This page is provided as a courtesy of REY-SAR, The Reykjavik Search and Rescue Team, the people in red and blue that probably stopped you and gave you directions to this web page. We cannot vouch for the quality or reliability of the websites we list here, but most should be fine most of the time. Anyway, we hope this is of some use to you.
OK, you are probably ‘stuck’ in Reykjavík if you are reading this because the roads leading out of the city are closed. You are most likely headed east out of Reykjavik, but the people in red and blue told you there might be some time until that happens because of lousy weather and/or dicey road conditions.
So, what to do?
Road conditions
Since you are reading this, you probably have a smart device with an Internet connection which means you are in pretty good shape. The first thing you need to do is to visit road.is and get familiar with the map that shows road conditions (you are in the bottom left corner of Iceland 🙂. This map is updated almost instantly so you should be able to see when the roads open up again as soon as that happens. How do you see if the roads (marked in green on the map below) are open? If they are any other color than red, they are open, but beware that they may be slippery and/or the weather bad so drive safely. So check up on the weather before doing anything, especially the wind if the roads are slippery! If the color is anything but green, proceed with extra caution and take your time.
Please do not drive by the road closure point if you don’t need to. You have all the information you need on road.is so you should do something more exciting and fun.
Weather
There are two major weather websites that we recommend, en.vedur.is and belgingur.is. The weather forecast is updated every six hours and you are able to see when the next update is expected. The weather in Iceland changes rapidly. You can experience all kinds of weather in a short span of time so be prepared for everything. It’s a good thing to stock up on water and something to eat and keep warm clothes at arm’s length in the car.
The website safetravel.com is a good choice if you need a comprehensive source of safety-related information.
You really, really, REALLY need to get to your destination!!!
Chances are that all roads leading east are closed, but you should consult road.is for the latest update on that. The road that is most likely to be open, but by no means guaranteed to be open, is road 427 from Grindavik. Check its status on road.is You get to Grindavik by roads 41 and 43 (or by inputting Grindavik into Google Maps and having your phone lead you there). Be sure to NOT take road 42, it is extremely unsafe in winter conditions! When you get to Grindavik, get on road 427 and head east (or input your destination into Google Maps). Be mindful about driving along road 427 because it is usually slippery with strong crosswinds so you can easily be blown off the road if you are not careful.
If the roads are open in the south of Iceland, you should be able to get to your destination. Consult road.is and if the roads are any other color than red, you are good to go.6
Two fun facts about Grindavik; the people there are the happiest in Iceland and there is an impact crater on Mars that is named after this happy town. Take a well earned break and enjoy Grindavik before moving on.
Whatever you do, be mindful of the weather and road conditions. The winter weather in Iceland is a dangerous beast, dense snowfall limits your vision and the roads can be winding and slippery. So turn on the headlights, buckle up, drive slowly and enjoy this experience because this will probably be one of the stories you tell most often when you get home (taking pictures is a good idea, but passengers only!) 🙂
So, you are ‘stuck’ in Reykjavík with plenty of time to kill …
We have put together a list of links that may come in handy if you want to make the best of this situation. Remember, you may be ‘stuck’ in Reykjavík now, but you will hopefully have a great story to tell when you get back home 🙂 because who knows what this serendipitous event may have in store for you?
Here are the links, enjoy!
Movie theaters
Sambíó, sambio.is
Smárabíó, smarabio.is
Laugarásbíó, laugarasbio.is
Bíó Paradís, bioparadis.is
Restaurants
Trip Advisor, tripadvisor.com/Restaurants-g189970-Reykjavik_Capital_Region.html
Resturants, restaurants.is
Loney Planet, lonelyplanet.com/iceland/reykjavik/restaurants
Accommodations
Visit Reykjavík, visitreykjavik.is/where-to-stay
Trip Advisor, tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g189970-Reykjavik_Capital_Region-Hotels.html
Hostel Bookers, hostelbookers.com/hostels/iceland/reykjavik/
Hostel World, hostelworld.com/findabed.php/ChosenCity.Reykjavik/
All kinds of everything
Visit Reykjavík, visitreykjavik.is
Events in Reykjavík, reykjavik.is/en/events
BBC World Service (English language radio): FM 103.50
We hope this unexpected turn of events will lead to something fun and that you will discover something new and exciting in Reykjavík as a consequence.