Iceland

I love Iceland with a capital L, it the perfect country for nature lovers like myself. There are lava fields, waterfalls, geysers, floating Icebergs and the dancing lights of the aurora. The city of Reykjavik is also worth exploring and you cannot leave Iceland without visiting the famous hot springs of the Blue Lagoon. I hope this short summary of Iceland will help you plan your trip.

Best Time to Visit

Summers are warm during the day, but temperatures tend to drop during the night and winters are extremely cold. From mid-May to mid-August there is darkness for around 3 hours per day. and there is light for the whole 24-hour period. In midwinter, there are around 5 hours of daylight, the rest of the time is darkness. These long and short periods of daylight may affect when you want to visit. During the winter times it’s the ideal time to see the northern lights, because of the short daylight. During the summer months you get more time to enjoy the long days.

Things to do and see

1. Ice Cave of Jokulsarlon is in the south coast of Iceland in the Icelandic highlands. A magnificent cave with many shades of blue. Quite a magical cave to explore.
2. Black sand beach of Rejnisfjara is on the South Coast of Iceland near the fishing village of Vik. Black sand beach is one of the most popular beaches in Iceland.
3. Diamond beach is near the Jokulsarlon Glacier lagoon in the southeast Islands. It is an amazing experience visiting the Diamond beach which has giant and medium size pieces of ice laying across the beach. A must when travelling to Iceland.
4. Gooafoss waterfall translates as ‘The waterfall of the Gods’ and is the most popular of the Skjalfandafljot waterfalls. It is 12 meters high and 30 meters wide. Worth the visit while in Iceland.

 Food

Most restaurants in Iceland serve fish of the day and the country has numerous seafood restaurants serving all types of fish the most popular been cod, haddock, salmon, and monkfish. The staple foods to try in Iceland is fermented shark, lamb brains, or whale. There are also some good Vegan and vegetarian restaurants.

 Transportation

Air: There are direct flights from London to Iceland. Air Iceland and Eagle Air operate all domestic flights from Reykjavik to all the major airports in Iceland.

Roads: Drivers drive on the right-hand side of the road. Roads in Iceland are often quite and empty and well maintained. In winter time the roads can be hazardous to travel. Most mountain roads are only open in Summer and can only be driven using 4-wheel drive vehicles.

Rail: There are no trains in Iceland.

Taxi: Taxis are metered and available from hotels airports and in the towns of Reykjavik and Akureyri.

Ferry: There are ferry services to the Westman Islands operated by Herjolfur ferries.

Bus: Coaches that connect the whole country are more frequent in the summer months. The BSI bus station in Reykjavik is where you go to get the coach. You can get your tickets online or on the bus from the driver.

Visa

Visas are not required for all EU, U.S, Canadian and Australian nationals for stays of up to 90days over a 6month period.

Language

The official language spoken in Iceland is Icelandic, but other European languages such as Polish, English and German are widely spoken.

Money

The official currency in Iceland is the Icelandic krona (ISK) Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted at ATM machines and in restaurants and shops.

Tipping

Tipping is generally not expected in Iceland. Service and VAT is included in most bills.

Social etiquette

A handshake is the normal greeting, and you should call people by their first name. This is because, Icelandic surnames are made from the name of a person’s father. The main religion in Iceland is Lutheran.

Adaptor

There are two plugs associated with Iceland.

Wifi

Complimentary Wifi is available in most restaurants, hotels and cafes. Internet service is also available at the Tourist Information Centre and at all branches of the City Library.