Iceland does not compare to anywhere else we've been yet in any way! It's so unique, breathtaking but beware costs can easily add up - this is NOT a budget destination, although there are a few things you can do to minimise costs!

Iceland has exploded in popularity over the past few years, after doing our research we decided that this should be our first destination. We went for a long weekend without the kids (thanks Mom!) we packed our bags and headed off to Luton Airport. A number of budget airlines fly from the UK to Iceland's main airport in Reykjavik including Wizz Air and EasyJet (some flights are as little as £18 return).

We stayed in a small village called Fossatun, there were a number of camping pods for around £45 per night sleeping two people - the owner of the site was great, he was friendly enough to give us a list of things to see in the area and look up which roads were closed due to snow! If you're trying to cut down on costs, we found that either going shopping at a store such as Bonus or eating food at petrol stations helped, the pods do have a shared cooking facility so this is an added bonus. We found quite a few of these pods dotted around Iceland, most of them had hot tubs to relax in at the end of a busy day too!

Unless you're staying in Reykjavik for the duration of your stay (if you are there are bus transfers from the airport with Flybus) then hiring a car is a must. We used a company we read about online called BlueCar. These guys cover most insurance items as standard so you don't need to worry about what level of cover you need for the gravel roads across the country - there is a great video on driving in Iceland linked below!

We mostly travelled around the North West coast, this is less touristy than Reykjavik and allows your to see the 'real' Iceland. This does mean that it's also less international and less populated (the current population is around 300,000 people, although 2/3 of these live in the capital area). There is so much to see and do in Iceland that no matter which part of the country you visit you won't be disappointed.

A future goal of ours is to visit the country and complete Route 1, this is a ring road around the Island enabling you to visit each area of this special place. Driving round, you'll notice a huge amount of small Icelandic horses and stone piles; half of Icelandic people believe in Trolls these small stones are to pay homage and ensure that you don't upset any of these beings!

Northern light season occurs from October to April each year, although Iceland has quite dramatic daylight swings due to its location (Reykjavik is the northernmost capital in the world). In the winter the days are short with long cold nights, in the summer it feels like the sun never sets - It's important not to base your entire holiday on seeing the Northern lights, but if you do see these it will definitely make your trip.

One final point on Iceland, please respect this breathtaking country. There have been large numbers of tourists walking on the moss that grows on rocks, this can damage it beyond repair and may take decades to grow back!