Gail and Dan's Travels

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Introduction to Iceland

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We transitioned from Germany to Iceland on Wednesday, June 25. As transition days go, it wasn’t so bad. The train ride from Garmisch-Partenkirchen to Munich was pleasant. The train wasn’t crowded, and we got to ride facing forward. Things got a little crazy once we got to Munich. We had to transfer to not just another train, but also to another train system. They have 3 train systems:

  • Regional trains – between cities
  • U-Bahn (subway) – with Munich
  • S-Bahn (think upgraded Max)

So we had to switch between the regional train that we had taken to Munich to the S-Bahn. Did we know this beforehand? No. Was the transition easy? No. But with some help from some friendly Germans, we found our way to the S-Bahn to the airport.

So our troubles were then over, right? Are you kidding? This wasn’t a bad transition day, but it was still a transition day. Munich airport is huge. Finding the correct terminal was easy. But then we had to find the correct section of the terminal. Signage was confusing, but we finally found where to check our luggage. Due to Gail’s hip problem, we’re no longer doing carry-on only. Makes it easier not carrying a suitcase on the plane.

Anyway, luggage checked, we next had to go through security. Not a big problem, but next time, Gail will take assistance when offered.

Icelandair is a nice carrier. Comfortable seats, nice food. Three and a half hours, but comfortable. Two hour time difference. Leave at 14:00. Arrive at 15:30.

We’re in Iceland!! Google says we have to go through customs. Google is wrong. We pick up our luggage. Take the FlyBus into Reykjavík’s bus terminal. Then what? We find a taxi who takes us to our Airbnb. We go out to eat, and see this on the way:

On the way back, we pick up some groceries at a little market that has a surprisingly large selection. And then we try to sleep. Note:

  • “Room darkening shades” means only that the room is darker, not that it is dark.
  • “Land of the midnight sun” means only that it’s light all the time, not that you can see the sun
  • It’s very disorienting if it’s always light and you can’t see the sun. You have no idea what time it is unless you look at a device of some kind (clock, phone, etc.)
  • The cold water is very refreshing
  • The hot water in the bathroom has a sulfur smell (from the geothermal energy that power it)

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