Transport System

Iceland is located midway between Europe and North America.

Air transport to and from Iceland 
Air transport to and from Iceland is through four international-standard airports located in Iceland. There are two in the southwest, one in the east and one in the north. Keflavik is the main international airport and a border point for entering Europe under the Schengen Agreement, is in the southwest, located about 50 km west of the capital, Reykjavik.

Iceland is strategically located for air communications with either side of the Atlantic. Flight times are 2-3 hours to major gateways in Europe and 5-6 hours to the east coast of North America. Some 20 international gateways are served from Keflavik Airport, most on a daily basis and some with up to 3 or 4 flights a day. There are 115 international flights a week.

In the domestic market, air services operate regularly (daily) to main regional towns.

Iceland Air and Iceland Express are the two airlines that currently fly to Iceland; on-line bookings can be made at www.icelandair.net and www.icelandexpress.com, respectively.

Roads and Utilities in Iceland 
Driving around Iceland in a rented car or your own vehicle gives you greater flexibility than the bus system. Most of Route no.1, which runs around the island is fully surfaced except for a gravel run between Lake Mývatn and Egilsstaðir in the north-eastern part of Iceland. Many other roads are gravel surfaced, but in the summertime they should be fairly easy to drive on, although they tend to slow the traveller down a bit. To get in-depth information about the roads in Iceland, go to the web page of the Icelandic Public Roads Administration (www.vegagerdin.is).

Bus and Car Rentals in Iceland
Buses run from the BSÍ bus station (www.bsi.is) around the island all year round. However in the winter, the bus service is less frequent. Buses can be few and far between so make sure you plan your bus trip thoroughly. BSÍ also offers bus tours ranging from a couple of days to a couple of weeks including accommodation. More information about these tours can be found on this website.

When to go
Iceland is beautiful in all seasons. In the summer season (from the beginning of June to the end of August), all tours run and campsites, hotels and youth hostels are open. In September there are progressively fewer tours and less countryside is accessible (generally around the 15th of September). But there are compensating attractions for the off peak traveller, the beauty of autumn colours, the changing skies and the northern lights. Reykjavik is a wonderful city for Christmas shopping with its Christmas lights reflecting in the snow.

Visas
Western Europeans and citizens of the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Singapore do not require visas. Tourist stays are permitted for up to three months, and can be easily extended at local police stations. If you do not live in Western Europe or one of the countries mentioned above, then contact the Icelandic embassy or consulate in your country to make sure you have a valid visa before entering Iceland. If there is not an Icelandic embassy or consulate in your country, you can approach the Danish embassy or consulate. Otherwise, you will need to contact the Icelandic directorate on immigration (www.utl.is).

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