Country Guides
Iceland
Getting Around
Getting Around
Iceland
Getting Around by Air
Air Iceland (NY) (www.airiceland.is) runs domestic services to all major airports within Iceland, which link up with air/bus connections to over 40 towns. They also fly to Greenland and the Faroe Islands. Air Atlanta Icelandic (CC) (www.islandsflug.is or www.atlanta.is) also operates scheduled flights.
Getting Around by Water
A number of ferry companies, including Eimskip (tel: 481 2800 or 525 7700; www.eimskip.com) and Ferry Baldur (tel: 433 2254; www.seatours.is), operate services to various islands and fjords. Regular sightseeing tours are also available by ferries during the summer.
Getting Around by Road
Traffic drives on the right. Roads serve all settlements. The roads are mostly gravel rather than tarred. This applies to sections of Highway One (The Ring Road), Iceland's main highway, too. Most mountain roads are only open in summer, and some of them can only be used by 4-wheel-drive vehicles. The Icelandic Tourist Board (see Contact Addresses) provide maps, and a helpful online guide (in both brochure and video format) to driving in Iceland. For information on road conditions, call Vegagerdin (the Icelandic Road Administration) on 1777. Lines are open daily 0800-1600 (summer) and 0800-1700 (winter) (www.vegagerdin.is/english).
Bus: Services are efficient and cheap, connecting all parts of the island during the summer. In winter, buses operate to a limited number of destinations. Reservations are not necessary and tickets can be bought either at the bus station or from the driver. Children under four years old travel free and children under 11 pay half price. Various tickets and passes, including an Air/Bus Rover that allows visitors to fly one way and return by bus, are available with BSÍ Bus (tel: 562 1011; www.bsi.is).
Taxi: Available from all hotels and airports.
Car hire: Car hire services are available from Reykjavík, Akureyri and many other towns.
Regulations: Speed limits are 50kph (31mph) in urban areas, while outside towns they are 90kph (56mph) on paved roads and 80kph (50mph) on gravel roads. Drivers must be over 20 years of age. It is obligatory to use headlights at all times of the day and night, and to wear seat belts, both in the front and back seats.
Documentation: An International Driving Permit is recommended, although it is not legally required. A temporary driving licence is available from local authorities on presentation of a valid UK driving licence.
Journey Times
The following chart gives approximate journey times (in hours and minutes) from Reykjavík to other major cities/towns in Iceland.
Air
Road
Sea
Isafjördur
0.50
9.00
-
Saudakrokur
0.45
3.30
-
Akureyri
0.55
5.00
-
Höfn
0.65
9.30
-
Getting Around by Air
Air Iceland (NY) (www.airiceland.is) runs domestic services to all major airports within Iceland, which link up with air/bus connections to over 40 towns. They also fly to Greenland and the Faroe Islands. Air Atlanta Icelandic (CC) (www.islandsflug.is or www.atlanta.is) also operates scheduled flights.
Getting Around by Water
A number of ferry companies, including Eimskip (tel: 481 2800 or 525 7700; www.eimskip.com) and Ferry Baldur (tel: 433 2254; www.seatours.is), operate services to various islands and fjords. Regular sightseeing tours are also available by ferries during the summer.
Getting Around by Road
Traffic drives on the right. Roads serve all settlements. The roads are mostly gravel rather than tarred. This applies to sections of Highway One (The Ring Road), Iceland's main highway, too. Most mountain roads are only open in summer, and some of them can only be used by 4-wheel-drive vehicles. The Icelandic Tourist Board (see Contact Addresses) provide maps, and a helpful online guide (in both brochure and video format) to driving in Iceland. For information on road conditions, call Vegagerdin (the Icelandic Road Administration) on 1777. Lines are open daily 0800-1600 (summer) and 0800-1700 (winter) (www.vegagerdin.is/english).
Bus: Services are efficient and cheap, connecting all parts of the island during the summer. In winter, buses operate to a limited number of destinations. Reservations are not necessary and tickets can be bought either at the bus station or from the driver. Children under four years old travel free and children under 11 pay half price. Various tickets and passes, including an Air/Bus Rover that allows visitors to fly one way and return by bus, are available with BSÍ Bus (tel: 562 1011; www.bsi.is).
Taxi: Available from all hotels and airports.
Car hire: Car hire services are available from Reykjavík, Akureyri and many other towns.
Regulations: Speed limits are 50kph (31mph) in urban areas, while outside towns they are 90kph (56mph) on paved roads and 80kph (50mph) on gravel roads. Drivers must be over 20 years of age. It is obligatory to use headlights at all times of the day and night, and to wear seat belts, both in the front and back seats.
Documentation: An International Driving Permit is recommended, although it is not legally required. A temporary driving licence is available from local authorities on presentation of a valid UK driving licence.
Bus: Services are efficient and cheap, connecting all parts of the island during the summer. In winter, buses operate to a limited number of destinations. Reservations are not necessary and tickets can be bought either at the bus station or from the driver. Children under four years old travel free and children under 11 pay half price. Various tickets and passes, including an Air/Bus Rover that allows visitors to fly one way and return by bus, are available with BSÍ Bus (tel: 562 1011; www.bsi.is).
Taxi: Available from all hotels and airports.
Car hire: Car hire services are available from Reykjavík, Akureyri and many other towns.
Regulations: Speed limits are 50kph (31mph) in urban areas, while outside towns they are 90kph (56mph) on paved roads and 80kph (50mph) on gravel roads. Drivers must be over 20 years of age. It is obligatory to use headlights at all times of the day and night, and to wear seat belts, both in the front and back seats.
Documentation: An International Driving Permit is recommended, although it is not legally required. A temporary driving licence is available from local authorities on presentation of a valid UK driving licence.
Journey Times
The following chart gives approximate journey times (in hours and minutes) from Reykjavík to other major cities/towns in Iceland.
| Air | Road | Sea | |
| Isafjördur | 0.50 | 9.00 | - |
| Saudakrokur | 0.45 | 3.30 | - |
| Akureyri | 0.55 | 5.00 | - |
| Höfn | 0.65 | 9.30 | - |
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