Iceland Travel Guide

Iceland Travel Guide

Iceland is one of my favorite trips I’ve ever taken! The only word I can use to describe it is unreal. I spent four days there and I’m dying to go back both in the winter and summer! It’s also one of the easiest European countries to visit from the east coast, given the short flight time, which makes it more accessible for shorter trips than some other European countries.

Experience:

Iceland is an awesome destination for travel. The people are super friendly & travel is generally easy to navigate there as it’s become such a major part of their economy. Iceland has amazing nature – waterfalls, glaciers. lagoons, Northern lights, volcanoes – you name it, plus. great food & lively nightlife in Reykjavik, the capitol.

Safety for Solo Female Travelers: 5 out of 5:

Iceland is probably the safest place I’ve ever traveled to. There is little to no crime in Iceland and almost all the crime committed is generally committed by tourists, not Icelanders. I felt totally safe walking around late at night or early in the morning and traveling around the country solo. If you’re new to solo travel. Iceland is a reat first trip!

Cost:

Iceland is expensive! Hotels, food, drinks, tours, etc. it is not a cheap vacation! Getting flights through Iceland Air from the US can be super cheap, but everything else will add up. so definitely be prepared! It’s on par with places like Switzerland in terms of cost.

Tipping/Restaurants:

Tipping is not customary in Iceland, and jobs like servers are paid a wage that doesn’t assume tips, so you don’t need to feel obligated to tip. That being said, if you enjoyed your service tips are always appreciated and not considered offensive.

Like most European countries, dinner at restaurants is a much more lengthy & relaxed experience than it is in the US. So if the waiter hasn’t brought the bill, they’re not providing bad or slow service, it is considered rude to bring the bill without the customer asking!

When to Go:

When to visit Iceland really depends on what you are trying to see. Are you looking for Northern Lights? Or trying to explore all the country has to offer and party al night in Reykjavik? Hours of sunlight in Iceland vary greatly (as in almost 22 hours of sunlight in the summer and less than 5 in some winter months) So you should definitely take that into account in your planning!

Summer – If you’re looking to maximize your sightseeing & enjoy milder weather (for Iceland) definitely visit in the summer when the days are long and your chances for good weather are higher.

Spring/Fall – Spring and Fall still have fairly long days (I went in November and three was about 8 hours of daylight) which I found to be enough to get full days of sightseeing in and then Northern Light hunt at night!

Winter – If you’re trying to maximize your chances of seeing the Northern Lights definitely visit in the winter. This also gives you the chance to see Iceland coated in snow and visit sights like Ice caves that you can’t see in the summer. Beware, weather in Iceland is always unpredictable, but it’s even more so in the winter. Be super cautious if you rent a car & expect that weather may derail your itinerary!

Getting Around:

If you feel comfortable Iceland is a great place to rent a car. I wish I had for my last visit, instead I opted for guided tours (which I enjoyed) but it would have been nice to have the freedom of my own car to explore the sites at my own place. I’d love to have been able to get places earlier to beat some of the crowds and spend a little more time at certain places!