Cellular Data
Emergency Number: 112
So you’ve booked your trip to Iceland. Now what? Are you wondering how you’ll be able to stay connected or what apps are useful? Luckily Iceland is full of great cell phone coverage, meaning you won’t need to keep your phone locked on airplane mode the whole time!
Most American cell phone plans such as Verizon, AT&T, Spring, or T-Mobil have an international data option for $5-10 a day. This usually includes slower data than you are used to. Please check with your own cellular carrier before you go to avoid extra or roaming charges. Here is some quick info to get you started!
Verizon TravelPass Unlimited 4G LTE data for the first .5G then it decreases to 3G $10/day
Sprint
2G data included in all Sprint plans or 4G data with on the go data pass
$5/day $25/week
I find that these international data plans can add up fast and the speeds aren’t that great. If you truly want to be connected in Iceland with high speed data, I recommend you purchase a prepaid SIM card in Iceland. They sell them in the Keflavik airport or at any gas station. They range from 5 GB - 50 GB and cost anywhere from $15-50. I, myself use one and find the data speed and coverage as fast as it is in the US. They are super easy to use, just pop your SIM card out and put in the new one and your phone is good to go! (you’ll have a new phone number so if you send any messages using iMessage, your friends might not recognize your number. Another reminder not to throw away your US SIM card because you’ll need to put it back in once your trip is over) Everything else on your phone will stay exactly the same. Please note that this will only work if your phone is a SIM-unlocked GSM.
KSP HACK: I have personally tried the Verizon TravelPass as well as an Icelandic SIM card from Siminn and I think that the Icelandic SIM card is the way to go! I use the same one every time I travel there and top it off with more data when it runs out! So simple and and keeps me connected to everything I need with high speeds. I find that the 4G speeds from Verizon just isn’t fast enough. As desolate as Iceland may seem, they do have amazing cellphone coverage!
Icelandic cell phone companies that sell prepaid SIM cards:
Síminn
Vodafone
Nova
MUST HAVE APPS IN ICELAND
VEDUR
The weather in Iceland is special in that it can change literally every 5 minutes. Iceland has its own weather website and app to help you stay up-to-date at all times. The wind is just as important to take into consideration as the temperature and weather conditions because it can be FIERCE. Remember that in Iceland, the wind speed is measured in meters/second and temperature is in celsius. This app will work better than any other weather app you have because it is specific to the weather in Iceland and updated every few hours.
I personally like to use the website, vedur.is on my phone or desktop to get a full view on the wind and temperature changes every hour. The online version has an english translation so it’s easy to use and has a lot of useful information. I also like to use this to check the cloud coverage when hunting for the Northern Lights!
AURORA
This app will help you hunt for the Northern Lights! It has a map that shows you where the Northern Lights are in the world. It offers a lot of information but the most important thing to look at is the “forecast” tab. Scroll down to see the forecasted KP. The level of geomagnetic activity (how strong the aurora will be) is shown by the KP level. You will be able to see the Northern Lights at a level of 2 or above. Remember that no matter how strong this number is, if it is a cloudy night then you won’t be able to see them at all. This is when following the cloud coverage on Vedur.is comes in handy so you can drive towards the clear parts of the country.
GOOGLE MAPS
Google Maps is always a trusty source when navigating and in Iceland it is no different! If you want to preserve data you can download offline maps. Remember to check road.is for road conditions and closures if the weather is dicey.
If you are spending a lot of time in Reykjavik, these apps might also be useful:
Strætó
This is the public bus app. It shows real time tracking of the buses and can help plan your trip. You can also purchase a bus ticket right on this app, in my opinion, it’s the easiest way to get on the bus. You can purchase a ticket on the spot or in advance and activate when you get onto the bus, flash your phone to the bus driver and you’re good to go!
Appy Hour
Going out for drinks is truly expensive in Iceland. Luckily almost all restaurants and bars in the city center offer long happy hours for discounted drinks. This app lets you know all the local deals in any city to save you money!
Leggja
If you park anywhere near the city center, chances are you will need to feed the meter, this handy app lets you pay right on your phone.
There you have it, the practical apps I use in Iceland. Of course there are many other apps and useful websites to use in Iceland but I find that I use these the most. Of course, if you are looking to unplug from the digital world, Iceland is a great place to do that. But keep in mind that checking the weather is extremely important when traveling in Iceland because road travel conditions can be very dangerous when the wind picks up! I hope you found this helpful, as always, let know if you have any questions!
If there are any other practical apps that you use in Iceland, let me know in the comments!
