Iceland was part of our last leg of Europe trip and having munched our way through France, Belgium and Netherlands we were quite shocked to know Cheap Dining was not much of an option in Iceland.
Well we had done our research beforehand and we were aware that spending almost 4-5 days in Iceland and eating out every single meal would empty our pockets. So the first thing we did was book a hotel which had Self-Catering facility – so that you have an option to cook some quick meals. We found one such hotel with kitchen facilities and also within our budget. Leave me a comment if you need the hotel details and will get back to you at the earliest.
And we were further lucky because when we reached the hotel, we found people from the Indian sub-continent working there and explained us all about the kitchen and also let us share few spices they had.
Secondly, Liquor (Beer,Wine,Spirits) is quite expensive in Iceland – so we picked up wine from our departure airport (Amsterdam) Duty free which was a very wise decision.
Thirdly, find a supermarket close to your hotel. Kronan and Bonus supermarket are few examples. We stayed on Skipholt and the Bonus supermarket was just a minute walk. These supermarkets are relatively cheap and we decided to stack up on rice, noodles, marinated chicken wings, lamb chops etc. Also, Icelandic people are very proud of their Skyr – somewhat like a strained yoghurt – do try this. It can be slightly problematic with the language while at the supermarket till but you can somehow manage the hassle.
Fourthly, if you are going on tours – which I believe you would, then the eateries on the road which are quite remote are more expensive than the ones in the capital. So the other main thing which you can buy from the Reyjavik supermarkets for your day trips are cold foods like sandwiches for lunch etc. These come really handy.
We had a big contingent of Chinese teenagers in our hotel travelling Iceland. I do remember cooking dinner in the kitchen with all these local ingredients and trying to make something oriental with whatever was at hand – (Sausage chilly-Indian style to be precise) and had few of the teenagers walked up to us with inquisitiveness and asked if they could taste it. And what better –they loved it. We shared our dinner with them that night and was a proud feeling for me especially as my cooking went global and Amoli could no longer complain.
Read all about our Iceland journey here – Click here
For other General tips for Iceland – Click here
I hope all these tips will help you plan your trip better. If you have any queries or need more information or have any feedback for me, please write a comment here and I’ll get back to you.
This is Aldrin and my partner Amoli. We bring you "Earths Pilgrim" - a unique insight into our travel escapades while leaving life in a cubicle. If you are looking for some inspiration to break the shackles of a regular life, then you are the right place. Read more about us- Click here.