Travel to Iceland on the Rise: What You Need to Know About Iceland & Travel Insurance

Iceland has experienced a tourism boom within recent years. Tourists from all over the world, particularly North America, flock to the cold island nation to experience the natural beauty that the landscape has to offer, along with the myriad of outdoor activities that they can participate in. Whether you want to have an active and adventurous vacation in Iceland or want to just admire the view from a hot spring, travel insurance can help protect your travel plans.

Adventure Sports in Iceland

Many of those who travel to Iceland spend time in the incredible natural landscape that the country has to offer, and this can include taking part in adventure sports. Glacier hiking, snorkeling, white water rafting, skiing, snowboarding, biking, and caving are only a few of the many adventure sports that are offered in Iceland. Adventure sports inherently come with a certain amount of risk, which you may want covered in the case of an accident or injury. While Arch RoamRight plans offer coverage for a variety of outdoor activities without additional upgrades, there are some that require an upgrade.

Adventure sports travel insurance coverage, also referred to as hazardous sports or extreme sports coverage, is an optional upgrade to some Arch RoamRight plans that provides coverage for things that can happen while participating in hazardous sports.

Under Arch RoamRight plans, these sports are considered adventure sports and require the Hazardous Sports Upgrade in order to be eligible for coverage for claimable events that happen while participating in these activities:*

• Bungee jumping
• Caving/Spelunking
• Hang gliding
• Ice climbing (where ropes or guides are normally used, up to 15,000 feet)
• Mountaineering (where ropes or guides are normally used, up to 15,000 feet)
• Parachuting
• Paragliding/Parapenting
• Rock climbing (where ropes or guides are normally used, up to 15,000 feet)
• SCUBA diving (involving underwater breathing apparatus – OR – if PADI or NAUI certified, to depths below 130 feet)
• Skydiving

*This list is not inclusive. If you do not see the sport you are planning to participate in listed please contact our customer service team at 855-762-6744.

Weather and Natural Disasters in Iceland

Iceland is known for its temperamental and fast-changing weather. In addition to a cold climate and natural geographic features such as the active volcano Mount Hekla, Iceland can be vulnerable to certain natural disasters such as flooding caused by melting glaciers, blizzards, avalanches, volcanic eruptions, and others.

Arch RoamRight’s policies can cover weather-related natural disasters that make destinations uninhabitable or require evacuations. Keep in mind that while the conditions for your trip may not be ideal, such as a week-long forecast of cloudy skies and rain on your vacation, coverages may not go into effect unless certain conditions are met. Arch RoamRight’s trip cancellation and trip interruption coverage will go into effect when:

• Weather causes a complete cessation of services of Your Common Carrier for at least 24 consecutive hours.
• A Natural Disaster at the site of Your destination renders accommodations uninhabitable.
Local authorities in your destination order a mandatory evacuation due to a hurricane or other
• Natural Disaster. You must have 50% of Your total Trip length or less remaining on the Trip, at the time the mandatory evacuation ends, in order to cancel the Trip.
• Your arrival on your trip is delayed and you lose 50% or more of the scheduled trip duration due to a reason covered under the trip delay benefit, such as a delay of your Common Carrier due to weather.

Renting a Car in Iceland

With many areas of Iceland being remote and out of the reach of city public transportation, tourists often opt to rent a vehicle in Iceland in order to get to the locations that they need to for activities such as adventure sports. Purchasing rental car insurance through Arch RoamRight might be a way to protect your travels and rental experience.

Arch RoamRight’s Auto Rental Insurance Plus plan gives you the protection you need when you rent a car on your trip. Often, when you rent a vehicle, the rental company will ask you to purchase their collision damage coverage. This can be expensive, often provides very few benefits, and you may not have the time to review the policy to make an informed decision. Arch RoamRight’s Auto Rental Insurance Plus policy gives you coverage, within limitations, for damage to the car resulting from:

• Collision
• Theft
• Vandalism
• Windstorm
• Fire
• Hail
• Flood
• Any cause not within your control while the car is in your possession.

The Auto Rental Insurance Plus plan also provides baggage coverage up to the benefit limit in the case that your personal effects are lost, stolen, damaged or destroyed during your trip – provided you have taken all reasonable measures to protect, save and/or recover your property at all times.

To learn more about the coverages and the related benefit limits for the Auto Rental Insurance Plus plan, please refer to the policy.

Visit our blog to read more about active and adventurous travel such as traveling to national parks and roadtripping.

Note: Available plans and coverages may have changed since this blog was published.