ICELAND
wanderlust.co.uk March 2020 99Vitalstatistics
Capital:Reykjavík
Population:350,000
Language:Icelandic,withEnglish
commonlyspoken.
Time:GMT
Internationaldiallingcode:+354
Visas:UKnationalsdon’tneed
avisatotraveltoIceland.
Money:Icelandickróna(ISK),
currentlyaround 159 totheUK£.
Cashmachinescanbefoundin
largertowns,butnotinremote
areassoit’sgoodtocarrycash.
Cardsareacceptedatmosthotels,
restaurantsandpetrolstations.Whentogo
June–August:Summeroers
warmerweather(althoughnot
guaranteed)andthemidnightsun,
aswellasmorebirds,including
puins.There’sabetterchanceof
spottingwhales,butit’salsothe
busiesttimeoftheyearfortourists.
September–March:Thenorthern
lightsarebestinthedarkwinter
months,althoughinnorthern
Icelandtheweathercanbegrim
andconditionsdiicultatthistime.
Septemberisgoodforexperiencing
theautumncoloursandstilloersa
chanceofseeingthenorthernlights.Health&safety
Roughgravelroadsaround
peninsulasoftenhaveloosestones
andpotholes.Drivecarefully–speed
limitsarethereforareason.Petrol
stationsarescarceinremoteareas
sokeepyoureyeonyourfueland
ensureyourphoneisalwayscharged.Gettingthere&around
SeveralairlineslytoReykjavíkfrom
theUKairports.BritishAirways
(returnsfromLondonHeathrowto
Reykjavíkfrom£114;ba.com; 0344
493 0125)andIcelandair(returns
fromLondonHeathrowtoReykjavíkFootnotes
North Iceland
Graeme Green; Alamy ⊲
THE TRIP
Discover the World
(01737 888 466; discover-
the-world.com) oers tailor-
made self-drive holidays
and escorted tours to the
north of Iceland. Its 11-night
Arctic Coast Way self-drive
trip, available between
May and September, costs
from £1,604pp based on
two sharing, including
hotel accommodation with
breakfast, car rental and
exclusive iDiscover App.
A 3-hour horseriding tour
with Iceland Horse Tours
(icelandhorsetours.com) costs
13,000 ISK pp (£82).
Scuba diving in Eyjajörður
with Strýtan Dive Center
(strytan.is) costs from
30,000 ISK to 40,000 ISK pp
(£190–£253), including dry
suit and equipment rental.
Whale-watching tours
with North Sailing in
Húsavík (northsailing.is)
cost 10,690 ISK (£68).
Northern Lights tours from
Akureyri with Saga Travel
(sagatravel.is) cost
9,900 ISK pp (£63).from£127;icelandair.co.uk; 020
7874 1000).AirIceland Connect
(airicelandconnect.com) has one-
waylightsbetweenReykjavík and
EgilsstaðirineastIceland (to start
orinishtheArcticCoast Way) from
£130,includingbaggage.
Domesticairlinesserve hubs,
includingAkureyri,and it’s possible
togetbusestomain towns and
villagesaroundIceland’s ring road.
ToexploretheArctic Coast Way
freely,youneedtohire a car,
ideallya4WD.Renting a 4WD for
12 dayswithEuropcar (europcar.is)
withpick-upandreturn at Kelavík
InternationalAirportcosts £790.50,
or£881.91foraone-way drop-o at
Egilsstaðirairport.Costoftravel
Icelandisn’tcheap. A glass of beer
costsaround1,000ISK (£6.50) to
1,400ISK(£9),whilea main course
atarestaurantcosts from 2,500
ISK(£16)to6,000ISK (£38). Petrol
isaround 239 ISK(£1.50) per litre
anddieselisaround231 ISK (£1.45).
Youshouldbudgetaround £250 for
petrolforthe12-daytrip.Accommodation
Campingispossibleand there are
hostelsinAkureyri,but north Iceland
mostlyhasguesthouses and hotels.
BrimslóðAtelierGuesthouse
(Blönduós,brimslodguesthouse.is)
isastylishnewguesthouse on the
seafront,withamodern restaurant.
Doublesfrom28,380 ISK (£178).
HótelTindastóll(Sauðárkrókur;
arctichotel.is)isIceland’s oldest hotel;
cosydoublesfrom17,000 ISK (£107).
SiglóHótel(Siglujörður; siglohotel.
is) is a stylish hotel on the waterfront;
doubles from 28,000 ISK (£176).
Hótel Skúlagarður (Ásbyrgi;
skulagardur.is), close to ÁsbyrgiTOP TIP
Be prepared for all
kinds of weather.
North Iceland’s
weather is
changeable, and
it can get wet and
cold, so carry rain
jackets and layers
of warm clothing,
especially if you’re
planning to be out
at night watching
the northern
lights.At the dock of the bay
A boat in the harbour
at SiglujörðurBig ish
Atlantic wolish
can be spotted
en route