Practical Information

Below is some practical information on Reykjavik!

• Airport transfer: Unless you’re flying in from Greenland or the Faroe Islands, you’ll arrive at Keflavík Airport (KEF), which is about 45 minutes away from Reykjavík. From there, regular airport buses leave whenever there are flight arrivals. Flybus (https://flybus.is/) arrives to the BSÍ bus terminal in downtown Reykjavík, which is in walking distance of many accommodations in the city center. You also have the option of booking shuttle connections to many hotels and guesthouses with them. An alternative shuttle bus operator is Airport Direct (https://airportdirect.is/), but their Reykjavík terminal at Skógarhlið 10 is a bit further from downtown (but relatively close to Hotel Natura).
• Bus to the venue: From the BSÍ bus terminal, you also have a direct connection by public bus (Strætó) to Reykjavík University/Háskólinn í Reykjavík. Bus #8 from the Gamla Hringbraut bus stop towards Nauthóll arrives right in front of the venue, at the HR stop: https://www.straeto.is/en/route-planner/search/c07a25f9706a/9. The price is 630 kr per ride, payable via the Klapp app (https://www.klappid.is/en).
• Getting around: Reykjavik is very walkable. Additionally, you also find electric scooters from companies Hopp (https://hopp.bike/) and Zolo (https://en.zoloiceland.is/) scattered all over central Reykjavik. If you’re considering to use these, please consider bringing a bike helmet, heed the traffic rules (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLcc4_2iSEc), and take good care of yourself and others. If you need it, Hopp also offers taxi services that can be booked through their app. Hreyfill is another classic taxi operator (call +354-588-5522 or use the Taxi Hreyfill app). Note that taxis are very expensive compared to many other countries!
• How to dress: Iceland is a volcanic island at the edge of the Arctic Ocean, so you should consider bringing a rain- and windproof jacket. It’s a good idea to have layers of clothes to react spontaneously to changing weather conditions. Don’t rely on foreign weather apps as they tend to interpolate forecasts without a clue about Icelandic topography. You can find the Icelandic Met Office’s forecast in the Veður app or at https://en.vedur.is/, which is reasonably reliable for the next 24-48 hours.
• Daylight: We currently have 24-hour daylight, so depending on how good the window shades in your accommodation are, you’ll find your room never gets dark. Eyeshades/sleeping masks might help you maintain a somewhat normal sleep rhythm.
• Swimming: There are numerous outdoor swimming pools in Reykjavík (https://reykjavik.is/en/swimming-pools), all geothermally heated, and one even right behind Reykjavík University (https://nautholsvik.is/en/). Sundhöllin is the most central, Vesturbaejarlaug is the most typical, and Laugardalslaug is the biggest. It’s a great way to relax after a busy day or a long hike, and you haven’t really experienced Icelandic culture unless you’ve soaked in a hot pot under the midnight sun. Note there are two iron-clad rules in the local pools: (1) Keep the locker room floor dry – Leave your shoes outside, and towel off in the designated area before you return to your locker; and (2) Keep the water clean – Shower with soap and without your swimsuit before you enter the pool. Icelanders are not big on rules, but they’ll frown heavily upon anyone ignoring these two. Aside from the local pools, the Blue Lagoon near Keflavík airport is famous of course, but currently it has been subject to repeated evacuations and closures, depending on how the volcanic eruption next door behaves. If you’re interested, the Sky Lagoon (https://skylagoon.is/) is a similarly luxurious alternative right in the capital area.
• Money: Contrasting the country’s harsh nature, Icelandic society is highly digitized and safe. There’s no need to bring large amounts of cash, as credit card payments are universally (sometimes exclusively) accepted, even for the smallest amounts, and tipping is neither customary nor expected. Icelandic credit card terminals use contactless or chip-and-PIN technology.
• SIM cards: If you have a SIM card from an EU/EEA country, it’ll work in Iceland at domestic rates just like at home, thanks to the European “roam like home” scheme. If you have a SIM card from outside the EU/EEA, you can get a prepaid SIM card (e.g. from Síminn, https://www.siminn.is/en/prepaid, Vodafone, https://vodafone.is/english, or Nova https://www.nova.is/english) in the arrival duty free store right ahead of the baggage claim at the airport. If you’re planning on travelling outside Reykjavík, note that Nova’s coverage is limited to population centers, while Síminn and Vodafone have almost country-wide 4G coverage.
• Health insurance: If you’re from an EU/EEA country, your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is accepted in Iceland for any services covered by the Icelandic statutory health care system. If you need to see a doctor, call 1700 (from Icelandic SIM cards) or +354-513-1700 (from international SIM cards) around the clock to talk to a nurse who’ll point you to the right service provider. In immediate emergencies, call 112 from any phone.
• Power outlets: Iceland has a 230 V/50 Hz power system and uses Type C and F Europlugs.
• Outdoor gear: If you have an extra day or two, it’s worth exploring the vicinity of Reykjavík. There are plenty of hiking trails in and right out of town – see https://visitreykjavik.is/day-nature for suggestions. Especially when you’re out of town, dress for rapid weather changes, stay oriented, and respect area closures (fences are mostly there to protect animals and vegetation, not people – use your common sense for that ). If you’re planning on driving yourself, check road conditions and closures at https://umferdin.is/en before each trip, and sense-check whatever your GPS tells you, as there are many duplicate place names, and the track that the GPS sends you on may not necessarily be suitable for your car. See https://safetravel.is/ for general safety information and live travel conditions from the Icelandic Association for Search and Rescue (ICE-SAR).

Thanks to Matthias Book for the summary!