romantic couple hugging on grassy mountainous terrain near waterfall

What nobody tells you and you should know before visiting Iceland

This post is dedicated to all those things we would have liked to know before visiting Iceland. Although we must admit that we are a bit stubborn and there are many things that we did not pay the necessary attention to. Don't make the same mistake and burn these Information that you should know before visiting Iceland and that will prevent you from getting the odd surprise.

This insights it will be of much utility in order to organize your trip to Iceland.

Things nobody tells you when planning a trip to Iceland

The road

I never would have imagined that Iceland with only youOn the main road, which is the M1, the other roads are secondary and are not in very good condition.

For those of you who live in Spain, imagine that the N1 is more or less like a national one, without a platform or with a very narrow platform.

You will have to look at the state of the roads and the weather every day. Face to plan the trip and not take surprises along the way. Although in Iceland surprises are guaranteed. It is important that you look at the state of the roads where you are going to go every day.

For this, it is best to help you with some Useful apps about the weather and road conditions in Iceland.

In case you did not know in Iceland it is very common for some roads to be cut, either due to snow, landslides or sections under construction. Especially in winter.

EA BB CDFA

Thermos and other utensils

We are so used to bazaars and having many stores available that when you arrive in Iceland and need a specific thing it is very difficult to find it.

So if you need things like a thermos or a taper (tupper, tuper, I have no idea how to spell it) that can withstand the heat well The best thing you can do is take it from Spain since buying it there will be a bit complicated.

And so with many other things.

Parking

Tand you will leave a lot of money of your budget for car parks in the most touristic points of Iceland. Failure to pay them is an almost certain fine, so If you don't have a machine in a parking lot, you must do it online. Don't forget to do it since that amount can be deducted from the card you left when you rented the vehicle.

in iceland you will only have to pay a toll. El Akureyri toll It is a tunnel that costs approximately €11. It is paid online. You can do it before or after going through the tunnel, although everyone recommends that you do it before.

We paid it the day after passing through and without problems. Remember to keep the receipt just in case.

As well You can save that money by going around the tunnel, which would be about 7 km. But remember that 7 km on the back roads of Iceland may seem like 20, so It is well worth paying for the longest tunnel in all of Iceland.

Card and no cash

Be sure to bring a card that does not charge you a commission for paying outside the country. The card is a very necessary instrument in Iceland. there practically cash is not used not to say that it is totally obsolete and in disuse.

As a curiosity: We did not see anyone pay with cash. In fact, We don't know what money is like in Iceland and we never had it in our hands. Not even to pay just a few euros…

white and red house near road

Food

Food in Iceland is very expensive. but the staple foods are not very different in how much price to those we have in Spain.

If you're wondering if Iceland food is worth taking, The short answer is yes. Although there are certain foods that it is better to buy at destination, as the price does not vary much.

Wind

Watch out for the wind. The wind in Iceland changes from one moment to another and the most dangerous are the gusts of wind.

As a curiosity: among the things that Car insurance does not cover damage to the doors caused by the wind. The wind can be so strong in Iceland, that uA streak can damage the car door grooves.

Tip: when you take the car, be sure to take pictures of this area and when using it, open the door carefully when there is a strong wind.

Car

Ensure that part of the budget is allocated to choose a good car. Investing in it will mean that travel safer and more comfortable.

If you are going to do the Iceland Road it is very important that you choose a big car. Although some travelers only recommend it if you go in winter, from our point of view, It is also necessary in intermediate times such as autumn and spring.

Important: If you are going to do the Iceland Road or any other route in the autumn, Make sure that the car you choose already has studs or winter wheels.

To put you in context, We visited the country at the beginning of October, we caught a bit of a storm and thanks to having a studded wheel the journey north became more bearable. Not with less nerves since we were not used to driving on roads with snow and ice.

That is why if you visit the country in winter, autumn or spring, especially to do the Iceland Ring Road and you have to go through the north, it is best to choose a large car with all the wheels suitable for passing snowy or icy mountain sections.

Besides that the height of the car is very important, as to see some waterfalls you will need to go through full of holes, gravel and dirt terrains.

F-roads

F roads are prohibited. Fines for entering these types of roads they are high And it's also dangerous.

The F roads are those that cross a river and you cannot go through them at certain times of the year unless you go with qualified personnel and the right vehicle.

  1. If you think you can't see northern lights in September or October, let me surprise you.

If I forget something or you want to send your contribution, I will update the post so that we can all do our bit.

Other curiosities about Iceland

We also have a place to leave you some curiosities about the country. Some details have caught our attention.

  1. Icelandic surnames are formed with the father's name plus "son" or "dóttir", What does son or daughter mean? For example Jónsdóttir and Jónsson.
  1. One of the traditional foods from Iceland is fermented sheep's head. A delicacy for Icelanders and a rarity for others.
  1. One of the requirements when you obtain Icelandic nationality is that you have to change your name to a typical Icelandic one.

Other curiosities that will call your attention a lot I leave it to you in the post about curiosities of Iceland.

Among them, surely it will call you a lot attention, population density, climate, language and other issues.

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in the next button you can find more articles about Iceland. We want them to help you when it comes to organize your trip.

Happy Journey through the land of ice and fire.

𝙶𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚒𝚊𝚜 𝚙𝚘𝚛 𝚕𝚎𝚎𝚛 ♡ 𝚃𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚔 𝚢𝚘𝚞


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