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Iceland is hot for a Twin Cities long weekend getaway
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When it comes to what a long weekend getaway means to a Minnesotan, the places that most frequently come to mind are Chicago, New York, the Dells, up north to the lake, and of course, Las Vegas.
While there is an endless array of weekend possibilities, none is as “out there” as a visit to Iceland. Excuse me, but did you just say Iceland? Indeed I did, and let me tell you why. To begin with let me be honest and tell you that is a trip that I have yet to personally experience. Not that I don’t want to, because I certainly do. I just haven’t been able to fit it into my schedule with three kids, a dog, and a busy career that includes plenty of business travel. But I am definitely going to do this trip sooner, rather than later. I have several friends who have explored this Scandinavian island nation that is just a six hour non-stop flight from the Twin Cities, and they have offered nothing but superlatives to describe the experience.
I am intrigued about Iceland for a number of reasons. First of all, it is an international destination, another country, with a language (Icelandic) all their own. You can’t drive there, so it’s definitely not Canada or Mexico. It is almost Europe, but not quite, and is a relative unknown for most travelers. With Delta’s multiple daily non-stops from Minneapolis/St. Paul across the Atlantic, Iceland is bypassed on the way to London, Amsterdam and Paris. By choosing to fly Icelandair (www.icelandair.com) from MSP to Reyjkavik, Iceland’s capital city, the country won’t pass below you while en-route. If you have more than a weekend and want to continue on to Europe, Icelandair offers service from Keflavik International Airport to a multitude of destinations.
The only direct service to Iceland from the Twin Cities is via Icelandair’s Boeing 757 flights from the Humphrey Terminal. You may have seen their stunning aircraft coming or going from the airport, painted with a white fuselage, blue tail and bold yellow engine nacelles. Daily service is offered during the peak summer months, with four or five weekly flights during the spring and fall. If you have friends around the U.S. or in Canada who may be interested in going to Iceland with you, Icelandair also serves Boston, New York's JFK International Airport, Orlando, Seattle, Halifax and Toronto.
Perhaps now you are becoming more curious about this unique destination. Let’s delve into the weather facts and figures before talking about all there is to see and do in Iceland. Summer and fall are cool for us and comfortable for the locals, with high temperatures averaging 60 in July, 57 in August, 52 in September and 45 in October. Low temperatures, like the climate, are temperate and just about 10 degrees lower than the high for the day. There is some fluctuation, but it is minimal. Reyjkavik enjoys an average of 22 hours of daylight in June, 19 in July, 16 in August, 13 in September and 9 in October. It is easy to see why the flight service is seasonal as there are only 4 hours of daylight on average in both December and January. The Polar Nights is a period of several days in mid-winter where there is absolutely no sunlight. In June and July there is no true night time darkness, and there is seriously the option to play a round of midnight golf!
So what’s Iceland really like? It has been called exotic, surprising and amazing. While Icelandic is the language, everyone speaks English as well, so there is no problem with communication. Reyjkavik’s metropolitan area has just 180,000 inhabitants, but it is an amazingly cosmopolitan city with all kinds of cuisine (menu prices include taxes and tips), art galleries, Viking (not the football team) history museums and musical venues. There is a wide range of accommodations from very small to larger, full-service hotels. Icelandair offers an excellent selection of packages much like Northwest World Vacations. This helps to make a long weekend in Iceland much more affordable than planning it on your own.
While the capital city is a must-see and the primary place to stay, it’s the magnificent countryside that Iceland that makes the country famous. There is a widespread belief that with a name like Iceland, the country must be mostly ice and snow covered. Nothing could be further from the truth, as much of Iceland is green (and most of Greenland IS ice!). The real Iceland features waterfalls formed by melting glaciers, rugged mountains, great hiking trails, Icelandic horses and sheep and moss-covered lava fields.
The Blue Lagoon is one of the most popular and least expected sights in the country. The lagoon is reached by a stone-covered path that is heated to keep ice and snow away. This natural hot tub is yours to enjoy after a change in the bathhouse. With a heavy mist coming off of the warm water and darkness approaching, dim lights add an incredible glow to the lava rocks surrounding the body of water.
While Iceland is a perhaps a long way to travel for just two nights, Icelandair’s on-line packages do start with stays this short. Prices vary month-to-month, but can be as inexpensive as $885 per person, double occupancy, including airfare for travel in October. August and September start at $969. Packages also include a daily Scandinavian buffet breakfast and round-trip airport transfers. Keflavik Airport is located 40 miles from the city center, so this is a must inclusion. Airline and government taxes and security fees of up to $190 per person are additional.
For more information about this fascinating country, log onto www.visiticeland.com. If you've already been to Iceland I'd love to hear about your experience. Contact me about this or other weekend travel possibilities at msp2nyc@hotmail.com.
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