There are a great many smartphone and iPad / tablet apps on the App store for both Apple and Android devices.For those visiting the country, it is handy to have these pre-installed on the machine, so that they can be accessed while in the country. Some of the apps will allow content to be downloaded on to the device in advance so that no data costs are required when they are being used.
For those visiting the country from the UK, it is worth finding out what the implications of using data will be. For a while, it made sense to buy Icelandic SIM cards. Some smartphone contracts will now include data roaming discounts, or perhaps access to a certain amount of data for a low daily rate. It is important to keep track of this, perhaps by setting a cap on data use. Texts and calls may also result in a charge.
If students are travelling with you, advice on the use of devices is important to provide in advance. It is also worth pointing out that if you are travelling during some of the more common weeks in the year for school visits, such as the October half term, the low temperatures which can be experienced during that time will cause batteries to drain faster than usual, so extra power packs may also be a good idea.
I've created a folder on my iPhone and moved apps into that which are particularly relevant for Icelandic travel.
At the moment, they include the following apps.
- Vedur (see the previous blog post)
- Road.is - to check on the condition of the roads for closures which may mean a change of plans, or delays due to accidents - also see Road Guide which does a similar thing
- Drops - a language app which teaches a few Icelandic words at a time - I think it helps to learn a few key words, and will be doing that during 2020 - Icelandic is not an easy language to pick up (see separate blog posts on the Icelandic language and my efforts) - the Eng-Icelandic app is another language app.
- Flightradar24 - to keep track of flights which may be on their way to Iceland for a turn around and to see any obvious delays
- Aurora - an app to help forecast the likelihood of seeing the Aurora Borealis, which for many would be a highlight of a trip to Iceland (see separate blog posts on this)
- Vegan Iceland - a growing number of restaurants are now serving vegetarian and vegan food to respond to changing tastes both amongst visitors but also residents. This one suggests where to find food in various locations in Iceland, which could help some people if they are looking for a place to eat.
Which apps do you have on your tablet / smartphone to help facilitate your stay in Iceland. Are there any more specific Iceland apps which I am missing? Why/how do you use these apps? iOS or Android apps welcome.
We may not be able to produce a definitive list, and new apps are being added all the time, but this could be helpful for readers of the blog, and also feed in to future blogposts.
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