Guide to Iceland Public Transport
How to get around Iceland using public transport
This is going to be a very focussed post because although the Iceland public transport is of a very high quality, on land it is basically the bus. There are no trains, underground/metro, or trams. This makes using the public transport in Reykjavik nice and easy and simplifies travelling further afield too.
Iceland does have ferries which will take passengers to nearby islands and fjords. During the summer, sightseeing tours by ferry also run.
There are also regular inland flights to other parts of Iceland. We do not count these as public transport as such, but it is possible to fly to regional airports from Reykjavik and then use the bus to connect you with nearby towns.
You can probably count taxis as part of public transport and there are plenty of those in Reykjavik.
Map of bus route in Iceland
Iceland is a rugged and wild country with the main towns dotted around the perimeter, near the coast. The bus map is a great way to see how the transport links work from town to town and what is not covered.
There is also an interactive Iceland bus map available.
Iceland Public Transport – bus tickets
Looking at tickets it is probably best to divide things into two areas. One inside the Capital area and the second for travel outside the Capital area.
Inside Reykjavik area
When inside the Capital area, you will find that Citybus do not accept debit or credit cards for payment. This means there is no contactless card options accepted on the Iceland buses in the Capital area. So, unlike London where you can just tap your card and travel, you will have to buy tickets, either in advance online, in cash via the driver or by purchasing tickets or bus passes in a local retailer.
However, there is an app with which you can buy tickets. So you can download the app to your phone, buy a ticket and use this to show your driver you have purchased a ticket by showing them the screen. Search for Strateo App in the App Store or on Google Play and follow the instructions.
Outside the Reykjavik area
When using the bus to travel outside the Capital area you can use debit and credit cards to pay, along with cash, bus tickets or the app.
As a visitor you may also consider purchasing a Reykjavik City Pass which includes free travel on the buses along with entry to museums and attractions in Reykjavik.
Exact change on the Iceland bus
If you decide to pay by cash on the bus then make sure you have the exact fare. Bus drivers are unable to give you change. If you only have large denominations of cash then it is best to break that down or buy your tickets in advance.
Single fare prices on Iceland bus
Regular fare: 490kr
Discounted fare (6-18 and 67 plus): 245kr
Night bus fare: 980kr
1-day pass in Capital area: 1,930kr
3-day pass in Capital area: 4,500kr
Saving with 20 ticket bundle
If you know you are going to be using the buses a lot during your time in Iceland, you can save some money by purchasing a bundle of 20 tickets in advance. These can be bought online or in local shops.
20 tickets for regular fare: 9,500kr
This means each ticket costs 475kr and saves you 15kr per journey. Be sure you would make 20 journey’s in your time in Iceland though before buying. Most visitors will either use the Reykjavik tourist pass or pay as you go tickets.
You can buy 20 bundle tickets or travel cards on the Straeto website.
Reykjavik hop-on hop-off bus
Strictly speaking not public transport in the truest sense of the word, but if you are not a fan of walking around the city, and at times it can be a very cold place to wander around looking for the next attraction, then the city hop-on hop-off bus is a great way to get around Reykjavik. The tickets come in either 24hr or 48hr and run all year round except for June 17, August 10, 24 and 31 December.
The tours start at 9.30am and run until 4.15pm everyday. The route is not huge, but will take around 75 minutes to complete if you did not get off at any point which can be a great way to get your bearings.
Night buses in Reykjavik
Probably the most crucial thing to remember is that night buses only drive away from the city centre and not towards it, so if you wake up and suddenly want to go and party, then the buses wont take you into town.
The night buses run from downtown Reykjavik every Friday and Saturday night from 1am to around 4.30am.
The night buses do not have a set timetable as such, you can find where they are on the route by following the bus on the Straeto app.
The routes that run are Routes 101, 102, 103, 105, 106 and 111.
Buses leave from Stjórnarráðið or Hlemmur.
The cost of the Reykjavik Night Bus is 960 ISK or 2 bus tickets.
Using the bus to get around Iceland – outside Reykjavik
Reykjavik is considered a single zone. This means any journey within the Capital is charged as one ticket. So if you travel from one area of Reykjavik to another you will be paying one single fare (one bus ticket).
As you go further afield you enter new pay zones. Pay zones cover the entire country. So, for example you could take a journey that moves you through 15 pay zones or more and you will have to pay with 15 tickets (490kr x 15).
If you use the bus to get from KEF-Airport you’ll travel through 4 pay zones and pay with 4 tickets at a total cost of 1,960kr.
These buses outside the Capital are not ones you can book seats for. You just turn up and get on. There is luggage storage but this is judged purely on if the passenger can bring it onboard themselves.
There is also a bike rack which takes 3-4 bikes and the driver will look at how much space there is in luggage storage should passenger want to bring more bikes onboard.
The country buses have free Wi-Fi and electric outlets for passengers.
Changing buses
If you need to change your bus on your journey you can ask your driver for an exchange ticket. This has the time and date printed on it and gives you 90 minutes outside the Capital area. As you get on the other bus you show the driver your exchange ticket to continue your journey.
If you have used a 1-day or 3-day pass you can just show your pass, the exchange ticket is relevant to tickets bought with cash from the driver or up front bus tickets purchased online, in a shop or on the app.
Which bus do I take?
Obviously a very good question. We defer here to the excellent website Bus.is which has the real time routes of the Icelandic buses, timetables, locations and route planning.
Ferries from Reykjavik
There are quite a few ferry trips you can take from Iceland to various islands off the coast and to take you to other parts of Iceland too. These ferries leave from various ports across Iceland.
In Reykjavik the Viðey Ferry is the most popular day trip. It takes you to the small island with lovely walking routes. You can also enjoy very nice views back across the sea to Reykjavik. The Yoko Ono Peace Tower is located here, along with a few culturally significant artworks and landmarks. Milestones by Richard Sierra is here on the west side. Viðey is also the resting place of many famous Icelanders including Gunna Gunnarson (author).
It takes about 20 minutes to journey across and is a lovely break from the city.
