Will I have a problem in Iceland If I only speak English?

Question

Hi, I'm an American going to Iceland soon on two week trip. I'm going alone and really scared because I only speak English. Will I have a problem ordering food at restaurants or shopping?

Answer 1

Iceland's official written and spoken language is Icelandic, a North Germanic language descended from Old Norse.

English is widely spoken as a secondary language, and many Icelanders speak it almost at a native level of proficiency. Danish is also widely understood.

Hence, I do not think that you will have a major problem in Iceland because most should be able to understand you. Also, you may want to pick up basic phrases like "Please" or "Thank You" in Icelandic, so as to make things go a little more smoother.

Answer 2

Not at all. Almost everyone understands and speaks English (perhaps with an accent) in Iceland

Answer 3

Practically everyone speaks English in Iceland, because it is required of students to learn in school and because of American movies, music, tv.  The only people who might have problem speaking English are elderly people, very young children (like 7 yrs old and under), and people who live in the middle of nowhere. Everyone in and around Reykjavik will speak excellent English.  

There isn't an Icelandic word for "please". You just say what you want and say "Takk" as a "thank you."