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Iceland City Breaks

Short breaks to Iceland

With its glassy glaciers, hot thermal springs, spectacular geysers, active volcanoes, lava fields, stunning waterfalls and snow-capped mountains, Iceland is indeed the original 'land of fire and ice'.

It is not only unique and wonderful natural phenomena that intrigue visitors to this, the second largest island in Europe, which lies close to the Arctic Circle northwest of Scotland and south of Greenland. The hardy Icelandic people, descendants of ancient Norsemen and Celts, are intriguing too, having spawned what is now renowned as the oldest surviving parliament in the world (called the 'Althing'), founded in 930AD, and boasting a much-revered literary heritage of the best medieval works, mostly based on historic heroic sagas.

Most of the country's popular tourist features are in the south of the island near the capital, Reykjavik, in the region known as 'The Golden Circle'. Top of the list for scenic splendour is the Gullfoss double-tiered waterfall, set off with a brilliant rainbow, and the spouting hot springs of Geysir.

Reykjavik means 'smoky', but in the case of Iceland's pristine capital (which is Europe's most northerly capital city) the smoke is not smog, but rather steam from the underground springs that warm the city. Reykjavik has a well-deserved reputation for being the cleanest, most invigorating city in Europe, where the standard of living is one of the highest in the world. The city may be small, but it is full of interesting attractions from galleries and museums to thermal bathing spots, and the nightlife is second to none.

What else is there to do and see in Iceland? Well, how about whale-watching; chic fine dining; hiking the highlands; viewing Europe's largest glacier Vatnajokull; fishing the rivers; taming one of the great wild Icelandic horses, river-rafting; exploring on a snow-scooter; shopping for designer wear, souvenirs and gourmet foods; joining the descendants of the Vikings in the Summer Solstice Festival at Hafnarfjorour; visit the northerly island of Grimsey to cross the Arctic Circle; visiting the recreated medieval farm at Stong.



 

 


Essential Information on Iceland

Money

The unit of currency is the Icelandic króna (ISK), plural krónur, divided into 100 aurar. Iceland's three banks, Íslandsbanki, Landsbanki Ísland and Búnaðarbanki, all offer foreign exchange facilities and can be found in even the tiniest villages. Most have ATMs on their premises, available after banking hours, which are usually Monday to Friday from 9.15am to 4pm. Credit cards are widely used in Iceland for purchases and cash advances, and travellers cheques are accepted by all banks and most hotels. Travellers cheques in US Dollars get the best exchange rate charges.

Source: www.wordtravels.com

Passports / Visas

Most visitors to Iceland require a passport valid for at least three months after their intended stay. Return or onward tickets, all documents for the next destination and sufficient funds are necessary for entry into the country, except for members of the EEA. The borderless region known as the Schengen area includes the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. All these countries issue a standard Schengen visa that has a multiple entry option that allows the holder to travel freely within the borders of all.

Source: www.wordtravels.com

Communications

The international country code for Iceland is +354. The outgoing code is 00, followed by the relevant country code (e.g., 0027 for South Africa). City/area codes are not in use. Note that Icelanders are listed by their first name in the telephone directory, not the last. Iceland has the highest per capital mobile phone use in the world with GSM networks and there are roaming agreements with most international mobile phone companies. Iceland Telecom rents mobile phones to visitors. There are numerous Internet cafes around the country.

Source: www.wordtravels.com