Nordic Travel

FAQ

1) CAN I CHOOSE THE HOTELS MYSELF?

There are hundreds of hotels in Iceland, and Nordic Travel has contracts with many of them, but not with all. We try to limit our bookings as much as possible to those hotels and guesthouses that have an official license, so we know for certain that everything is as it should be. We also try to regularly visit all hotels that we do business with personally, to see what things look like, and that everything is in order. We make our contracts with those hotels that give is the best price/quality ration, and we do this with as many places as we need in each area. So we try to use the hotels we work with as much as we can, in order to get the best prices from them. That is why it is in principle not possible for our guests, to select the hotels for themselves. If you have special wishes, obviously you can tell us and we will try to take them in consideration. But there are hotels with whom we simply do not have a contract, and of course it can also happen that a hotel you have asked for, falls into a different category than the one you booked. In that case, we can book that hotel, but for a different price.

2) VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS/NATURAL DISASTERS

In case of natural disasters, such as a volcanic eruption or a flood, travel agencies are in principle not responsible. However, experience shows that problems resulting from such calamities are always solved in the best possible way. Perhaps hotels must be cancelled, while others have to be booked, and if there is a disaster causing this, everybody understands that travellers might not be able to reach their destination. In such cases, cancellation fees are normally not charged, and Nordic Travel also does all in its power to avoid possible extra cost for our guests.

3) CAR INSURANCES

Third Party liability Insurance and PAI:
These insurances are compulsory by law and are always included. It is equivalent to the amount stipulated by Icelandic law at each time.

Normal CDW is included
The self-risk for all cars covered only by normal CDW is ISK 350,000.

CDW does not cover:

damage to the underside of the vehicle, to the tires or to the front screen
damage due to driving through rivers or any kind of water
damage due to driving through a sandstorm
damage caused by loose rocks which get thrown at the car on gravel roads.

It is a condition of all Icelandic car insurances that the driver is always responsible for such damage. And as elsewhere in the world the policy is invalid if the driver is found to be intoxicated or breaking the law.

Super CDW can be added in Iceland
This insurance is available, and reduces the self-risk of the renter to ISK 45,000 for normal cars and ISK 60,000 for 4x4 vehicles. The price per day is: € 15 per for small cars, € 20 for station cars and small jeeps, € 30 per for cars with 6 or more seats, bigger 4x4 vehicles and mobile homes.

Gravel protection
Gravel protection is another insurance that can be added in Iceland. It covers damages from gravel roads to the body of the car, the headlights and the front windscreen. The price per day is: € 10 for smaller cars and € 15 for jeeps

VERY IMPORTANT:
The extra insurance does not cover damages to the underside of the vehicle or damage due to driving through rivers or any kind of water. The renter is always fully responsible for such damages.

Other things that are never covered by any insurance:

when driving under influence of alcohol or drugs
when driving in a 2WD car on highland roads (marked with F)
when driving off the road, on unmarked trails
when driving on roads which are officially closed
when driving through rivers or streams of any kind
when driving faster than the allowed speed
when causing an accident by intent or grove negligence
when driving outside of the roads
use of the car in contravention of the provisions of the rental agreement
if the driver doesn't have a valid drivers' license
when directions from the police are not followed
if one kills a farm animal in a collision, the driver is responsible for the cost of the animal
time lost because of an accident is never paid for by insurance, and neither is the cost of
bringing another car to the clients to continue the trip
if people fail to notify the police of the accident

SAAP protection:
Lose ash and fine grained sand covers parts of Iceland in the aftermath of various volcanic activities in recent years. On a windy day this whirls up and blows towards anything in it’s path and gives it an undesired dull, matte finish.
This can cause serious damage to the car windows, paint, etc. - unfortunately the Icelandic insurance companies do not include this kind of damage in their CDW policies.
The car rental company offers Sand and Ash Protection as an optional damage waiver which covers damages from sand and ash damages.

Insurance bundle:
Get all Super CDW, Gravel Protection plus Sand and Ash Protection policies in one simple package at a discounted rate.

4) WARRANTY FUND

In Iceland, there is no Warranty- or calamity fund, these things are organised different from what is done in some other countries. Nordic Travel operates under Icelandic legislation and has all the legally required liability insurances that all travel agencies must have at the Ministry of Domestic Affairs. This insurance covers, among other things, the trip back home for our customers in case the travel agency becomes insolvent, it covers cost in case of accidents that are caused by the travel agency, and similar cases. Should the travel agency become insolvent and a client has paid already for his trip, but the trip has not begun yet, the insurance covers that as well and the client receives his money back. Furthermore, Nordic Travel has a liability insurance with the Icelandic insurance company VÍS, which insures our guests in cases of accidents or other damage caused by the travel agency. Obviously, it is always still very sensible to take out travel insurance with your own insurance company, or via your credit card.

5) CANCELLATION INSURANCE

The cancellation insurance that Nordic Travel offers, for GBP 45 per booking, is intended for those who do not already have a cancellation insurance (for example via a credit card). It is quite simple: It covers the cost if our clients unexpectedly cannot travel (f.ex. because of illness or death among the travellers or their close family). In that case, we cancel everything that has been booked with us, without cost for our clients. This can mean that we might need a medical certificate (particularly if flights have been booked with us) and the possible cost for such a certificate has to be carried by the clients. But cost for cancelling flights, car rental, overnights and excursions will not be charged.

6) ON-LINE CHECK INN

For Icelandair flights, you can check in on-line, 36 hours before departure.

This is the link:
https://checkin.si.amadeus.net/1ASIHSSCWEBFI/sscwfi/checkin?IIdentificationBookingRef=&ln=en (Or you can go to www.icelandair.com, then select your country and then click on “information” (top right). Next you choose “before you go” and then Online & Mobile Check-in.

Then you have to fill out either the number of your e-ticket, or your booking number. The booking number is found on your e-ticket and also on your voucher.

For WOW flights, you can check in 24 hours before departure. You can do this on https://wowair.co.uk/web-check-in/ and you will be asked to type in your booking number and your last name.

7) DURING WHAT TIME OF THE YEAR CAN I DRIVE ALL AROUND ICELAND?

In principle, it should be possible to drive all around Iceland from late April until the end of September. Earlier in April, or at the beginning of October, is already a bit dubious. Often one can drive all around the island without any problem until the end of October, but in some years things are different. For example, in 2012, there was snow already in September and there were lots of problems with roads that were no longer passable, particularly in the West Fjords and in North Iceland. This was an exception, but with the weather you can never know beforehand. So, in spring and autumn there is always a small risk that a trip has to be changed with little or no notice. You could get stuck somewhere for one or two days, and after that you would have to drive a lot further to get back on schedule. In principle, extra cost that arises from such problems, are to be carried by the travellers themselves, but fortunately the hotels usually show a lot of understanding in such circumstances. So if people cannot reach their destination because of the weather, it is quite common that we can change the bookings without extra cost, but of course this cannot be guaranteed beforehand.

8) HOW MUCH MONEY DO I NEED IN ICELAND AND WHERE DO I GET MONEY?

In Iceland, you can pay almost everywhere with a Visa or Mastercard credit card. American Express is also accepted by most of the bigger companies, but not everywhere. Euro’s, US dollars and GB Sterling are generally accepted in most places, but most companies do not have small change in these currencies and will give you change back in ISK. In just about every village you will find an ATM machine, if you need cash. It is not a good idea to change some currency for Icelandic króna in your own country, because non-Icelandic banks will give you a less favourable exchange rate so that will be more expensive. At the Keflavík international airport, there is a bank and there are ATM’s, so it is easy to get some cash immediately after you arrive.
How much money you spend per person, is obviously depending on what you want to do… You can go to a supermarket and buy bread and peanut butter for lunch, or you can go to a luxury restaurant. For dinner, you can have two hot dogs at a stand somewhere, or you can select a gourmet restaurant. Obviously these are the extreme examples, but it demonstrates that this is a personal matter. If you have a sandwich and some french fries for lunch, and a dinner in a reasonable good but not extremely expensive restaurant (like the restaurants in most of the hotels where we book our guests), you might spend around ISK 8.000 per day, per person. This equals ca. £57.

9) IS IT NECESSARY/BETTER TO BOOK EXCURSIONS BEFOREHAND?

In high season, many excursions are very popular and can easily be fully booked. Often, there is more than one departure per day, but obviously it is much more practical if you can do an excursion at the time that fits best in with your trip. If you book excursions beforehand, we try to arrange things in such a way that they fit well in with the programme, which depends a bit on the hotels you end up in. So our advice is: If you are certain that you want to do a particular excursion, it is better to book beforehand. If you are not certain whether you want to make an excursion or not, or if you do not want to go on a particular excursion if it would be raining, you can also wait and hope that it all fits in nicely if you want to book it on the spot. Often, this works out all right, but of course there are no guarantees.

10) WAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HOTEL, GUESTHOUSE AND EXTRA?

OVERNIGHTS EXTRA

"EXTRA" accommodation means, that we book the best or the nicest accommodations with the most pleasant atmosphere for you in all parts of the country, within reasonable limits. Usually these are hotels, but there are also some farm accommodations with a very special character. But it is always a good standard. One hotel can be small and very personal, while another might be special because of its surroundings, and yet another might have some extra luxury. In all these hotels, the rooms have private WC and shower (and sometimes even a bath tub), there is almost always also a TV in the rooms, as well as telephone. In all hotels there also is a restaurant, or there is one within walking distance (in the city centre in Reykjavík, for example, it is not always necessary for a hotel to have its own restaurant and bar, if there is one next door!) Breakfast is always included and it is a buffet.

OVERNIGHTS HOTEL

In our normal "HOTEL" accommodation, you can expect all kinds of hotels. There are “real” hotels that are open all year round, but there can also be schools with boarding houses that have been built for use as hotel during the summer. Also, many farms have changed their focus to tourism, and some have re-built their sheds and stables into amazingly cosy and neat rooms, or they have built completely new wings with rooms. Some guesthouses also offer rooms with shower and WC that can be just as good as rooms in “real” hotels. What all accommodations have in common, within this class, is that the rooms have their own shower and WC. Some also have TV and/or telephone in the rooms. In all hotels it is possible to have dinner and drinks, usually in the hotel itself and in some cases in restaurants and bars very close by. Breakfast is always included and it is a buffet.

OVERNIGHTS GUESTHOUSE

For “GUESTHOUSE” accommodation the same is true as with hotels: there are many different kinds. Many of them are summer hotels, where boarding houses of schools are used as hotels. There are also guesthouses that are open all year around and there is private accommodation in people’s homes in towns and villages, as well as farms that offer bed and breakfast. The rooms in our guesthouses do not have ensuite bathrooms in the corridors, which are shared with other guests, so occasionally you might have to wait a while until a bathroom is free. For those who choose this type of accommodation, it might be practical to bring a bathrobe. In most of these rooms there is a wash basin, but this is not always the case. A few guesthouses also have a kitchen where guests can do their own cooking. Breakfast is always included and it is almost always in the form of a buffet.

11) DO WE FLY TO REYKJAVÍK OR TO KEFLAVÍK?

This is a logical question, with an unlogical answer. Because the airlines seem to think that “Reykjavík” sounds better, and is better known, internationally, than the small village of Keflavík, they call the international airport “Reykjavík”, but this is not really correct. The international airport is located just outside the village of Keflavík, which is 50 km away from Reykjavík. In Reykjavík itself there only is a small airfield for domestic flights and a few flights to the Faroe Islands and Greenland. So normally, all international flights land at Keflavík airport. On the websites of the airlines, you will see that it often says “Reykjavík KEF”, and there KEF is short for Keflavík!

12) DO I NEED A PASSPORT TO TRAVEL TO ICELAND?

For citizens of countries that are part of the Schengen agreement, it is enough to have a valid ID to enter Iceland. However, the airlines have stricter regulations. They want to see a passport, because they receive heavy fines if they bring someone into the country with a fake ID. Citizens from countries outside the Schengen agreement need a passport to enter Iceland. So in all cases, it is by far the most sensible thing to bring your passport, when you travel to Iceland.

13) DO I NEED A SLEEPING BAG?

No! In pension, hotel or hotel extra, you always get made-up beds, and in summerhouses you are provided with sheets, although you have to make up your own beds. But you do not need a sleeping bag.

14) DO I HAVE TO BRING TOWELS?

In all of our accommodation categories, towels are provided. However, it is very practical to bring swimsuits and at least one towel (unless you really hate swimming pools!), because en route you will find lovely swimming pools, all over Iceland.

15) IS IT REALLY NECESSARY TO BOOK THE BLUE LAGOON BEFOREHAND?

This is not completely necessary, but it is advisable. If you book it, you are certain that you can enter upon arrival. If you do not book, it just depends on how many people want to visit. If it is full, you will have to wait until others leave and it is your turn, and that can be really annoying. Particularly in the summer, there can be a long wait. Outside the high season it is not as busy anymore, but you can always have bad luck.
If you plan to visit the Blue Lagoon on the day you arrive to Iceland, and your flight is delayed considerably, you will most likely know this before your flight starts, and you can call or send an e-mail, even from the airport, that you cannot make it. Then you are allowed to change your tickets and you might go another time, perhaps at the end of your trip, depending on your schedule. You do not get your money back, so if you have booked it is best to change your tickets if you cannot make it on the day you arrive. And of course you can also decide not to take a risk, and visit the Blue Lagoon at the end of your trip, or on your free day in Reykjavík if you have one (it’s a drive of 30-40 minutes away from Reykjavík).

16) PICK UP OR DROP OF A RENTAL CAR IN LOCATIONS OTHER THAN KEFLAVÍK AIRPORT.

Because our car rental has its main office at Keflavík airport, there is no extra cost if you pick up your rental car immediately after arrival, at Keflavík airport, and if you bring it back there as well just before you depart again. For the great majority of trips this also is the handiest arrangement. But if you want to pick up or bring back your car somewhere else, this is of course possible, but it involves some extra cost:

Pick up and drop off at the Geysir office in Harpa, Reykjavík, is free of charge.
Pick up from Reykjavík hotel (shuttle to the office) and drop off at Keflavík airport (or vice versa) GBP 40
Pick up and drop off from Reykjavík (shuttle to and from the office) GBP 80
Pick up in Akureyri and drop off at Keflavík airport (or vice versa) GBP 135
Pick up and drop off both in Akureyri GBP 270

17) WHAT TO BRING AND WHAT TO WEAR?

The weather in Iceland can change very fast, so you have to be ready for anything. In the summer, the temperatures vary usually between 10°C and 20°C, but further into the land it can be colder. In winter, you can normally expect temperatures of ca. -10°C to 5°C, but it can become colder than that. And the wind is often strong, which can make you feel colder quite fast.

Bring cloths for warm weather (T-shirt, blouse), but also always for cold weather, such as warm trousers, a good woollen pullover, a wind-jacket and waterproofs. In winter, a warm winter coat will be necessary!!
Sturdy boots, which are comfortable to walk in, are also very useful, even if you are not a fervent hiker. Waterproof boots are even better.
Swimming gear is essential, since there’s a lot of natural hot water in Iceland, which is used to fill swimming pools – so you find swimming pools all over, even a few very natural ones!
Sunglasses and sun-protection is also important, because the air in Iceland is so clear. Even if there is no sun, you can still get burned a bit!
Binoculars are very nice to have along.
A small alarm-clock can be handy, because not all hotelrooms are equipped with a clock or an alarm.
Remember that alcohol is very expensive in Iceland, but you can tax-free licquor and tobacco at the airport, also upon arrival.