Iceland (Lonely Planet, 7th Edition) - Fran Parnell [74]
The fare is Ikr280/100 per adult/child six to 18 years (no change is given). Books of 11 tickets (Ikr2500), and one-/three-day passes (Ikr600/1500) can be bought from the two bus stations, Kringlan and Smáralind shopping malls and the bigger swimming pools. If you need to take two buses to reach your destination, skiptimiði (transfer tickets) are available from the driver – you have a limited time (usually 45 minutes) in which to use them.
The Reykjavík Welcome Card (Click here) also acts as a free Strætó bus pass.
BUS STATIONS
The two central terminals are Hlemmur (Map), at the far end of the main shopping street Laugavegur; and Lækjartorg (Map), right in the centre of town. Check your route carefully, as not all buses stop at both.
Big suburban bus stands include Grensás (Map), Hamraborg in Kópavogur, Fjörður in Hafnarfjörður (Map Click here), Háholt in Mosfellsbær, Ártún in the suburb of Höfðar and Mjódd in the suburb of Breiðholt.
Useful routes:
14 Lækjartorg bus station, National Museum, BSÍ bus terminal, hospital, Hlemmur bus station, Laugardalur (for swimming pool, City Hostel and campsite).
15 Domestic airport terminal, BSÍ bus terminal, hospital, Hlemmur bus station, Laugardalur, Háholt bus station (Mosfellsbær).
S1 Hlemmur bus station, Lækjartorg bus station, National Museum, BSÍ bus terminal, hospital, Hamraborg bus station (Kópavogur), Fjörður bus station (Hafnarfjörður).
Car & Motorcycle
A car is fairly unnecessary in the city, because it’s so easy to travel round on foot and by bus. However, if you want to get into the countryside and don’t fancy the bus tours (Click here), it’s worth hiring a car.
The capital’s drivers can be inconsiderate: beware of people yattering into mobile phones (illegal, in case you’re wondering), drifting across lanes or cutting corners at junctions.
PARKING
The City Hostel, campsite and top-end hotels have private parking for guests; at other guest houses and hotels, you’ll have to scrum for spaces. In central Reykjavík, metered street parking and municipal car parks are divided into zones – P1 is the most expensive, then P2 and P3. An hour’s city-centre parking costs about Ikr200; parking is free on Sunday and in the evening.
GETTING OUT OF TOWN
Getting out of town is easy – follow the signs for Rte 1. Getting back into Reykjavík can be more confusing, as there are dozens of exits from the highway and road signs are marked with abbreviations rather than full street names. To help you, the main road into Reykjavík is Vesturlandsvegur, which turns into Miklabraut and then Hringbraut. Exit by the Kringlan shopping centre for the Laugardalur area; at Snorrabraut for the Hallgrímskirkja area; and at Suðurgata for the town centre.
Taxi
Taxi prices are high. Flagfall starts at around Ikr500, with a minimum journey cost of around Ikr1800. Tipping is not required.
There are usually taxis outside the bus stations, domestic airport, and pubs and bars on weekend nights (you’ll find there are huuuuge queues for the latter). Alternatively, call Borgarbílastöðin ( 552 2440), BSH ( 555 0888), BSR ( 561 0000) or Hreyfill-Bæjarleiðir ( 588 5522).
Walking
Reykjavík’s compact layout means that it’s very easily walkable. Most restaurants, bars, hotels and attractions are clustered within a 1.5-sq-km area.
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AROUND REYKJAVÍK
One of the fantastic things about Reykjavík is the sea that practically surrounds it. Get closer to the ocean by visiting the island Viðey, a nugget of nature just a few minutes offshore, or the stony beaches at Seltjarnarnes, on the western tip of the Reykjavík Peninsula.
Several nearby towns have been sucked into Reykjavík’s sprawl and are now part of its suburbs. Kópavogur, Garðabær, Hafnarfjörður and Mosfellsbær, which are of varying degrees of interest to visitors, can all be easily reached by city bus.
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VIÐEY
If the weather’s fine, the tiny uninhabited island of Viðey makes a wonderful day trip. It’s just 1km north of Reykjavík’s Sundahöfn Harbour, but it feels like another