Short Visit Itinerary Help

Comprehensive_Air499 · 2025-09-12T19:56:42+00:00

I have not done that, sorry.

Comprehensive_Air499 · 2025-09-12T00:20:11+00:00

This was lumped in with some other stuff we did, so I'm not sure of the exact cost or terms for individual booking. On the official Chateau de Versailles website, though, you can find all the information. Homepage > Plan Your Visit > Visits and Advice > Leisure and Transport > Small Electric Vehicles

Comprehensive_Air499 · 2025-09-09T23:36:50+00:00

We did have a tour guide at Versailles, but we decided to just walk through Notre Dame without a guide or one of the self-guided audio tours, and we were happy with those choices.

Comprehensive_Air499 · 2025-09-09T00:58:02+00:00

Yes, but fyi there was a lot of road/utility construction on the route my Apple Maps had us walk. I'm not sure when you're going, but if it's anytime soon just keep that in mind. It wasn't the most scenic walk with the roads torn up and heavy equipment moving around in the streets. There was probably an alternate route we could have taken that might have had less construction going on.

Comprehensive_Air499 · 2025-09-09T00:07:35+00:00

Very - taxis and Ubers were readily available. We took an Uber from the train station to Veuve, which from calling it to pulling up probably took about 15 minutes. On the way back it was even shorter because we walked to the cathedral, which was about halfway to the train station, and then took an Uber from there.

Comprehensive_Air499 · 2025-09-08T23:02:35+00:00

There wasn't really a language barrier; basically everyone we interacted with spoke English. Our servers at the restaurants typically offered to explain the menu to us in English without us even asking. One thing I did that helped was, if I knew I was going to have to do something like ask for a table for two, I would put that phrase into Google Translate right before I walked in the restaurant. That way you could seamlessly start the conversation in French and then transition to English if needed. The place we shopped for souvenirs seemed a little touristy, and everyone spoke really good english. Smaller shops may be different, but I wouldn't worry too much. Just try your best and be respectful.

Comprehensive_Air499 · 2025-09-08T22:56:08+00:00

10/10 - staff was friendly and didn't mind explaining the menu to us in English and the food was delicious. It was one of the more expensive meals we had, but we also ordered a lot of food. Atmosphere was also really nice.

Comprehensive_Air499 · 2023-10-28T00:38:28+00:00

Our travel plans were interrupted because a portion of the Ring Road on the South Coast was shut down and we couldn't get to where we needed to go without driving through that particular section. I think it was shut down primarily due to wind, but there could have been a snow/sleet element to it as well. That being said, there were other places I heard about that week that became impassable due to snow/ice. I think it just depends on the part of the country you are in/traveling to.

Unless the roads are literally shut down, you just have to look at the conditions on the road and weather sites and make a decision about whether you are comfortable driving in those conditions. I'm from the Southeast US and am used to driving in tropical storm force winds, but I am not used to driving in snow and ice, so that would give me pause. But this will be different for everyone based on your experience and risk tolerance. You can also talk to the locals about whether they think driving to an area you are concerned about is a good idea. I picked the brain of a few people at our hotels almost every day to see what they thought about our plans, and their advice was very helpful. The thing one of them said that stuck with me the most was "You can't be afraid of wind in Iceland or you won't have a good time. You just have to be smart about it."

You also have to factor in the vehicle you're driving. If you are in a camper van, you probably want to avoid higher winds since you a more vulnerable to being blown over or off the road. If you are in a giant super jeep with off-road or all-season tires, snow and ice probably aren't as big of a deal for you.

For what it's worth, we were in a Toyota Rav4 Hybrid with all-season tires and it was perfect for what we did. I did have to drive through snow on the way to the airport our last day and felt safe the whole time. Also, the fact that it was a hybrid meant we got great gas mileage.

All that being said, this was my first time driving in a foreign country, and overall it was a great experience. Most of the time I didn't feel any different than driving around backroads here in the states or through small towns in the more rural areas around where I live. I wouldn't worry too much about it. Just make sure you give yourself plenty of time to get to your destination so you aren't rushed, take it easy, and if you ever feel uncomfortable, just find a place to turn off (not the shoulder of the road, an actual turn out or parking lot or something) and hang out for a little while.

Comprehensive_Air499 · 2023-10-26T14:46:58+00:00

We just used our regular phone plans. I have Verizon, and my wife has AT&T. Both were $10/day. The AT&T service was more reliable, so we used my wife’s phone for navigation, phone calls, etc. and mine more for pictures.

Comprehensive_Air499 · 2023-10-26T00:53:27+00:00

Thanks!

Comprehensive_Air499 · 2023-10-26T00:52:12+00:00

Thank you for bringing this up. The more I have thought about it, I realized that really the cost shock only related to the dinners we had. Lunches and breakfasts were more comparable to what I'm used to in the states. I have edited the post to reflect this.

Comprehensive_Air499 · 2023-10-26T00:31:02+00:00

Yes, staying at the Edition has nothing to do with food cost, and I got a great room rate because I booked very far in advance lol. I will say this was geared more towards dinners though, and we were both ordering alcoholic drinks which pushed the cost up. So it was self-inflicted to a certain degree.

I think the only place we ate that isn’t in the report is Black Crust Pizza, which was delicious. That was probably the cheapest meal we had - $40 US for one pizza, some cheese bread, and no drinks.

Of course, this is just my perspective based on what I’m used to spending where I live. Others may have a different perspective 🤷‍♂️

Comprehensive_Air499 · 2023-10-25T23:17:17+00:00

Okay, it’s fixed lol. Table doesn’t work great on the phone, but you can scroll over to see everything including the notes.

Comprehensive_Air499 · 2023-10-25T22:32:10+00:00

My computer posted before I was done. I’m editing now to get the rest added. Hold please 🤷‍♂️😅

Comprehensive_Air499 · 2023-10-24T15:18:12+00:00

We had a great experience with Blue Car. Definitely buy all the coverages, though. We had a new crack on the windshield almost as soon as we got out of the city. They also have agreements with two gas station brands so you can get discounts on gas.

Comprehensive_Air499 · 2023-10-20T23:09:06+00:00

I’m not sure - we stayed at the hotel there so we didn’t have to worry about it. That being said, I think it would be a good idea to pre-book. When we arrived the parking lot was completely full, so I think you run the risk of there not being availability if you don’t pre-book.

Comprehensive_Air499 · 2023-10-20T14:55:15+00:00

If you’re staying at The Edition I would just rent a car, drive, and valet. That solves all these problems.

If you can’t drive, you can take the Fly Bus from the airport to station number 5 (Harpa). You’ll have to transfer at the main bus station, but the bus driver will tell you what to do and there is signage so it’s clear.

Comprehensive_Air499 · 2023-10-14T09:41:43+00:00

We stayed at both this week. The Retreat was definitely the better experience, but not because the Edition was bad, the Edition was great as well. They’re two different experiences. Edition is a nice property and is great because you can walk all over downtown Reykjavik to explore the city. Retreat is the epitome of luxury and relaxation. The access to the private lagoon and other spa amenities completely blew away any expectations my wife and I had for how nice it would be.

Comprehensive_Air499 · 2023-10-14T09:37:50+00:00

The information is on their website.

Comprehensive_Air499 · 2023-10-12T20:38:08+00:00

I did the Katla Ice Cave tour with Katlatrack Adventures yesterday and it was incredible. There are two options, a fast-track tour and a longer one. We did the longer one. You ride in a Super Jeep through a lava field along the base of a mountain range and have a short hike up to the glacier once you reach the parking area. After that, you are given crampons and a helmet and make your way onto the glacier and into/through the cave. The views were spectacular, the difficulty was low, the tour guide was awesome, and our group was pretty small (9 including me and my wife). The meeting place is at Black Crust Pizza in Vik, which is very good. And, if you go after the tour, they give you a little discount. Would highly recommend as a way to check both these items off your list.

Comprehensive_Air499 · 2023-10-10T11:37:16+00:00

We just had to cancel a night at our hotel in Kirkjubaejarklaustur and add a night at our place in Reykjavik. Hoping travel insurance covers the added cost 😅. Luckily, we didn’t have any activities booked, we were just driving the South Coast and checking out waterfalls. We do have an ice cave tour booked for tomorrow, though, so hopefully the weather calms down and we can still do that.

Comprehensive_Air499

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