Between the Arctic and the North Atlantic is Iceland, a republic that it is the least populated country in Europe. We have talked about many of its wonders as it has truly fantastic landscapes for lovers of outdoor life and Nature: Blue Lagoon, its oddly shaped cliffs, beaches with icy icebergs, caves, glaciers and much more.
But what do we need to know about this country? What do you have to take into account when traveling to Iceland? How are we doing? That is to say, What transports can we take to go to Iceland? If the island is a point on your travel route, something that makes you noisy and attracts you a lot, then read this post carefully to find out about your potential trip and fall more in love, if possible, with beautiful Iceland.
Go by plane to Iceland
Today the most comfortable and fast way is By plane. Between the cities of Europe the trips can last between three and five hours, if you come from North America between five and seven and if it is from the rest of the world then much more. But it is not complicated at all. The following are airlines flying to Iceland:
- Icelandair: It does not fly from Spain all year round, only in season, and it does so from Las Palmas, Tenerife and Valencia. In summer it adds Barcelona and Madrid and other cities in Europe. The rest of the year he does it from Amsterdam, Boston, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Paris, London and other cities in Europe and North America.
- WOW Air: from Spain it also flies only in season and it does so from Alicante, Barcelona and Tenerife. From Berlin, Copenhagen, London and Paris all year round.
- Iberia Express: offers regular flights between Madrid and Keflavik between June and September of this year, 2016. They will start operating on June 18.
- Primera Air: From Spain it has flights from Tenerife all year round and from Alicante, Almería, Barcelona, Las Palmas and Malaga.
- Vueling: fly from Barcelona and Rome to Keflavík.
- easJet: It does not fly from Spain but has regular flights from Basel, Belfast, Bristol, Edinburgh, Geneva, London and Manchester.
- SAS: fly from Oslo
- norwegian: all year round from Oslo and Bergen.
- Delta: From February to September there are daily flights between New York and Iceland.
- airberlin: flies between May and September from Berlin, Dusseldorf, Hamburg and Munich.
- Austrian Airlines: There are weekly flights from Vienna between June and August.
- air greenland: offers regular flights between Nuuk, Greenland and Iceland.
- NIKI: fly from Vienna between June and September.
- Atlantic Airways: regular flights from Copenhagen, Bergen and the Faroe Islands.
- Transavia: regular flights from Paris between May and September.
- Deutsche Lufthansa: regular flights from Frankfurt and Munchen between May and September.
- British Airways: regular flights from London.
- Edelweiss Air: weekly flights from Geneva and Zurich, in the summer.
As you see, there are many flights from different cities in Spain although it must be considered that they are not offered all year round. But the truth is that many airlines fly from the rest of Europe, so if you want to schedule a longer trip or are approaching Iceland from elsewhere, there are many options among the classic and low-cost airlines.
Iceland has two airports, but the main and biggest is Keflavík's, located 48 kilometers from the city of Reykjavík, the capital. In general, domestic flights, domestic flights, and those going to and from Greenland use the small Reykjavík airport, closer to the city. But the plane is not the only way to get to Iceland.
Go by boat to Iceland
We can also go by boat, although surely it will not be the fastest option and of course it is reduced to a few options. There is a ferry line called Smyril Line which has a weekly service, the Norröna ferry, from Hirsthals, in Denmark, through Tórshavn, in the Faroe Islands, to Seyoisfjörour, in eastern Iceland. It is not cheap, but it is a good ferry. It has another service, all year round, between Denmark and Faroe, and Iceland is part of the route from the end of March to October. In winter the passage is limited and depends on the weather.
Ferry rates depend on travel dates, whether or not you have a car and whether or not you choose a cabin. A one-way trip from Hirtshals to Seyoisfjorour, a 47-hour trip, for two passengers and a small car in high season (June-August), costs a whopping € 559 per person in the cheapest cabin. For someone traveling alone and without a car, the price is around 260 euros in a bedroom with bunk beds.
This company, Smyril Line, offers packages so if adventure is your thing I recommend that you take a look at their website as there are cruises and the ship in question, the Norröna, is very good. These are the Norröna routes:
- Route 1: Denmark - Iceland. In high season there are two trips per week. The ports are Hirtshals in Denmark, Tórshavn in the Faroes and Seyoisfjorour in Iceland. 47 hours of travel. The most complete day for reservations is Tuesday morning. You can travel on Saturdays but there is a three-day stop in the Faroe Islands. In low season the day of departure from Denmark is Saturday.
- Route 2: Denmark - Faroe Islands. In high season there are two weekly trips to the Faroes, on Saturday and Tuesday mornings. In mid and low season, it departs on Saturdays from Denmark.
- Route 3: Faroe Islands - Iceland. In high season the Norröna ferry leaves from the Faroe Islands to Iceland on Wednesdays and from Iceland on Thursday mornings. In low and middle season it does so from Faroe on Mondays and from Iceland on Wednesdays afternoons.
If you choose the boat you should know a few more things. Between the port of Seyoisfjorour and the city of Reykjavík the journey by bus is between eight and nine hours. You can also go by bus to other cities in Iceland and there is a tourist office in the same port that gives you all the necessary information.
Finally, if you don't want to go on the ferry and you like the idea of a cruise there are some companies that add Iceland in their routes, Fred Olsen Cruises, P&O and Cunard, for example. They usually touch the capital of Iceland and the cities of Isafjörour and Akureyri, although they do not start from Spain and you have to go to England, at least.