5 ways to save money in Iceland

In Iceland, the cost of living is pretty high compared with others countries. Most of the travellers have to rent a car to explore its nature-made art along the road trip. What about the food? Eating in the restaurant is absolutely pricy! Here I have 5 tips to save your money when in Iceland.

1. Buying food and stuff at supermarket “BONUS”

This supermarket is recommended by the locals about their good price and various of products. Moreover, if you don’t want to pay for a plastic bag, prepare a good shopping bag!

Anyway, we did buy their yellow plastic bag, it is very big, strong and useful!

2. Using The N1 card to pay your fuel

The N1 card is a pre-paid card that we can use at N1 gas station for paying your fuel or buying stuff at supermarket inside the gas station (Normally, there is N1 gas station at almost every big towns.).

You can also pay your fuel in cash in the supermarket, but the problem is that it is not opened 24 hour, in this case you have to pay with your credit card. That’s why this card is very useful for avoiding the fee from using the credit card. I didn’t take any photo of this card, here is how it looks like

Place to buy the N1 card: in the supermarket at N1 gas station.

How much it costs?: there are many choices, 5000 Krona, 10000 Krona…Normally for a Toyota Yaris, it costs about 8000-9000 to reach the full level.

Is it refundable?: No, it is not. You can ask the staff to check your balance.

3. Choosing the right car

As the roads in Iceland are very good, for driving on the road 1 (the ring road) going around the country or even other paved or gravel roads, you don’t need to have the 4×4 unless you want to explore the highland (F roads). So you can rent a car like Suzuki Swift or Toyota Yaris which can help you save your fuel and of course your money.

Which company to rent a car?

For us, we rented a Toyota Yaris with  Blue Car Rental, and we are really satisfied. Here are our shot review:

The website: very clear about the price,insurance and types of car.

The service:

• When i contacted them for more informations, they replied me back quickly with many details.
• In case of the storm or very bad weather, they sent us an e-mail to inform to avoid the area.
• They picked us up at the airport on time.
• It took about 5 minutes to finish the process for returning the car.

The car: we didn’t have any problem during our road trip. The car was almost brand new, also there were maps and a guide book of Iceland prepared in the car.

4. Staying in Hotel/Guesthouse with complimentary tea or coffee or even free food

As it is cold in Iceland, a cup of coffee or tea could keep us warm. However, going to a cafe for this isn’t a good idea as it is expensive. So, Choosing the accommodations that provide these hot drinks for you can save a lot of money.

We were at Igdlo guesthouse in Reykavik, they had even the free food shelf for the guests to give or take the food.

5. Bringing your own towel and flip flops at Blue lagoon

The entrance ticket of Blue lagoon costs 35 Euro for the standard one. However, if you need a towel or flip flops, you have to pay an extra! So avoid it!

Here are some tips at Blue lagoon:

• You don’t have to bring the shower gel and conditioner, because they provide for you at the shower area.
• And they also sell these shower gel and conditioner (expensive) at their shop, so make sure you try it before buying or just enjoy using these free luxurious products.
• The best view of Blue lagoon is at the viewpoint platform. Don’t miss it!

Don’t hesitate to share how you save money in Iceland or share your hidden places around the world by hashtag ‪#‎myhidden+the name of city or country.

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