Another layover question… Iceland
 

Hello again… My fiancé and I will also have a 6 hour layover on our way back home in Iceland I looked into booking a tour to the lagoon but it seems a bit vague as to when each tour starts… Would it be more wise to just rent a car and go it alone? Or perhaps maybe skip the lagoon altogether and just set off for a small road trip to see some countryside. What are some of your thoughts?… What would you do with six hours in the morning in Iceland? We land at 8 AM.

-Stephen

Apparently I'm going to be the first to venture forth in Iceland.....

Ha ha! Not so, stevectravel it's just that many people on this site aren't huge fans of Iceland. Their loss...

Anyway, with six hours to spend (minus going through immigration etc. and checking back in for your flight home) I don't think you'll actually have that much time to spend and it would probably be best spent relaxing in the lagoon.

I just had a quick look and a company called Reykjavik Excursions runs busses from the airport year 'round from 8.30am and I think you'd be better off getting on one of these than going through the rigmarole of car rental (not to mention the time it will eat up).

Here's the link https://www.re.is/blue-lagoon-schedule

You could rent a car and go off on a little countryside drive, but one thing Iceland has is a lot of nothingness in-between the sights, so you could end up spending your layover driving through wilderness. While I'm sure it'd be an experience, it might not be the experience you had in mind.

Enjoy your trip!

Lots of people here go to and enjoy Iceland. But most of them stop over for a few days, not a few hours. The airport is small, but often packed, and you will be very short on time, having to allow time to go through immigration on the front end and waiting to board (an hour or so) at the back end.

Frankly, I don't think you have time for either adventure. Certainly renting a car and then having to return it would eat up the majority of what time you have left after airport time. Plus, as noted, you'd likely just be driving through lava fields. The Blue Lagoon (if that's the lagoon you're talking about) is a bit of a hike from the airport, too, and you'd have to time the schedules. Plus, it's expensive for what would probably just be a short dip.

Thanks...I was thinking lots of time would be lost do to immigration. I guess we will just save Iceland for a time when we have a week...it looks amazing though.

Not many people go through immigration at Keflavik, as most people just stay in the transit area between flights. I once had a 12 hour layover and took the Flybus on my own into Reykjavik, then the RE excursion to the Blue Lagoon on the way back to the airport.

As I recall, immigration was very quick, and I had a nice time walking around Reyjavik, especially seeing the Hallgrímskirkja church with the statue of Leifur Eiriksson, who discovered America 500 years before Columbus. The Blue Lagoon was a unique experience, but bring a swimsuit you don't much care about, as it will be stiff as a board after it dries out.

With a 6 hour layover you won't have time to do as much as me, but recommend going to the Blue Lagoon if nothing else. It's very near the airport, so won't take much time to get there. I highly recommend https://www.re.is - they specialise in excursions for people on short layovers.

I agree with StCirq. 6 hours is tight and I don't think you have time.

But that said, Greyline http://grayline.is/tours/keflavk-air...irport-8706_27 is an alternative to RE and the one my hotel recommends (which I found out too late). I found the Reykjavik Excursions website to be wildly confusing. I managed to book a ticket to the lagoon and on to my hotel, and the service was completely fine, but their website is terrible.

You can also book transportation when you buy your admission ticket. http://www.bluelagoon.com/blue-lagoo...-and-packages/

Having visited Iceland several times, I agree that a six hour layover will not allow much if anything in the way of sightseeing. Further, IMO the Blue Lagoon is underwhelming - Iceland has far more interesting things to see for a first timer but unfortunately, you do not even have much time for the Blue Lagoon. I would suggest just taking a taxi into Keflavik for a nice meal at a good restaurant. Kef Restaurant and Bar would be a good choice to sample high end Icelandic cuisine.