How we organized our trip to Iceland
By Two World Backpackers
Before travelling somewhere we always do a little research about our destination. We always look for any information that may be useful to us, we read many travel blogs, we watch many videos on YouTube about those places and we read many comments and opinions of people about it.
Sometimes, depending on the destination, we also email the tourist info of the place asking for recommendations, advice, and help with any doubts we may have.
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Iceland was in our bucketlist for such a long time, and after searching and searching non-stop deals… we found one for a £50 return trip from London! So once the holidays were confirmed in our respective jobs, we bought the flights that same night. It was finally official. We were going to Iceland in February!
We were super happy and very excited about it. We were also going to go with another couple of friends from Spain. So we would have to make many Skype calls to organize the trip well between the 4 of us.
Itinerary:
The main idea was to rent a camper and doing a road trip around Iceland with it. But after emailing the Tourist Info of Reykjavik with some questions, we changed our minds. We were advised not to do the road trip in a camper that time of the year if we wanted to go to the north because there are strong winds and the nights are pretty cold. Thank goodness we paid attention to them, it was freezing!
We read many blogs and travel pages about what to see and what to do in Iceland in February. We also searched if there were any tourist sites closed those dates; which points of interest we couldn’t miss, curiosities, etc. We also saw plenty of videos on YouTube about Iceland and comments about recommendations of where to eat and sleep.
We agreed that each couple would create a list of all the places we wanted to see and excursions we wanted to do to share them later on Skype.
Along with that list, the next step was to create the route. We began to look at the distances between one point to another by car, and we decided a maximum of 3 and a half hours drive per day. Therefore we would visit properly everything we had planned, leaving a margin in case of unexpected events.
Accommodation:
Once we decided the route, we began to see the accommodations where we were going to sleep. In our case, we prefer to sleep on Airbnbs or in hostels sharing a room practically the entire trip because we only went at bedtime and therefore save some money.
Except on the last night that we had a whim, and we decided to stay more comfortably in a hotel without having to share with anyone else. In general, it was quite easy for us to find the accommodations and we liked them all very much.
Food
Many times we had read in several blogs that the food was expensive in Iceland, so we decided to check in two more luggage between the 4 of us and take with us some food.
But beware, there are some restrictions:
- You cannot carry meat. We did not bring it, but many people have done it without problems.
- Milk and raw eggs are not allowed.
- The food cannot exceed 3kg in the luggage; hence we decided to check in two.
We took pasta, canned food, soup, cookies, soluble coffee (unopened, otherwise they don’t allow it), rice, beans, nuts, energy bars, olive oil, and Yakisoba.
So we only had to buy some milk, bread, garlic, onions and or anything else we liked in BONUS supermarkets, since they are the cheapest.
Rent a car
Finally, another important detail when organizing this trip was renting a car.
We were certain that we were going to rent a 4×4 car with all-risks insurance, because we knew the roads would be difficult in February. Above all, because we wanted to go to the North and the Tourist Info of Reykjavik already warned us about the weather in that area.
Of course, it always depends on every person but every time we go somewhere and we have to rent a car, we prefer to do it with all-risk insurance.
Always read the fine print!
When it comes to renting a car, there is a lot of fine print, different types of coverage, and hundreds of companies. Read and inform you well of what is included and what it’s not in the insurance you choose.
Currency
The currency is the Icelandic crown (ISK). Currently, the change is to:
1 GBP = 171,54 ISK
1 Euro = 146,15 ISK
In Iceland, you can pay anywhere and anything by card. So we decided not to change cash and we only use the REVOLUT card. It is a card in which you can change money to the currency you want, and they only charge you the exchange currency. Then we exchanged around £500 to ISK, and there we paid for it in ISK by card.
Get ready your photography equipment!
One of the reasons we chose to go to Iceland in February was to be able to see the Northern Lights.
So we started searching for a lot of information on how to take beautiful photos of the northern lights, the best places to see them in Iceland, and the conditions you needed to meet to be able to see them among others.
What was quite an achievement was to place the tripod in the backpack before boarding the plane, since it was our friends in Spain who checked in the bags and we were only carrying our backpacks.
Well, after thousands of Skype calls, thousands of articles read and YouTube videos seen, all the reservations made and making sure we had everything ready, all we had to do was to enjoy the trip!
And you, how do you organize your trips? Are you watching a lot of videos on YouTube and reading many blogs & travel guides, or are you more of going on an adventure? Don’t miss our blogpost about the 10 days Iceland roadtrip
Other useful links to save on your trip:
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🇪🇦Nadie te cuenta esto sobre cómo trabajar en Islandia🇮🇸
¡Hola! Somos Andrés y Laura 🙋🏻♀️🙋🏻♂️, y después de viajar 17 meses por Europa y Asia, hace un año que nos mudamos a Islandia y te contamos todo sobre ello.
Todo el mundo habla de apps para encontrar trabajo... pero esto fue lo que REALMENTE nos funcionó👇🏻
🔎Google Maps
🏨Buscar hoteles y guesthouses fuera de Reykjavik
📩Entrar en su web y encontrar su email
📄Enviar CV + cover letter
💡Al estar lejos de ciudades, muchos trabajos incluyen:
🏡Alojamiento
🍽️Comida
💸Por muy poco dinero
👉🏻 Así conseguimos trabajo en Islandia desde España antes de llegar. Además en hostelería es suficiente con hablar inglés💪🏻
🔎¿Qué más te gustaría saber?
📍Guardátelo
📩Envíaselo a alguien que quiera venirse
➡️Síguenos para más tips reales de trabajar en el extranjero
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🇬🇧Nobody tells you this about working in Iceland 🇮🇸
Hi! We`re Andrés and Laura 🙋🏻♀️🙋🏻♂️, and after travelling for 17 months through Europe and Asia, we moved to Iceland a year ago and we tell you all about it.
Everyone`s talking about apps for finding work... but this is what REALLY worked for us👇🏻
🔎Google Maps
🏨Search for hotels and guesthouses outside of Reykjavik
📩Go to their website and find their email address
📄Send your CV and cover letter
💡Since you`re far from cities, many jobs include:
🏡Accommodation
🍽️Food
💸For very little money
👉🏻 This is how we got jobs in Iceland from Spain before we even arrived. Plus, in the hospitality industry, speaking English is enough💪🏻
🔎What else would you like to know?
📍Save it
📩Send it to someone who wants to come
➡️Follow us for more real tips on working abroad
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🇪🇦¿Cuál es tu lenguaje del amor? ✈️
El nuestro es:
• Actos de vacaciones 🌍
• Palabras de vuelos confirmados 📩
• Tiempo de calidad en el extranjero 🧳
Hemos estado 4 meses viajando sin billete de vuelta por Europa y 13 meses explorando Asia…y ahora vivimos en Islandia 🇮🇸
Si no estamos reservando vuelos, persiguiendo vistas increíbles y planeando el próximo viaje antes de que este termine… no lo queremos.
❤️Etiqueta a la persona con la que quieres llenar un pasaporte de recuerdos
➡️Sigue @twoworldbackpackers para más inspiración de viajar barato en pareja✈️🌎
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🇬🇧What’s your love language? ✈️
Ours is:
• Acts of vacation 🌍
• Words of confirmed flights 📩
• Quality time abroad 🧳
We’ve spent 4 months traveling around Europe without a return ticket and 13 months exploring Asia… and now we live in Iceland 🇮🇸
If we’re not booking flights, chasing views, and planning the next trip before this one ends…we don’t want it.
❤️Tag the person you’d build a passport full of memories with
➡️Follow @twoworldbackpackers for more Backpacker Couple inspiration ✈️🌎
#backpackercouple #travelcouple #wanderlustcouple #coupleswhotravel #passportready
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🇪🇦 El itinerario por Croacia que ves en redes… vs la realidad 👇
Hicimos esta ruta de 20 días por Croacia y esto es lo que NADIE te cuenta:
✨ EXPECTATIVA: Dubrovnik tranquilo y barato
😅 REALIDAD: lleno de gente y precios altísimos
👉 solución: alójate fuera (20–25€/noche)
✨ EXPECTATIVA: moverte entre islas fácil
😅 REALIDAD: ferries llenos y horarios limitados
👉 usa @getbyferry y planifica antes
✨ EXPECTATIVA: parques naturales baratos
😅 REALIDAD: precios altos en temporada
👉 ve a Plitvice y Krka en Oct–May
✨ EXPECTATIVA: zona de Ischia es caro
😅 REALIDAD: dormir sí… pero comer no tanto
✨ EXPECTATIVA: el Dubrovnik Pass siempre merece la pena
😅 REALIDAD: si eres estudiante, NO lo necesitas
🔐 Guarda este post para planear tu viaje
📩 Compártelo con quien viajarías
👉 Sigue @twoworldbackpackers para más rutas reales
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🇬🇧The Croatia itinerary you see online… vs reality 👇
We spent 20 days traveling Croatia and here’s what no one tells you:
✨ EXPECTATION: Dubrovnik = calm & affordable
😅 REALITY: crowded & expensive
👉 stay outside the old town
✨ EXPECTATION: island hopping is easy
😅 REALITY: ferries get full fast
👉 use @getbyferry
✨ EXPECTATION: national parks are cheap
😅 REALITY: expensive in peak season
👉 go Oct–May
✨ EXPECTATION: Ischia area is expensive
😅 REALITY: stays are pricey, food isn’t
✨ EXPECTATION: Dubrovnik Pass is worth it
😅 REALITY: students don’t need it
🔐 Save this for your trip
📩 Share with your travel buddy
👉 Follow @twoworldbackpackers
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🇪🇦Gastamos 20€ en un día en Nepal… para DOS personas🇳🇵 Sí, de verdad.
Este fue un día normal en Pokhara mientras viajábamos de mochileros por Nepal.
Por supuesto, no todos los días cuestan lo mismo. Algunos días gastamos más y otros menos. Aun así, Nepal sigue siendo uno de los destinos más baratos en los que hemos viajado.
Consejos que nos ayudaron a ahorrar dinero:
💳 las comisiones de los cajeros pueden ser altas→prepagamos algunos alojamientos online
🏨 las reservas de última hora muchas veces significan habitaciones más baratas
🍛 comer donde comen los locales (mejor comida + precios más bajos)
⚠️ Los permisos de trekking no están incluidos en este presupuesto.
💾Guárdalo para tu viaje a Nepal
✈️Envíalo a la persona con la que viajarías a Nepal
👇Síguenos para más presupuestos reales de viajes.
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🇬🇧We spent €20 in one day in Nepal… for TWO people 🇳🇵 Yes, really.
This was a typical day in Pokhara while backpacking through Nepal.
Of course, not every day costs the same. Some days we spent more, and others less. Even so, Nepal remains one of the cheapest destinations we`ve ever traveled to.
Tips that helped us save money:
💳 ATM fees can be high → we prepaid for some accommodations online
🏨 Last-minute bookings often mean cheaper rooms
🍛 Eat where the locals eat (better food + lower prices)
⚠️ Trekking permits are not included in this budget.
💾Save it for your trip to Nepal
✈️Send it to the person you`d travel with to Nepal
👇Follow us for more real travel quotes.
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🇪🇦💸Esto cuesta hacer la compra en Islandia 🇮🇸 (precios reales en €)
Islandia es caro...pero algunas cosas nos dejaron en shock
Un súper normal. Productos básicos. Sin filtros.
👀Spoiler:
👉Las compresas cuestan MENOS que en España
👉El aceite de oliva duele😭
👉Algunos básicos no son tan locura
Vivimos en Islandia después de viajar 17 meses por Europa y Asia sin trabajo remoto. Os mostramos la realidad de vivir y trabajar aquí🇮🇸
💡Spoiler: hay formas de pagar bastante menos en el súper...(Lo enseñamos en otro vídeo👀)
💬¿Qué producto te sorprendió más?
📌Guarda este vídeo si te planteas venir a Islandia
🤍Compártelo con quien cree que Islandia es imposible
➕Síguenos para ver la realidad de vivir aquí🇮🇸
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🇬🇧This is what grocery shopping costs in Iceland 🇮🇸 (real prices in €)
Iceland is expensive...but some things shocked us. A typical supermarket. Basic products. No filters.
👀Spoiler:
👉Pads cost LESS than in Spain
👉Olive oil hurts 😭
👉Some basics aren`t so crazy expensive
We live in Iceland after traveling for 17 months through Europe and Asia without remote work. We`re showing you the reality of living and working here 🇮🇸
💡Spoiler: there are ways to pay significantly less at the supermarket...(We`ll show you in another video 👀)
💬Which product surprised you the most?
📌Save this video if you`re thinking about coming to Iceland
🤍Share it with anyone who thinks Iceland is impossible
➕Follow us to see what it`s like to live here🇮🇸
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