Iceland Stop-over

Stop-over in Iceland

Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) in dark winters, summer’s midnight sun. Waterfalls, geysers, volcanic rocks… Have a taste of this adventurous country and dream to come back! 

Viviane Vaz

Looking from the airplane window, I felt I was landing in a dream or another planet. An imposing sky over me, painted in perfect shades of gray and blue, combined by a volcanic soil touched by soft green vegetation. What awaited me in the following two days of my stop-over in Iceland, before going to Washington?

The day I arrived it was raining softly. I took the keys from the rented jeep at Keflavik airport and received some important pieces of advice to drive correctly in Iceland. I share them with you:

  • Do not drive out of the road with your jeep: “offroad” is illegal as it can damage Iceland delicate environment;

  • The average speed on the roads is 80km/h, ideal to keep the car balanced under the force of the winds;

  • Never stop the car in the middle of the road. Do it only on road sideways, parking properly to take pictures. It may seem ridiculous, but many tourists take risks and cause accidents, by assuming the road is empty and no one is coming. 

  • Watch out over you car doors under extremely windy conditions. In a storm, you can expect average winds at 50m/s (112 mph).

By the way, do you know that in Iceland there is no fire department? It is the Icelandic volunteers who strive to save citizens and tourists! So, please, prepare yourself, get good advice and avoid unnecessary trouble to this friendly people.

Budget

One thing that nobody likes to mention is that the cost of living in Iceland is high compared even to Belgium. Iceland ranks the 11th on the World’s Cost of Living Index. So, prepare your wallet with substantial savings and enjoy your trip. One thing is for sure: you can drink plenty of pure cristaline water from the tap! 🙂 By the way, all restaurants in Iceland will offer you tap water for free. 

Waterfalls are also a must-do in Iceland

 

These travel continues here (Coming soon! Stay tuned!)

Icelandic food & fun

Geysers… An extra chapter!

Should I go to the Blue Lagoon?