Technology is wonderful–especially when it makes travel more pleasant and efficient. I scour the internet before I depart, clipping articles into Evernote or finding blogs that give tips and hints or just offer inspiration. Once I arrive, locals and other travelers have shown me useful websites and apps that make visting easier and, sometimes, safer. Here are a few of my favorites for Iceland:

Websites:

• Icelandic Met Office: Search by region for up-to-date weather, wind and precipitation forecasts. Especially useful for planning road travel.
• Vegagerdin: Gives road conditions as well as weather, letting you know when the optimal time is to circumnavigate the island. Click on various regions on the map in the upper righthand corner.
• The Reykjavik Grapevine: the Grapevine is a free alternative magazine published in English about 18 times a year. The website is chock full of great information; the magazine, when you arrive in Iceland, is full of upcoming concerts, news and information about the latest happenings.

Apps:

• Aurora Forecast App: Helps “forecast” where and when you’re most likely to see the Aurora Borealis. While it’s not a guarantee, it does help give you an idea of when the solar activity is highest and the nights (provided it’s clear) you might glimpse the Northern Lights.
• Reykjavik Appy Hour: Created by the Grapevine (see above), this app tells you when and where the best happy hours are in Reykjavik so you have no excuse to pay full price for beer. Genius!
• Literary Reykjavik: not only are most of the coffee shops, hostels and restaurants full of books to swap, you can also take the Literary Reykjavik walking tour. With an electronic walk, a podcast detailing the “Neighborhood of the Gods” and a Literary map for bookstores and culture houses, it’s a great resource for walkers and bibliophiles alike.