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Iceland

9 tips for Americans traveling to Iceland

A horse roams near Husavik in northern Iceland.

REYKJAVIK, Iceland – Ice and volcanic fire long ago sculpted this country into an otherworldly masterpiece, leaving behind a geological time capsule with all sorts of dramatic flourishes:

Monstrous craters. Bright blue icebergs. Countless waterfalls. Even bubbling pits of earth spewing steam and sulfur.

This is why so many fantasy features have filmed here, including Game of Thrones and Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

It’s also a big reason tourism here has exploded. A record 2.2 million foreigners visited Iceland last year, up from 556,000 in 2011, according to the Icelandic Tourist Board. This past June alone, a record 93,000 Americans departed Keflavik International Airport.

But this popularity surge has consequences that could affect the expenses and experiences of anybody visiting these days. Here are some tips and observations after a recent week-long summer drive along the Ring Road, a narrow two-lane highway that circles the country:

It’s even more expensive than you thought. Those relatively inexpensive direct flights from Icelandair and WOW air into Keflavik are an effective marketing tease for Americans. Then the sticker shock sets in when once you look at your first restaurant menu – even though you thought you already knew about Iceland’s reputation for high prices. A bowl of the country’s iconic soup – lamb or seafood – often costs 1,800 Icelandic krona or more --about $17-20. At least it comes with delicious bread.

Iceland also makes some very smooth beer, particularly the Arctic Pale Ale from Einstok brewery in Akureyri. But a small bottle will cost 1,000 or even 1,200 krona in a restaurant (about $10 or $11), due largely to high taxes on alcohol. By contrast, this same beer for the same size can be found in American restaurants for around $6-7.

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It’s an American summer. After a windy day of hiking near gorgeous Lake Myvatn in North Iceland, we pulled over for dinner at Vogafjos Cowshed Café, a rustic farm-to-table eatery serving raw smoked lamb and smoked trout.  But glancing at the clientele, it almost seemed like walking into a Buffalo Wild Wings in Jacksonville. Diners wore gear featuring the Miami Hurricanes, Florida State Seminoles and Texas Longhorns – another sign of the American tourism gusher here that is helping demand exceed supply, driving up prices.

They picked a good spot to get out of the heat and traffic in the USA. The summertime weather is usually brisk, around 50 degrees, with nearly 24 hours of daylight. At the same time, the pristine, mossy green countryside is getting increasingly tested by tourism. The number of American visitors flared from 95,000 in 2012 to 576,000 in 2017 before hitting a monthly record in June 2018, according to departure data from the Keflavik airport.  By contrast, Iceland’s population is around 340,000.

Just as tourism has helped Iceland rebound from its financial collapse nearly 10 years ago, it is now stressing its infrastructure and affordability. The Keflavik airport in particular has become almost unbearably crowded at times, though it plans a major expansion to relieve it.

A gas station hot dog near Keflavik. Hot dogs are revered in Iceland and come with crunchy onions and remoulade. They can help save a travel budget, too, because they only cost $4 or less.

Ode to the gas station hot dog. In the USA, the gas station hot dog might rank last on the list  – a red tube of mystery meat sweating behind glass near the soda machine. This is not the case in Iceland, where the gas station hot dog is a scrumptious savior. They serve them delectably different here – a local favorite made with lamb and served with tasty condiments such as remoulade and crunchy onions. And they barely cost 400 krona (less than $4). It’s a way to balance the budget after ringing up 6,500 krona for a single serving of the sweet local langoustine in the little coastal town of Hofn.

It’s amazingly connected. Despite its remote location, Iceland has free Wi-Fi available at key stops around the Ring Road, even where the sheep outnumber the locals. You can save money this way by putting your phone on airplane mode during the duration of your visit and then just connecting to Wi-Fi at gas stops, cafes or hotels. Keeping your phone connected otherwise could cost you an additional $10 per day, depending on your provider. You don’t want to rely on GPS here anyway, if only because your phone won’t be able to pronounce the names. (The northern fishing village of Siglufjordur is as beautiful as it is impossible for Siri to say.) Better to buy a printed map and keep your eye on the road dodging the sheep.

Take the points. Experts will tell you it’s a good idea to carry local currency in a foreign country. This is sound advice, but I tried to see if I could get by with only credit cards – a way to pile up rewards points, avoid any exchange fees and not have any foreign cash leftover at the end. It worked -- even in remote areas of the Ring Road, every visited business took credit cards. Many even accepted American Express. Use a card that doesn’t charge extra for foreign transactions and at least get points in return for those high prices.

Venture beyond seafood, lamb and hot dogs. Those get the attention they deserve from locals and foreigners alike, though often for a pretty penny, except for those hot dogs. Other less expensive surprises included pizza made with local cheeses in Vik, where fruit jam is served as a condiment. After being smeared on the cheese, the jam delivers a sweet counter poke to the savory punch of the pie. For breakfast or a snack, “happy marriage cake" bursts with oats and rhubarb, making it a nice complement to the country's beloved skyr, a yogurt-like dairy treat. Just watch out for unlabeled cold cuts of meat on the breakfast buffet. "Is it roast beef?" Nope. "Horse meat," the restaurant employee said.

Bring a refillable water bottle and drink the coffee. Icelanders take pride in the purity of their water. Whales frolic in it in the fjords. Bath showers come from naturally heated underground supplies. And the faucets need no filters, so don't waste money on bottled water here, as the locals will tell you. Just fill up in the sink and stay hydrated on the Ring Road, where caffeine from local coffee helps, too. A cup usually costs 500 krona or less. These fluids help the mind navigate the winds, sheep and cyclists on unforgivably narrow country highways with almost no shoulder. 

American hot tub party in Iceland. If you want to take part in a big warm bath filled with Americans on vacation, go for the famous Blue Lagoon, the geothermal spa near the airport. It costs about $90. If you want something cheaper and culturally authentic, many other geothermal pools around the country offer their warm waters. Just heed the local custom of showering naked before entering.

The best things still are free, sort of. Skaftafell National Park on the country’s southeast side stuns with its glacier and waterfalls in cool and sometimes damp summertime weather. It’s free to hike for a day except for parking (600 krona). Otherwise, the best things about Iceland remain free: the lush rolling greens along the Ring, the black sand beach on the South Coast, and the water – for the falls, whales, puffins and people.

Follow Schrotenboer on Twitter @Schrotenboer

 

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