People ask me, as publisher of Frommer's, "What's your favorite place on earth?" I have many favorites, but the one that always comes to mind is Iceland. I've been there several times and can't get enough.
Iceland -- don't be fooled by the name. It's a chilly misnomer for a country that's 85% ice-free, with winters that are warmer than New York's. The coast is a world of sweet green meadows and farms that export vegetables to mainland Europe. The interior is a dreamscape of cones and craters, twisted lava and steaming sulfur pools -- a blind, mineral world with shapes and colors you've never seen before. The capital city of Reykjavik is one of the hottest club towns in Europe, as anyone who has been there on a Saturday night will tell you -- if they remember.
Most visitors see nothing more than the airport gift shop en route to the Continent. What a shame. Even on a three-day stopover you can go pony-trekking, live on an Icelandic farm, or board a four-wheel drive Iceland Touring Club bus and explore some of the most awesome scenery in the world. My own vote would be to visit Thorsmork, only a few hours' drive from the airport. Thorsmork -- Thor's woods -- is a valley of charcoal-gray sand surrounded by three huge glaciers. The icefields send tongues of ice into this wasteland, ending in lagoons with floating icebergs. Fields of grass and groves of stunted birch grow near the head of the valley, creating, of all things, an alpine setting.
The lodge here is one of several that the Touring Club has constructed in some of the most dramatic and remote settings in the country. All are immaculately clean, with cooking facilities and bunk beds.
Even more spectacular is Landmannalaugur. From the hut here, you can take an escorted, four-day Touring Club hike back to Thorsmork, staying in sleeping bags in mountain huts along the way. Many consider this the most spectacular hike in Iceland.
Icelandair lets you stop over in Iceland for one- to-three nights on your way to almost every major European city, including Paris, London and Amsterdam, at no additional cost. That's two vacations for the price of one. You can reach them at 800/223-5500 or online at www.icelandair.com.