Travel in Iceland

New photos and footage have emerged of the northern lights putting on a show in the background as a volcano erupts in the foreground.

It's not often that we think of how polluted somewhere is when we plan our travels—but data in the 2023 World Air Quality report by IQAir reveals that the air quality of some common holiday destinations might make us rethink.

One would-be passenger pretended to pack his carry-on bag with tools, in case he needed to make an in-flight repair. Someone else compared the mere act of boarding a commercial flight to the harebrained, death-defying stunts featured on “Jackass.”

Nestled in the North Atlantic between Scotland, Norway, and Iceland, the Faroe Islands are packed with dramatic cliffs, slender waterfalls, and natural landscapes that have attracted filmmakers from far and wide.

From the outside, it may seem like the northern lights dance across Iceland’s skies each night. On Icelandair ads, planes fly across shimmering curtains in the sky. On social media, travelers gaze at the green bands above them. The lights are even on some recycling bins in Reykjavík, the capital: “Keep Iceland Clean.”

Over four years ago, I bought a double-decker bus with three friends. We dreamed of converting it into a mobile hostel where we could travel and take people with us on our adventures. We thought it was the perfect combination of our passions for entrepreneurship, adventure, and traveling.

With tax season upon us, many Americans are anxious to know what it will mean for their tax payments — and refunds. The good news is that the average tax refunds have been increasing over the past few years, and according to the IRS, that trend is still continuing as of the latest data. This means, there's the potential for even more surprise money to hit your pocket this tax season.

The sky is clearer, the sun is brighter, and the nights are longer: By all metrics, the seasons have begun to change. Between planning for spring break and early summer vacation, it’s a great time to start ironing out the details of your next trip. Whether that involves a plane, train, ship, or automobile, there’s a perfect deal out there waiting to be redeemed by you.

The Blue Lagoon resort in the south of Iceland is a scenic network of steaming azure pools surrounded by dark rocks, where tourists dip in the geothermal water, have spa treatments and enjoy what the resort advertises as “a universe of radiant well-being.”

Finland has done it again. The 2024 World Happiness Report is out, and for the seventh year in a row, Finland has been named the happiest country in the world.

Iceland has declared a state of emergency and started evacuating tourists from impacted regions following another volcanic eruption over the weekend.

A volcano in Iceland has erupted for the fourth time in three months, with this being the most powerful so far.

Easter is Sunday, March 31. And if you don’t have plans yet, check out these excellent New York City restaurants for elegant brunch spread, buffets, ala carte service and top notch cuisine to celebrate in style. Hop to it - book an Easter reservation at this upscale eateries before they fill up!

It’s been a dramatic weekend at Icelandic low-cost carrier Play.

The Scotland-based company Slow Adventure advocates a more mindful approach to activity holidays. Options include climbing and yoga in the Italian Alps, mountain biking in Sweden and horse riding and rambling in Iceland. On the Finnish Happiness trip, guests stay in log cabins by a lake in Lapland and activities include canoeing under the midnight sun, hiking, swimming, swamp foraging and daily saunas. On all trips, 5% of the fee goes to local conservation projects, which in Finland could mean helping protect the rare Saimaa ringed seal, preserving forests or supporting a children’s environmental charity.From £876 for five nights, slow-adventure.com

It is said that when Norse explorer Ingólfur Arnarson and his wife Hallveig Fróðadóttir threw some wooden posts from their ship in AD878 they floated to a bay covered with steaming springs, hence the name Reykjavík, or “stormy bay”, and that’s where Arnarson decided to settle. I am here researching women in Icelandic sagas for my next book, and our two small children have accompanied me, with their father sharing childcare.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Angela, an academic and content creator in her early 40s who travels solo in Europe. Angela requested that her last name not be shared for privacy. This essay has been edited for length and clarity.

Witnessing the natural phenomenon of the aurora borealis belongs on every traveler’s bucket list. But determining where to see the northern lights is a complex matter—actually encountering the majestic and alien-ish green and purple glow of the night sky is not only about location, but also timing (December to March is ideal in many instances; August through April in other parts), positioning (typically from latitudes 65 to 72 degrees North), and plain ol’ luck (a clear, dark, and cloud-free sky).

Somewhere between Iceland and the fictitious kingdom of Westeros sits the land that time forgot. On a map it’s called Greenland (aka the world’s largest island), model habitat for the Game of Thrones’ White Walkers. Arrive here in early March and green is the last color that comes to mind, however, for the landscape palette is decidedly white, save for a few gray rocks that nose their way out of the ermine blanket of snow. It’s a land where ancient muskox still roam as they have for 60,000 years, undoubtedly waiting for the next great extinction to see what new cast of characters will emerge.

There’s exciting news for those looking to discover the increasingly popular Faroe Islands in 2024; this unique destination will soon be more accessible following Icelandair’s newest route expansion.

Birgir Jónsson is well aware of how a budget airline's fortunes can quickly turn around.