Iceland Travel Guide

Social Conventions

Visitors will find Iceland is a classless society with a strong literary tradition. Handshaking is the normal form of greeting. An Icelander is called by his first name because his surname is made up of his father's Christian name plus ‘son' or ‘daughter' (eg John, the son of Magnus, would be called John Magnusson, while John's sister, Mary, would be known as Mary Magnusdóttir). People are addressed as Fru (Mrs) and Herra (Mr). Visitors will often be invited to homes, especially if on business, and normal courtesies should be observed. Icelanders pay careful attention to their appearance and, as for most Western countries, casual wear is widely acceptable although unsuitable for smart and social functions.

International Travel

Getting There By Air

The national airline, Icelandair (FI) (www.icelandair.net), operates direct flights year round to Reykjavík (Keflavík) from London, New York, Boston, Minneapolis St Paul and Orlando. Iceland Express (HW) (www.icelandexpress.com) and British Airways (BA) (www.ba.com) also fly from London.

Departure Tax

None.

Main Airports

Keflavík International (KEF) (www.airport.is) is the main international hub, 48km (30 miles) southwest of Reykjavík (journey time - 45 minutes). To/from the airport: Flybus (www.re.is/flybus/) operates after each flight, making trips to all major hotels in Reykjavík, the camping ground, the youth hostel in Laugardalun and the domestic terminal. A taxi service is also available. Facilities: Duty-free shop, banking and exchange facilities, information desk, post office, restaurants, bars and car hire. Wi-Fi is available throughout the terminal.

Getting There By Water

Main ports:Keflavik, Rekjavík and Seyðisfjörður.

A few ferry companies operate services to Iceland from Denmark, Germany and Norway. The Faroe Islands' Smyril Line (tel: 570 8600 or +44 207 554 3530, in the UK; www.smyril-line.com) operates a weekly passenger- and car-ferry service from Norway, Denmark, Scotland and the Faroe Islands.

Many cruises also call at Iceland.

Duty Free

Overview

The following goods may be imported into Iceland by persons over 18 years of age (tobacco products) or 20 years of age (alcoholic beverages) without incurring customs duty:

• 200 cigarettes or 250g of tobacco products.
• 1L of spirits and 1L of wine or 1L of spirits and 6L of beer or 1L of wine and 6L of beer or 2.25L of wine.

Note: Travelers may bring in up to 3kg (6.6lb) of food not exceeding kr13,000 and goods free of duty up to the value of kr46,000; the value of each single goods item must not exceed kr23,000.

Restrictions: All fishing and riding equipment must be disinfected and a certificate of disinfection issued by an official veterinary authority presented on arrival. Visitors may bring conventional medicines suitable for personal needs during their stay but may not exceed 100 days consumption. Customs officers can request a doctor's certificate if appropriate. There are also restrictions on larger amounts of flowers and plants, and certain types of telephonic and communications equipments, which are subject to a permit from the Post and Telecom Administration (www.pta.is). A permit, however, is not required if a traveler imports one GSM mobile phone.

Prohibited Imports

Uncooked meats, milk and eggs, narcotics and weapons.

Internal Travel

Getting Around By Air

Air Iceland(NY) (www.airiceland.is) runs domestic services to all major airports within Iceland, which link up with air/bus connections to over 40 towns. They also fly to Greenland and the Faroe Islands. Air Atlanta Icelandic (CC) (www.islandsflug.is or www.atlanta.is) also operates scheduled flights.

Getting Around By Water

A number of ferry companies, including Eimskip (tel: 481 2800 or 525 7700; www.eimskip.com) and Ferry Baldur (tel: 433 2254; www.seatours.is), operate services to various islands and fjords. Regular sightseeing tours are also available by ferries during the summer.

Getting Around By Road

Traffic drives on the right. Roads serve all settlements. The roads are mostly gravel rather than tarred. This applies to sections of Highway One (The Ring Road), Iceland's main highway, too. Most mountain roads are only open in summer, and some of them can only be used by 4-wheel-drive vehicles. The Icelandic Tourist Board provide maps, and a helpful online guide (in both brochure and video format) to driving in Iceland. For information on road conditions, call Vegagerdin (the Icelandic Road Administration) on 1777. Lines are open daily 0800-1600 (summer) and 0800-1700 (winter) (www.vegagerdin.is/english).

Bus: Services are efficient and cheap, connecting all parts of the island during the summer. In winter, buses operate to a limited number of destinations. Reservations are not necessary and tickets can be bought either at the bus station or from the driver. Children under four years old travel free and children under 11 pay half price. Various tickets and passes, including an Air/Bus Rover that allows visitors to fly one way and return by bus, are available with BSÍ Bus (tel: 562 1011; www.bsi.is).

Taxi: Available from all hotels and airports.

Car hire: Car hire services are available from Reykjavík, Akureyri and many other towns.

Regulations: Speed limits are 50kph (31mph) in urban areas, while outside towns they are 90kph (56mph) on paved roads and 80kph (50mph) on gravel roads. Drivers must be over 20 years of age. It is obligatory to use headlights at all times of the day and night, and to wear seat belts, both in the front and back seats.

Documentation: An International Driving Permit is recommended, although it is not legally required. A temporary driving license is available from local authorities on presentation of a valid UK driving license.

Journey Times

The following chart gives approximate journey times (in hours and minutes) from Reykjavík to other major cities/towns in Iceland.

	Air	Road	Sea
Isafjördur	0.50	9.00	-
Saudakrokur	0.45	3.30	-
Akureyri	0.55	5.00	-
Höfn	0.65	9.30	-