Getting There & Around

By Car -- The northeast corner is literally out of the loop, as the Ring Road cuts inland from Mývatn to Egilsstaðir. Route 85 circles the coastline instead; the distance from Húsavík to Vopnafjörður is around 300km (186 miles), mostly unpaved. Route 867 is a tempting shortcut across the Melrakkaslétta Peninsula; but road conditions are poor, and drivers in regular cars are advised to stick with Route 85. A new road across Melrakkaslétta may be completed by 2010.

In Vopnafjörður, the only car-rental agency is National/Bílaleiga Akureyrar (tel. 461-6000; www.holdur.is). In Þórshöfn, the only company is Avis (tel. 591-4000; local tel. 660-0609; www.avis.is).

By Bus -- Trex (tel. 587-6000; www.trex.is) operates one bus on weekdays year-round from Akureyri to Þórshöfn, with a bus change at Húsavík and stops at Ásbyrgi, Kópasker, and Raufarhöfn. The bus departs Akureyri at 8:30am and reaches Þórshöfn at 12:45pm; the return trip is from 1:30pm to 6:16pm. A one-way ticket from Akureyri to Þórshöfn is 6,100kr ($98/£49). No buses go to Vopnafjörður.

By Plane -- Every weekday, Air Iceland (tel. 570-3030; www.airiceland.is) connects Akureyri to Þórshöfn and Vopnafjörður; service may increase to two flights per weekday in summer. All flights from Reykjavík to Þórshöfn or Vopnafjörður connect through Akureyri. Typical airfares to Þórshöfn or Vopnafjörður are 14,000kr ($224/£112) from Reykjavík or 8,000kr ($128/£64) from Akureyri.

Visitor Information

The tourist information office in Akureyri can offer general help. In Raufarhöfn the most knowledgeable figure is Erlingur Þoroddsen, proprietor of Hotel Norðurljós (tel. 465-1233; hotel@raufarhofn.is), and basic service information is listed at www.raufarhofn.is. In Þórshöfn, tourist information is at the local swimming pool, Langanesvegur (tel. 468-1515; www.thorshofn.is; mid-June to Aug Mon-Fri 8am-8pm, Sat-Sun 11am-5pm; Sept to mid-June Mon-Thurs 4-8pm, Fri 3-7pm, Sat 11am-2pm). In Vopnafjörður, tourist information is next to the fish factory at Hafnarbyggð 4 (tel. 473-1331; Jun-Aug 10am-5pm).

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.