Starting next spring, there's a new option for flights from Vancouver to Europe.

Icelandair will fly from Vancouver twice a week to more than 20 destinations in Europe starting May 13, 2014. Service continues through October 12, 2015.

Previously, the closest Icelandair flights to Vancouver were from Seattle.

The airline offers a free stopover in Reykjavik, and connecting flights to Scandinavian destinations like Copenhagen, Helsinki, Oslo and Stockholm. On its routemap, Icelandair also shows popular destinations like London, Paris, Amsterdam, and Barcelona. 

I'm a big fan of free stopovers—they are a great opportunity to get a taste of a country you might not otherwise visit. The Blue Lagoon, one of the highlights of Reykjavik, is just a few minutes from Keflavik International Airport.

Iceland is the least densely populated country in Europe, and its natural landscape of geysers, glaciers, and waterfalls form the backdrop for many adventure sports. The city of Reykjavik also boasts arts and culture (Björk is a famous export) and Nordic cuisine based on fresh seafood, organic lamb and wild game.