Nordic Countries - Long Layover in Keflavik, Iceland

I'm flying from Seattle to London on Tuesday 25th August this summer and I have a very long layover at Keflavik International Airport in Iceland. I'm wondering if any of you have had a long layover in this airport before and whether or not you were able to leave the airport and see a little bit of Keflavik before catching your connection...

My flight from Seattle arrives at 6:45am and my flight to London departs at 16:10 (so 9h25 long layover).

-Are there usually long security lines so that I should allow lots of time to re-enter the airport in the afternoon?

-Is there anything interesting to do within walking distance of the airport?

-I've heard that the Blue Lagoon is supposed to be really interesting... does anyone have information on the best ways to get there and back within my time frame?

-Does anyone have advice on cheap forms of transportation? (I am a student and therefore not particularly classy when it comes to traveling...)

Takk for any help you can give!!

Bring a towel and bathing suit and head for the Blue Lagoon. There are shuttle buses that take you from the airport to Blue Lagoon. Reykjavik city center takes about 45 minutes to get to and it looks like a frontier town. Reykjavik and Iceland are best appreciated if you are not in a hurry.

The NY TIMES Travel section had a recent article on "36 Hours in Reykjavik":

http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/01/11/travel/11hours.html

Slideshow:

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/01/11/travel/0111-REYKJAVIK_index.html

There are plenty of popular bus excursions from KEF to the Blue Lagoon and/or Reykjavik. City is about 45min from airport, Lagoon is 20-25 min.

www.re.is
www.icelandexcursions.is
www.bustravel.is

KEF is a modern, straightforward airport. I never experienced any particularly long queues on arrival or departure.

-Are there usually long security lines so that I should allow lots of time to re-enter the airport in the afternoon?

-Is there anything interesting to do within walking distance of the airport?

-I've heard that the Blue Lagoon is supposed to be really interesting... does anyone have information on the best ways to get there and back within my time frame?

-Does anyone have advice on cheap forms of transportation? (I am a student and therefore not particularly classy when it comes to traveling...)



You've received very good information so far. Let me suggest an itinerary for you:

Take the flybus "Arrival Via Blue Lagoon" (http://www.re.is/DayTours/BlueLagoon) into Reykjavik. The Blue Lagoon (http://www.bluelagoon.com/) is not to be missed.

After that, continue with flybus into Reykjavik. They have several departures so you can decide how long you want to stay there. Tell the driver you're staying at the Hotel Borg, which is located in the center of town and where they'll drop you off.

Walk around the downtown area for a bit and then have a lunch there. Lots of excellent dining options- (http://www.visitreykjavik.is/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-7/12_view-15/) fish and lamb are the local specalities...

Then go back to Hotel Borg and arrange for a pick-up by flybus to take you to the airport. (You may want to arrange this with the hotel when the flybus drops you off in the morning.)

Thank you all very much, I have noted your advice.

I have one more question to ask you... is it normal and convenient to hitchhike in Iceland?

There seem to be about 40km between Keflavik and Reykjavik, which I'm sure is doable if you have lots of time, but I'm a little shy because of my time restraint... hmm poverty and convenience are battling again...

I have one more question to ask you... is it normal and convenient to hitchhike in Iceland?

NO ! If you're this short of cash you should skip a stop-over in Iceland and continue directly to London on the morning flight instead of the afternoon flight.

To be honest, I find the Blue Lagoon over-rated. A stroll along Reykjavik's long shore is very nice though.

There's a great list of suggestions of things to do (especially good for a long layover) as well as things to do inside the airport in case your ticket doesn't let you leave the transit area here at this link -- http://www.layoverguide.com/2010/03/iceland-layover.html

I have the same 9-hour layover between Seattle and London coming up next week. What did you end up doing on your trip? I'd appreciate any recommendations (do's/don'ts) on things to do and options for affordable, reliable transportation from/to the airport.

I love photography, so hope I can find a 3- or 4-hour tour that would allow me to take some beautiful photographs and still get back in time to catch my flight! Iceland looks so exciting, I wish I had more time than 9 hours!! :)

I have the same 9-hour layover between Seattle and London coming up next week. What did you end up doing on your trip? I'd appreciate any recommendations (do's/don'ts) on things to do and options for affordable, reliable transportation from/to the airport.

I love photography, so hope I can find a 3- or 4-hour tour that would allow me to take some beautiful photographs and still get back in time to catch my flight! Iceland looks so exciting, I wish I had more time than 9 hours!! :)

With 9 hours, your only option is Reykjavik. Take Flybus to BSI Bus Terminal and buy a 24 hour Reykjavik Welcome Card there. My recommendation is take any bus (free with the welcome card) and roam around Reykjavik. If you have time, take the ferry (also free with the card) to Videy and visit any of the geothermally heated municipal pools (also free with the card).

Last Feb I arrived from BOS for an approx 6 hr layover and picked up a rental car and then headed into Reykjavik. Was still pitch black but very easy to find my way into city including a couple of round-abouts. I parked at the Hallgrimskirkya -which unfortunately was clad in scaffolding but offers a good view of the city below and then walked into the centre of town. After a wander it was back to the airport via The Blue Lagoon where I spent an all too brief 90 minutes. Well worth the visit and easy to find off the highway. Back to airport and then off on SAS to OSL. Heads up - the only fuel stn at KEF took only a cc w/ chip but my VISA chip card wouldn't work. A tip of the hat to the gent at the rental-counter who let me slide on the refuel charge.

I'm flying from Seattle to London on Tuesday 25th August this summer and I have a very long layover at Keflavik International Airport in Iceland. I'm wondering if any of you have had a long layover in this airport before and whether or not you were able to leave the airport and see a little bit of Keflavik before catching your connection...

My flight from Seattle arrives at 6:45am and my flight to London departs at 16:10 (so 9h25 long layover).

-Are there usually long security lines so that I should allow lots of time to re-enter the airport in the afternoon?

-Is there anything interesting to do within walking distance of the airport?

-I've heard that the Blue Lagoon is supposed to be really interesting... does anyone have information on the best ways to get there and back within my time frame?

-Does anyone have advice on cheap forms of transportation? (I am a student and therefore not particularly classy when it comes to traveling...)

Takk for any help you can give!!

Take a shuttle and go to the Blue Lagoon. You can relax and pass the time there. I wouldn't really worry about going into Reykjavik. You can lose track of time there really easy. In Keflavik, there is nothing really much to see, just a city. Nothing much to see within walking distance of the airport, unless you like photographing a lunar landscape.

Enough time to go see Tingvellir?

Enough time to go see Tingvellir?

Unfortunately. Given the schedules and itineraries of bus tours, I'm affraid it is not possible.