One needs to be quite prepared while planning a trip to Iceland. For most of us coming from tropical to sub-tropical areas, it’s not a regular trip. Guide to Iceland – Tips and more -One need to be quite prepared while planning a trip to Iceland – What to see, what to wear and more. Here are few pointers to planning your Iceland trip:
- Plan very well in advance – There are very few flights to Iceland and booking well in advance can get you tickets for cheap. We used WOW and Iceland Air – both no frills carriers and were quiet cheap for December.
- Iceland falls in the Schengen Area and needs a Schengen Visa to enter if you are not from one of the countries which doesn’t need a visa. However, Iceland Schengen Visa is applied via Denmark (in U.K) and they have very limited slots for people applying for Iceland. So, look up very well in advance.
- Iceland as the name suggests is very cold – literally freezing. So, pack all your warm clothes – a good jacket, gloves, ear covers and good winter boots/trek shoes are a must for winter here.
- If you are visiting Iceland in winter, I would suggest against renting a car and driving it by yourself. It snows heavily the entire day and the roads are fully covered in snow. Also, with very less daylight, it’s very easy to get lost and also veer off the road in skiddy conditions.
- The best option I would suggest is to use a Reliable Touring Company like we did. You can book everything from hotel pickups, tours etc. online and you are in the hands of the experienced people rather than battling nature all by yourself.
- Weather is the most unreliable thing in Iceland. So, do not plan too much in advance, else you would be very disappointed as it changes very frequently and can make/break your plans. We had our Glacier walk cancelled due to this.
- Most of the people visit Iceland for the Northern Lights and Whale tours. The weather plays a big part here and we had 3 out of the 4 trips cancelled for northern lights due to weather conditions. In addition, both these tours guarantee no sightings – however, in case of no sightings, most of the companies give a return voucher which you can collect and use immediately – just call up the tour company office.
- If you are visiting the northern lights and are a photography enthusiast, then please read online on what settings you would need in your camera to capture the northern lights. Leave a comment if you need any pointers.
- Iceland is quite an expensive place when it comes to dining. So please read my post on few tips to save few bucks on dining/food. Click here
Read all about our Iceland journey here – Click here
I hope all these tips will help you plan your trip better. If you have any queries or need more information or have any feedback for me, please write a comment here and I will get back to you.
This is Aldrin and my partner Amoli. We bring you "Earths Pilgrim" - a unique insight into our travel escapades while leaving life in a cubicle. If you are looking for some inspiration to break the shackles of a regular life, then you are the right place. Read more about us- Click here.