Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
GETTING AROUND
Reykjavík is easy to navigate. The heart of the city is the low-lying quarter between the harbour and the lake, busy with
shoppers by day and young revellers by night; most of the sights are within
walking distance
of here.
1
city. Most residential streets, although often full with
residents' cars, are unmetered, the city centre has parking
meters and plenty of multistorey car parks, most
conveniently at Skólavörðustígur; all are marked on the
tourist o
ce's Reykjavík map. Although the city's tra
c
is
generally free-flowing, even at rush hours, it can be busy
on Friday and Saturday nights, when it's wise to avoid
Laugavegur, which mutates into a long snaking line of
slow-moving cars.
Car rental
Avis, Knarrarvogur 2 (
T
591 4000,
W
avis.is);
Bílaleiga Akureyrar/Europcar, Skeifan 9 (
T
568 6915,
W
holdur.is); Budget, Vatnsmýrarvegur 10 (
T
562 6060,
W
budget.is); Hertz, Flugvallarvegur 5t (
T
522 4420,
W
hertz
.is).
BY BUS
City buses
Known as
Strætó
(
T
540 2700, bus.is), these
depart from the central Lækjartorg and from the city bus
station at Hlemmur, at the eastern end of Laugavegur.
Services run from 7am to midnight Monday to Saturday,
and from midday to midnight on Sundays: frequencies are
roughly every 30 minutes throughout the day and every
hour in the evenings and at weekends.
Tickets
The flat, single-trip fare is 350kr and it must be paid
with exact change; if you're changing buses, ask for a
skiftimiði
ticket, which you then show to the next driver. More
economical options include a strip of ten tickets, called a
farmiðaspjald
, for 3000kr or, better, a series of cards providing
unlimited bus travel in the Greater Reykjavík area, which cover
the surrounding satellite towns including Hafnarfjörður: the
most useful are the 1-day card (800kr), 3-day card (2000kr)
and green card (7700kr), which is valid for one month. All
these tickets are available at the Hlemmur bus station.
Routes
Useful routes for getting around the centre are
#15, which runs from Hlemmur via Snorrabraut and the BSÍ
coach terminal to the city airport; and #19, from Hlemmur
via Snorrabraut and the coach terminal to
Hotel Natura
and
the Nauthólsvík geothermal pool. If you want to see the
city cheaply, bus #15 is excellent - as well as running to the
city airport, it also operates in the opposite direction from
Hlemmur east via Laugavegur and Suðurlandsbraut,
passing close to the swimming pool, youth hostel and
campsite in Laugardalur.
BY TAXI
Taxis
Cabs are not as expensive as you might think: 1200-
1500kr should be enough to take you across the city centre.
The main ranks are centrally located on Lækjargata, between
the junctions with Bankastræti and Amtmannsstígur, as well
as opposite Hallgrímskirkja church on Eiríksgata and
Hlemmur. It's also possible to call one of the main operators:
Hreyfill (
T
588 5522) is best, or try BSR (
T
561 0000).
Remember that Icelandic taxi drivers don't expect tips.
BY BIKE
Bike rental
Central outlets include Borgarhjól,
Hverfisgata 50 (Mon-Fri 8am-6pm, Sat 10am-2pm;
T
551 5653,
W
borgarhjol.net); rentals are also available
at the youth hostel (see p.76) or the campsite in
Laugardalur (see p.75); all charge around 4200kr
per 24hr.
BY CAR
Parking
Finding a space is relatively straightforward and
certainly not the nightmare you might expect in a capital
ACCOMMODATION
Although Reykjavík's
accommodation
options have mushroomed in recent years as the tourist influx has increased, pressure
on beds in the summer months is always great and it's a good idea to book in advance, especially in July and August.
Prices
rise
by around third between May and September; those given here are for the cheapest double room during the summer months.
since. Each room is individually decorated in Art Deco style
with period f
furniture -
and prices to match. Breakfast is an
extra 2800kr.
38,400kr
Ì
Frón
Laugarvegur 22A
T
511 4666,
W
hotelfron
.is; map p.57.
If you're self-catering, this hotel right in
the city centre should be your first choice. In addition to
regular double rooms, it offers stylish, modern studios
(24,200kr) and 1-2 bedroom apa
rtments (
36,850kr),
each with bath, kitchenette and TV.
22,900kr
Holt
Bergstaðastræti 37
T
552 5700,
W
holt.is;
map p.57.
Over three hundred paintings by Icelandic artists
adorn the rooms and public areas of this luxury, centrally
HOTELS
Without exception, Reykjavík's
hotels
are heavy on the
pocket. Standards are uniformly high and a buffet
breakfast
is usually included, but the starting price for a
double with bath is around 25,000kr. If, however, you fancy
splashing out for a night or two of luxury, the following are
the city's best-value options.
CITY CENTRE
Borg
Pósthússtræti 11
T
551 1440,
W
hotelborg.is;
map p.57.
The city's very first hotel, opened in the 1930s
and the uno
cial home of visiting heads of state ever
