EVE FANFEST 2023: YOUR GUIDE TO VISITING ICELAND

Greetings from the northernmost capital in the world and host of EVE Fanfest 2023, Reykjavík city!

Reykjavík is also the home of CCP, and the birthplace of EVE Online. Development of EVE began in the Icelandic capital in the late 1990s, with the game first launching there on 6 May 2003. Reykjavík remains the home of EVE’s development, and CCP’s HQ, which is based at the amazing Gróska creative community. The city was also host of the first Fanfest all the way back in 2004 – and is soon set to provide the setting for EVE’s 20th anniversary celebrations at EVE Fanfest 2023.

There’s still time to book your Fanfest tickets and be part of EVE Online’s journey to forever. With the amazing EVE Online community getting ready to descend on Iceland’s capital and share their passion, friendship, and devotion to gaming’s greatest star cluster, it’s about time for some tips and advice on making the most of your Fanfest trip, from the best food to accommodation. With that in mind, let’s start at the beginning.

PACKING

If you’ve never been to Iceland before, you really are in for an incredible experience, as it is genuinely like no other place on Earth. But you need to prepare well to enjoy it to its fullest. So, what do you need to pack? Well, the weather here is as varied as the incredible landscape. You honestly never know how the weather will turn up here. Rain in summer and sunshine in winter? Iceland has it all! That means you need to pack to stay warm and dry, but be ready for anything. Check this brilliant video from Inspired by Iceland to get a sense of what you might need to bring.

As you see in the video, to have the best time and focus on enjoying EVE Fanfest and Reykjavík, you need to make sure to pack smart. We advise bringing the following (along with all your regular packing essentials!):

• Fleece jacket/wool sweater

• Rainproof, warm jacket

• Rainproof pants

• Sturdy and waterproof shoes/boots with good grip

• Gloves, scarves, and a hat

• Swimming wear (for those geothermal pools, oh yes!)

• Thermal underwear, or leggings to wear under your trousers

• Warm socks

• Backpack for the daily essentials such as phone, camera, wallet (99.9% places in Iceland take credit cards)

• Extra clothing layers to carry out with you

• Reusable water bottle (tap water is 100% clean in Iceland)
  

Dress codes are rarely enforced in Iceland, and Reykjavík is a cosmopolitan city, even if it feels as much like a very friendly town. When it comes to what you wear, Reykjavík is really like any other modern European capital. You can dress just as you like (we celebrate people being exactly how they are!), but you might regret it if you don’t bring one or two smarter or fancier outfits for the EVE Fanfest party and going out to Reykjavík’s classiest spots.

GETTING AROUND AND LOCAL ACTIVITIES

Iceland is one of the safest places on the planet, and you’ll feel our chilled, friendly island vibe the moment you arrive here. Of course, though, you should always use your common sense while travelling. There is no such thing as a utopia where only good happens; although Iceland can sometimes come quite close to it!

It is easy to walk to most places in and around the centre of Reykjavík, or rent an electrical scooter to go between places. We don’t have Uber here, but our taxis are safe to use.

Things do tend to get sold out around Fanfest, so we recommend signing up for the tours and activities you would like to participate in a few weeks prior. The same applies for making dinner reservations; if you want to try some special restaurant you have heard about, book early. We recommend using the Dineout Iceland website for those bookings.

WHICH RESTARAUNTS?

Here in Iceland, we mostly brag about our amazing nature and the stunning Northern Lights (as we should!), but we need to brag more about our food. There are endless good quality restaurants with all kinds of tastes in the city of Reykjavík, both with classic local food and fusions from all over the world. We suggest getting out there and exploring what’s available. But if you’re looking for locals’ recommendations, we’ve got it covered:

Firstly, you should not miss Bæjarins Bestu hot dog stand in Center of Reykjavík. In 2004, Bill Clinton visited Iceland. As he was walking past Bæjarins Beztu, the owner Mæja called his name and offered him to try a hot dog. Bill was on a diet. Therefore, he chose a hot dog with mustard only. Since then, a hot dog with mustard here has been called a Clinton. Don't miss out on this simple, iconic local delicacy!

Elsewhere the burgers at Brewdog are to die for, and while they aren’t the only quality option, the pizzas at Flatey and Hornið are as good as it gets.

Looking to check out other highlights from Reykjavík’s renowned dining scene? You can’t go wrong with Fjallkonan, Tres Locos, Tapas Barinn, Forrettabarinn, ROK, Snaps and Pünk.

More of a bottomless brunch diner? Reykjavík has you covered with places like Bastard, Public House, Monkey and Kol.

ACCOMMODATION

If you’re coming to EVE Fanfest, you obviously need a place to stay. Fortunately, Reykjavík is packed full of great hotels offering a variety of experience to a range of budgets.

Two local hotels have even stepped up to offer discounts to Fanfest attendees.

You can get 20% off the online price of a stay at one of Iceland’s nine Center Hotels using the discount code: EVEFAN23. The discount is valid from bookings running between 18 September and 27 September 2023.

Or get 15% off your EVE Fanfest stay at Reykjavík’s largest hotel, Fosshótel, using the discount code: CCP0923.The discount offers the 15% reduction on the online price on bookings running from 15 September 15th to 30 September 2023.

Those discounts offer you great hotels for a generous price, but they aren’t your only options. Keep an eye out, and you might see Center Hotels or Fosshótel offer even better prices via their own homepage offers, or on sites such as hotels.com.

Looking for something a little more special or different? You might want to check out some of Iceland’s coolest hotels, including Kex Hostel, Exeter Hotel, Eyja Guldsmeden Hotel, and Kvosin Downtown Hotel.

FLYING TO ICELAND

You are going to need to make it to Iceland if you’re coming to Fanfest, of course. Fortunately, there are lots of flight options, thanks to Iceland’s history as an international transport hub connecting Europe and the Americas.

Airlines flying direct to Iceland in 2023 include: Icelandair, Play air, Easy Jet, Transavia, airBaltic, Air Canada, Austrian air, BA, Czech Airlines, Delta, Eurowings, Finnair, Vueling, Jet2.com, Lufthansa, Norwegian, SAS, Transavia, United, and Wizz.

Using booking sites like skyscanner, kiwi.com, dohop.is, or Google Flights can sometimes also be helpful to find cheap flights, especially for connection flights.

We'd recommend that when you book connection flights as two or more separate tickets, that you give yourself at least three hours between flights.

RENTING A CAR

While you can do most of Reykjavík on foot, there is a whole country of amazing scenery, incredible wildlife, and memorable adventure to discover. Renting a car will make the job of discovering that side of Iceland much easier – and it’s especially worth considering if you plan to spend an extra few days in Iceland before or after Fanfest itself.

Europcar in Iceland is kindly offering EVE Fanfest guests a 15% discount on rental price with the code: FANFEST15. Please note that the discount does not cover extra Europcar services like insurance.

BEYOND FANFEST (OFFERS AVAILABLE!)

If you are making the trip to Iceland, you have to take some time to explore some of the island's amazing experiences. With that in mind, we’ve lined up some very special offers for you with local tour operators – perfect for if you stay a few extra days, or need a change of scenery mid-trip (we won’t mind!).

Head over to the official EVE Fanfest 2023 page, hit the ‘read more’ button in the offers section, and you can get details of all kinds of discounted experiences. Whether you want to go whale watching, try the FlyOver Iceland ride experience, visit the famed Perlan Nature Exploratorium, take a wildlife tour, head to the Lava Show, or take in one of Reykjavík Excursions many excellent sightseeing tours, you can use a Fanfest attendee discount to save some of your hard-earned cash.

Discount codes, rates, terms and conditions, and more detail can be found at the the official Fanfest 2023 page, where you can also keep an eye out for new events and offers.

SEE YOU AT EVE FANFEST!

With all that done, all you need do is make the most of Fanfest, and all its events and activities. To keep up with all things Fanfest, including details of legendary events like the Party at the Top of the World, keep an eye on the official EVE Fanfest page. We can’t wait to welcome you to Reykjavík, to celebrate 20 years of EVE, and shape the future of New Eden!