Flybus Stops in Reykjavík

Are you at the stage of figuring out how you’re going to get around during your stay in Iceland? While the first leg of the Flybus journey is straightforward, some travellers have indicated they are a little uncertain about what happens once you reach the BSI bus terminal in Reykjavik. With a range of convenient drop-off and pick-up stops from which to choose, it’s also pretty simple, so let’s go through what you need to know with our easy guide to Flybus stops in the Icelandic capital.

A brief overview of how the Flybus gets you to the city from Keflavik Airport

Before we get stuck in to those Flybus Reykjavik stops, we should probably start with the basics. Flybus is a well-established, reliable and comfortable transfer bus service connecting Keflavik Airport on the Reykjanes peninsula to Reykjavik city centre. You don’t really need a Flybus route map; it hugs the northern shore of the Reykjanes peninsula before looping round into the Icelandic capital.

It’s an affordable way to get from A to B. You pay a little more than for the regular city bus link. But unlike that service, which eats into your precious vacation as it stops at numerous Keflavik to Reykjavik bus stops as it winds its way through Reykjanes, the coach makes its way directly from the airport to the BSI Bus Terminal saving you considerable time.

The BSI Bus Terminal is a central hub into which all feeder buses converge. Our tours depart from here too, so this is a place that might become very familiar if you’ve planned an action-packed programme rather than a fluid, take-it-as-you-find-it itinerary. There are other services here too, such as a handy equipment and gear rental shop.

A flexible approach for Reykjavik-bound travellers

We operate a flexible approach to inbound bookings which we know gives peace of mind. Most travellers go online and book their tickets, but there’s also a ticket counter beside the door in the arrivals hall. When you reach Keflavik, simply step outside and walk over to the Flybus stop – it’s close by and hard to miss – and then board the first available bus.

This bus takes you to the BSI Bus Terminal in downtown Reykjavik. For some visitors, their accommodation is within walking distance. On a fine day, in such cases, if you aren’t travelling with lots of luggage you might choose to complete your journey on foot. Hallgrimskirkja, for instance, is barely ten minutes’ walk from the drop off.

What happens if you need to continue on a little further to reach your accommodation?

Not everyone is able to walk to their hotel, apartment or guesthouse from the BSI Bus Terminal. It might be too far, you might have heavy luggage or the weather might be wild – even all three! Because of this, Flybus features a shuttle bus add-on, which means you can get even closer to your accommodation.

Why a shuttle bus?

Full-size coaches are not permitted to access some of Reykjavik city centre. Some streets are unsuited to large vehicles, so anything bigger than a minibus has to keep out of the designated zone to prevent congestion. Certain vehicles are exempt – such as Strætó city buses, school services and those ferrying wheelchair users – but tourists must pick from a number of pick up/drop off spots that lie just outside this restricted zone.

Shuttle buses – smaller than the airport coaches – are also used as this speeds up the process of getting visitors to their accommodation. Instead of driving round the whole city making endless drop-offs, different vehicles head off in different directions which is far more efficient. Our tours operate from the same stops so you’ll quickly get used to the short stroll between your hotel and your bus stop.

One thing that’s worth mentioning at this point is that the Flybus (and your tours) use different stops to the city buses. You can recognise the stops belonging to Strætó, the local operator, as they are blue and yellow and feature the letter S. The Flybus stops, in contrast, are blue and pink. When the driver drops you off, take a moment to register the sign so that you are familiar with it for any tour departures and your Flybus journey back to the airport.

Where does the Flybus stop in downtown Reykjavík?

If you have chosen to stay right downtown, then the Flybus will stop in close proximity to your hotel but not right outside it. In many cases, you’ll just need to cross a road or two and walk a few hundred metres. If someone in your party has limited mobility, this might be something to factor in when choosing accommodation but it’s rarely a big deal.

When making your Flybus booking, if you’ve decided to continue on from the BSI bus terminal, choose from fifteen stops in the city centre. These offer easy access to places to stay in areas such as the Old Harbour, Tjörnin – the lake in the middle of the capital – and Laugavegur, the main shopping street.

On our website, you’ll find these stops marked on a map; simply input your accommodation or final destination and the map will show you the shortest way to your nearest Flybus stop. For example, on the waterfront, Harpa Bus stop no 5 is closest to guests staying at The Reykjavik Edition; meanwhile a touch closer to the Old Harbour, the Miðbakki Harbour stop no 4 is more convenient if you’re staying at the Exeter Hotel.

What if you’re staying further out?

Some visitors prefer to stay further out of the city centre. Such accommodation can offer better value for money and can also be quieter as you are away from bars, cafés and music venues. But this doesn’t have to be inconvenient – far from it. In addition to the city centre stops, the Flybus transfer buses serve peripheral areas.

This can be a blessing if you don’t want to walk far: at some of these stops, the bus is permitted to pull up right outside the hotel. Among many examples (too many to list!) this applies to hotels such as Hilton Reykjavik Nordica, Reykjavík Natura from Berjaya Iceland Hotels and both ODDSSON locations: Downtown and Midtown.

These stops show up outside your accommodation on the map, without a route as you are literally stopping right outside.

What happens if your chosen accommodation isn’t on the map?

We cover a large part of the city with our designated stops and hotel drop-offs. If your accommodation isn’t covered, that’s not a problem. All you need to do is take a look at the Reykjavik bus stop map to find the closest stop to where you’re staying and select that when you complete the booking process. It’s unlikely you’ll have to venture far under your own steam if you’ve picked the Flybus hotel drop off option.

How do you supplement your Flybus booking with a transfer add-on?

Booking a ticket for the Flybus with a hotel transfer is as easy as booking one without – we just provide you with a more flexible setup so you don’t have to pay for something you don’t use if you only need to travel as far as the BSI bus terminal. When adding a hotel transfer, you’ll need to pay a small surcharge, but it’s worth it for the convenience and far cheaper than hailing a taxi for the last stretch.

Either way, open the drop down list for location in our booking engine. The main ticket costs 3999 ISK per adult, with an additional fee of 1200 ISK per ticket for the shuttle bus to get you to and from the BSI Bus Terminal. You can add on a return at this point or choose to make arrangements closer to your departure time.

Note that the final price is calculated in the next step.

What happens on the return leg?

When it’s time to head back to Keflavik Airport, the process works in reverse. You’ll book a transfer bus to take you and your luggage to the BSI bus terminal, where you’ll switch to the main Flybus and continue on to the airport. Just retrieve your belongings and load them onto the coach, settle back and relax as you make your way through the outskirts of Reykjavik and out to the Reykjanes Peninsula.

Once you’ve made your selection on our website, you’ll be able to check your booking. During this part of the process you’ll see clear instructions about what time you need to be ready. So if you’ve selected our 3.30pm coach, the booking notes will tell you that the pick up for the transfer is at 3pm.

At this stage it will also clarify again whether the driver will pick you up from the property at which you’ve been staying or from one of those numbered bus stops we mentioned. It’ll basically be the same as the journey you made from Keflavik to the city on arrival day, just in reverse, and to a timetable.

Worried about the bus not turning up? Don’t be: our live tracking map takes the guesswork out of where your bus has got to. Simply open up the map and you’ll see the vehicles nearest to you. There’s no risk of being overlooked and forgotten about while everyone else is heading off to catch their flights – this takes a lot of the stress away and is a reassuring tool that you’ll be pleased to have access to.

How do I know how much time to allow to reach the airport?

The main difference with the return journey is that you book a timed ticket rather than turn up and ride as you did when you first reached Iceland. On our website, there’s a handy timetable that lists the time you need to book your hotel shuttle to connect with the right bus at the BSI bus terminal and thus your homeward flight.

So for example, say your flight departs at 7.30pm and your airline advised you to be at Keflavik Airport three hours ahead of departure. There’s a Flybus that departs the BSI at 3.30pm, arriving at its destination about 45 minutes later. To catch this coach, either make your way directly to the BSI Bus Terminal or book a hotel transfer departing from your most convenient stop at 3pm.

The whole process is super-easy

If you do make a mistake with your Flybus drop off points or get the Flybus pick up locations wrong – though that’s unlikely – just get in touch with our customer service team. Drop them an email, call them on the phone or speak to an agent in the BSI bus terminal while you’re passing through on a tour during your stay.

We hope we’ve demonstrated that what might initially appear to be a little complicated is actually really easy – no wonder so many visitors are repeat customers. The Flybus is a stress-free way to reach the Flybus Reykjavik stops no matter what time of year or time of day you arrive.

Supplementing your standard BSI bus terminal transfer with a local drop-off – and being picked up from the same spot when the time has come to say goodbye to Iceland – is an added bonus. So why not lock in your own plans and start dreaming about what our magical country has in store for you?