10 essential tips for traveling to Iceland

 This list of the best tips for traveling to Iceland will help you organize a trip to a country full of spectacular landscapes that will leave you speechless.

Known as the land of ice and fire, in which natural wonders such as volcanoes, glaciers, waterfalls, and geysers mix, Iceland is the perfect country to make a circular route by car or motorhome on your preferences.

For us, along with New Zealand, it is the best place in the world to enjoy the wildest nature in its purest form, and although tourism has increased a lot in recent years, we consider it essential for any traveler.

Based on the experience of our trip to Iceland in 14 days on our own, in which we wrote this guide to Iceland, we have made this selection of what we believe are the 10 essential tips for traveling to Iceland. Let's start!

1. What is the best time to travel to Iceland?

Although it all depends on what you are looking for, in general terms, we could say that the best time to make a trip to Iceland is the summer months when the temperature is pleasant, and there is less chance of rain and snow. Also, during this time, all the roads are open, and depending on the month, you can enjoy 24 hours of light thanks to the natural phenomenon of the midnight sun.

         

Autumn and spring are also good times when temperatures are still bearable, there is less tourism than in summer, and prices for accommodation and car rental are lower.

In winter, the temperature is below zero, many mountain and secondary roads are closed due to snow, and there are few daylight hours. This station is only recommended if you want to do winter activities such as cross-country skiing, see the frozen waterfalls or visit the incredible ice caves.

It is important to remember that if you travel between mid-September and mid-April, you have the possibility of seeing the Northern Lights in Iceland, one of the best places in the world to observe this phenomenon that lights up the sky green.

Norhten lights in Iceland

2. Entry requirements

To travel to Iceland, if you are Spanish or from a country of the European Union, you only need to present your DNI or Passport, with a minimum validity of 6 months, since it is a country of the Schengen territory.

Citizens who do not belong to the EU must present a visa if their country is included in this list. In any case, we always recommend consulting the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website or the Embassy of Iceland to ensure the required documents and, if necessary, the visa.

3. Security

Iceland is one of the safest countries in the world, although, as in all trips and places, common sense must be used.

One of the moments in which you have to be more careful is renting the car and choosing between tourism, motorhome, or 4×4.

If you rent the first two, you have to consider that any damage that occurs to the vehicle while driving on unpaved roads marked with an F (widespread in Iceland) will not be included in the insurance. We also recommend being vigilant and not leaving valuables visible inside the car when leaving it parked for an excursion, not because of the danger to the Icelanders but because of other tourists.

Another of the moments in which you have to be very careful is when taking a bath in a non-tourist thermal well if you do not see the allowed sign first. If you want to take a bath, before doing so, ask a local to make sure.

The same precaution must be taken when approaching a geyser or fumaroles, as they are unpredictable and can spray boiling water.

In the case of vaccinations, there is not mandatory to travel to Iceland, but it is highly recommended to have suitable travel insurance.

We always travel insured with Mondo, with whom we carry insurance that is fully adequate to the needs we will have on the trip.

Hiring your insurance here with Mondo, just for being a reader of Viajeros Callejeros, you have a 5% discount.

    

4. Money exchange

The country's official currency is the Icelandic krona; currently, 1 euro is equivalent to about 140 kroner.

Iceland is one of the few countries where we would bet you do not need to carry cash since everything can be paid for entirely by card. For example, we have paid less than 50 euro cents with a card to enter a toilet.

For this, it is highly advisable to carry a card such as the N26 or the Vivid card to pay and withdraw money from the ATM without being charged commissions and with the current exchange rate.

You can find much more information on this subject in the post on the best cards to travel without commissions.

    

5. How to start the trip

The most common means of transport to Iceland is by plane if you don't want to spend long hours sailing on one of the few cruise ships that arrive in this country.

From Spain, several companies offer direct flights to Iceland at a reasonable price, such as Vueling or Norwegian. We advise you to use this search engine as many months in advance to find your flight at the best price.

Once the flight has been purchased, it is best to rent the vehicle, to have the freedom to stop where and when you want, something essential in a country with incredible landscapes like Iceland that also does not have a broad public transport infrastructure.

When renting a car, you must remember that deciding between a car, a 4×4, or a motorhome to make your trip to Iceland is an important decision that can affect your route and your budget.

If you rent a 4×4, although it is much more expensive than a car, you will be able to reach tourist attractions that you can only come to with the other two types of vehicles if you hire an excursion.

While if you opt for the most expensive option and rent a motorhome or camper in Iceland, you will save on accommodation and transfer time to hotels.

If you make a price comparison table between the 3 vehicles, the camper will surely be a better price for you, since there is not much accommodation in Iceland and the cost per night is very high, although you will not be able to access the areas of the Highlands or drive on unpaved roads.

In our case, for our trip to Iceland, we opted for the convenience of renting a car and doing an organized tour on time to reach the most inaccessible places, such as Landmannalaugar and the Askja volcano.

    

Reykjavik

6. Route through Iceland

Once you have picked up the vehicle at Keflavik International Airport, you can rent it in Reykjavík and start your trip to Iceland on your own.

One of the best tips for traveling to Iceland is to take a circular route along Highway 1, which goes all the way around the island and passes through its most beautiful places.

The complete route to the island can be done in about two weeks depending on the number and type of excursions you do around the interior of the island and although the direction of the route we could say is quite indifferent, if you prefer to see the most famous places At first we recommend you start in the south of the country.

Along Highway 1 or the Ring Road, there are several gas stations, and it is always preferable to stop even if you have half a full tank since these are not very numerous or use a GPS to find out where the next one is. These gas stations are usually self-service. You must put the credit card, mark the amount in crowns and fill the tank. Remember that you will only be charged the amount you have spent.

You also have to pay attention to the speed limits (maximum of 90 km/h on highway 1) to avoid dangerous situations, especially if there is snow, and not get a hefty fine as a souvenir.

Travel Highway 1 on a trip to iceland

7. Travel to Iceland organized

Another more comfortable way to take a trip to Iceland, if you don't want to drive, is to stay in Reykjavik every day and take small day trips.

To get from Keflavik International Airport to the capital, you can take the Flybus bus that drops you off at the BSI bus terminal or book the Airport Express, which includes transportation to most hotels in the city.

Once you stayed in the capital, we stayed at the Guesthouse Aurora. You can spend a day completing this list of places to visit in Reykjavík.

You can book some of the best excursions from Reykjavik on the second day.

Waterfall in ICeland

8. Where to sleep?

It is imperative once you have bought the flight and booked the car, trace the route through the country as soon as possible and book the hotels.

Keep in mind that accommodation is quite limited, and it is essential, especially if you travel to Iceland in summer, to book hotels as many months in advance as possible so as not to run out of space or pay astronomical prices.

Hotels are almost prohibitive, many exceeding 200 euros per night in high season, and only Reykjavik has a more varied hotel offer, which allows you to find a cheaper one. For accommodation recommendations in the capital, you can consult this post about where to stay in Reykjavík.

Most of the accommodations located outside the cities are guesthouses or bed & breakfasts where the owners have adapted one or several rooms in their house to rent to travelers. Although many do not offer the services of a hotel, most have prices of more than 100 euros per night in high season, even if you book well in advance.

If you are looking for something cheaper, you can stay in farms or hostels with shared bathrooms, campsites or wooden cabins, a new type of accommodation that can be profitable if you are several people.

Most accommodations are close to Highway 1, so you won't waste much time traveling.

You can use this popular search engine to find the best hotels at the best price.

Iceland

    

9. Most interesting places

Another of the best tips for traveling to Iceland is to complete this list of 50 things to see and do in Iceland and this list of places to visit in Iceland, mainly near Highway 1.

If you want to make a good route through the country departing from Reykjavík, you can start in the southern part of the island by visiting the nearby Golden Circle. In this tourist area, three jewels stand out: the Thingvellir National Park, the Gullfoss waterfall and the Geysir geysers, and another smaller one, the Kerio Crater.

The next stop will be Landmannalaugar, one of the most impressive natural landscapes and where one of the best multi-day treks in the world takes place. To get to this inland location, if you don't have a 4×4, you need to take a Reykjavik Excursions bus or hire a tour.

Following the Ring Road, you will reach the Seldjalanfoss, Gljúfurárfoss, and Skogafoss waterfalls, three of the most spectacular in Iceland.

Just a few kilometers from Skogafoss is the Mýrdalsjökul Glacier, perfect for a crampon hike over the ice.

The route through Iceland continues looking for a crashed American plane on Solheimasadur beach and stopping at Dyrhólaey Cliff, one of the best places to spot puffins.

Very close to the cliff is the village of Vik, which has a famous church and a black sand beach with several interesting rock formations.

You will have to drive more than 100 kilometers to reach the Skaftafell National Park, which has the Svartifoss basalt waterfall, its most unique place.

The next visit is to one of the icons of the country, the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, a lake full of small icebergs, our favorite place in the country.

Before reaching this point, you can pass by Fjallsárlón, another glacial lake with icebergs, which, although less photogenic than Jökulsárlón, is just as attractive. 

Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon

If you have more time, you can visit the eastern fjords to the fishing village of Seyoisfjorour and take a trip to the island's interior to see the Askja Caldera and the Viti Crater.

Already in the north of the island, we recommend you stop at the geothermal area of ​​Hverir and the spectacular waterfalls of Dettifoss, Selfoss, and Hafragilfoss.

Further north of this area is the fishing village of Husavik, the best place in the country for a whale-watching excursion.

The next stop will be at Godafoss, the waterfall of the gods and another of the most famous on the island, which we are sure will leave you speechless.

To finish the route, if you have days left, you can visit the less touristy peninsulas of Vatnsnes and Snaefellsness and take a relaxing swim in the Blue Lagoon before catching the plane back.

    

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