Questions about a month-long trip to Iceland.

First, I agree with what everyone has said above. Second, you should not rule out the guided tours. I went on one and the tour guide was brilliant. He spoke 4 lauguages and taught me so much about how Icelandic "works". Interesting! He also told us loads about the country and life there in general, which I never would have found out otherwise. There were only 4 or 5 people on our tour and it lasted the better part of a day so I learned a lot just from chatting with all of them. The guide also took us out to see wild Icelandic horses, which are pure breeds and friendly enough to let us walk right up to them. I never would have seen this on my own. My tour was most definitley worth the money. If you go to the Blue Lagoon (and you should) and you have long hair - beware! No matter how many times you wash it, it will be a horrible matted mess for close to a week. Better to wear a high ponytail and not let it touch the water. You really do have to have Skyr. Yum! Also, Icelandic milk and ice cream were the most delicious I have ever tasted. And no trip to Iceland is complete without a visit to the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icelandic_Phallological_Museum. The world's only penis museum and soon they will have their very first human speciman!

"@Rabarberofficer: Couch surfing would be awesome, if I knew anyone over there. Any advice on making Icelandic friends that will let me use their couch/floor?" You could sign up for a Couchsurfing.com account. Just remember to fill in your profile. I for one won't host anyone if they haven't taken the time to fill out their profile with photos and info. If you have any questions, just send me an email. :-)

As for building a fire: don't count on finding wood. The landscape over most of Iceland is low rock hummocks with moss and lichen, or, bare lava rock. Very, very few trees outside of recently and deliberately-planted forests. Learn a little bit about geology before you go too - this was one of the most enjoyable aspects for me. Iceland is geologically unique (a hotspot on a spreading ridge); in the Thingvellir valley, the mid-Atlantic spreading center is visible on land, so one side of the valley is attached to the North American plate and the other side is attached to the European plate. Lots of lava in evidence. If you have an extra elective course still open in your college career, take Intro to Geology -- I can pretty much guarantee that it will heighten your enjoyment of a trip to Iceland, and it's a lot of fun in itself.

If you haven't looked into guidebooks, do -- they answer a lot of your nuts-and-bolts type questions, and they are normally reasonably up to date, maybe more so than the people answering here. They will have contact info for various guesthouses (pronounced "gisthi-heimlidth"), they will tell you where to catch the ferry, the pros and cons of renting a car, etc. You may find some in your local library, or in your local big-box bookstore (Borders or the like). I like the Lonely Planet series; different serieses have different tones and emphases so it's worth comparing several to get full coverage. If I had to buy just one I would go with the Lonely Planet. Something else about Iceland: the hot water in showers is all geothermal too, so it all smells sulphrous. Initially this is unnerving; the whole country has a faint whiff of rotten egg (when it's not as windy as hell -- which it is in many spots. You will want a great windbreaker and a hat with a good chin-tie). After a day or two, especially a cold windy day outdoors followed by a hot sulphrous shower, the smell becomes very comfortable and homey.

The campsite in Reykjavik had hot showers, and most of the amenities of any campsite I've been to before. The one in Vestmannaeyjar was really just a grassy area at the foot of a large hill. In fact, an area of the island says it's the windiest place on earth, and I believe it. Combined with the rainstorm at Glastonbury two weeks later, a tent has rarely seen such abuse from the elements. The Lonely Planet you've bought will undoubtedly mention swimming, as several people have already. Pools really did seem to be the equivalent of the coffee shop old people hang around at and the mall that teenagers loiter at. It's definitely a ritual though: http://www.ontheruntur.com/2005/06/swimming-in-iceland.html. Don't be turned off by the tourist trap nature of the Blue Lagoon. It's *definitely* worth it, and pretty much mandatory. They'll even drop you off there before your flight (it's between Reykjavik and the airport) for maximum convenience.

Right, expensive. $10 for a beer expensive. Got it. @Adam_S: Thanks for the links. I'll definitely think about buying a tiny tent and camping; it would be a lot cheaper and that's always a good thing. Do most of the campsites have hot water for showers? If I can get a shower and a place to sleep I'd be satisfied. The bird song thing sounds amazing too. @chrisch: Cooking my own food sounds like a really good idea. Do the campsites usually have something to cook on? I could make due with just a place (and wood) to build a fire; looks like staying in Boy Scouts all of those years might actually pay off! @triggerfinger: I'll definitely look into some tours, I just don't want to only do those and nothing else while I'm there. A tour every few days sounds like a good idea though. I don't have long hair, but I'll be careful anyway. Thanks for the warning! @Rabarberofficer: Couch surfing would be awesome, if I knew anyone over there. Any advice on making Icelandic friends that will let me use their couch/floor? @smcniven: Thanks for the heads up; I'll have to drop him a line once I figure out exactly when I'll be going. Those other pools sound like fun too. @LobsterMitten: I never knew about Lonely Planet before now, but I just ordered the Iceland guidebook tonight. Thanks! @weebil: I've seen that site but didn't actually find time to register. I think I'll go do that now. Thanks! @ignignokt: A guest house might be fun for part of my stay. Any ideas on how I'd find some?

All I have to add is that guesthouses are a great alternative to hostels. Hostels are cheap, but they stuff you six to a room, and your roommates are not always good-smelling or quiet when you're trying to sleep. Guesthouses are a tiny bit more expensive, and you often get your own room. Also, whale-watching is, for the most part, pretty boring. You go out for hours on the boat and catch glimpses of whales for seconds. For me, it wasn't worth the time. Oh, and my favorite places that weren't mentioned already are Dimmuborgir (awesome evil rock formation park) and Krafla (looks like Mars).

The University of Iceland has some basic Icelandic courses available http://icelandic.hi.is/. Free registration required. I loved Þórsmörk in the south for hiking. I don’t know if camping is available there; both times I went was with groups and we stayed in cabins. Also seconding the recommendation of Vestmannaeyjar. If you’re going for the...er... unique food, Þorrablót starts in mid-January. In addition to the hákarl (shark), you should try the slátur and hrútspungar if you want the full experience. (Keep in mind that there is a reason people don't eat this stuff anymore!) The pickled whale blubber is, in my opinion, worse than the shark. Whale meat, on the other hand, is incredibly tasty.

Yes: skyr. Get a copy of John McPhee's book The Control of Nature and read about the volcanic eruption on Heimaey (the main island of the island group called Vestmannaeyjar - the Westman Islands) and how the islanders turned aside the flow of the lava to save their harbor. Then decide if you want to brave the horribly choppy ferry ride out to the island - the island is awesome, the ferry ride is seasick city. Take Dramamine beforehand. The Blue Lagoon is a tourist trap but still really cool. It's true about the hair, just wash it out as best you can afterward. But there are geothermal public hot pools in most places in Iceland that are big enough to fund their construction, and I got the sense when I was there that they are just an after-work hangout for locals. I went to (one set of?) the ones in Reykjavik and it was really nice. Not scenic like the Blue Lagoon, but a much more accurate picture of everyday life. Local 50-somethings, just hanging out in the hot pools gossiping. Note: They require that you take a shower with soap BEFORE you get in the pools. Most people there speak English, but the signage is all in Icelandic, so it's useful to know at least enough to recognize things like "Danger" or "Enter here" or "North", etc. Get a guidebook - Lonely Planet was a good starting place, when I was there several years ago - and start thinking about which places you want to spend some time.