow down, I was frequently blown off the road by passing motorists. This was particularly the case when driving in inclement weather.

Kid-Friendly:

Iceland is a very kid-friendly destination. Granted, I was traveling with my nearly nine year old that has literally traveled the world, but there were kids everywhere and as I have mentioned, kids under 12 were generally free or admitted at a reduced price at many destinations. Although I had some initial apprehensions about visiting The Blue Lagoon with my opposite-sex child, it ended up being a non-issues as there were a number of attendants in the men’s changing facilities that were happy to help him maneuver the facility.

WiFi/Cellular Reception:

As a Verizon Wireless customer, I enabled TravelPass which provides access to my regular data and cellular plan for $10/day when traveling to certain countries, Iceland included. We had WiFi available at our accommodations every evening, but I wanted to add the data coverage given that I was driving solo with my young son in a foreign country. Although we did not need the coverage for directions, it was handy to have while driving on the Ring Road for looking up specific address or dining options. It was also just a great peace of mind, knowing that if we ran out of gas (oops) or ended up with a flat tire, I did actually have a means of contacting someone.

Planning to visit Iceland with kids? Be sure to check out our listing of all Iceland posts or join our Facebook group We Go To Iceland With Kids, a forum to ask questions and share ideas about family travel to Iceland
July 11, 2018
Visiting Malaysia With Kids: A Sabah Family Blog
Guest Blogger: Melanie, her husband, and two kids are traveling the world from South Africa to Vietnam. Together, they’ve visited eight countries, with many more planned. Accompany them on their adventure on Instragram and YouTube.

Sabah is a Malaysian state, located in the northern portion of Borneo Island. Sabah shares a land border with the Malaysian state of Sarawak as well as Indonesia’s Kalimantan and shares maritime borders with Vietnam and the Philippines. Sabah’s earliest human settlement can be traced back 20,000-30,000 years, and its trading relationship with China dates to the 14th century. Because of its location, Sabah is notably diverse in both ethnicity, culture, and language. We recommend a Sabah family trip to anyone visiting Malaysia with kids.

photo credit

My family and I already planned to be in Malaysia, so we decided that no trip to Malaysia would be complete without spending at least a few days in Sabah. Intra-Asia flights are relatively inexpensive, thus making travel so much more affordable. We flew from Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, into Kuching where we relied almost entirely on public transit and the ride hailing service Grab (a car service similar to Uber) to get around. Although the rules vary depending on which passport you hold, we were granted 90-days visa-free entry to Malaysia, which was also valid for traveling to Borneo, the island on which Sabah is located.

With limited time and a limited budget, we narrowed our trip down to four primary destinations to add to any Sabah family trip itinerary.

#1: Kota Kinabalu

Kota Kinabalu is the capital of Sabah and where we chose to start our journey. Known by locals as “KK,” we loved walking from the marlin statute to the KK Central Market, which is located on the busy waterfront. The Central Market is lined with displays of the most amazing fresh seafood, which can be prepared at the onsite restaurant. My family and I were able to do this, and we highly recommend it.

The marlin statute that marks the entrance to KK Central Market.

KK Central Market

The Central Market graduates into a Handicraft Market, formerly known as the Filipino Market. The Filipino Market is extremely busy and full of activity, but can be claustrophobic when extremely busy. Overall, this was a wonderful stop for us and we loved experiencing the true culture.

The KK waterfront

The KK Waterfront itself has a variety of upmarket restaurants to pick and choose from. Although not as local an experience as the Central Market, we enjoyed the lovely view from the waterfront with a sundowner.

If you are in KK on Sunday, the Gaya Street Sunday Market is not to be missed. The market closes early (13h00), so go early for the best selection of cheap buys and good food.

Gaya Street Market

KK BUDGET ACCOMMODATIONS:

Hotel Tourist – great location, close to Gaya Street and within walking distance to the waterfront.

Switz Paradise Hotel – set in an old shopping mall, but clean and close to the waterfront.

We stayed at both the Hotel Tourist and the Switz Paradise Hotels. The rooms are very basic, but clean and comfortable and located in the town center (thus minimizing the need for walking and car sharing services). Our entire family shared only one room, but since we were out and about most of the time, we only needed a comfortable and clean place to sleep. I was happy to be able to book our reservations in advance online.

#2: Mount Kinabalu

Mount Kinabalu is a world heritage site and the highest mountain in Malaysia with a height of 4,095 meters! We made the trip to see Mount Kinabalu by renting a car and driving about one hour from Kota Kinabalu. If you are able to spend the night, wake up EARLY to see the mountain in all her glory as the mist sets in around 10am, thus obscuring the view. The weather gets chilly at night, so pack jackets. Although a hike up the mountain is challenging and NOT suitable for kids, we were able to take advantage of the surrounding jungle around the base of the mountain, and took a morning hike on one of several trails. If you are not comfortable renting a car, there is a tour bus that will take you on a day excursion.

MOUNT KINABALU BUDGET ACCOMMODATION:

Crystal Hill: We were able to book a room with a balcony and the most amazing view of Mount Kinabalu. Our reservations were booked online in advance of our arrival and the hotel provided free WiFi and also had a serviceable restaurant. It was approximately 15 minutes driving time away from the entrance of Mount Kinabalu and the main hiking trails.

#3: Kokol Hill

From Mount Kinabalu, we did a road trip to Kokol Hill, a city set on a hilltop with the most amazing views of Kota Kinabalu and Mount Kinabalu. Kokol Hill was approximately 2.5 hours away from Mount Kinabalu by car, but it is a beautiful place to stop and enjoy the view.

KOKOL BUDGET ACCOMMODATION:

Our balcony at Kokol Haven Resort

Kokol Haven Resort – We spent one night at the Kokol Haven Resort, which is set on a hilltop with the most spectacular views. They have the best pizza that we have had in the whole of Malaysia and a lovely restaurant overlooking Kota Kinabalu on one side and mountains on the other side. The hotel was very secluded, with no other shops or attractions nearby.

#4: Kinabatangan River

The Kinabatangan River is Malaysia’s longest river. There are cabins nestled in the woods amongst pygmy elephants, orangatuns, and proboscis monkeys. There are a number of attractions available – guided night walk in the forest, overnight camping in the forest with the sounds of the jungle. You can also take a river cruise during the day and see the proboscis monkeys fall from branch to branch as well as the airborne flying lizards. This is definitely a place for nature lovers and adventurers but be forewarned: no hot showers! Our kids absolutely loved the rainforest, which was very kid friendly and save – we encountered no snakes! We used the public bus system to get to Kinabatangan from Kota Kinabalu and the trip took about 7 hours. We were able to book our bus tickets online, but hotels are also very helpful in assisting with bus schedules and bookings, so ask if you have questions!

KINABATANGAN RIVER BUDGET ACCOMMODATION:

Tungog Rainforest Eco Camp – The camp offers numerous packages that you can tailor to your liking. There are several different activities to choose from and a guide can be included during your stay. The food at the camp was fantastic and our guide provided us with a lot of information about Sabah’s wildlife.

Travel Tips:
- We typically relied on public transportation, including the bus system, which is extremely organized and easy to use and can also transport you to nearby national parks. While in Kota Kinabalu, we used Grab to get to places that were not near our hotel, but did rent a car to travel to the mountains when we wanted to escape the crowds.
- For currency, we found it best to withdraw money from ATMs, which we found nearly everywhere.
- Of the Asian countries we have visited, Malaysia is the country with the best English and thus, we had no language barriers whatsoever.
We really enjoyed our stay in Sabah. We were welcomed with open arms, and we learned so much about the culture and the food. We would definitely recommend visiting Sabah with kids. There are so many more places to explore in and around Sabah, which we did not get to this time, but hopefully will another time!

We hope you enjoyed Melanie and her Sabah travel blog as much as we did!

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December 17, 2017
Kids’ Blog: Cuba Time, Fun Time

Guest Blogger: Our kid blogger, TJ, is a cool, high energy, fun loving nine year old actor and artist! TJ’s adventures and exploits can be found on Instagram and Facebook.

When my mom told me that we were going to Cuba I was excited, but I didn’t want to be too excited because I have never been. I was also nervous because I was not always listening in Spanish class, and I was afraid that I would not be able to talk to many people or make friends, but I did! Cuba definitely beat my expectations! It was different than usual – from experiencing a taxi that is shaped like a coconut to even playing in the streets, which I don’t get to do in Miami. We had some plans, but even the things we didn’t plan were super fun, and we met a lot of nice people.

Cuba is colorful and full of great art.

So, you basically have a summary of Cuba, but here are the details.

A cool view of the neighborhood.

Day One:

On day one, we got to the AirBnB, which was really cool because we had never actually stayed in an AirBnB before. The neighborhood was colorful, bold and unique. The buildings were old, but they were fresh in color and they looked like they told a story.

TJ, Samuel and David playing Simon Says.

The owner of the place was really nice because she had someone meet us to give us a full tour of the apartment. She also introduced me to my new friend, Samuel. I was so relieved because he spoke English. We got to play lots of games like red light, green light. We also played hide and seek extreme with Samuel’s friends. Samuel had to translate what I was saying to his friends who eventually became my friends. It was fun because we could play without getting in trouble for playing in the streets because it is normal in the neighborhood.

When we were roaming around Central Havana, we unexpectedly saw a bouncy house, trampoline and more. The bouncy house was fun because I got to play and get some energy out – I was really hyper about Cuba and just had some mango juice that I think had a lot of sugar in it.

The funniest thing is that my mom did not know how to use the money so the lady at the bouncy house thought she was crazy. And that’s we learned a new thing – there’s two types of money in Cuba. I recommend before you go on the trip, you learn more about the two types of money in Cuba.

El Biky was delicious.

The end of day one was delicious because we ate at a restaurant called El Biky, and we got the yummiest deserts. The line was long but worth the wait.

Day Two:

We loved El Biky so much that we went there for breakfast on day two. We went to the beach at Santa Maria, and I made a village with coconuts, water bottles, sand and all that jazz. Then, I climbed this big slanted palm tree, and it was a challenge. I was scared to go all the way up, but my mom inspired me so I could do it.

When we got back, we took a bike taxi to old Havana. Being on it was kind of like a tour of old Havana because the bike was not that fast, and I could see a lot of things on the ride. After roaming in Old Havana for a little while, we took this crazy coco taxi, which was cool because it has no sides and I like that it is the shape of a helmet.

The Coco Taxi was fun, awesome, great and breathtaking.

Day Three:

On day three, we went to the mountains. It was great because I got to jump of a water fall! Our driver said it was low because there was a drought, but it didn’t make a difference to me because I still had fun. At first, the water was really cold, but I got used to it. Did I mention that there were a lot of fish in there? When I was in the water it was kind of like school (wink wink). After playing on the waterfall for a little bit, I got to ride a beautiful horse.

Taking in the mountain view.

My horse ride.

Day Four:

Day four was the hardest day because we did not want to leave Cuba. We moped around about having to leave. But, I played with Samuel, and we found this cool stick that we used as a baseball bat and a microphone – we are thinking about going on tour! The good thing about having an imagination is that we can do fun things without electronics and not get bored of it.

This is not everything we did, but most of the best parts. You should definitely go to Cuba no matter what time of year it is.

November 23, 2017
Japan With Kids (Part VII): What I Wish I Knew
I have mixed feelings about our trip to Japan, in large part because of how surprisingly difficult it was to get information beforehand and how difficult it was to get around. We underestimated just how difficult “getting around” would be – from reading the subway maps/signs, to locating specific addresses, to finding restaurants that would accommodate us with our son. Having traveled to Asian countries before, I was surprised to find the lack of children in Tokyo and the hostility towards children, since most Asian countries are full of kids and tend to welcome kids with open arms.

That said, some of the blame is likely entirely our fault as this was the first international trip we took with our son. Although we had traveled with him extensively throughout the United States prior to this trip, we likely over shot in terms of making this around-the-world trip our first International trip with kids. Nevertheless, I loved loved loved our time in Japan and can’t wait to go back. If I could do it differently, though, I would:
- hire a local travel guide, or make more heavy use of the concierge at the hotel to identify restaurants
- send my husband out to scope out restaurants before venturing out with our son. On a few occasions, my husband did go out and scope out locations while we were resting or napping in the afternoon and that helped significantly in terms of confirming locations and ensuring that they would allow children to dine
- not underestimate how important it would be to make prior reservations for better dining establishments. Many of the better rated or better reviewed restaurants are small (think 4-8 tables) and turn over maybe twice during one meal, so it’s imperative that you have prior reservations if you plan to dine
- spend more time in Kyoto. Although we never ran out of things to do in Tokyo, it was definitely too overwhelming a place to be with a little kid. In Kyoto, children seemed more welcome, and there was lots more we could have done/seen that would not have involved what seemed like endless walking on city streets
trying to figure out the Japanese bus ticket machine

In terms of getting around, we had a much easier time getting around in Tokyo once we got our bearings. We eventually figured out how to purchase train tickets and the stops were labeled in English so we were able to pinpoint, generally, where we wanted to go. Once we got to our general location, however, it was still sometimes overwhelming in terms of how much walking we had to do to actually locate our destination. The walking became a problem only because we had a 4 year old with us, BUT, to his credit, we easily put 4-7 miles on those legs every single day, and he managed and did it without any major issues.

One of the nicest things about Japan was that everyone was extremely helpful and assisted in making sure that commuters got where they wanted to go. For example, our shuttle stop had an attendant with a loud speaker who would call over the bus and make sure that people who wanted to get back to the hotel got on the correct bus. This was an amazing perk and something that we saw quite a bit of throughout Tokyo.

bus attendant

If you have the opportunity to travel to Japan, I highly recommend it. A more off-the-beaten-path location like Okinawa or Kyoto is likely to be a better destination with kids, especially younger children. If you happen to be planning a trip in the Spring, aim for the cherry blossom season! Hopefully you get lucky like we did and hit them at peak bloom.
August 24, 2017
Iceland With Kids: Logistics

Logistics related to travel in Iceland with kids were somewhat more complicated than many other family travel destinations. Public transportation was not a feasible option for our trip around the Ring Road, and the cost of eating out and availability of restaurants required us to prepare many meals on our own, something we typically do not do on vacation. This was our first time renting a car in Europe and the most expensive destination we ever visited. Here are some of the logistical considerations necessary when planning a trip to Iceland.

Driving in Iceland

The Ring Road is a two lane highway that was well maintained and clear. Many side roads are gravel, and we were glad to have a 4WD vehicle. If you do not rent a 4WD vehicle, many rental car companies do not permit you to drive on F-Roads. The speed limit on the Ring Road is 90 km/hour outside of cities and towns and 70 km/hr in residential areas. There are speed cameras, mostly around Reykjavik, and speeding tickets can be costly.

Speed Camera in Reykjavik

There are a number of specific rules that you need to remember if you rent a car. Headlights and seat belts must be used at all times while driving. Also, the DUI threshold is half what it is in the United States.

We used our Garmin, which was one of the few GPS units that includes European maps. It was very helpful, but having a good map of Iceland is important. It would have been preferable to have brought one with us, but we picked one up at a tourist center early on in our trip. Because of the complexity of the Icelandic alphabet, we did have some GPS challenges and recommend using GPS coordinates when possible, which is why I have included them here when available. The GPS/map combo was sufficient for navigating in a country where we were on the same road for most of our journey. All of our accommodations had wifi, and we never needed to turn on cellular data.

Icelandic Language

When we travel to non-English speaking countries, we learn and use basic phrases as often as possible. As much as I tried, I was not skilled enough to incorporate any Icelandic words into my vocabulary. Even with a pronunciation guide, we really struggled with all the consonants and extremely long words. However, the only place we had any trouble communicating was placing an order at a Chinese restaurant in Akureyri. It was clear that the English was at least the third language of the server taking our order, and even though our boys study Chinese at school, they have not mastered menu ordering. The food came out fine, but it required some humorous pointing.

Food

Food in Iceland is very expensive. While restaurants are usually a big focus of our vacations, we warned our kids that this trip was going to be more about visiting sights rather than enjoying great meals. We were prepared for outrageous prices in restaurants and groceries and were pleasantly surprised to enjoy a number of great meals at not quite so exorbitant prices.

Skyr ingredients, including one of the longest Icelandic words we saw

All of our accommodations had kitchens, and we used them. Our favorite grocery was Bónus. Some of our favorite items include Hamilisbraud bread, Skinka ham, Maribo cheese, Mjukis ice cream, Nutella and barbecue and paprika chips. Skyr yogurt is very popular, but was not our preference. Chicken and produce were particularly expensive, but fish was not, and we enjoyed many meals of amazing seasoned salmon that we baked ourselves.

From the airport to the Lava Tunnel, we passed Reykjavik’s first Costco, which opened only a few weeks before in May 2017. By the time of our June 2017 visit, one in four Icelandic adults was already a member. We arrived a few minutes before the store opened, and there was a line out the door of people waiting to get in. The membership line seemed to be never ending. We heard that the opening of Costco led to lowering of gas prices and produce all over the country.

The membership line at the popular new Costco

We picked up a rotisserie chicken, water bottles, apples, Nutella and Ella’s Kitchen squeezies for our toddler. Honestly, the per unit prices for these bulk items were probably comparable to Bónus, but witnessing the Costco mayhem was worth the visit.

Takeaway is often considerably less than dine in – likely because tipping is not customary. Our favorite was Fish & Chips in Húsavík. Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur is also a wildly famous hot dog stand in Reykjavik that sells only hot dogs and soft drinks and sports a photo of Bill Clinton’s visit in 2004.

Shopping

While we often enjoy clothes shopping and finding items not typically available in the US when traveling, Iceland is definitely not the place for clothes shopping due to extremely high prices. You want to make sure you bring the gear that you might need with you. There are many cute souvenir shops and artists’ studios in Reykjavik, especially near Hallgrímskirkja. Prices are relatively consistent, but if you are looking for a certain item and check out several different shops, you may find slightly different prices.

We did enjoy a short stop at Kringlan, the country’s largest mall, for some souvenir shopping and just to experience an Icelandic mall. Our only purchase was from Eymundsson, Iceland’s largest book store chain that also sells souvenirs. We also stopped at the Icewear and 66 North outlets just outside of Reykjavik because we passed them on the way to our Airbnb. If you want or need to purchase gear, these outlets are the place to do it, but it will be hard to find something comparable to typical US prices.

While the Keflavik Airport boasts that its duty-free is completely tax-free, we generally found that the cost of souvenirs was higher than in the Reykjavik city center or Kringlan. However, the Airport’s Blue Lagoon shop had the lowest prices offered for Blue Lagoon products – even significantly cheaper than Amazon.

Money

It is not necessary to use cash in Iceland. We literally did not exchange any cash because credit cards were accepted everywhere, even as payment for use of a restroom. My kids were desperate for some Icelandic coins for their international coin collection. Thankfully, a nice clerk at Eymundsson in Kringlan, Iceland’s largest shopping mall, added to our bill and gave us two of each Icelandic coin.

Continue to Part IV – Reykjavik or check out our listing of all Iceland with kids posts.

August 3, 2017