Marine Steve and I finished off a 7-day cruise around Iceland by flying to Munich for 10 days of hiking in Austria. Icelandair had the only direct flight to Munich from Reykjavik so kicking and screaming because Icelandair is not part of Star Alliance, we bought tickets.
Icelandair requires all but their Plus and Business Class passengers to check in at kiosks. Although a little nervous about using one, the kiosks are very user friendly. Follow directions on the screen and out spits baggage tags and boarding passes; don’t attempt to deal with the baggage tags instead turn around and walk a short distance to the Baggage Drop line where at least 10-15 employees at this counter will finish the process. When it is your turn, hand over passports or identity papers, boarding passes and baggage tags. They examine, attach, and passengers take the escalator to Departures, one level up.
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Keflavik International Airport, Iceland
Keflavik International Airport, Iceland
furry stools at Keflavik International Airport, Iceland
Departure personnel will examine identity document, stamp boarding pass and then passengers proceed through an efficient Security. Liquids and all electrical objects must be removed from luggage, take jackets off, and Duty Free is ahead. When passengers fly Europe to Europe per the Schengen Agreement as we did, there is no Immigration.
check-in kiosks at Keflavik International Airport, Iceland
security check sign at Keflavik International Airport, Iceland
Keflavik International Airport may be small but it is mighty. We last flew from Chicago to Europe through Keflavik in 1978 when Icelandair was called Icelandic and the airport was reputed to have a wonderful Duty Free when Duty Free really was Duty Free. I remember rushing off the plane and into shops to buy an Icelandic wool sweater.
The airport has ATMs and Cash Machines located landslide and airside, currency exchange in the Departure Hall, food and dining concessions, and stores for whatever you can imagine; one will even make up a pair of prescription glasses in less than one hour.
glasses in one hour at Keflavik International Airport, Iceland
map of Iceland made up of products in Keflavik International Airport, Iceland
shelves loaded with Skyr in Keflavik International Airport, Iceland
Keflavik Airport states that they are one of few in Europe that can sell tax and duty products to both arriving and departure passengers and prices are up to 50% lower than in Reykjavík retail stores. Don’t pay attention to that statement!
Many items we priced at Keflavik were more expensive than in Reykjavik. Most stores in Reykjavik will give a tax free form if you spend over 40,000 ISK (approximately $40 USD) in their store. Take the form to one of the VAT places in town for the refund. The VAT place will then hand you a stamped and sealed envelope with the form in it that must be dropped in a mailbox at Keflavik International Airport. Buy in Reykjavik…
TravelsWithSheila with troll friends in Reykjavik, Iceland