Forum: travel.stackexchange.com
Tags: <layovers><reykjavik>
Title: Anything to do in Reykjavik airport at 9 am during a 1h30m layover?
Question: My friend and I are travelling to Amsterdam via Iceland Air and have a 1h30m layover there starting around 9am. Is there anything interesting to do to fill that time? This is not limited to the airport - if it is possible to get into the city quickly enough, we wouldn't mind the trip. Anything interesting inside of the airport would also do just as well.

Answers:
sents: text: 1:30 is not a layover.
text: It's a mad rush between gates.
text: Remember, practically all flights board at least 30 minutes prior to departure, and on large aircraft it's often an hour or more ahead of departure.
text: This means that once you land, you'll have time to run to your departure gate in time to board, and if you're lucky, hit a restroom on the way.
text: Do not plan anything.
text: If you get to your departure gate before they leave (most likely due to a delay), then look for something in that immediate vicinity to do--such as a cafe for cup of coffee, or a gift shop to browse.
text: An hour and a half is not time to be a tourist--unless you intend to miss your flight.
answer_details: author: travel.stackexchange.com/users/444/Flimzy
score: 16
sents: text: There's no way you can get to the capital and back and make your flight.
text: 1 hour 30 should be plenty of time to get to your departure gate.
text: Keflavik is a well laid out airport which has all the gates within about 15 minutes walk.
text: If I remember there are less than 40 gates in the entire place.
text: My suggestion would be to explore the shops in the departure lounge.
answer_details: author: travel.stackexchange.com/users/1820/Phil
score: 9
sents: text: Yeah, 1.5 hour is not much time.
text: I had a similar layover in Reykjavik to Amsterdam before too.
text: I killed some time by having some coffee and looking around some shops at the airport.
text: There is a souvenir shop with interesting things like Icelandic troll figures.
text: There is also a nice sculpture, which I saw a video of on my flight on Iceland Air.
text: It is a just a bit annoying buying anything there because you get change in Icelandic kroners.
answer_details: author: travel.stackexchange.com/users/13189/emily y
score: 5
sents: text: I'm surprised no-one's mentioned it, but Reykjavik is at least 1 hour's drive away from Keflavik airport, so I don't think sight-seeing is on the cards.
answer_details: author: travel.stackexchange.com/users/13190/user13190
score: 5
sents: text: just got back last weekend from doing a similar layover in Iceland - the area where you get off the plane after customs drops you right into a crowded waiting area, so go explore the airport past the waiting area and you'll find lots of shops and a nice place to get a great coffee, Kaffitár.
text: I wish I changed some money because I like having a couple bills in foreign currency as souvenirs, but didn't need to by paying for everything with the card.
text: I think you'll find an hour and a half is barely enough time.
text: You need 20-30 min or so getting off the plane and going through customs.
text: Queueing for the next leg, you'll want to be boarding at the gate 40 min before takeoff.
text: This only leaves you with a half hour for that coffee.
text: Assuming everything is on time.
text: As mentioned, Reykjavik is 40 min by bus, and then only every hour.
text: Take a full day for your stopover (especially since Iceland Air doesn't charge anything extra)
text: next time - visit the blue lagoon and Reykjavik then - totally worth it!
answer_details: author: travel.stackexchange.com/users/13223/jrab
score: 4
sents: text: An hour and a half isn't enough time to go touristing from any airport, of any size, anywhere.
text: You need to be back at the airport for your onward flight at the absolute minimum one hour before its scheduled departure, and often an hour and a half to two hours.
text: Add to that the time it takes to get off the plane, get through immigration, travel to the city and travel back to the city and you need a layover of multiple hours before you can consider doing anything outside the airport.
answer_details: author: travel.stackexchange.com/users/11491/David Richerby
score: 1

Summary of the answers:
Reykjavik is at least 1 hour's drive away from Keflavik airport, so I don't think sight-seeing is on the cards. Have a coffee or go to a gift shop in the departure lounge to browse. There is a souvenir shop with interesting things like Icelandic troll figures, and also a nice sculpture in the area.
A stopover of one and a half hours is not enough time to leave the airport, especially as Reykjavik is an hours drive away. There are cafes and shops at the airport to pass the time between flights.