Iceland vacation rentals by owner in Reykjavik great alternative to hotels and guesthouses
February 16, 2011 | In: General
Imagine, just for a moment, a country the size of England. Position it just outside the Arctic Circle so it receives 24 hours of daylight in summer and constant darkness in winter. Liberally sprinkle it with some of the world’s most dramatic geysers, waterfalls and glaciers. Make room for Europe’s largest desert and the world’s third-largest ice cap. Then populate it with 300,000 people descended from Vikings.
You have come to Iceland.
The road to Reykjavik from the airport traverses a moonscape of spiky black lava, reminding me why Nasa sent the Apollo astronauts here to acclimatise, and is distantly flanked by the steaming chromed towers of the Blue Lagoon, where bathers wallow in the outflow pools of a geothermal power station.
Reykjavik itself is a small city, with a population of just over 100,000 people. This makes it very easy to navigate by foot, though there is also a comprehensive bus service if you don’t fancy walking. Reykjavik looks and feels like a frontier town, appropriate perhaps for an island pitched geographically between Scandinavian Europe and the US. Reykjavik, the World’s most northern capital city, and the self-proclaimed “Capital of Cool” is enjoying a mini tourism renaissance, thanks to Iceland’s financial crisis which began in October 2008. With prices 30% cheaper than in January 2008, now is the time to visit this charming city.
“Foreign tourists get exclusivity and convenience as well as great value for money when they stay in our Reykjavik apartments says Solveig Karlsson, the owner of Lighthouse Apartments. Karlsson says that staying in vacation rentals is the ideal accommodation alternative for families or small groups visiting Iceland because it is less expensive, yet exclusive and more suitable than staying at hotels and guesthouses.
Foreign tourists looking for affordable accommodation in Iceland without compromising on exclusivity and convenience get great value for their money while staying in vacation rentals, rather than in a hotel or a guesthouse. Traditional options for accommodation while on holiday in Iceland sometimes prove too costly for families and small groups. Owners of apartments have taken advantage of Lighthouse’s convenient booking service. These privately owned apartments are available in central Reykjavik.
Most of the Iceland vacation rentals in Iceland are privately owned. However, companies specializing in renting apartments own some of the vacation rentals on the market.
The Japanese are especially keen on seeing the Northern Lights. The Northern Lights attract thousands of people to Iceland each winter, mostly from Asia, America and Europe. Two things make Iceland the ideal place for viewing the Northern Lights. The country is located in a place geographically well suited to see the Northern lights, and it is accessible in winter.
“About 80 percent of our customers spend their time here in Iceland during the summer season, which coincides with the traditional school holidays in Europe and North America,” says Karlsson. Those visiting the country in winter can expect a different kind of experience, such as sitting in a hot-tub heated with geothermal water while gazing at the Northern Lights.
Each apartment is furnished and decorated differently, but all include a shower or a bath, TV and wireless computer connection together with a fully equipped kitchen with all necessary appliances and one or more bedrooms.
Information about apartments in Iceland is available on Lighthouse’s website: www.lighthouseapartments.is, in English.
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