Get Your Passport Renewal Now To See Iceland Cheap This Winter - Expedited Passports

Yesterday, we listed Iceland as one of the Top 5 Reasons to Get a Passport in 2011. Now, Frommer’s has uncovered an excellent, affordable travel deal that will take you there for $499 per person (plus tax, unfortunately.)

The deal includes airfare to Reykjavik and back from Boston, New York, or Seattle. It also includes a two-night stay at the Icelandair Hotel Loftleidir with breakfast served daily and a trip to soak in the healing warm waters of Iceland’s Blue Lagoon. If you don’t mind paying a little more, you also have the option of staying in the Hilton Reykjavik Nordica instead.

Also, if two nights isn’t enough, you can add on up to 5 additional nights for an extra fee of $59 if you’re staying at the Hotel Loftleidir and an extra $89 if you’re staying at the Hilton (per couple, singles pay a little bit more person, unfortunately).

From Icelandair’s website, here’s a little interesting tidbit about the Blue Lagoon: “Blue Lagoon’s guests actually bathe between two continents as the Euro – Asian and American tectonic plates meet at the Blue Lagoon.”

The deal is only good from January 6th to March 27th, 2011, and you’ll need your passport to take advantage of it. Check your passport’s expiration date, as you’ll need to apply for a passport renewal ASAP if it’s no longer valid. Show up at the airport with an expired passport and not only will you not be allowed on the plane, you also might very well lose the money you put on the trip: per Icelandair’s website, “A $400 change fee per person applies to changes made up to 30 days before departure. Bookings cannot be changed 29 days or less prior to departure.”

Yikes! Normally, passport renewals take approximately 6 weeks to process, but if you need yours faster you do have options. Ordering expedited service through the Department of State should get your passport processed in 3 weeks or longer. If you’re leaving in 2 weeks or less, you can make an appointment at a Regional Passport Agency office or use a private passport expediting company like RushMyPassport. We personally deliver your application to the Department of State for processing times as low as 24 hours!

Apply for your passport renewal today!

From the amazing travel deals department, Iceland Air is currently offering a 2-night Iceland vacation for as low as $469 per person-including both airfare (from Boston, New York or Seattle) and a 2-night stay in either the FossHotel Lind or the FossHotel Baron. Extra nights are $45 per night per person for double occupancy and $75 per night for single occupancy. Rates include a Scandinavian breakfast at the hotel.

What is a Scandinavian breakfast, anyway? According to the book “Scandinavian Feasts: Celebrating Traditions Throughout the Year,” by Beatrice Ojakangas, a typical Scandinavian breakfast buffet includes a variety of baked rolls, pastries, omelets and seasonal fruits. Yum!

Of course, you’re not going to Iceland just for the food-there’s also gorgeous rugged scenery, relaxing volcanic hot springs to soak in, and an exchange rate that’s definitely in our favor.  This package is only available from October 1st through November 25th.  You will, of course, need a passport to board the airplane, so you should get your passport application in now.

Currently, it takes at least 6 weeks to process a passport application with regular processing, and at least 3 weeks with the government’s expedited processing. That’s cutting it close-if something goes wrong with your application, you might not have time to resubmit.

Using a private passport expediting company can greatly improve the processing speed and reduce the chance of mistakes.  At RushMyPassport.com, you’ll work with a trained passport specialist and receive a detailed checklist to use when you submit your passport application, to make sure everything goes smoothly the first time around.

Iceland is waiting for you-submit your passport application today!