There are many important things to pack when you travel: shoes, toothbrush, underwear and, now more than ever, your mobile phone. However, most people don’t pay any mind to the apps on their phone when they travel. I would argue that in Iceland, perhaps more than anywhere else, the apps you have on your phone are extremely important which is why I have written this blog post with the top 5 apps that I would recommend travellers install before their trip.
You don’t need 10-20 apps on your phone, wasting your storage and battery. In my opinion, you just need these 5 apps and you’ll be good to go!
Plus, if you stick around until the end, I’ll throw in some extra pieces of advice for your trip, free of charge!
My name is Melanie and before I moved to Iceland, I was a tourist so I have a decent amount of knowledge to share. I am the go-to person amongst my peers for Iceland trip planning so hopefully the information on this blog post can help you!
| App Name | Best Used For | Quick Tip & Connectivity |
| safetravel.is | Real-time road conditions, volcanic alerts, and submitting travel plans | Run by search and rescue; essential for safety. Requires a signal or pre-saving info. |
| Veður | Accurate weather forecasting from the Icelandic Met Office | If the app is blocked in your local app store, use their English website. |
| ja.is | Finding local businesses and accessing updated street-view maps | Often more current than Google Maps; website fallback available. |
| Parka | Paying for mandatory parking fees at major landmarks | Straightforward to use, but vital to avoid automated camera fines. |
| Hello Aurora | Tracking the Northern Lights using a crowd-sourced map | Ideal for winter trips; shows real-time photos and times from other users. |
Why are these apps necessary for your road trip?
Iceland is a beautiful country and is also one of the safest countries in the world, but being unprepared for your trip can cause it to end miserably. This applies not only to your clothing but to the information that you have on hand.
I don’t write any of this to alarm you or discourage you from visiting! However, weather and driving conditions can change at very short notice so having the information that you need at your fingertips is greatly beneficial to you.
Note: Some of these apps will require mobile signal and/or an internet connection to work so make sure that you are travelling with an e-sim or save the information that you need before you set off from your hotel.
My top 5 apps for your Iceland road trip
App 1: safetravel.is
One of the first apps that I recommend to people when they tell me that they’re planning a trip to Iceland is safetravel.is. This is not only a website but an app that you can download on both the Apple and Android app store.
SafeTravel functions as your go-to place for information when traveling around Iceland and is run by the Icelandic search and rescue service.
Key Features
- Learn about Icelandic road signs
- Find out information about seismic and volcanic activity on the Reykjanes Peninsula
- See travel conditions around the country
- Submit a travel plan for your safety
If I could only download 1 app for my trip to Iceland, this is the one that I would choose. I would even go as far as to argue that this is a non-negotiable and crucial part of any trip here.
You can also find some of the information on the app on TV screens at service stations along the ring road but having the app installed onto your phone is best.
App 2: Veður (“Vedur” also works)
While there is weather information available on the safetravel app, if you want a quick and easy way to glance at the weather, the Veður app is my preferred weather app.
The actual app itself may not be available outside of Iceland, however there is a website that also shows a lot more information than just the weather forecast.
Click here for Veður’s English Website
I have used both Android and Apple phones and tend to find that the native weather forecast apps can be slightly inaccurate. Therefore, I prefer to use the Icelandic Met Office’s website or app instead.
App 3: ja.is
I’ve read a lot of Icelandic travel guides over the years and barely ever see anyone mention ja.is as a must-have app or website for your trip.
Já is primarily an Icelandic search engine but I use it frequently for more reliable information and maps.
In the app, you can view businesses close to you which is a very handy tool for finding your nearest supermarket or restaurants close by. Like the Veður app, you may be unable to download this outside of Iceland but there is a website.
I personally use Já for more up-to-date street view images. This was recommended to me by my husband when I first moved to Iceland.
Google Maps does, of course, work in Iceland and will get you where you need to be but sometimes, Já has more recent street view images so that you can see a more up-to-date view of where you’re going.
App 4: Parka
Unfortunately, if you plan on stopping at landmarks in Iceland, you will need to pay for parking in most cases. Parking fees are a sore spot for a lot of tourists but are mandatory at most landmarks.
Parka is an app where you can pay for parking directly on your phone. It’s pretty self explanatory so I won’t bore you with too many details.
While parking fees can (and do!) add up on roadtrips, they are unfortunately mandatory and a lot of car parks do have cameras to ensure that you are paying for your parking.
App 5: Hello Aurora
OK, perhaps this app isn’t a necessity but it is handy to have if you are here during the winter and chasing the Northern Lights.
Hello Aurora is the app that I use every year to see not only the chances of seeing the Northern Lights, but to see if anyone locally has seen them and taken photos.
Hello Aurora has a map feature where photos from other users appear, with the time that the Aurora Borealis were seen.
I have tried other apps that predict your chances of seeing the Northern Lights but I would say that Hello Aurora is by far the best app that I have tried.
More places to find important information for your trip
This list is, of course, not extensive. These are just some of the apps that I would personally recommend to travellers.
Other places to find important information for your trip include:
- RÚV English – The national broadcaster of Iceland, good for keeping up to date with news
- Local tourism boards such as Visit Reykjavík or Visit Akureyri – Find things to do, events, places to stay and more
- Your government’s travel advice page (you can find the UK Government’s page on Iceland by clicking here) – Find contact information for your country’s embassy and any travel advisories
Conclusion
Even if you decide not to download any of these apps, I can still almost guarantee that you will have an amazing trip! Iceland is a beautiful country and I feel so incredibly lucky that I get to call it home.
If you found this article useful, please consider sharing it with other people that you know or pinning it on Pinterest. This helps other travellers find the information in order to better plan their own trips.
Let me know in the comments if you plan on visiting Iceland soon and, if so, where you plan to visit!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you will need an e-sim or Wi-Fi in order to download and use these apps
Yes, all of these apps are free of charge both to download and use
I would say that the most important app for any trip to Iceland is the safetravel.is app. This contains all of the information that you could need for a safe (and fun!) trip to Iceland.