What makes a destination family-friendly? And what makes a destination easy for first-time international travelers? A short list of factors we think are important shows Iceland as a clear winner. Our ideal starter destination would be: safe, easy to get to, English-speaking, and easy to navigate. It would also have a kid-friendly culture and lots of cool stuff to see (and, more importantly, do). How does Iceland stack up in those categories? We will mostly compare to travelling to the UK, as that is another frequently suggested starter trip. [Read more…] about Why Iceland is the Best Starter Destination for Families
Swimming with kids in Iceland: Navigating the locker room
The public pools in Iceland are beautiful and warm and a great place to take your little ones any time of year. (Swimming outside with snow in your hair is a really cool experience!) It is well worth the effort of getting everyone ready for the pool. BUT yes, what you’ve heard is true–you are expected to shower naked (soap, shampoo, and all) before entering the pool. No, you can’t skip that part. No, your kids can’t skip that part, even if they don’t want to be naked in front of strangers. What you need to know, then, is how it all works; that’s what we’ll tell you in this post.
With my kids, at least, part of making a new and anxiety-inducing situation more comfortable is talking through it step by step beforehand so that they know exactly what to expect. Kids who feel like experts and who are telling you what happens next are not kids who are worrying! So in this post, we will try to give you the info you need to let them become experts. All the pictures here are from public pools, not the fancier spas, so they won’t be showing the upscale end of things! [Read more…] about Swimming with kids in Iceland: Navigating the locker room
Sick in Iceland? How to find the medicine you need
NOTE: This post does not cover COVID-19! For information about Coronavirus in Iceland, see our post about Covid-19 testing in Iceland, or the official Icelandic government page about Covid-19.
One thing parents worry about on vacation is the prospect of sick children, and worse, sick children in a foreign country where you don’t speak the language. Fortunately, we have not had to deal with any doctors’ visits yet here in Iceland. We have, however, had to buy medicine at a pharmacy. (Look for the big sign saying “Apotek.”)
The first thing you need to know is that you are not going to find a 24-hour pharmacy. Like grocery stores, pharmacies in Iceland have very limited hours. [Read more…] about Sick in Iceland? How to find the medicine you need
Live from Iceland! Read our “as it happened” posts!
Tips on Packing with Kids
So your trip is all planned, your hotels reserved, your itinerary all settled, but now you have to pack. And if you are traveling with children, you’re not just talking about one backpack. There are two concerns here: First, you’d like the packing process to be as simple and streamlined as possible. Second, you’d like to actually be able to make it through the airport without being crushed under a pile of luggage. Note that this advice is not specific to Iceland travel–I’m not telling you what to bring–that will be a future post, once we’ve seen what we have and haven’t used from our packing lists. [Read more…] about Tips on Packing with Kids
Friday May 20 Update
We are getting into the swing of the trip now—so we will start updating you about our adventures on the blog in (semi-)real time.
Today we traveled to the Westmann Islands by ferry.
(And before that we stopped to gawk at a waterfall.) [Read more…] about Friday May 20 Update