Arriving in Reykjavik: Keflavik (KEF) vs Domestic (RKV) Airports, Flybus & Straeto

Visitors arriving in Reykjavík need to distinguish between two airports forty-eight kilometres apart: Keflavík International Airport (KEF) out on the lava fields of the Reykjanes Peninsula for all overseas flights, and Reykjavík Domestic Airport (RKV) right beside downtown for internal hops across Iceland.

1. Keflavík International Airport (KEF) to Central Reykjavik (50 km / 45 Minutes)

• Flybus & Airport Direct Coaches (BSÍ Terminal & Hotel Connection): Departing directly outside the KEF arrivals hall 35 to 40 minutes after every landing flight (even late at night), Flybus (Reykjavík Excursions) and Airport Direct follow dual-carriageway Route 41 (Reykjanesbraut) for 45 minutes to the BSÍ Bus Terminal on the southern edge of downtown. If you book a "transfer with hotel connection", you switch at BSÍ onto a colour-coded minibus that drops you at your designated numbered pink Tour Bus Stop (1 to 16) in Miðborg.
• Public Bus Route 55 & Airport Taxis: For budget daytime arrivals, yellow Strætó Public Bus Route 55 links KEF with Fjordur (Hafnarfjörður) and the BSÍ / central Reykjavík corridor. Metered taxis and pre-booked private transfers wait outside arrivals, or you can pick up a rental car at KEF and stop at the Blue Lagoon (located 20 minutes from the terminal) on your way into town.

2. Reykjavik Domestic Airport (RKV), Yellow Straeto Buses & Winter Driving Rules

• Reykjavík Domestic Airport (IATA: RKV, Vatnsmýri): Situated just two kilometres south of Tjörnin lake between the National Museum and Perlan, RKV handles domestic propeller flights operated by Icelandair (Air Iceland Connect) and Norlandair to Akureyri, Ísafjörður, Egilsstaðir, and the Westman Islands (Vestmannaeyjar), as well as regional services to Greenland and the Faroe Islands.
• Strætó City Buses (`straeto.is`), Klapp App & Scooters: Within the capital, yellow Strætó buses run every 15 to 30 minutes from hubs at Lækjartorg, Hlemmur, and Gamla Hringbraut; pay via the Klapp mobile app or tap a contactless bank card at the reader. If hiring a car between November and April, ensure it is fitted with winter or studded tyres and check live wind speed and ice status on `road.is` (Vegagerðin) before every drive.