Iceland Map and Travel Essentials

From James Martin,
Your Guide to Europe for Visitors.
FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now!

Use our map of Iceland to prepare for a unique trip to Europe

You are Here > Home > Europe Map > Map of Iceland and Travel Information

(If you are looking for a location map of the April Volcanic eruption that disrupted air travel, see our Eyjafjallajökull Location Map - Eyjafjallajökull Volcano in Iceland.)

Map of Iceland

Map of Iceland ©Mountain High Maps®, modified by James Martin

Iceland In General

Iceland is an Island country of over a quarter of a million people.

Most folks believe Iceland to be a rocky island with a harsh climate. But what's there may surprise you. Iceland contains one of the northern-most botanical gardens in the world, Lystigarður in Akureyri. The geologically active south features hot pools and glacier-fed waterfalls.

Iceland is expensive. To counteract this, camping is widely available.

Iceland may be warmer than you think. Still, even in summer, the weather can be quite unpredictable. You won't get midnight sun, but nights are light from mid-May to early August pretty much everywhere.

The Blue Lagoon is probably one of the hottest reasons to go to Iceland, especially in the Winter.

Iceland: Language: Icelandic

The Icelandic language has been around since the Vikings, and you probably won't understand a word, especially since there's been a campaign to expunge English words out of the language. At least there are no dialects of Icelandic.

Getting around Iceland: Transportation Options

The best public transportation in Iceland in summer is by bus. In winter, the only practical way to get around is by airplane. Bus lines increase in the summer, even transporting you to Iceland's barren interior. BSÍ is Iceland's long distance Bus company.

Flights, oddly enough, within Iceland are relatively cheap. Bad weather can cancel flights, however. Air Atlanta Icelandic is one of the larger internal carriers to remote centers in the north. Air Iceland (or Flugfélag Íslands) operates out of Reykjavik airport. Icelandic is the international airline of Iceland.

Renting a car is more convenient than traveling by bus, but you'll be limited to the paved roads--and these include the Ringroad and just a few offshoots. The word for gas (or petrol) is bensín, not so far from the Italian Benzina.

Mountain Biking is another way to get around the island. The Icelandic Mountainbiking Club offers weekend tours and biking advice.

Iceland Weather: When to Go

June-August is best. Most reasonably priced accommodation is only open from late May to early September, and buses run their fullest schedules at this time. Many bus routes through the Interior don't start until late June or early July when the snow melts. You can enjoy Reykjavík in the winter, and especially at Christmas, although you'll have to spend time in the bigger hotels. But then again, you might catch a glimpse of the Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights.

Iceland Lodging

Iceland lodging tends to be expensive. There are many guest houses that are slightly less expensive than the larger hotels. A list of accommodations can be found at Iceland on the Web.

Iceland: Currency

The Icelandic Kronur is the currency of Iceland. Here are pictures of Kronur notes. At the time of writing 1 US dollar was worth about 70 Iceland Kronur.