How do I get to Reykjavik?

Keflavík International Airport (KEF) sits on the Reykjanes Peninsula, 50 km southwest of downtown Reykjavik. It handles every international flight into Iceland. Icelandair operates year-round service from at least 20 North American and European cities, with routes from JFK, BOS, SEA, ORD, and LHR. PLAY, Iceland's budget carrier, flies from BWI, BOS, and several European airports at fares typically 20-40% below Icelandair's economy class. From the US East Coast, flight time runs 5-6 hours eastbound and closer to 7 hours on the return against the jet stream. From London Heathrow, about 3 hours. The terminal is small and functional, one building, with the cold salt wind off the Reykjanes lava fields hitting you the moment you step outside. You'll likely smell the faint sulfur from nearby geothermal vents before you reach the parking lot.

Round-trip fares from JFK to KEF tend to sit between $350 and $700 on Icelandair, with PLAY occasionally dropping to $250 in shoulder season. From London, expect £150-350. Flights from Copenhagen, Oslo, and Stockholm on SAS and Icelandair run €180-350. Peak season is mid-June through August, when fares can double and every flight lands full. The best value window seems to be May and September, when daylight still stretches past 20 hours in May and the northern lights start appearing in September. Worth noting, Icelandair's Saga Class (their version of business) costs roughly 3-4x economy but includes lounge access at the sparse Saga Lounge in KEF, where the coffee is passable and the quiet is welcome after an overnight crossing. Budget tip: PLAY charges separately for carry-on bags over 12 kg, so weigh your pack before booking.

The 45-minute ride from KEF to Reykjavik is almost entirely across a flat, treeless lava field covered in grey-green moss. On a clear day, you can see Snæfellsjökull glacier 120 km to the north. The Flybus, operated by Reykjavik Excursions, departs from right outside the terminal to BSÍ bus station on Vatnsmýrarvegur for around ISK 3,500 one way (roughly $29 at current rates of 120.89 ISK per dollar). Airport Direct offers a similar service with hotel drop-off for ISK 4,500. Taxis cost ISK 18,000-22,000, which is steep even by Icelandic standards. Renting a car makes sense only if you plan to leave the city for the Golden Circle or Ring Road, and the rental counters sit in a separate building connected by a free shuttle. Mind you, the drive into town on Route 41 is dead simple, a single highway with no turnoffs to miss.

Smyril Line's MS Norröna ferry connects Hirtshals in northern Denmark to Seyðisfjörður on Iceland's east coast, a 47-hour crossing that runs weekly from April through October. From Seyðisfjörður, it's a 680 km drive to Reykjavik along the Ring Road (Route 1), which takes 8-9 hours. Fares start around €350 per person with a car. That said, the ferry is more of an adventure than a practical transfer. Most first-time visitors fly. Reykjavik's domestic airport (RKV) sits on the edge of downtown, less than 2 km from Laugavegur, handling domestic flights to Akureyri (45 min), Ísafjörður, and the Westman Islands. If your trip includes the north or the Westfjords, a domestic flight from RKV saves 5-6 hours of winter driving on roads that can close without warning.