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Reykjavik City Breaks

City Break to Reykjavik

A city break to Reykjavik offers a unique experience for visitors to the Icelandic capital. Dating back to the first century AD, this city was originally a Viking settlement named Reykjavik meaning 'Smokey Bay' by the Viking Ingolfur Arnarson. The city itself is not a polluted or smoky region, but the boiling natural geysers and geothermal springs in the area caused the mist, which provided the northern Atlantic peninsula its name. The city is now a modern and contemporary city, with clean air and clear blue skies as there is no need to burn fuels with the natural heating underneath the city.

Due to its location Iceland's capital is cold and bleak in the winter months, with warm sunshine in the summer months. Visitors on a city break to Reykjavik would be well advised to wrap up warm, if travelling there at wintertime.

Although an ancient city, the modern Reykjavik is a lively and exciting capital of Iceland, with an array of bars and clubs, which are filled on the balmy and bright summer nights and the local inhabitants are friendly and flamboyant, creating a fun tourist destination filled with unique attractions. City breaks to Reykjavik also offer a relaxing pace of life and an array of cultural attractions, including bathing in the geothermal swimming pools or a range of interesting day trips.

City breaks to Reykjavik also offer enchanting views over the magnificent Mount Esja rising up behind the bay, with the Snaefellsjokull glacier in the west offering awe inspiring views. The city is home to wooden whitewashed buildings and is spacious and clean. Fresh air and open space offer a refreshing and rejuvenating experience, while the grandeur of nature surrounds the region.


 

 


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