When most people think of the ideal honeymoon location, they think of somewhere warm and tropical… and probably not a country whose name starts with the word “ice.”  However, Iceland is becoming a very popular tourist destination.  For one thing, it’s a lot closer to the U.S. than most people realize (only 5 hours from the East Coast), and the other-worldly scenery is just breathtaking.  My husband and I would love to go there someday, so when my best friend put me in touch with Carrie, I couldn’t wait to read all about their amazing Icelandic honeymoon.

When and where did you honeymoon?

My husband and I roadtripped around the Ring Road in Iceland for our honeymoon from May 23 – June 3, 2011.

How long was your trip?

We were in Iceland for 11 days.

How did you decide on your honeymoon destination(s)?

Neither my husband nor I are huge beach people, so we didn’t want the typical Hawaii-Fiji-Mexico honeymoon. And having been fortunate enough to travel quite a bit previously, we wanted to try something new and different. We’d heard great things about Iceland, and it seemed like a perfect size for us to be able to cover the major and many minor sights for the time that we had. Finally, the economy in Iceland hadn’t fully recovered, so we were able to take advantage of slightly lower prices, in an otherwise very expensive country!

Icelandic horses at Eld Hestar

The best part about our honeymoon was…

Well, the best part was that we were able to get there! The Grímsvötn volcano erupted on my wedding day, May 21st, so we weren’t sure if our flights would be cancelled. Fortunately, our last leg was only 6 hours delayed, and we made it into Reykjavík safe and sound.

In Iceland, my favorite part was the Southern coast of Iceland. It was absolutely gorgeous, particularly the areas between Höfn, Vík and Hella-Hvolsvöllur. I followed the first half of this Frommer’s itinerary for that portion of the Ring Road, and it was incredibly romantic.

Skógafoss

If I knew then what I know now, I’d change…

I don’t think I would change a single thing–except maybe to stay for a couple more days!

Jökulsárlón

How much planning did you do in advance?

I figured out a basic itinerary, and essentially targeted ideal stops for us to take. As for hotels, my husband and I only booked the first night and the last 2 nights, which ended up being perfect. We had originally planned to drive counter-clockwise from Reykjavík around the country, but with the volcanic eruption, we had to change our plans and go clockwise instead. So, it worked out to our advantage!

The Blue Lagoon Geothermal Spa

What was your biggest honeymoon splurge?

Honestly…the rental car. That sounds so lame, but Iceland is an expensive country, and I think the rental car was our single biggest expense outside of the airfare. With that said, I’m so glad we rented a car! It would have been much more difficult–and much less comfortable–to get around the country without it.

The rental car!

Where do you want to go on your next big trip?

I’m fairly certain my next big trip will be to India–likely to Rajkot and Chennai–to take my baby to meet my husband’s family. I’m still pregnant though, so I have a little while before I have to plan that trip!