Iceland is an island in the North Atlantic, about 620 miles (1,000 km) west of Norway. It is the westernmost country in Europe.
Iceland is a little smaller in size than the state of Kentucky. It comprises an area of 39,768 square miles (103,000 sq. km).
No. There are daily flights to Iceland from many North American and European cities. Iceland’s major airport is Keflavík International, located 30 miles (48 km) southwest of Reykjavík.
Not as cold as the name of the country sounds. Thanks to the
warm Gulf Stream, temperatures are moderate year-round. The average
temperature in March is 37.58 F (3.1 C) with little precipitation
and medium winds.
At the peak of summer, the sun barely sets in
Reykjavík. The 21st of March is Spring Equinox and so we have
roughly 12 hours of daylight during Fanfest.
Icelanders are taught English from
age 11 on, so most of them are quite fluent in the English
language.
No matter what time of year you
plan to visit Iceland, always pack some warm and water-resistant
clothes. The Icelanders often say, "If you don't like the weather,
just wait 15 minutes." They're not kidding! And always bring
a bathing suit. Yes, a bathing suit! Icelanders' favorite pastime
is year-round outdoor swimming in the countless geothermally-heated
pools and lagoons, which are as warm as bathwater.
Quite Scandinavian, their mainly
Norwegian Viking ancestors brought along some Irish slaves who
quickly blended into the population over 1100 years ago and many
Icelanders actually celebrate St. Patrick's Day! Contrary to
rumors, there are no Eskimos in Iceland.
Iceland money is the króna
(krónur in the plural). You can exchange your money at the airport.
Major credit cards, such as Visa and MasterCard, are widely
accepted and there are also plenty of ATMs all over the country.
The krona, plural kronur (ISK), had a 2006 exchange rate of
whopping 70 ISK to the US dollar but due to the ongoing financial
crisis the ISK has crashed and stands at 116 ISK to the USD and 160
ISK to the EUR (as of Sept 2010).
World-class! Iceland's hotels and
guesthouses are almost invariably clean and comfortable. Food
choices are generally wide. "Homegrown" seafood and lamb dishes are
popular and available anywhere. In the more populated areas,
international cuisine - including American fast food - has become
all the rage. And vegetarians will find plenty of excellent
choices.
You're obviously reading this part
of the website first. But make no mistake - you don't have to be an
outdoors type to fall in love with Iceland! For example, Reykjavik
is one of the liveliest, safest, most sophisticated, and modern
cities on earth. Its nightlife and cultural offerings are quickly
becoming legendary worldwide. Half of Iceland's population lives in
the greater Reykjavik area.
If you come from North America or
Great Britain and want to bring an electrical device from home, you
will need to bring an adapter. The electrical standards in Iceland
are 50 Hz and 240 volts.
Iceland is a very tech-savvy country with one of the highest
rates of Internet usage in the world. If you didn't bring a
computer, you'll find internet cafés in the bigger towns and
hotels. Many restaurants and cafés, especially in Reykjavik, have
free wifi access, so if you have a laptop you can get Internet
access almost everywhere. You'll also notice that most hotels,
guesthouses, museums, restaurants and cafés have their own
websites. The Fanfest venue has a free wifi hotspot.
Most North American cell phones
won't work because Iceland is on the European system, but you can
rent phones in Iceland. Then, how do I call home? All it takes is
your AT&T calling card or credit card.
1. Dial the
AT&T access number in Iceland; 00 800-22255288.
2. Then dial the phone number you're calling
including area code.
3. Wait for a prompt then enter your AT&T
Calling Card number and 4-digit pin.
Iceland's country code is +354. If
you are calling Iceland from the United States or Canada, dial 011
to get an international line, then 354 and the 7-digit phone
number. When you are in Iceland, you just need to dial the 7-digit
phone number. There are no area codes in Iceland.
