The Northern Lights in Iceland

First the serious stuff. Iceland devalued its currency (the krona) about 14 months ago, following the financial crisis. This has helped the country as far as tourism is concerned as it has meant the price of everything has moved from expensive to affordable.

In answer to the all important question how much is a pint of beer in Iceland the answer is £3.60 according to our favourite beer comparison site www.pintprice.com. This compares very favourably to the average price of £6.00 in that other Northern Lights favourite Norway and is only slightly north of the average price of a pint in London (£3.20).

Hotels are also now great value, with hotels in Reykjavik being the first port of call for most visitors. We just did a sample search and came up with the following absolutely amazing rates for a 3 night stay in February

Cabin hotel in Reykjavik – 3 star – £57 pounds for 2 people – that’s less that 10 pounds per person per night

Loftleidir hotel in Reykjavik - 4 star – £75 pounds for 2 people – a nice 4 star hotel for just £12.50 per person per night

You can fly to Iceland with Icelandair from Glasgow, Manchester and London Heathrow, all at great prices.

Some of you will be pleased to know that McDonalds pulled out of Iceland last year. Iceland joins Albania, Armenia and Bosnia Herzegovina as the only countries in Europe with no trace of the Golden Arches!

Onto the Northern Lights. BBC programmes like Joanna Lumley in the land of the Northern lights (admittedly filmed in Norway, the land of the £6 pint!) should whet your appetite. They are one of the natural wonders of the world and there’s never been a cheaper time to check them out.

When you’re there, Northern Lights Tours are easily found and relatively inexpensive. Reykjavik Excursions has daily tours from £24 and Iceland Excursions from £30. Remember, as with all natural phenomena, you can’t guarantee a sighting, but you will often be offered another tour the next day if nothing is spotted. The best chance of seeing the Aurora Borealis is between October and March.

The Northern Lights in Iceland are a joy to behold – cross them off that ‘to do’ list now!