Arrival and Information
All international flights (except those from Greenland and the Faroe Islands, which arrive at Reykjavikurflugvollur city airport arrive at Keflavik airport (information on tel 425 0680), 52km west of Reykjavik at the tip of the Reykjanes peninsula. There are two currency- exchange offices here, both offering the same rates - one on either side of passport control - plus there's an ATM accepting most major credit cards, in the arrivals hall after customs. Brace yourself as you leave the tiny terminal building for howling wind and accompanying horizontal rain. A taxi from the airport into Reykjavik will set you back around a whopping 6000kr, so it's far better to take one of the Flybus coaches (tel 562 1011), which leave from immediately outside the terminal; you'll see departure times, which coincide with arrivals, displayed on monitors once you're through customs. Tickets for this, which can be bought from the Flybus desk in the arrivals hall or on the coach, cost 700kr one way and are also payable by credit card and in major foreign currencies, including UK sterling and US dollars. The journey lasts around 45 minutes and terminates at the Loftleidir hotel , 2km from the city centre; from there a shuttle bus (same ticket) takes you to all other major hotels in the city, as well as the campsite ; alternatively, taxis from here cost around 700kr, while bus #7 (150kr) goes directly into the centre - failing that, it's around a thirty-minute walk; the hotel can provide you with a map, but bear in mind that bad weather can make this impractical, particularly if laden with heavy luggage. Domestic flights , plus those from the Faroes and Greenland, arrive at the Reykjavikurflugvollur city airport , originally built by the British when they occupied Iceland during World War II and adjacent to Hotel Loftleidir . Remember though that the airport has two terminals, separated by the runway - flights with Islandsflug use the building behind the hotel, whereas Flugfelag Islands, who operate the majority of domestic flights, use the terminal on the other side of the runway. There is no direct access from one to the other, so if you need to get between the two, either take a taxi or be prepared to walk for 45 minutes. Long-distance buses finish their journeys at the BSI bus terminal , at Vatnsmyrarvegur 10, halfway between the two Reykjavikurflugvollur air terminals, about 1km from the centre of town. Inside is a small tourist information office (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm; tel 552 2300, info@bsi.is ), a fairly decent cafe (daily 7am-11.30pm) and a wall of left-luggage lockers (Mon-Fri 7.30am-9.30pm, Sat 7.30am-2.30pm, June-Aug also Sun 5-7pm; tel 552 6292; 150kr per day, 400kr per week). All bus timetables are published on the net at www.bsi.is . The city's main tourist information office , at Bankastraeti 2, lies at the foot of the main shopping street, Laugavegur (May-Sept daily 8.30am-7pm; Oct-April Mon-Sat 9am-5pm; tel 562 3045, tourinfo@tourinfo.is ), where you can get untold amounts of brochures and maps , including the excellent free Map of Reykjavik, is by far the best source of up-to-date information on both Reykjavik and the rest of the country. If you're travelling independently, you can check your intinerary here with the staff before setting off for the remoter regions.
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