What You Need to Travel to Iceland, Part One

Everything you might need to travel to Iceland…Let’s start off by saying, you will need a passport. You are going to another country. But don’t stress, the Icelandic people are super friendly and everyone speaks English and all signs are also labeled in English.

The different seasons

What you are bringing depends on when you are traveling to Iceland. I went in early March so it was still winter, but close to the end so the wind was not as extreme, so they said. The temperatures and wind chill can be unpredictable, but in the winter, the temperatures stay around the low 30s (Fahrenheit) and in the summer months, they climb to the 50s. If they get a 70 degree day, they say people will be in bathing suits. My best advice is LAYERS. In March, I brought several fleece leggings that went under weather/waterproof pants for exploring waterfalls, geysers, etc. Jeans for exploring Reykjavik. And for tops, I wore a thermal undershirt as well as a top layer or sweater. Plus a heavy parka or down jacket plus hats, scarves, and warm gloves. Also, my smart wool socks plus my Sorel hiking boots were worn everyday. If you are around Reykjavik first, they have lots of shopping for Iceland’s famous wool sweaters, hats, and gloves. If you are doing waterfalls, a thing to pack is spikes to add to your boots while you are walking around the ice.

Food can be expensive

When you convert your money to Icelandic Krona, you think it seems like a lot because the prices are labeled differently. (1000K). But food at restaurants is splurge worthy. A typical meal can be about $35-50 U.S. dollars. While I did see a fast food place in a few towns, it was not cheap either. We did AirBnB and the best prices were in the food stores. Making breakfast helps avoid one meal out, and renting a car allows you to do all your transportation. A GPS works there as long as you have a portable hot spot of internet or pay for international coverage. But there are not many roads in Iceland so getting around is not complicated. If you are a person who was interested in Iceland, you already are adventurous so embrace that spirit and rent a car! While enjoying Reykjavik allows for walkability, most of the other amazing things you will want to see are at least an hour (or more) drive. But the journey is amazing and the views are just breath taking!

Essentials

A travel adapter for your plug ins, aka, your phone charger! Iceland uses the Europe two prong plug. You might need a nose plug. Kidding, not kidding. Iceland produces most of their hot water from geothermal energy, and while it is a great low cost and natural form of energy, it smells. Like sulfur, or rotten eggs. It is great for your skin, but tastes yucky.

On the other hand, the cold water is fresh from the springs and one of the cleanest in the world. So bring your refillable water tins as water is LITERALLY offered for free anywhere– Airport, shopping at the food store, and no, I am not kidding! They offer lemon, cucumber and plain water so lots of choices.

Enjoy the photos from our first day of Iceland around Reykjavik….I traveled with some of the best girls and photographers out there! Head over to my next post on my Iceland trip here.