About Denmark

Denmark is one of Europe's finest countries with a rich heritage and stunning scenery. Home to the Vikings, the Scandinavian nation is famed for its architecture as well as its history with many buildings being constructed from blonde wood and metal. Denmark is a fine destination in itself, but its location in the south of Scandinavia means travelers can easily pass into neighboring Germany by road or take a ferry to Sweden and Norway as well as providing a good link by sea to Iceland and the Faroe Islands. Denmark is made up a number of islands and although bridges and tunnels have been built, getting around the country by ferry is still convenient and enjoyable. Copenhagen is located on the east coast of Denmark's largest island, Zealand. A large bridge and tunnel connect the city to Malmo in Sweden, but you can also cross the sea by ferry. Helsingor, just up the coast from Copenhagen, has numerous daily crossings to Helsingborg. Domestic services also run each day connecting you with Als, Samsø, Bornholm and Langeland. While the main Danish peninsula of Jutland shares a land border with Germany, it is far easier to take a ferry if travelling from the east of Germany to one of Denmark's islands. Currently, ferries operate daily between Rostock in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Gedser on the southern tip of Sjaelland as well as Puttgarden and Rodby. Ferries connecting England with Denmark ceased at the end of 2014 having has been in operation for nearly 140 years. Copenhagen is the main tourist destination in the country. It's most visited attraction is the Tivoli Gardens, a large amusement park that has been open since 1843 and is packed with thrill rides as well as a theater and stunning exhibition halls. The Copenhagen Zoo is also much loved and is home to animals from all seven continents, including African lions, polar bears and elephants. Billund in Jutland is home to the original Legoland as well as the first factory of the famous toy brand. The park has been open since the late 1960s and attracts more than 1.9 million visitors each year. It has more than 40 rides including four roller coasters and a popular area known as Mini Land that features models of landscapes, cities and buildings made entirely out of Lego bricks. Other popular sights and landmarks include the Lalandia Billund AquaDome and the Little Mermaid sculpture at the Langelinie promenade in Copenhagen.

About Iceland

Iceland is a Nordic country and the most sparsely populated in Europe. Covering an area of just under forty thousand square miles between the Arctic and North Atlantic oceans, Iceland is home to just three hundred and twenty five thousand people. Iceland is volcanically active with many geological marvels - the northern lights, geysers and mountains, lava fields, glacial rivers that flow down to the sea and hot springs that supply much of the country’s heating. By ferry you can travel from Hirtshals in Denmark and Torshavn in the Faroe Islands to Seydisfjordur in Iceland with the Faroese ferry company Smyril Line. The ferry sails once a week between April and October and gives you the option to take your own vehicle or alternatively to travel on foot. The crossing from Denmark to Iceland is long and quite expensive, however the ship used by Smyril Line is of cruise line standard and therefore the time spent on board more than compensates, hence the popularity of this route. Ferries dock at Seydisfjordur port in the east of Iceland and if travelling by car then you link up with the rest of the island via route 1, or the ring road which runs around the island connecting the major cities. Many of the most popular tourist destinations are within a short distance of the ring road. Though Iceland has no railway system, a large network of bus companies cover most destinations in the country. There are some incredible natural phenomena to visit in Iceland. Whales can be seen from various different places in the country and whale watching tours are popular, as are tours to visit the many geysers, underground springs and thermal pools around the island. Landmannalaugar is popular, with its otherworldly landscape of lava fields, as are the multi-coloured rhyolite mountains and the Hekla volcano. Skaftafell Ice Cave and Vatnajökull National Park attract many visitors in the winter to view the ice caves and glaciers. Grindavik Blue Lagoon offers visitors the chance to bathe in a geothermal spa, and of course, the famous Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis can be viewed in more remote locations from the middle of September to the middle of April. City life also has a lot to offer in Iceland, with beautiful architecture to be found in buildings such as the Hallgrimskirkja church and the Harpa Conference and Concert Centre. Iceland has a cool club and bar scene - the locals know how to party, and you can find schnapps made from fermented potato mash to help you get into the party mood.