roonee My journey to Iceland’s Reykjavik airport was a somewhat sleepy one. My flight was delayed, and it was a late afternoon journey, arriving into the country after 8pm. Prior to my trip, I had made sure to fully investigate the transport needed to get from the airport to the inner city, where I was staying, in order to be as well prepared as a solo female traveller as possible. As usual, I travelled light with nothing but a small backpack and a bumbag, so I didn’t need to wait at baggage reclaim once I was off the plane. If you plan on travelling as light as me, make sure to fully plan your outfits, especially if you’re visiting somewhere chilly like Iceland! I had layered up accordingly for the weather, and packed a good jumper and waterproof along with a warm headband and arm warmers. Once I headed straight to a kiosk selling bus tickets to ask where I needed to go to wait for my pre-booked bus – it was all pretty simple but I had half an hour to wait.
The first hotdog in Iceland
One of the things that has always put me off visiting Iceland, is the price that comes with the trip. Research told me that Reykjavik was famous for inexpensive hotdogs, which is great for anyone trying to do an Iceland trip on a budget. I saw a shop at the airport selling various hot foods including hot dogs, so I popped in to sample my first Icelandic hot dog before finding my bus. It didn’t disappoint; I was offered a range of toppings and it didn’t cost much. As far as cheap hotdogs go, it was pretty good.
Navigating to the city
I found my bus without any difficulty, and got on after showing the driver my ticket. I knew which stop I needed to get off at, and the driver said he would tell us clearly which stop was which as we approached. The journey was about 40 minutes long, and by this time the sun had long since set on Iceland. I noticed a surprisingly large amount of signs and floodlights that were lit in neon purple – perhaps something I will see more of across the country! I kept my eyes peeled for any sign of the Northern Lights, but I had no idea where to be looking, so didn’t glimpse anything interesting.
Unexpectedly, the bus stopped at a central bus station in the city, and I had to get off and swap onto a smaller bus. While unexpected, the process of what I needed to do was explained clearly and there were a couple of staff members from the bus company making sure people were getting on the right busses.
To the hotel!
After just a couple of minutes, I arrived at bus stop eight, the Hallgrímskirkja stop. Hallgrímskirkja is Reykjavik’s cathedral, a complete architectural masterpiece, and next to my hotel. I took a couple of photos of this awesome landmark before getting checked into my hotel, the Leifur Eríksson Hotel. I had chosen this hotel for a number of reasons regarding safety and finances, but the central location is really excellent. I will write more about the hotel, but it’s worth noting that like all hotels in Iceland, it was expensive, and by UK standards, I paid a lot of money for incredibly basic lodgings. I was happy with my room though, as it had a (very small) en-suite, lockable door, and comfy bed, which is all I need.
I settled down for the night, and got some sleep to prepare me for the excitement of the days ahead!
