Reykjavík has a inhabitants of simply 130,000 individuals, however the Icelandic capital spans an space double the dimensions of Paris. To get round, locals use the auto like an costly overcoat, after which spend the following twelve hours caught in site visitors, dreaming of flying automobiles.
However habits are altering and so is the town: strolling, biking and taking the bus have by no means been simpler. This is a information to the very best methods to get round Reykjavík.
Getting across the metropolis heart is simple on foot
Guests staying solely within the metropolis heart might not discover the sprawling measurement of Reykjavík, Town heart – from Previous Harbour to the Hlemmur bus terminal – is lower than three kilometers in size, making it straightforward to discover by strolling. Buses journey up and down Hverfisgata avenue, however it’s greatest to wander Laugavegur – the principle purchasing avenue – on foot.
Hire an electrical scooter for simple, enjoyable exploring
Electrical scooters are extensively out there for hire in Reykjavík, with 4 completely different corporations working some 1000 autos for by-the-minute rental. Count on to pay round 1000 Krona (US$7.45) for rides inside the downtown space. Helmets are tougher to seek out, nonetheless, and legally riders aged 16 or youthful need to put on one; you probably have a cycle helmet at dwelling, carry it with you.
Strætó buses are an effective way to get across the metropolitan space
Reykjavík’s public transport system is yellow on the skin, and inexperienced on the within; the town’s brightly coloured Strætó buses more and more run on the town’s renewable electrical vitality provide. The worst factor about catching the bus is standing nonetheless exterior ready within the parts, however dangle in there. At peak working occasions, buses arrive each 10–quarter-hour, however in the midst of the day and in the course of the night, frequency drops to each half-hour. Service stops round midnight, and resumes round 6:30am on weekdays; Sunday companies are significantly much less frequent.
The Metropolis of Reykjavík is one in every of 5 municipalities making up the city sprawl often known as the Capital Area. Altogether, about 65% of Iceland’s inhabitants reside within the space, and the 27 bus routes operated by Strætó cowl your entire metropolitan space.
Buses now not settle for money or financial institution playing cards on board; riders need to pay with particular KLAPP tickets. Most riders use their smartphones as a bus go by way of the KLAPP app, however pay as you go playing cards are additionally out there from eighteen vendors in Reykjavík. Rides price 470 Krona (US$3.50), legitimate for 75 minutes in transit. Kids beneath the age of twelve journey without spending a dime, and bicycles are allowed on board, until house is restricted.
A Reykjavík metropolis card will get you onto buses and into museums and swimming swimming pools
For these visiting for only a few days and on the lookout for financial savings, the Reykjavík City Card is out there for one, two or three days. The cardboard is basically a limiteless bus go with beneficiant perks, together with free entry to 12 museums and exhibitions and the town’s energetic public swimming swimming pools. The 24-hour choice prices 4200 Krona (US$31.20) or the equal of 9 bus tickets.
Rideshare companies are unlawful, use a taxi as an alternative
First off, don’t try to name an Uber. Trip-hailing companies are unlawful attributable to a license-quota system in Iceland, supposed to help job safety amongst taxi drivers. The 2 essential taxi corporations are Hreyfill and BSR. Count on to pay at the very least 17,000 Krona (US$126) for a taxi from the middle of Reykjavík to Keflavik airport.
Automotive-sharing is a good various for driving across the metropolis
There are some useful car-sharing corporations with hourly charges for autos, akin to Zipcar and a brand new service from Hopp, set to launch later in 2022. With stations all through the town, these automobiles are largely geared toward locals looking for to maneuver groceries or different gadgets inside metropolis limits; a daily rental automobile is usually a greater choice for day-trips out of Reykjavík.
Hire a automobile for simple day journeys or to get additional afield
When reserving a rental automobile for exploring Iceland, word that Keflavík International Airport is an hour by bus from Reykjavík. Selecting up your rent automobile by the airport or within the close by city of Keflavík is way more handy than doing so in Reykjavík. From July and August, guide rent automobiles properly upfront.
Touring across the capital by automobile, it is best to keep away from the morning rush hour from 7:30am to 9am, and the afternoon rush hour from 4pm to 5pm. This, in fact, is determined by course – site visitors heads into the town within the morning, and out to the suburbs within the afternoon.
The place to park in Reykjavík
Parking a automobile on the road might seem to be an inconceivable process, however concern not – the capital has a community of multi-level parking garages and a website exhibiting by-the-minute availability. The biggest garages are at and near the Harpa Live performance Corridor. Count on to pay round 200 Krona (US$1.50) per hour.
Bikes are useful for exploring the coast
A sequence of shared-use paths — designed for each cyclists and pedestrians — join the inlets of the Capital Area by threading alongside the shoreline, operating all the way in which from the tip of the Seltjarnarnes peninsula to downtown Hafnarfjörður. Following these paths isn’t just a shortcut, however an effective way to recharge in an atmosphere freed from automobiles.
To hire bikes, lengthy or brief time period, the 2 essential downtown choices are Reykjavík Bike Tours by the Previous Harbour and Borgarhjól at Hverfisgata Road. Town’s largest bike retailer is Örninn, in southeast Reykjavík; used bikes are largely traded by way of Fb marketplaces akin to Hjóladót til sölu, which counts one-fifth of Iceland’s inhabitants as members.
Why bicycles are my favourite method to journey
By Nordic requirements, Reykjavík is hardly a metropolis of cyclists. Blame the wind – statistics can’t clarify how typically it blows in the other way to the way in which you might be driving. All the time, I inform you, all the time.
However main enhancements to bike paths, led by Mayor Dagur Eggertsson (identified for exhibiting as much as conferences with world-famous leaders with a motorbike helmet in tow) have made biking a critical various to automobiles and site visitors jams.
Electrical bikes are one other revolution for year-round biking. Beating the wind with a motor makes it simpler to estimate journey occasions, and means you will be much less prone to arrive dripping in sweat. Over winter, most cyclists use stud tires for security.
For enjoyable, I prefer to cycle the Elliðaárdalur, the town’s largest public park. For an additional stretch, proceed onwards to the hills of Rauðhólar and loop the outskirts by touring alongside Lake Rauðavatn – or look ahead to the bus again to the middle.
