Beyond the Hotel: How Strategic Planning Made Our Keflavik Departure Stress-Free (and Aurora-Filled!)
Let’s be honest, airport hotels are rarely “cheap,” but sometimes, they’re an absolute lifesaver – and a cost well-spent. For our 7:50 AM Icelandic Air flight from Reykjavik to Oslo in late October 2024, booking a room at Hotel Aurora near Keflavik International Airport was precisely that.
We were wrapping up an incredible 11-day campervan Ring Road adventure in Iceland. For our final day, we rented a small sedan (a Suzuki Swift, an unexpected “upgrade” from our booked Toyota Aygo) from Blue Rental Car’s Reykjavik city office, opting for the convenience of dropping it off directly at Keflavik International Airport for a one-way fee of ISK 4,900 (€34).
This decision allowed us to spend our final two nights (for a total of 11,000 THB/€77) in Mosfellsbær, a location in southwest Iceland, just 12 kilometers east of Reykjavik (before moving to Hotel Aurora for our final night). This choice proved to be incredibly rewarding, offering us a better chance of viewing the Northern Lights. Indeed, the aurora borealis was visible right from our Airbnb https://www.airbnb.com/l/CwuaBiCN, and we also enjoyed a quick 20km/20-minute drive to the Grótta Lighthouse for an even more spectacular viewing experience.
The Math: Peace of Mind vs. Penny-Pinching
Comparing our accommodation options, spending €200 at the last minute for a twin room with breakfast included at Hotel Aurora seemed like a splurge. However, when we crunched the numbers, it became clear it was a smart move. An airport transfer from downtown Reykjavik for two people would have set us back €62. This effectively meant we were paying €138 for the room with breakfast thrown in.
The real win, though, was the sheer reduction in stress. Waking up around 4:00 AM, enjoying breakfast at 4:30 AM, and leaving the hotel at 5:15 AM felt infinitely better than the alternative: a jarring 3:30 AM airport transfer from downtown for a 4:45 AM airport arrival, or a 4:30 AM pick-up for a 5:45 AM arrival. While being near a bus terminus could save 30 minutes (as hotel pick-ups add extra travel time, with a 45-minute journey from terminus to airport), factoring in reviews of missed transfers, we would have had to book the very first bus at 3:30 AM for peace of mind. (For more details on airport transfers, check out my earlier blog post https://www.notyourtypicaltourist.com/thailand/keflavik-airport-transfer-flybus-vs-gray-line/). That €138 for the room, with breakfast and zero departure-day stress, was truly money well-spent.
The breakfast itself was decent – simple and light, exactly what you need for an early start. We certainly weren’t expecting a gourmet spread.
A Smooth (and Surprising) Airport Experience
Local advice suggested we only needed 2 hours before flight departure, especially for a relatively small airport like Keflavik and during the low season. Keflavik Airport itself officially recommends arriving 2.5 to 3 hours before international flights, particularly if you’re returning a rental car. As our rental car had been returned the night before, we decided to buffer an additional 30 minutes to the general advice, arriving at the airport around 5:20 AM for our 7:50 AM flight.
Self-check-in at KEF: We did encounter an issue with the self-service check-in machine – a problem faced by other passengers as well – but we were quickly saved by a very efficient and friendly staff member who got us sorted.
Baggage allowance angels: Another potential hurdle arose with our baggage. Our return leg to Bangkok had a 20kg baggage limit fare type, compared to the 25kg we had for our inbound flight. We had one smaller checked-in bag well below the limit and another bag weighing 21.3kg. We were unable to combine the baggage allowance across our two tickets, and the self-service baggage drop machine specifically rejected the bigger bag. To our immense relief, an Icelandic Air staff member informed us there would be “no issue with the baggage limit” – it turned out Icelandair’s standard checked baggage limit for Economy Standard/Flex is 23kg for international flights! – and promptly checked us through. An angel to the rescue in the early morning!
Last-minute airport finds: We also discovered a pleasant surprise for last-minute souvenir shopping: 66 North inside the airport is actually cheaper than downtown, indicating a 19.35% discount off city prices – so we did some additional shopping there! And if you still have room after passport control, save some space for Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur, as they have a kiosk right there, offering one last taste of Iceland’s famous hot dogs!
Rental Car Return: A Smooth Process (Mostly)
If you’re following our lead and dropping off your rental car at Keflavik Airport, you’ll need to fill the tank. We were fortunate not to face the complications some others did, who reported receiving cars with less than a full tank and being instructed to return them at the same level (a tricky feat!).
Navigating Icelandic petrol pumps: Our challenge, however, came with credit card issues at the pump. My husband had diligently ensured our bank back home issued a four-digit PIN for our credit card, but we had already exhausted all our pre-paid fuel card credits from our campervan trip. Adding to the complexity, all the self-service petrol stations seemed to require us to specify an amount of fuel in ISK to put in, with no option to simply “fill up the tank.” This led to some guesswork, as we initially tried to estimate based on our diesel campervan, only to realize the tank wasn’t full and we had to refuel again. This experience is not uncommon, as many self-service pumps in Iceland require a pre-authorization amount or a specific ISK input.
Some rental companies offer a prepaid fuel option, allowing you to return the vehicle with the fuel tank at any level without refueling. While this might seem convenient, it’s generally not recommended as you rarely use up the full tank and often pay a higher price per liter. For more details, you can research this further: https://www.frommers.com/tips/car-bus-rail/once-and-for-all-should-you-pre-pay-for-fuel-when-you-rent-a-car/.
My tip if you encounter similar issues: If you’re picking up a small car like a Toyota Aygo/Suzuki Swift (indicated fuel consumption: approx. 4.1L/100km, fuel capacity: 35L), consider keeping track of your mileage. For example, if you’ve traveled 100km, you’d need about 4.1 liters of fuel. At an indicative price of 322 ISK/liter (based on October 2024 prices for unleaded fuel), that’s roughly 1,320 ISK or €9 for 100km. This quick calculation can help you estimate the amount to input at the pump. Also, having multiple credit cards (with PINs enabled!) or considering prepaid fuel cards available at some manned stations could be a good backup for these self-service pumps.
Orkan at Arnarvöllum 6, located within the airport vicinity, is the nearest self-service station without an attendant. We ran into our credit card issue there, but then drove to N1 at Hafnargata 86, another self-service station, where we successfully paid with our credit card.
The process for us was seamless: we briefly parked the car to unload luggage and check-in to the hotel, then my husband took the car to return it and walked back to the hotel. The short walk between the hotel and the car rental return point makes it incredibly convenient.
My Verdict: Stay at Hotel Aurora
I have absolutely no qualms about staying at Hotel Aurora again. It’s just a short walk to the terminal, and it genuinely makes so much sense for an early morning flight. We found that booking directly on the hotel’s website was cheaper than through other hotel booking sites, especially using the “DIRECTISBETTER” code for a 10% discount – so keep that in mind!
- Hotel Aurora website: https://hotelairport.is/
- Blue Rental Car website: https://www.bluecarrental.is/
