Keflavik International Airport: where to stay, areas and recommended…

Keflavík is Iceland's only international airport and sits about 50 km from Reykjavík, on the southwestern coast of the Reykjanes peninsula: the Flybus covers the connection in 45 minutes, departing 40 minutes after each flight lands. For those with more than one night to spare, the center of Reykjavík is almost always the better choice, with far more to do in the evening; sleeping in Keflavík or nearby Reykjanesbær makes sense mainly for the very early morning flights common on many intercontinental routes, or for those picking up a rental car at the airport who want to head straight out for a loop of the island without first going into the city. Not to be confused with Reykjavík airport (RKV), the domestic-flights-only city airport.

Keflavík and Reykjanesbær

Airport area · The hotels in the area are all reachable in 5-10 minutes by car or taxi from the terminal; the Hotel Keilir is also just steps from the streets of central Keflavík, on the main street Hafnargata.

Best for: Dawn flights, airport car rental, and anyone who doesn't want to face the 50 km to Reykjavík before or after the flight.

Pros

You avoid the 45-minute transfer to Reykjavík both on arrival and departure
Convenient for those picking up a rental car at the airport who want to start the loop of the island right away

Cons

Keflavík and Reykjanesbær offer little beyond a few restaurants and the Icelandic Aviation Museum: for the life of Reykjavík you still need the Flybus or a car
Without your own car, evening outings are limited to central Keflavík; the rest of the area is designed for drivers

Recommended hotels in this area

Hotel Berg by Keflavik Airport: About 3.4 km from the terminal (10 minutes by car, hotel transfer available); indoor pool and hot tub for those with a morning flight who want to relax the evening before.
Park Inn by Radisson Reykjavik Keflavík Airport: About 5 km from the terminal (7-10 minutes by car); an international chain hotel, handy for those who prefer Radisson standards just minutes from security.
Hotel Keilir by Reykjavik Keflavik Airport: On Keflavík's main street, Hafnargata, among restaurants and shops, about 10 minutes by car from the terminal: handy for those who want a proper dinner on their first or last day in Iceland without traveling all the way to Reykjavík.

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Reykjavík

City centre · Non-stop Flybus in about 45 minutes (50 km), departing 40 minutes after each flight lands and arriving at the BSÍ terminal in the center; by car the route runs along the same Reykjanesbraut.

Best for: For those staying more than one night who want to experience the capital, accepting the 45-minute Flybus ride to and from the airport.

Pros

Restaurants, museums and the evening life of Laugavegur within walking distance of the hotels in the center
The Flybus departs several times a day in sync with arrivals, with no need to fix an exact time in advance

Cons

Every trip to the airport still requires the 45-minute Flybus or taxi ride, which needs to be factored in for early-morning flights
On summer nights the center stays lively until late: rooms on the main streets can be noisy on weekends

Recommended hotels in this area

Canopy by Hilton Reykjavik City Centre: Just steps from Laugavegur, the street for shopping and evening life, and a 9-minute walk from the old harbor; free bicycle rental to reach Harpa and the Hallgrímskirkja.
101 Hotel, Reykjavik, a Member of Design Hotels: Iceland's first boutique hotel, in a building from the 1930s on Hverfisgata in the Miðborg district; walking distance from Harpa and the Parliament, with 38 recently renovated rooms.
Radisson Blu 1919 Hotel, Reykjavík: Occupies the former headquarters of the shipping company Eimskip, built in 1919 to a design by Guðjón Samúelsson, the same architect behind the Hallgrímskirkja; marble staircase and original wrought-iron railings from the building.

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