Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Summer prices for singles/doubles start at around Ikr16,000/22,000 and include a buffet
breakfast. Rates for a double room at a nice but non-luxurious hotel in a popular tourist
area in peak summer can easily top Ikr30,000.
Prices drop substantially outside high season (June to August), and cheaper rates may
be found via online booking engines.
The largest local chains are Icelandair Hotels (
www.icelandairhotels.is
)
and the expand-
ing Fosshótel (
www.fosshotel.is
)
and Keahotels (
www.keahotels.is
)
chains. New ones are
cropping up - Stracta Hótels (
www.stractahotels.is
)
is a new chain with plans to expand
beyond its first base in Hella.
SUMMER HOTELS
Once the school holidays begin, many schools, colleges and conference centres become
summer hotels offering simple accommodation. Most open from early June to late August
(some are open longer), and 12 are part of a chain called Hótel Edda (
www.hoteledda.is
)
,
overseen by the Icelandair Hotels chain.
Accommodation tends to be simple: rooms are plain but functional, usually with twin
beds, a washbasin and shared bathrooms, although a number of the hotels have rooms
with bathroom, and a handful offer 'Edda Plus' rooms, with private bathroom, TV and
phone.
A few Edda hotels have dormitory sleeping-bag spaces; most Edda hotels have a res-
taurant.
Expect to pay around Ikr5000 for sleeping-bag accommodation (where available);
Ikr25,000/15,000 for a double room with/without private bathroom.
Mountain Huts
Private walking clubs and touring organisations maintain
skálar
(mountain huts; singular
skáli
) on many of the popular hiking tracks. The huts are open to anyone and offer
sleeping-bag space in basic dormitories. Some also have cooking facilities, campsites
and a summertime warden.
The huts at Landmannalaugar, Þórsmörk and around Askja are accessible by 4WD, and
you reach huts in Hornstrandir by boat, but many mountain huts are on hiking trails and
accessible only by hiking to them.
GPS coordinates for huts are included in destination chapters.
The main organisation providing mountain huts is
Ferðafélag Íslands
(Iceland Touring As-
(some in conjunction with local walking clubs). The best huts have showers, kitchens,
wardens and potable water; simpler huts usually just have bed space, toilet and a basic
