Viking Horns Optional

I am planning a major trip for later this year, 12,000 miles, 6 countries, about a dozen hotels, planes trains, and cars.
Last week I booked airline tickets, a free-be frequent flyer ticket going over and Iceland Air coming home.

This weekend I started working on hotels.  I am flying into Frankfort on an overnight flight, and wanted a place to crash and sleep.  I looked at options near the airport, and in the city.  Google maps street view is wonderful, you can see what the neighborhood looks like before you book.  I picked a comfy, American chain, 2-3 blocks from the train station in the city.  It will be predictable and comfortable, what I need after an overnight flight, with lots of restaurants nearby and walk able.  The next day I will take a train from Frankfort to Stuttgart, I will start looking at hotels in Stuttgart soon.

All Iceland Air flight to and from the US have a stop in Reykjavik, in my case a change of planes.  They offer up to a seven day gap between one flight and the other.  I opted for 25 hours.  So this morning I went looking for hotels in Iceland.  The Reykjavik airport is not in Reykjavik.  Well there is an airport there, but the international airport is 20 miles west of Reykjavik. I looked out near the airport, at the airport, in the business district of Reykjavik, and in between.  I seriously looked at a Viking Resort, kind of eclectic.  We may have to try their restaurant, they have whale and foal on the menu.  Be warned avoid the sheep head entree - I have seen the pictures - not for the faint of heart.  I ended up booking a modern, business hotel in the outer burbs of Reykjavik and a rental car.  The rental car was less then the two of us on the airport bus service. The hotel was about $100 less then the business district and about $75 less then the Viking Resort.

The Penguin likes to plan travel almost as much as he likes to travel.  There will be updates on planning.