Europe Travel Guide - Travel Insights and Tips!

Brussles cityscape is a sight to savor at all times of the day There are few places in the world that can fill you with the kind of tranquility you feel when in Belgium. The country’s historic cities, splendid architecture, wonderful chocolate, and mind–blowing beer makes it one of the best places to travel to in the entire world. It’s a highly intriguing country with an extremely rich culture and heritage. If you want to explore Europe in its most romantic form, make sure you visit Belgium. If you are traveling to Belgium, you have to think about the weather in Belgium. This guide will help you find out the best time to visit Belgium, depending on your budget and what you’d like to do. Read on to find out all you need to know about traveling to this beautiful country.

Iceland’s most northern glacier, Drangajokull is located in the remote Westfjords of northern Iceland. Despite its isolated location, this special glacier is worth a visit during your trip to Iceland. Being the only glacier in Iceland whose altitude does not exceed 1000 m, Drangajokull is also one of the only glaciers in the country that hasn’t succumbed to receding in recent years.The Westfjords is a large peninsula in the northwest of the country. Though travel and communication there can be difficult, the mountainous region is known for its beauty and play on light. From the darkest depths of winter to 24 hours of sunlight in high summer, the length of a day takes on new boundaries in this remote part of the world. The Westfjords are home to both the midnight sun and the northern lights, creating a dreamworld for travellers to take in as best they can. While driving in the Westfjords has had a bad reputation in the past, road conditions have greatly improved in recent years. However, as always, safety precautions must be taken in bad weather. Driving from Reykjavik will mean covering approximately 450 km of terrain and will take a little over 5 hours even in favourable conditions.

Iceland currently has three national parks in all, the largest of which is made up of what was once five different protected areas. These parks encompass a diverse range of geographical features, from the glacial ice cap of Vatnajökull and the volcanic deserts of Skaftafell to thundering waterfalls like Dettifoss and geothermal areas like Krýsuvík. They represent Iceland's efforts to preserve its natural beauty and ecosystems while also making them accessible to the public. If you are planning a trip to Iceland, here’s everything you need to know about its national parks.

What makes the Thingvellir National Park different than other national parks in Iceland? With a history dating back to the end of the first millennia, Thingvellir has a story that is as rich as its geography. Amid the shifting continental plates where North America and Europe collide, sits the home of the first parliament of the Icelandic people. A church sits upon the site, dating back to the 19th century, but the faith that preceded it reaches forward across centuries. It is no wonder, that the Icelandic chieftains chose this remarkable place for the site of their annual conclave, for they would gather here with their people, coming by the thousands and staying for weeks or more, to settle grievances, and maintain the balance of power between their various clans. Here, amidst the rugged terrain, and beside the beautiful waters, they made their laws, and kept their peace. Eventually, the seat of power for the Icelandic people would move from Thingvellir to Reykjavik, some 40 km away.

Not only is Vatnajökull glacier the biggest one in Iceland, it’s the largest in Europe! In fact, covering 8,100 square km, Vatnajökull covers more land than all the glaciers on Europe’s mainland combined! It should be no surprise then that a plethora of activities exist on this wondrous body of ice to keep you occupied for your entire time in Iceland.How To Get There This glacier is surrounded by a national park of the same name, Vatnajökull National Park. The easiest way to access it is via Skaftafell, which is also a part of the larger Vatnajökull National Park. From Reykjavik, follow route 1 along the south coast for approximately 320 km, until you see a sign for Skaftafell National Park, where you will make a left turn. The journey will take around 4 hours in favourable conditions.

The fourth largest glacier in Iceland, Myrdalsjokull is a true embodiment of the land of fire and ice. Deep within Myrdalsjokull’s ice cap lies one of the largest active volcanoes in Iceland, the destructive Katla. Set along Iceland’s popular south coast, Mydalsjokull is one of its most easily accessible glaciers, jam packed with activities — a must-visit on your Iceland holiday.Getting to Myrdalsjokull depends on which part you will be visiting - glaciers are quite big after all! However, the two main routes include heading to either Seljalandsfoss waterfall or Sólheimajökull, an outlet glacier of Myrdalsjokull. Both routes entail driving along Route 1 on the south coast of Iceland. Seljalandsfoss is located approximately 125 km along Route 1 from Reykjavik and Solheimajokull is a further 25 km away.

Solheimajokull may technically be a glacier tongue from the larger Myrdalsjokull glacier, however, it is a popular destination in its own right and is worth a visit during your holiday to Iceland. It travels from the Myrdalsjokull glacier down to the pristine shores of South Iceland. Due to the geography of the area, Solheimajokull is a great way to witness how glaciers are shaped and formed, as well as the effects being wrought on these ice giants by global warming.

Glaciers and ice caps make up more than 10% of the entire land area of Iceland. That equates to just under 12,000 km² of Iceland’s 103,125 km². So it’s safe to say that if you plan on visiting Iceland in the near future, you’ll most likely come face to face with huge masses of slow moving ice. Brr. And if the thought of giant frozen rivers of ice doesn’t fill you with enough awe already, many of Iceland’s glaciers hide volcanic activity. For example, active volcanoes such as Grímsvötn and Bárðarbunga are hiding under the Vatnajökull ice cap. Iceland is known as the Land of Fire and Ice, after all.In no particular order, here’s a list of the top 10 glaciers in Iceland for you to visit!

The second biggest glacier in Iceland, after Vatnajokull, Langjokull is arguably the most popular glacier for tourists to visit. This is mainly due to how easily accessible it is from Reykjavik and the abundant activities available there! Langjokull sits happily within ‘The Golden Circle’ of Iceland’s main tourist attractions. This generally includes Þingvellir National Park, Gullfoss waterfall and Haukadalur, a geothermal area which contains the geysers Geysir and Strokkur, amongst other smaller attractions.How to get there Named after its large, oblong shape, ‘Langjökull’ literally means ‘long glacier’ in Icelandic. This incredible, natural formation can be found in the midwest highlands of Iceland. For those wanting to visit Langjokull from Reykjavik, there are two options. The first option is to book a tour that leaves directly from Reykjavik. This is a great option for travellers with little experience of driving in adverse conditions. The second option is to drive to Husafell waterfall (a worthy sightseeing stop in itself) and then join a tour that departs from there. The drive will take approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes.

There’s a reason Iceland is called ‘ice-land’. Glaciers of crystal blue ice blanket the country, slowly making their way over mountains and volcanoes as they finally crumble into a mirror-flat lagoon or the ocean. From afar, they are impressive bulks of indescribable dimensions. Up close, they define the meaning of ‘awe-inspiring’ as we humans try to grasp the sheer natural power of the ice. But the true beauty of glaciers can’t be appreciated without digging deeper. The natural ice caves carved out by these slow-moving giants are the crystalline hearts of the glaciers. To really get to grips with the beauty and power of a glacier, you need to take an Iceland ice cave tour on your next trip to Iceland.

No matter where you decide to spend your time in Iceland, the chances are you’ll come across a glacier or two. These gigantic hulks of moving ice are hard to miss after all, especially when Iceland has approximately 269 named glaciers! That accounts for 11% of the entire land area of the country. The largest by far is Vatnajokull, which covers 8,300 sq. km. 3 times the size of Luxembourg! There’s no doubt that glaciers are a huge part of the country’s tourism and plenty of Iceland glacier tours are available to explore these natural wonders. So, what’s on offer?First of all, there are two main formats for glacier tours in Iceland. Tours will either begin from a meeting point in Reykjavik or on location. Tours which begin in Reykjavik are great if you don’t have a means of transport or don’t feel confident navigating the Icelandic roads. If you’re not staying in Reykjavik or you’re ready to get out on the open road, choosing a tour that starts right on location may give you more freedom!

Hverfjall volcano is a very popular Icelandic attraction that goes by two names; Icelanders can’t seem to decide between Hverfjall or Hverfell. However, the more common moniker is Hverfjall. The almost perfect circular shape of Hverfjall is part of what makes it such a must-see volcano in Iceland. Oh – and the fact that you can walk the whole way around its circumference! You want to give it a go on your next Iceland trip if you are into volcanoes.

Despite being one of the smaller ice caps of Iceland, Eyjafjallajökull volcano is one of the most famous volcanoes in Iceland and the world. This is thanks to its most recent eruption in 2010 that resulted in the evacuation of 800 people, caused electrical storms and earthquakes and grounded flights across Europe. Fortunately, another nearest volcano, Katla, that shares its geology did not erupt this time around. Historically speaking, when Eyjafjallajökull erupts Katla often follows suit. Eyjafjallajökull is a stratovolcano that is completely covered by an ice cap that covers 100 square km. The volcano is 1651m tall and has a partially open crater of just under 4km in diameter with three main peaks. Eyjafjallajökull is found in Southern Iceland and is a great diversion for anyone driving the south shore road on their Iceland trip. The south of Iceland is easily accessibly via road. Let's find out what we can do on and around this magnificent volcano.

It can be said that Iceland owes its very existence to the majestic volcanoes that cover the land of fire and ice. The American and the Eurasian tectonic plates split Iceland down the middle from South to North, meaning that the spreading process of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge can be witnessed on land. In total, Iceland has around 130 volcanoes, with 30 of them being active. If you didn’t already think Iceland was a land of mystery and power, read on to find out about 10 of their most impressive volcanoes in Iceland.

There’s nothing quite as powerful and awe-inspiring as a volcano. A quiet beast that suddenly erupts into life, affecting everything from its immediate surroundings to countries on the other side of the world. For those wanting to witness the quiet power of a volcano, Iceland is the place to go. With approximately 130 volcanoes, 30 of which are still active, Iceland has numerous amazing volcanoes. Getting up close and personal with these natural wonders has never been easier - or more fun. Many Iceland tours are available that offer plenty of things to do. For adventurous tourists that wish to experience the beauty of volcanos, here’s our pick of the best!