Posted by Bill Pelzmann on September 9, 2013 at 4:21 PM
My wife & I will be heading to Iceland and Europe this month.
We'll be doing the loop drive around the island.
Since a number of you have traveled to Iceland, I thought you might be able to answer some currency questions. I'm just trying to figure out how much local currency to carry for a week, and minimize currency conversion charges.
NOTE: This is primarily for areas away from Reykjavik.
1) Iceland uses the ISK (krona), but is the Euro also generally accepted? I would assume the answer is no, but since we are going on to Europe, it would be great not having to take a second currency.
2) Do the gas stations generally take credit cards ?
3) Are ATM machines common or sparse outside of Reykjavik ?
I did not use the Euro at all during my 9 days there. There is talk of them joining the EU and going to the Euro, but for now I think it is all Krona. I flew to Iceland without a single Krona in my pocket. Probably got hosed by the rate, but I just converted some dollars to Krona in the airport when I arrived.
Every gas station I can think of that i used accepted credit cards. I used my Wells Fargo debit card quite a few places, though I think there is a 3% fee when doing so. (By WF, not Iceland)
You will certainly find ATMs in Reykjavic, Hofn, and Akureyri, and probably many other places too.
Posted by Scott Fricke on September 9, 2013 at 9:11 PM
I was there in 2006 for 3 weeks and most gas stations did take credit cards, but there were some in more rural areas that didn't. I had a Key Bank debit card and the bank charged conversion fees on the transactions, it would probably be good to check the policy of your bank or credit card. Because of that I got whatever the daily limit was for ATM withdrawals whenever I needed money to reduce the fees as much as possible. In 2006 gas there was 3 times more expensive than it was here so be prepared for that if you are renting a car.
We camped most of the time and most of our meals were from food bought at grocery stores so I'm not sure I could give you a good amount that you would need for a week.
I don't know how you are traveling, my brother and I were tent camping most of the time and most of the places you could go to take showers were coin operated so we had to make sure we had plenty of coin money.
You'll have a great time, it's a gorgeous place. Not that you asked, but one of the best things I did was a 3 hour plane tour around southern Iceland, just incredible scenery from the air and some great photo opportunities.
Posted by Monika Chace on September 10, 2013 at 9:43 AM
Bill, I don't know if you have enough time, but Capital One does not impose foreign transaction fees. There's another card that also doesn't charge fees, but I don't remember what it is. Everywhere I went accepted cred cards. I gat a couple hundred USD worth of ISK, but had to make an effort to spend them.
If you haven't already made other arrnagements, I'd recommend renting a campervan. That way you can go wherever the weather is drier.
Have a wonderful time!
Posted by David Mayhew on September 10, 2013 at 12:31 PM
I did not get out any Krona for my trip, just used Credit Card. NOTE: Gas stations ask for a pin code which my credit cards did not have. Check with you bank what this code might be before you go. My Chase Bold has no international fees too.
Posted by Bill Pelzmann on September 11, 2013 at 4:18 AM
Thanks for sharing your travel experience.
I'll carry some Krona, but will reduce the amount that I had planned.
Will check with Wells Fargo to see if I can get some Krona here before departure.
Yes, I stumbled across the credit card PIN requirement last week. So, I've requested one, but it won't arrive until after departure. I hope the ATM+PIN will meet our needs.
We will be staying in farm houses. My wife wouldn't come if we had to tent camp in possible rain. For me this is a scouting trip to check out locations and logistics for a longer trip.
Scott, we won't have time to do a plane tour, but that is certainly something I'll consider for the next trip.
Discussion
6 repliesWe'll be doing the loop drive around the island.
Since a number of you have traveled to Iceland, I thought you might be able to answer some currency questions. I'm just trying to figure out how much local currency to carry for a week, and minimize currency conversion charges.
NOTE: This is primarily for areas away from Reykjavik.
1) Iceland uses the ISK (krona), but is the Euro also generally accepted? I would assume the answer is no, but since we are going on to Europe, it would be great not having to take a second currency.
2) Do the gas stations generally take credit cards ?
3) Are ATM machines common or sparse outside of Reykjavik ?
I did not use the Euro at all during my 9 days there. There is talk of them joining the EU and going to the Euro, but for now I think it is all Krona. I flew to Iceland without a single Krona in my pocket. Probably got hosed by the rate, but I just converted some dollars to Krona in the airport when I arrived.
Every gas station I can think of that i used accepted credit cards. I used my Wells Fargo debit card quite a few places, though I think there is a 3% fee when doing so. (By WF, not Iceland)
You will certainly find ATMs in Reykjavic, Hofn, and Akureyri, and probably many other places too.
Iceland is amazing! Enjoy your time there.
http://landscapeslimited.com/KronaFront.jpg
We camped most of the time and most of our meals were from food bought at grocery stores so I'm not sure I could give you a good amount that you would need for a week.
I don't know how you are traveling, my brother and I were tent camping most of the time and most of the places you could go to take showers were coin operated so we had to make sure we had plenty of coin money.
You'll have a great time, it's a gorgeous place. Not that you asked, but one of the best things I did was a 3 hour plane tour around southern Iceland, just incredible scenery from the air and some great photo opportunities.
If you haven't already made other arrnagements, I'd recommend renting a campervan. That way you can go wherever the weather is drier.
Have a wonderful time!
I'll carry some Krona, but will reduce the amount that I had planned.
Will check with Wells Fargo to see if I can get some Krona here before departure.
Yes, I stumbled across the credit card PIN requirement last week. So, I've requested one, but it won't arrive until after departure. I hope the ATM+PIN will meet our needs.
We will be staying in farm houses. My wife wouldn't come if we had to tent camp in possible rain. For me this is a scouting trip to check out locations and logistics for a longer trip.
Scott, we won't have time to do a plane tour, but that is certainly something I'll consider for the next trip.