Iceland is the second largest island in Europe but relatively few people live there. The wilderness of the highlands is untouched and unspoiled nature. The Icelandic nation only counts 280.000 people and most of them (170,000) live in the capital Reykjavík and surrounding areas. Most tourists land at Keflavik International Airport and then drive for an hour through moss grown lava landscape to Reykjavík. Icelanders feel that this flat desert is barren and uninteresting but many foreigners get the feeling they have just landed on the moon.

Reykjavík has grown from a village to a city in this century. The suburbs are big, but the city centre is small and shows a rather mixed blend of architecture. The ruling style, however, is the old Icelandic balloon frame timber house, covered with corrugated iron and painted in all the colours of the rainbow. The roofs of Reykjavík are a festival of colours.

Icelanders use geothermal water to heat their houses and we get electricity from hydroelectric power plants  at big waterfalls in the highlands. This makes the air completely clean and Reykjavík is one of the cleanest cities in the world. For this same reason you get first class drinking water from the tab.

The weather is unstable but surprisingly mild; it never gets very hot and never very cold. But rain, snow, fog and sunshine can all happen in the same day. Iceland is in the high North but the Gulf stream from the Caribbean makes the winters warmer than in New York, and the summers are rather warm and wet. The length of the day in Iceland varies very much: December and January are the darkest months with only 4-5 hours of daylight but in June and July there is bright daylight all around the clock thanks to the midnight sun.

Nightlife in Reykjavík is amazing. Icelanders are rather trendy and fashionable and on weekends it seems that everybody is out on the town. Things start rather late - bars are crowded after ten and discos after midnight. They are open until three and in summer, at least, the streets in the city center may be full of people until morning. Some popular bars get very crowded and tourists should not take some pushing and shoving personally.

Icelanders are usually a very friendly people and rather willing to talk and give information to tourists. Younger people speak good English and often enjoy practicing their skills. Icelanders travel a lot and we like to think of us as open minded and modern in our way of thinking. In the last years tolerance towards gay men and lesbians has grown considerably and now we have very few examples of discrimination on basis of sexual orientation. Foreign guests are very welcome in the gay scene in Reykjavík.

The Icelandic gay society is small but very active and a 'gay scene' exists only in Reykjavík. There are lesbians and gay men all over Iceland but the only organized services for gay men and lesbians are in the capital and here they mix freely. A couple of bars and discos are 'gay friendly', open to straight people but chiefly catering to the gay crowd.

Some foreign gay men and the lesbians travelling to Iceland for the first time hardly know what to think of Reykjavík. One night you might feel you are in a busy gay club in Hamburg or Manchester but the next night you feel that you have landed in a small village in North-Dakota and you have lost your train-ticket! Reykjavík has many of the things you find in the metropolises of the world but as soon as the guest is starting to "feel at home" he or she is reminded that this is a small community, speaking the language their forefathers spoke thousand years ago, and in many ways like a big family of 280,000 people.

In the past 20 years Samtökin 78 have achieved much in making gay men and lesbians visible in Iceland and thus worked a lot against prejudices. Samtökin 78 have also ensured that gay men and lesbians in Iceland have more legal rights than most countries in the world. Samtökin 78, The Organization of Icelandic Lesbians and Gay men, was formed in 1978. The founding members were 13 gay men. No lesbian was found to take part in the beginning and that says a lot about the situation back then. Today the members are 300 in total, both gay men and lesbians.

Getting there 

By Plane

If choice breeds confusion, you won't have much confusion getting to Iceland -- only two airlines fly there.

Icelandair flies to Reykjavík from Baltimore, Boston, New York (Apr-Oct only), Minneapolis, and Orlando in the USA, and Glasgow and London in the UK. From each destination, there's usually one flight a day -- overnight from North America, midmorning from the UK.

Icelandair doesn't have any codeshare agreements with US airlines, so you're responsible for getting yourself to an Icelandair gateway airport. Baltimore, heavily served by Southwest is a big favorite of connecting passengers.

Icelandair is famous for its discount packages, combining airfare, hotels and sometimes tours. "Midweek Madness" is the cheapest, but as the name implies it requires a departure in the middle of the week. Cheap Icelandair fares from the US to Europe (or vice versa) can usually include a stop of up to seven days in Iceland at no extra charge.

In fact, sometimes it's cheaper to buy a ticket from the US to London with a stopover in Iceland than it is just to buy a ticket from the US to Reykjavík. If you have the time, see if you can save money by going to London for one day and turning around.

Iceland Express runs flights twice-daily from London and Copenhagen to Reykjavík for prices almost always lower than Icelandair's rates. They're no help for North America-based travelers -- a flight to London plus a flight on Iceland Express will almost always cost more than an Icelandair flight from the US -- but they're great for Europeans. 

Residents of Australia or New Zealand trying to get to Iceland should fly to London and book a ticket on Icelandair or Iceland Express from there.

Getting into Town from the Airport

The privately-run Flybus connects to all flights at Keflavik airport, shuttling you into Reykjavík in about 45 minutes for ISK 1100 (half price for kids 12-15; free for under-12s.) The Flybus will drop people off at major hotels in Reykjavík, but not at guesthouses. If you're heading for downtown, ask to be dropped off at the Hotel Borg. The Flybus picks people up for flights at major hotels and at the BSI bus terminal just south of downtown, about 2 1/2 hours before international flights.

The Flybus is pretty much the only affordable way to get into Reykjavík from the airport. You can also take a taxi, but expect it to cost $75-90.

Getting There By Ferry

Ferries operated by Smyril Line sail between May and early September, from Seyðisfjörður in western Iceland to Tórshavn in the Faroe Islands, and thence to Hanstholm, Denmark or to Lerwick, Shetland and Bergen, Norway. (You can pick up a P&O Scottish Ferry from Lerwick to Aberdeen, Scotland, or a weekly ferry run by Standfaraskip Landsins direct from Tórshavn to Aberdeen.) There's only one ferry on the route, making the trip from Iceland weekly. You can sleep in your car on the overnighter to Tórshavn, or stay in couchettes, 4-berth, 2-berth or deluxe cabins. Showers are available in all cabins

Getting around

Aircraft in Iceland are like buses or trains elsewhere - they're the main form of internal travel other than the roads. Be warned though, that the ride can be a bit bumpy if you're coming into one of the fjords like Akureyri.

Scheduled service to domestic destinations, including Greenland and Faroe Islands, is provided by Air Iceland

By car

Driving in Iceland is on the right-side of the road. Headlights and seatbelts for all passengers must be on at all times. There are excellent car hire desks from Hertz and Avis in the airport, as well as a local company, Alp. Hiring a car can be extremely expensive, especially for four-wheel-drives. Renting cars on-location is almost never cheaper than doing so in advance.

Be aware that car rentals - also at the airports - are not open around the clock.

There is one main highway, Route 1- Ring Road that encircles the country. If traveling around the country, the gas tank should be kept near full because stations can be 100-200km apart. Also, because of Iceland's everchanging weather, one should keep extra food and know where guesthouses/hotels are located in case of a road closure.

Most mountain roads are closed until the end of June, or even longer because of wet and muddy conditions which make them totally impassable. When these roads are opened for traffic many of them can only be negotiated by four wheel drive vehicles. The roads requiring four wheel drive (and possibly snow tires) are route numbers with an "F" prefix, e.g. F128.

Icelandic roads are adequate or at least tolerable if you are driving in populated areas. The interior of the country is a different matter and a good four-wheel drive vehicle is essential even if you stay to the "roads", you might have to cross many rivers and fords, some of which can be over 4 feet (1.2m) deep - especially if it has been raining.

A word of warning is in order: With the growing number of tourists on the Icelandic roads it has become evident that the roads are dangerous for the visitors. Please be careful! The number of drivers that lose control of hired cars on the gravel roads is disproportionately high. And the accidents are sadly too often fatal.

There are two signs that foreigners should pay attention to. First, "malbik endar" means that the road changes from a paved road to a gravel road. Slow down before these changes, for one can lose control easily. Also "einbreið brú" means that a one-lane bridge is approaching. Arrive at the bridge slowly and assess the situation. If another car has arrived at the bridge first allow them the right-of-way.

Driving in Iceland is an amazing experience - the changing landscapes are unlike anything else in the world. Pay attention to the driving rules and you will have a wonderful time. However, exercise caution when driving in Reykjavik. Reykjavikers can be very aggressive drivers and, unlike in most of western Europe, taking over on the right IS allowed. Stick to the right lane if possible and drive carefully and calmly.

By bus

BSI Travel runs a regular bus service to most parts of the country, especially around the Ring Road (Route 1).

Special offers include 1-4 week unlimited bus travel round the Ring Road (optionally with travel round the West Fjords); one time-unlimited breakable journey around the Ring Road in either direction.

By bicycle

Cycling is a good way to experience Iceland, and provides a very different cultural experience to other means of transport. You should bring your own touring bike; don't buy locally, unless you really have too much money to spare. Traffic in and out of Reykjavík is heavy, otherwise, it's OK. You can cycle safely on the Ring Road, or take the bike on the buses (which are equipped with bicycle racks) serving the Ring Road and do side trips. However, if going self-supported, considering the weather and conditions, it is strongly advisable to have a previous touring experience.

By thumb

Hitchhiking is a cheap way of getting around in Iceland. The country is among the safest in the world, people are quite friendly and the percentage of cars who do give rides is high, especially in the off-season. However, low traffic in areas outside Reykjavik makes hitchhiking in Iceland an endurance sport. Even on the main ring-road there is quite often less than one car an hour in the eastern parts. Nearly everybody speaks English and most drivers are interested in conversations.

Hitchhiking into the interior is tough, but everything works if you have enough time - calculating in days, not in hours. For longer distances or less tourist areas be prepared with some food, water and a tent or similar. The weather can be awful and sometimes spoils the fun of this way of travelling.