University of Akureyri
Iceland
August 6-10, 2008

Because of the organization of our conference as a “moveable feast”, participants should plan to arrive in Reykjavik not later than August 5th and to leave Iceland not earlier than August 11th. In extremis, one may arrive from the USA (not from Europe) on the morning of August 6th and still make the bus (see conference main page), but this will involve missing some of the opening sessions. Travel plans not consistent with the overall conference arrangements will typically involve considerable inconvenience and added expense for the participant. Moreover, the organizers will not assist in making special arrangements for those making travel plans which do not accord with the overall scheme.

Iceland is connected to destinations in Europe and the United States by two principal air carriers, Icelandair and Iceland Express (Europe only). A few other airlines (e.g. Lufthansa) offer infrequent service in the summer months, and there are some charter companies offering summer service to Iceland (e.g. Nouvelle Frontières); but as a general rule, people will be traveling with one of the two principal carriers.

Those traveling to Iceland from destinations not served by the Icelandic carriers will generally need to travel first to one of those destinations, and it is sometimes difficult to arrange for good connections. There are not many flights a day to Iceland from the various destinations. Icelandair flights from the USA generally leave in the evening, arriving in Iceland the NEXT MORNING. Thus, to arrive in Iceland on August 5th, one would have to depart from the States on the 4th. Both Icelandair and Iceland Express flights from Europe generally depart in the early-to-mid-afternoon, arriving in the late afternoon (with the time change) or in the evening, arriving at around midnight.

The airlines are constantly revising their networks, but the US airports currently served by Icelandair are: Baltimore/Washington, Boston, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York (JFK) and Orlando (Sanford).

There are many European airports served by Icelandair, but the airports which offer the best connections for many travelers are Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, London (Heathrow) and Paris (CDG).

The airports most frequently served by Iceland Express are Copenhagen, Frankfurt Hahn and London (Stansted). Iceland Express has the advantage of offering all of its tickets as one-way tickets, which makes it easier to tailor one’s itinerary to one’s needs. Iceland Express bills itself as a discount airline, and is often cheaper than Icelandair. However, at the destinations where these two carriers compete, Icelandair will often offer comparable “bargain” prices.

Travel to Iceland can be very expensive, but surprisingly reasonable fares ARE often available. Travelers are advised that they will generally get the best fares by (1) planning and booking EARLY, (2) by doing their own web bookings, rather than by using a travel agent or search engine (e.g. Expedia), and (3) by using discount carriers such as Ryanair or EasyJet (where available) to connect to airports served by the Icelandic carriers. If you are tempted to use a travel agency or general search engine, you should at least compare the prices you are offered with the prices obtainable through direct booking on the web.

You are not likely to find charter flights that fit your plans, but it will not hurt to look.

If you make your own travel bookings on the web, you should not neglect to check special hotel prices that may be offered by the airlines. Accommodation in Iceland is rather expensive (see Lodging), but one can often get excellent special deals, particularly if combined with travel.

Accommodation for the nights of August 6th and 7th (at Hólar) is prearranged and will be billed through the conference, there being no practical alternative lodging. Minimally, participants will need to book accommodation in Reykjavik for the nights of August 5th and 10th, and in Akureyri for the nights of August 8th and 9th. The organizers have made arrangements for discount prices at some hotels/guesthouses in Reykjavik and in Akureyri (see Lodging), but individuals may be able to find better deals by searching on the web. There is huge pressure on accommodation in both Reykjavik and Akureyri in the month of August. The importance of making one’s arrangements EARLY cannot be overemphasized.