Reykjavik is a very walkable city! It is easy to navigate on foot, with most of the tourist sites, restaurants, and shops concentrated along the central streets. A walk from one end of downtown to the other is not much longer than about 20 minutes.

Reykjavík is easily explored by bicycle and has a very user friendly system of bike paths. Riding on sidewalks and footpaths is widely accepted and some trails are illuminated by street lights in fall and winter. A free biking map is available at the Tourist Information Center, located at Aoalstraeti 2, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland.

Reykjavík`s bus service Stræto (tel. 540-2700; www.bus.is) is very reliable. The major bus hubs are Lækjartorg (in the city center, at the north end ofLækjargata), Hlemmur (on the eastern end of Laugavegur), and the BSÍ bus terminal (Vatnsmýrarvegur10; www.bsi.is) south of the city center. Free bus maps are available at www.bus.is, the Tourist Information Center, and bus hubs. Most travelers use buses only to reach outlying hotels or sights such as The Pearl, Laugardalur Park, and the ÁrbærMuseum. Local routes venture as far as the suburbs of Hafnarfjörður, Mosfellsbær, and Akranes. Most long-distance routes leave from the BSÍ terminal.

Buses operate Monday to Saturday from 7am to midnight, and Sunday from 10am to midnight, with set departure times every 20 minutes, or every 30 minutes evenings and weekends. Buses S1 to S6 run until 2am on Friday and Saturday night. A flat fare typically runs about 280kr ($4.50/£2.25) for adults or 100kr ($1.60/£80) for children 6 to 18 and is collected on the bus. Please note: No change is given, so make sure you have the exact amount. Discounted ticket books are available at the bus hubs, Kringlan Mall, and the Tourist Information Center. The Reykjavík Tourist Card includes free unlimited bus travel for 1, 2, or 3 days.

Rental cars in Reykjavik are generally considered to be expensive, and for this reason, not commonly used by tourists. The capital city has narrow one-way streets and parking regulations that discourage many drivers, but by international standards the city is relatively flexible.

If your hotel does not offer parking there are public parking lots in the city center that are marked on most tourist maps, they usually require buying a ticket at a kiosk and placing it on the front dashboard. Meters vary in cost but are usually around 80kr ($1.30/65p) per hour; fees must be paid from 10am to 6pm weekdays and from 10am to 2pm Saturday. Parking is free Sundays and evenings. One parking strategy is to simply drive out of the center where there are no meters.