Useful and essential tips for traveling to Greenland

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Qooroq Glacier in Greenland

Greenland It is not another destination, it is an adventure to be prepared to enjoy it to the fullest

In this article we are going to give you our best tips that you need to know before embarking on an adventure as authentic and special as it is travel to Greenland.

For this we have made a list of the frequent questions that can arise in a trip to Greenland like the one we did with Polar Lands.

Tips for traveling to Greenland

And we will start with the different aspects that you must take into account when preparing the suitcase, which is the first step that can mark your stay in the region.

1. What documentation do I need to travel to Greenland?

Greenland it is a territory that administratively belongs to Denmark, so at the time of use your ID or passport it is like travel through Europe, you can use any of the two, but with the ID you would already be worth it.

2. Travel with agency or on your own to Greenland

You already know that we always try to help you who want to organize the trips on your own, but we will say that for travel to Greenland the advice is go with agency.

Colorful houses in Narsaq in Greenland

And the reason is very evident, because in that Arctic territory there is no infrastructure to move around, nor accommodations that are not attached to the airports.

There are also no roads among its small towns, there are no regular bus or boat lines or anything like that, and the only way to get around is by boat, which only local people and travel agencies work there.

Greenland is one of the few destinations where, for example, Polar Lands, the specialized agency with which we travel, has had to build its own accommodation and equip itself with its own boats and kayak To move travelers.

In this way they have their own hostels, and they have also installed their own adventure camp at the foot of a glacier, like the Arctic explorers.

3. Travel insurance for Greenland?

Normally if you go with a travel agency, like the one mentioned Polar Lands, the most normal thing is that travel insurance is already included in the price.

Zodiak in Greenland

In any case make sure and it does not hurt if you carry your own.

In this regard it should be noted that, although, for example, there are credit cards that include travel insurance, as it is a very special destination in terms of the activities that are carried out you should check the clauses to know if you are covered.

We always travel with a annual travel insurance which covers all possible incidents.

Here we leave the information you should know to take out travel insurance

4. What clothes do I need to take to Greenland?

This is perhaps the most important point before traveling, as there are many small things to keep in mind, since it is not a typical trip, but in relation to clothing requires to be well prepared.

Qalerallit Glacier in Greenland

Thermal clothes, waterproof, thin, for the wind, what suitcase do I carry? There are many doubts that arise when preparing luggage, and you have to be clear about what to bring, because you will hardly find stores if you have forgotten something

What suitcase to carry

We start with the suitcase, which must be soft and if it can be hung on the back it is perfect, since there will be times when you have to move it and there are no asphalt roads to roll.

There are some of North face which are perfect, which are in fact the ones they use regularly in Greenland.

Waterproof clothing

Perhaps the main advice would be that all the clothes that you carry, if possible, let it be waterproofIt is just as important as wearing thermal clothing.

Greenland Halftime Camp in Greenland

Boots, pants and something for the top must be waterproof, be it a coat, a fleece, a poncho or any garment with gore-tex.

As for the pants, if you do not have them waterproof, the simplest is to buy some of the pants covers that they sell in sports stores such as decathlon.

Thermal clothing

You also have to wear thermal clothing, especially Tshirts, and for the days on which long boat trips are scheduled, it is worth putting thermal pants, although if you wear good pants, it is not necessary.

In general, you have to wear waterproof, thin clothes that warm, do not weigh and breathe, just like mountain socks.

Also some mountain clothes, considering that you have to go protected, especially for rain; even something to cover the backpack if you were to carry it in the trekkings.

Trekking on the Qalerallit Glacier in Greenland

It is very likely that you are not as cold as you expect when you think of Greenland, but it can wet you more than you would like.

Other necessary equipment

For the trekkings it is necessary to carry canteen then you will need water, and also a glass to prepare soups with the water you carry in a thermos.

It doesn't hurt mosquito net for the face when walking; there is giant mosquitoes They try to eat you every time the sun rises, especially in certain places.

You also have to bring a sleeping bag to sleep in hostels; It does not need to be too thick because you will use it as a sheet.

Inuit in Greenland

5. Extra night in the destination city upon your return

When planning the trip, we advise you to book on the way back, if possible, some extra day in the city where you stop in the flight from Greenland.

More than anything because the weather can get complicated, and it can happen to you like us, that you had some cancellation on flights due to bad weather and your return is delayed.

In this way if you had bad luck and the departure was delayed from Greenland, which is relatively common in certain circumstances, you would not miss the connection flight from Copenhagen or Reykjavic to your house

6. Mosquitoes in Greenland

Important to have on hand the anti mosquito spray or the grid that protects you from insects, because it is crazy the size and amount of mosquitoes that you will find in some areas of Greenland when the sun rises and it is not windy.

Igaliku in Greenland

We were bitten all they wanted, and more for not carrying the spray by hand, and even produced a small allergic reaction that bothered us the first few days.

It is best to carry in your hand luggage a small container of less than 100 ml to be able to put the spray upon arrival.

And I say in the hand luggage in case anything happens and the bags do not arrive at the airport, as can happen on any trip.

7. The essential, in hand luggage on the plane

As in any trip you can lose your luggage, but if this happens for this trip it is important that you anticipate.

Kayaking in Tasiusaq in Greenland

Ideally, you should be dressed on the plane directly with the clothes you intend to wear including boots and accessories and in the handbag a dry change.

To think that you should also include the raincoats, hats, gloves and this type of thing that you are going to need.

In this case it is only to go towards Greenland because there is no need to return.

8. What currency do you use in Greenland?

While Denmark Belongs to the European Union, is a country not integrated in the euro and still use their own currency, the Danish crown, and the same happens in Greenland.

So you have a reference of change, one euro is about 7 crowns.

Store in Narsaq in Greenland

9. Can you pay by card in Greenland?

They had recommended that we take crowns to pay for what we needed, but in practice almost 100 percent of the sites we visited accepted credit cards.

Even in lost corners of Greenland where there was only one small store, you could pay by card.

So wear crowns just in case, but the card works very well.

10. Internet connection and Wifi in Greenland

If there is a place where you can truly disconnect from everyday life it is in Greenland.

Church in Narsaq in Greenland

There are areas where, simply, there is no telephone or telephone connection Internet.

The guides go with phones with satellite connection in case something happens, so forget about having Internet.

There are only a few specific areas where you can connect by paying.

A question that arose when we were traveling in relation to the telephone, was whether to belong Greenland to Denmark, we could benefit from the current agreement that allows us to use the telephone number free of charge Internet in other countries of the European Union.

We thought that with our phone we could have the rooming free, but it seems Greenland is excluded from this agreement, so calls to Spain with your mobile have a cost, and if you do not remove the roaming of your mobile, you will have an important charge for the use of Internet.

Greenland Halftime Camp in Greenland

Also in Greenland There is not flat data rates or connection, you simply pay for what you consume, so that theInternet connection It is very expensive, and you buy the time you want to use.

After making the purchase, they give you a password, and once the connection is activated, you start to consume time.

There are places where once you activate the code, time is running and you can't stop it, and in others like in the camp of Polar Lands, in Qassiursaqwhen you do the logout and you disconnect from Internet, the time stops.

In practice, the latter is only found in this camp; in the rest of the places the connection was on time.

The prices oscillate a lot, but we already tell you that they are very expensive, they are around 8 euros when connecting toInternet.

Of course, the longer you buy, the cheaper it goes.

Kayaking next to the Fletanes Camp in Greenland

11. Travel with a positive attitude and desire to enjoy

As we always say, there are many ways to travel, and for this trip it is key that you want to have fun, no matter what.

And we do not say it because nothing is going to happen, if not because it is a very particular destination because of the climatic conditions, in the antipodes of a classic destination, for example, of sun and beach.

It is very likely that you get wet, that you walk raining, that at some point you are tired, or other incidents may happen, but going with a positive attitude will allow the trip to be a beautiful experience.

If you are going to complain that it rains and it is cold, choose another destination.

A trip to Greenland It is a mixture between going camping to enjoy nature and feeling a true explorer overcoming adversities.

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