Before You Fly: The US Traveler's Iceland Prep Checklist

Most blog posts focus on what to do in Iceland, but this covers the 10 things you should handle before you board the plane, specifically if you're flying from the USA.

1. International Driving Permit - skip it. Iceland accepts a valid US driver's license. You don't need an IDP despite what some rental sites imply. Don't waste the $20 and AAA trip.

2. Passport: check the expiration. Iceland requires your passport to be valid for at least 3 months past your return date. If you're cutting it close, renew now since processing can take 6+ weeks.

3. Phone + data. Your US carrier's international plan will work, but it's expensive. A better option:

• eSIM (Airalo, Saily): $10–$20 for a week of data, activates the moment you land.

  You need data on Day 1 for maps, weather (vedur.is), and road conditions (road.is). Don't skip this.

4. Download these apps before you fly.

• 112 Iceland — emergency app, use it if you get stuck

• Veður — official Icelandic weather (more accurate than Apple Weather)

• Vegagerðin — real-time road conditions and closures

• SafeTravel — file your travel plan with Icelandic search and rescue (free, takes 2 minutes)

5. Credit cards. Iceland is nearly cashless. Bring a card with no foreign transaction fees (Chase Sapphire, Schwab debit). Almost every gas pump requires a 4-digit PIN — make sure yours has one set before you fly.

6. Cash — don't bother. We've literally never used it in 5+ trips. Skip the currency exchange.

7. Outlets + adapters. Iceland uses Type F plugs (European, round two-prong). Grab a cheap adapter pack on Amazon. Most US devices are dual-voltage but check your hair tools since they will fry.

8. Rental car pickup strategy. Book a rental company with an on-airport or shuttle-on-arrival pickup. If you're arriving on a red-eye, you do not want to wait 45 minutes for a 7am shuttle. Happy Campers, Lotus, Blue, and Hertz are the fastest from our experience.

9. Your first meal. You'll land exhausted. Plan your first meal instead of white-knuckling it to a gas station. Braud & Co (Reykjavík) for pastries or Kaffitár at the airport are our go-tos.

10. Sleep strategy for the red-eye. Most US flights land 6–8am. Don't nap when you get there or you'll wreck your whole trip. Push through Day 1 (we built the itinerary around this), get to bed at a normal Iceland time, and you'll be dialed in by Day 2. I really love the app Timeshifter to make sure I'm sleeping at the most optimal times to avoid jetlag on my flight.

Bottom line: handle these before you fly, and Day 1 stops being a survival day. It becomes the first real day of the trip and you can hit the ground running!