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Reykjavik is the capital of Iceland and an estimated 117,000 people live there. Tourists will not find Reykjavík especially for them, but it is a place where they can enjoy watching the residents go about their daily lives.
Reykjavik is a charming city full of brightly colored buildings and a particularly picturesque area known as the Old Town. If you are in the old town, take a stroll down Laugavegur street. It is a good place to buy various gifts and souvenirs at the local craft stores. If you plan to do some shopping, keep in mind that Iceland is not part of the European Union. Therefore, all tourists are entitled to claim the sales tax of the goods if they spend 4,000 crowns or more per day in a shop.
To get your orientation to Reykjavik, head to the Perlan Tower. You can eat there or just enjoy the beautiful views. For those visitors on a budget, it is worth knowing that they can still enjoy the view by eating at the Perlan Cafe, which is less expensive than the restaurant.
Renting a car in Reykjavik is the preferred way to get around, especially if you want to get out and see the spectacular Icelandic scenery. In the city itself you will not suffer a lot of traffic congestion or lack of parking spaces. This makes Reykjavik a relatively stress-free place to drive. All this despite Reykjavik having the highest number of cars per capita in the world!
If you are in Reykjavik at a time of year when the weather is inhospitable, why not take refuge in buildings like the Reykjavik Museum of Photography and the National Museum of Iceland? If you are with young children, you can go to the Reykjavík Pet Zoo or Lake Tjornin, where you can feed the ducks bread.
You can rent cars at any of Iceland’s airports. Reykjavik has an airport in the city center, but it is mainly used for domestic traffic. The busiest airport is in fact Keflavík International Airport, which is located in Keflavík, a city half an hour drive from Reykjavik. Having a car will save you money in the long run, as the taxi ride from the airport to Reykjavik tends to be expensive.
Whichever airport you enter, vehicles are available through major car rental companies such as Auto Europe, Hertz, Discount, Avis, National rent a car, and Advantage Car Rental.
Although renting a car in Iceland can be expensive, it is the best way to see as much of this huge country as possible. Renting a car at Keflavík Airport will help you have a cheaper holiday, as Iceland is also an expensive place to eat or have a drink. You may want to consider staying in self-catering accommodation so that you can cut costs by cooking yourself. That said, Iceland’s recent economic woes have made the country up to 40% cheaper for tourists to travel.
Iceland Express is one of the national airlines that has flights to many European cities. There are also Icelandair airlines that will take you to Iceland from many destinations around the world, including cities in North America and Europe.
Amsterdam, Berlin, Bergen, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Glasgow, Gothenburg, Helsinki, London, Oslo, Madrid, Munich, Manchester, Milan, Paris and Stockholm are among the European cities with flights to Reykjavik.
Germanwings airline also has flights from Reykjavik to Cologne. If you are coming from Scandinavia, look for flights from Scandinavian Airlines Systems airline. For more information on flights from Keflavik International Airport, which has the airport code KEF, please contact + 354 425 0600.
One aspect of Icelandic culture not to be missed is the opportunity to swim in the geothermal “hot pots”. The Laugardalslaug with its baths, steam rooms and water slides is recommended and is the largest hot pot in Reykjavik.
