Norway or Iceland?
The practical differences, drawn from our own write-ups rather than from a brochure. We are not going to tell you which is better - they are different trips. What follows is what actually changes between them.
Places written up here 414 308
UNESCO listings among them 11 16
Cost level Very high Very high
Busiest month in our write-ups July July
Currency Norwegian krone (NOK) Icelandic krona (ISK)
Plugs and voltage C, F - 230 V C, F - 230 V
Everyday languages Norwegian Icelandic
Driving side right hand side right hand side
Region Northern Europe Northern Europe
Capital Oslo Reykjavik
Norway
Quiet competence and friluftsliv - outdoor life - shape everything; personal space is generous.
What we have written up
- Agatunet clustered farmyard
- Aker Brygge waterfront district
- Akerselva River Trail urban river walk
- Akershus Fortress fortress
- Alesund Art Nouveau Town old town
- Alkefjellet bird cliffs
Worth knowing before you go
- Cards are universal; many places are cash-free entirely
- Supermarket picnics and hotel breakfasts are the standard budget strategy
- Ferries are part of the road network and take cards automatically
Iceland
Weather rules everything; independence and understatement are national traits.
What we have written up
- Akranes Lighthouse lighthouse
- Akureyrarkirkja church
- Akureyri Botanical Garden botanical garden
- Aldeyjarfoss waterfall
- Arbaer Open Air Museum open-air museum
- Arctic Fox Centre research centre
Worth knowing before you go
- Cards work for absolutely everything including public toilets - cash is nearly extinct
- The Bonus and Kronan supermarkets are the budget traveller's lifeline
- Pools are the town square - every village has a geothermal one
Counts describe this site, not the countries: "places written up here" means how many pages we have finished, and it keeps growing. Currency, plugs and languages are practical facts and change rarely; check anything visa-related with the relevant official source before you book.