Tips for travelling with children in Iceland

One of the trickiest things about planning a trip to Iceland, with so many unique locations, is making the itinerary. Add a baby or two (or more...) into the mix and you might start feeling like you need a drink or two (or more...). Traveling with young children doesn‘t always feel like you‘re on a relaxing vacation but with good planning and a few tricks you can get pretty far. Having three kids under 5 years old we've figured out a few things that we'd like to share with anyone thinking about travelling to Iceland with some little ones.

Slow down

I know this is a challenge when traveling around Iceland. In a country with seemingly endless amazing locations we tend to want to see as many of them as we can. This can result in a lot of stress, long and frequent drives and tends to dampen the whole experience. I‘d always recommend sacrificing 1-2 locations in return for a more relaxed trip. But as always, each to his own!

Give your little one/s a film camera

I might be a bit biased but this has become one of my favourite parts about traveling with the family and I‘m always way more excited to see what my kids have captured during our trips than myself. The camera doesn‘t have to be fancy at all and you can get them pretty cheap online. You could even go for disposable cameras to begin with.

Schedule your drives + random stops (mini adventures)

Making a general outline of your trip is always a good start to a family trip. Listing the attractions you want to visit and the activities you want to do and then creating a general itinerary based on their locations. But as you probably know, one of the things kids are ridiculously good at is screwing up plans. That‘s where the mini adventures come in. When you feel that it‘s time to park the car and blow a little steam, see if you can find a place nearby that offers a simple activity of some sort (definitely doesn't need to be a tour or anything paid, probably better if it's not actualy). Here‘s a few ideas: Find a beach where you can throw rocks into the ocean/lake and dip your toes in, do a short hike up to a random waterfall and have a sip from the stream or pick berries (if it‘s the right season). You can also include visits to child-friendly attractions like nature baths, petting zoos, or family-friendly museums.

Snacks on snacks

Really doesn‘t need any explanation but crucial nonetheless. Bring. A. Lot. Of. Snacks.

Dress for All Occasions

Dry and warm kids = good. Wet and cold kids = bad. Bring a few layers, good shoes, hat etc. and then an extra pair of each incase you want to run under a waterfall!

Swimming pools and local playgrounds

Some might say that swimming pools are the essence of Icelandic culture. That's where everyone meets to relax, rant and tell stories throughout the day. They're located in almost all towns and villages around Iceland and each one is family friendly so definitely keep those in mind during your travels. You'll also find an abundance of playgrounds here and there which are almost always open and free to enjoy.

See the world through their eyes

Children are experiencing new things every day while we tend to focus on the bigger and more awe-inspiring attractions. It‘s a good practice to find things that might seem mundane to us but could be a highlight of the day for our children – get excited with them. Here‘s a few examples: Going behind a waterfall (maybe only mundane for Icelanders), playing with a local dog, drinking straight from a clean stream, getting their own flashlight/headlamp when it‘s dark or even just camping in the outdoors.

Safety

Last but not least - keep your kids safe. I know I shouldn't need to say this but history has shown that many people tend to underestimate the dangers of Iceland. Even though Iceland is the safest country in the world when it comes to crime, it's still a dangerous place when it comes to the elements. In addition, kids can easily be distracted and not realise the dangers around them in this new environment: Sudden weather change and wind gusts, icey roads, sneaker waves on the beaches, steep cliffs and more demand that we all are careful when exploring the country. Make sure you visit https://safetravel.is/, https://road.is/ and call 112 (https://112.is/) in an emergency.

With these tips in mind, you're ready to create lasting memories while exploring the wonders of Iceland with your family. Safe travels!