Planning a trip to Reykjavik
Arriving
By Plane: International flights arrive at Keflavík International Airport (www.isavia.is/en/keflavik-airport), about 50km (31 miles) southwest of Reykjavík. Taxis into the city cost around 16,000kr for up to four people, so most visitors come to town on the Flybus (www.re.is). Tickets are 5,500kr for adults, 2,750kr for children 12 to 15, and free for children 11 and under. Taxis and the Flybus are clearly positioned outside the arrival hall; both accept credit cards. The Flybus stops at the BSÍ bus terminal, almost all hotels and guesthouses, and the City Hostel. If your accommodation isn’t on the list of Flybus stops, it may offer a free transfer from the BSÍ terminal, or there might be a stop within easy walking distance. If that fails, you could still save money by taking the Flybus to the BSÍ terminal and catching a taxi from there. Flybus departures from Reykjavík to the airport are timed to coincide with departing international flights.
Domestic flights (and flights from Greenland and the Faeroe Islands) arrive at Reykjavík Airport (www.isavia.is/en/reykjavik-airport), just south of the city.
By Ferry: No scheduled international ferries arrive in Reykjavík; ferries from Europe arrive at Seyðisfjörður on the east coast.
Visitor Information
Information Offices: The main Tourist Information Office (www.visitreykjavik.is; daily 8am–8pm) is in the City Hall, beside Tjörnin pond. On the premises is a stunning scale model of Iceland, a fee-free tour office, which can book places to stay, car rentals, and tours. The office has an extensive selection of brochures, guides, maps, and other information about Iceland, arranged by region.
Online: Run by the city’s tourist office, www.visitreykjavik.is has thorough, well-mapped listings of hotels, restaurants, museums, and sights, as well as a schedule of events. What’s On in Iceland (www.whatson.is) covers dining, places to stay, and city activities and events. The Reykjavík Grapevine (www.grapevine.is), a free English-language circular, is a useful guide to current happenings.
Getting Around
BY BICYCLE: Reykjavík is easily explored by bicycle and has a good network of bike paths. Riding on sidewalks and footpaths is widely tolerated, and most trails are illuminated in fall and winter. A free biking map is available at the Tourist Information Office. We recommend the popular route that takes you around the coastline and into the peaceful Elliðaár Valley.
There are several bike rental businesses in town, including Reykjavík Bike Tours, Ægisgarður 7 (icelandbike.com; tel. 694-8956; daily 9am–5pm), which carries high-quality Trek bicycles and provides studded tires in winter. Rates are 4,900kr per day with discounts for 4-hour segments, half-days, or longer rentals. They also run frequent bike and Segway tours around town. Reykjavík's citywide bikeshare program, WOW citybike (wowcitybike.com), lets you rent bikes from 15 stations scattered around town. The price is 350kr per trip (max 30 minutes) or 3,900kr per monthly pass.
BY BUS: Reykjavík’s bus service Stræto (www.bus.is; tel. 540-2700) is very reliable. The major bus hubs are Lækjartorg (in the city, at the north end of Lækjargata), Hlemmur (on the eastern end of Laugavegur), and the BSÍ bus terminal (www.bsi.is; Vatnsmýrarvegur 10) south of downtown. Free bus maps are available at www.bus.is (check out the impressive “Journey Planner” feature), the Tourist Information Office, and bus hubs. Most travelers use buses only to reach outlying hotels or sights such as the Pearl, Laugardalur Park, and the Árbær Museum. Local routes venture as far as the suburbs of Hafnarfjörður, Mosfellsbær, and Akranes. Most long-distance routes leave from the BSÍ terminal.
Buses operate Monday to Saturday from 6:35am to midnight and Sunday from 9:30am to midnight, with set departure times usually every 20 minutes, or every 30 minutes evenings, weekends, and on some routes during summer. The flat fare of 460kr for adults or 220kr for children 6 to 18 (exact change only or purchased through the Strætó smartphone app) is collected on the bus. Transfers (skiptimiði) are free within a certain time frame (normally 45 min.) and must be requested from your first driver. The Reykjavík City Card includes free unlimited bus travel for 1, 2, or 3 days.
BY CAR: Reykjavík’s narrow one-way streets and parking regulations discourage many drivers, but by international standards the city is quite negotiable. Public parking—marked on most tourist maps—usually requires buying a ticket at a kiosk and placing it on the dashboard. Meters vary in cost by zone but start at around 100kr per hour; fees must be paid from 10am to 6pm weekdays and from 10am to 2pm Saturday. Parking is free Sundays and evenings. One parking strategy is to simply park just outside the city’s heart, where there are no meters.
BY FOOT: Reykjavík is a good walking town, easily navigable on foot, with most of the tourist sites, restaurants, and shops concentrated along the central streets.
BY TAXI: Taxis are expensive: Meters start at 550kr, and a short ride across town is routinely 1,500kr. Sharing helps, as taxis charge per ride, not per passenger. The best taxi companies are BSR Taxis (www.taxireykjavik.is; tel. 561-0000) and Hreyfill (www.hreyfill.is; tel. 588-5522). Both accept credit cards inside the taxi. There is no need to tip.
Fast Facts
Banks/Currency Exchange: Banks are usually open Monday to Friday 9:15am to 4pm, or until 6:30pm in Kringlan Mall. All banks change foreign currency, and many have 24-hour ATMs.
Drugstores: Drugstores (Apótek) are usually open Monday through Friday 9am to 6 or 7pm, and Saturday to 4pm. Drugstores that stay open late include Lyf og heilsa (Háaleitisbraut 68 at Austurver, close to Kringlan Mall; tel. 581-2101; daily 8am–10pm) and Lyfja Apótek (Lágmúli 5, near Laugardalur Park; tel. 533-2300; daily 8am–midnight).
Emergencies: Dial tel. 112 for ambulance, fire, or police.
Grocery Stores/Supermarkets: Bónus (Laugavegur 59, tel. 562-8200; and Hallveigarstígur 1, tel. 517-0425; Mon–Thurs midday–6:30pm; Fri 10am–7:30pm; Sat 10am–6pm; Sun midday–6pm) is the best market in the city center. 10–11 markets are open 24 hours; a small branch is on Austurstræti 17 (tel. 552-1011) and a larger one is at Barónsstígur 4 (corner of Hverfisgata; tel. 511-5311). At Kringlan Mall is Hagkaup (tel. 563-5200; Mon–Wed 10am–8pm; Thurs 10am–9pm; Fri, Sat 10am–8pm; Sun midday–8pm).
Internet Access: Many hotels offer free Wi-Fi or have guest terminals, and most cafes have free Wi-Fi. Access is also available at the City Library (Tryggvagata 15; www.borgarbokasafn.is; tel. 411-6100; Mon–Thurs 10am–7pm; Fri 11am–6pm; Sat–Sun 1–5pm).
Laundromat: Reykjavík has no self-service laundromats. If you’re near Laugardalur Park, you can use the machines in the City Hostel.
Lost & Found: Call the police hotline at tel. 444-1000 to see if someone has turned in your item. They even occasionally post lost items on their Instagram feed.
Luggage Storage: Hotels can usually store luggage; otherwise, use the BSÍ bus terminal (Vatnsmýrarvegur 10; tel. 580-5400; daily 4:30am–midnight). The charge is 500kr per item for the first 24 hours, 300kr each additional 24 hours.
Medical Help: For emergencies, dial tel. 112. The main 24-hour emergency room is at National University Hospital, Fossvogur (tel. 543-2000; bus: 11, 13, or 18). For non-emergencies, standard hours are 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday; doctors are on duty 24 hours at the National University Hospital (tel. 525-1000) and during nonworking hours in Kópavogur at the Læknavaktin Medical Center, Smáratorg 1 (tel. 1770; Mon–Fri 5–11:30pm, Sat–Sun 9am–11:30pm; bus: 2, 24, or 28). After 11:30pm, or on weekends and holidays, you can call for a telephone consultation, or possibly a “home visit.” Standard appointment fees are around 8,000kr, but phone consultations are free. For dental emergencies, call tel. 575-0505.
Police: For emergencies, call tel. 112. The main station (tel. 444-1000) is at Hverfisgata 113–115, opposite the Hlemmur bus station.
Post Offices: Post offices are open 9am to 6pm weekdays. The central branch is at Pósthússtræti 5, at the corner of Austursræti (tel. 580-1200). You can also buy stamps at some bookstores and tourist shops.
Restrooms: Public coin-operated restrooms (50kr) are in a few downtown locations, indicated by “WC” icons on tourist maps. City Hall has free restrooms, and most cafes are tolerant of walk-ins.
Telephone: Public phones are sparse in Reykjavík, but you can find them at post offices, on the southwest corner of Austurvöllur Square, and on Lækjargata. They accept coins or phone cards, which are available at post offices, filling stations, kiosks, and convenience stores.
Tipping: Tipping is not expected.
