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Nix the Midnight Oil: See the Midnight Sun for Under $550

May 12, 2004 -- Summer means shorter nights for everyone, but our nights are nothing compared to what folks see in Iceland. Thanks to Iceland's extreme northernliness -- most of the island is farther north than Edmonton or Anchorage -- summer nights there can last up to a month long. That's worth seeing.

Right now, Icelandair is offering an excellent fare for folks who want to check out the midnight sun. Couples flying from New York to Baltimore to Reykjavik from June 1-15, returning any time up to 30 days later, pay only $433 (plus $90 or so tax) per person.

We've got a new Iceland guide in the works, but until that comes online, check out these suggestions from our message boards. In short -- Iceland is like no other destination, combining amazing natural scenery (bubbling hot springs; glaciers; volcanoes; heck, they even have volcanoes under glaciers) with an adorable, utterly civilized capital city. I've been there four times, and I'm heading back for a fifth trip soon.

Reykjavik nights are very short in June. Between June 15-28, the sun goes down at just about midnight, and comes back up at almost exactly 3 AM. Combine that with Reykjavik's famed weekend party scene, and you get a very surreal picture of Friday and Saturday nights: happy, staggering clubbers wandering the streets in broad daylight.

To get some serious midnight sunbathing in, you'll have to zip farther north. I recommend heading to Akureyri, Iceland's "second city," a pleasant town of gardens and cafés near a huge nature reserve. Starting June 5, the sun goes down there after midnight and comes back up before 2:20 AM. On the longest day of the year, June 21, the sun dips below the horizon only from 12:56 to 1:31 AM. From Akureyri, you can head out on excursions to the nature reserve at Myvatn, to Iceland's largest waterfall at Dettifoss, to whale watching at Husavik and to some extraordinary canyons at Jökulsárgljúfur. Air Iceland (www.airiceland.is) runs frequent flights along the 45-minute route, with prices starting around Ikr 11,150 ($152) roundtrip.

For the true midnight sun, though, head to Isafjordur. Iceland's northernmost town is perched on a dramatic peninsula with plenty of opportunities for sightseeing. And you'll have all day and all night to look around, as the sun stays up from June 11 to July 1. To get to Isafjordur, you'll have to catch a 40-minute flight on Air Iceland, with prices starting around Ikr 11,150 ($152) roundtrip. For more on Isafjordur, see www.travelnet.is/JKL/journey/sv_vf/isafjordur.htm.

Buy Icelandair's "Share the Air" midnight sun tickets at www.icelandair.com/main/view.jsp?branch=5200649.


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