The first experience of the country for those visiting Iceland is approaching Keflavik airport from the air, often from the south west. The passenger with a window seat (and geographers like window seats of course and should always choose them) will see the peninsula and coastline, and perhaps the steam rising from the Svartsengi geothermal power station. It looks like an otherworldly place already.
The airlines three letter code is KEF, and this will appear on your baggage labels / tickets. The website provides important information for travellers including details of any delays, departure and arrival boards, and estimated time taken to pass through airport security.
There are apparently 28 airlines which will serve this airport, and planes arriving from numerous countries. The airport has grown signifcantly in recent years, with additional facilities being added, and there is plenty for you to do if arriving with students once you have passed through airport security, with a good range of restaurants, cafes and shopping.
Some airlines are now flying to other airports within Iceland too.
In 2020, it is estimated that passenger numbers will pass 10 million during the year. This is five times the amount back in the 1980s.
The airport was actually built during World War II by the US military and opened in 1943 as an important stopping off point between Europe and the USA.
The main terminal building you are likely to pass through was opened as recently as 1987.
The airport lies outside of the capital city of Reykjavík, and the journey will take you around forty-five minutes by bus or coach. Taxis are available 24 hours a day. The public bus service, called Strætó, runs scheduled routes to and from Reykjavík.
Check the bus timetables and routes on this interactive map.
If you are travelling with a company and students a coach will be waiting for you of course. There has been significant employment of locals through the tourist industry's growth over the last few decades. There will be plenty on this in future blog posts.
There are ambitious plans for Keflavik Airport to be extended over the next few years, so expect to see that taking place if you visit from now on for several years.
When we worked with Discover the World to produce the Mission:Explore Iceland resource (more on this in a future blog post), the first Mission was to leave the airport, but walk as if the ground was made of thin ice (rather than saying 'the floor is lava'...) in many cases of course that's literally true...
All of the main airports in Iceland also publish live weather data from recording instrumentation on the airport's grounds.
I'll return to Keflavik in future blog posts where I suggest some good places to eat, shops that you should save money to visit, and other tips for making your transit through the airport as trouble-free as possible.
If anyone has particular things they would like to contribute to this post from their own experiences of Keflavik airport, please add a comment or contact me via Twitter @GeoBlogs.
The airlines three letter code is KEF, and this will appear on your baggage labels / tickets. The website provides important information for travellers including details of any delays, departure and arrival boards, and estimated time taken to pass through airport security.
There are apparently 28 airlines which will serve this airport, and planes arriving from numerous countries. The airport has grown signifcantly in recent years, with additional facilities being added, and there is plenty for you to do if arriving with students once you have passed through airport security, with a good range of restaurants, cafes and shopping.
Some airlines are now flying to other airports within Iceland too.
In 2020, it is estimated that passenger numbers will pass 10 million during the year. This is five times the amount back in the 1980s.
The airport was actually built during World War II by the US military and opened in 1943 as an important stopping off point between Europe and the USA.
The main terminal building you are likely to pass through was opened as recently as 1987.
The airport lies outside of the capital city of Reykjavík, and the journey will take you around forty-five minutes by bus or coach. Taxis are available 24 hours a day. The public bus service, called Strætó, runs scheduled routes to and from Reykjavík.
Check the bus timetables and routes on this interactive map.
If you are travelling with a company and students a coach will be waiting for you of course. There has been significant employment of locals through the tourist industry's growth over the last few decades. There will be plenty on this in future blog posts.
There are ambitious plans for Keflavik Airport to be extended over the next few years, so expect to see that taking place if you visit from now on for several years.
When we worked with Discover the World to produce the Mission:Explore Iceland resource (more on this in a future blog post), the first Mission was to leave the airport, but walk as if the ground was made of thin ice (rather than saying 'the floor is lava'...) in many cases of course that's literally true...
All of the main airports in Iceland also publish live weather data from recording instrumentation on the airport's grounds.
I'll return to Keflavik in future blog posts where I suggest some good places to eat, shops that you should save money to visit, and other tips for making your transit through the airport as trouble-free as possible.
If anyone has particular things they would like to contribute to this post from their own experiences of Keflavik airport, please add a comment or contact me via Twitter @GeoBlogs.
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