We just came home from a nine day trip to Iceland with our toddler and learned some very important lessons while we were there. So I thought I’d share.
Do not forgo the stroller!
Top of our list was regretting not having a stroller. After reading somewhere that having one in Iceland was kind of silly and a waste of good carry-on space (we have a Babyzen Yoyo²), we just decided that we would make due without. Instead, I packed my TushBaby “hip seat” thinking that would fill some of the gap.
What we severely underestimated was that our usually adventurous toddler would find himself off-kilter in new surroundings and insist on being held about 85% of the time. The TushBaby, while helpful for keeping pressure off my back and arms, still could not keep up with where a stroller may have been useful. We could have – and should have – used a baby gear rental service to rent a stroller. Especially for the days we spent in Reykjavík.
Rain gear should be waterproof, not water-resistant. And that goes for EVERYONE.
This is a case of our toddler being more prepared than the adults. But we got lucky. Our toddler goes to forest school, so we had already learned about that difference for him.
We had a very rainy and windy day on the Snæfellsnes Penninsula, where we learned that most of our rain gear couldn’t keep up with the weather. More than half of the adults had rain coats that leaked. Water-resistant pants were soaked through. Who was the only completely dry one? The toddler in his Reima rain coat and Oaki rain pants.
Play Airlines is inexpensive – but read the fine print!
Play is a budget airline, which suited our purposes for this vacation. However, this means your carry-on is not a given – you have to purchase your carry-on. Better yet, the carry-on size allowance is smaller than your standard major airline. If you think you might go over the allowance at all, purchase a checked bag instead. You cannot exchange a baggage allowance for a different baggage allowance. You can only add baggage allowance. This was a bit frustrating to discover when my spouse’s usual carry-on bag was deemed too large and he had to purchase a checked bag.
However, flying out of Stewart Int’l Airport was a breeze. So was flying back in. The flight to Keflavík was the only flight at the airport, so security was quick and easy and pressure free – a necessity with a toddler and something you worry about flying out of a bigger hub like JFK or Laguardia.
The airplane crew were hit or miss on how friendly they were. We had a great crew flying home. But you do have to keep an eye out for the meal service if you plan on purchasing anything. Because food is not complementary, they look specifically for people who would like something, and you have to make it obvious. If you don’t, it might feel like they have bypassed you. No worries if you’re really hungry, though. You can also just press your call button should you decide you need food after the cart has passed you by.
Iceland is generally toddler friendly.
You hear this a fair amount, and it seems to be true. There is a lot for a toddler to do, a lot they can do, just about everywhere.
Our first Airbnb of the trip had a toy bin that he pulled out right away. The restaurant we went to our first night gave our little one coloring pages, and a reenactor came over and played songs for him. (Okay, he was a little shy of that.) The grocery store clerk smiled at him as he tried to put our groceries on the conveyor belt. There was a neighborhood playground around the corner from the place we stayed in Reykjavík. Museums – even small ones in the middle of nowhere – had hands-on touch exhibits for kids, some even with little magnifying glasses. Our toddler loved those!
And yes, if you want to visit Blue Lagoon on your way in or out of the country, they do allow kids. Our toddler had his first experience with puddle jumper floaties at Blue Lagoon, and it was hands down the best thing to do after landing at Keflavík. Just be warned, your toddler might not like the shower.