Keflavik Airport Transfers with Family and Kids

Iceland is increasingly popular with families, and Keflavik Airport handles the family travel flow reasonably well. The 50 km ride to Reykjavik is where the planning matters.

The airport with children

Keflavik is a modern, well-maintained airport. After landing, the walk to baggage claim is manageable. Luggage retrieval can take 15–30 minutes, which feels longer with restless children. The terminal has clean restrooms, baby changing facilities, and a few food options in the arrivals area.

The duty-free zone between baggage claim and the exit is large and tempting. With kids in tow, you may want to move through quickly rather than browse.

Free Wi-Fi works throughout the terminal, useful for pulling up your transfer confirmation or keeping children occupied during any wait.

Car seats — the critical detail

Icelandic law requires child restraints for children under 150 cm. This applies to all vehicles including taxis.

• Flybus and Strætó coaches: No child seat requirement on buses. Children sit in regular seats with seatbelts.
• Taxis: Do not reliably carry child seats. Some will refuse to take small children without one. Others may proceed anyway — neither situation is ideal.
• Pre-booked transfers: Can provide child seats if you specify the child's age and weight at booking. Always confirm this detail before travel.
• Rental cars: Child seats can be added at booking for a daily fee that varies by company — check the rate when you reserve.

Bringing your own travel car seat eliminates this variable entirely.

Luggage reality for families

Iceland trips mean packing layers, waterproofs, and hiking gear. Families with children tend to have even more — strollers, car seats, extra bags. The Flybus handles luggage well with under-bus storage, but loading and unloading takes time.

A private transfer gives you dedicated vehicle space. When booking, list everything: number of suitcases, strollers, car seats, backpacks. This ensures the right vehicle size. A minivan is often the right call for families with two or more children.

The cost math for families

Coaches charge per seat, and the child fares matter. On Flybus Plus, with the onward hotel drop-off (fares from flybus.is, July 2026):

• Two adults, two children aged 6–15: 2 × ISK 5,299 + 2 × ISK 2,650 = ISK 15,898
• Two adults, two children aged 1–5: children ride free, so ISK 10,598
• Four adults: ISK 21,196

The Strætó public bus on route 55 is cheaper again — ISK 2,400 per adult to Reykjavik, ISK 1,200 for ages 12–17, free for children 11 and under — but it runs to a timetable rather than to your flight, does not always serve BSÍ, and boards arriving passengers at a stop near Kjóavellir rather than at the terminal door. With small children and a pile of bags after a transatlantic flight, that is a real cost even though it is not a monetary one.

A private transfer is priced per vehicle rather than per seat, so it closes the gap as your party grows, and it comes with direct service, luggage handling and a child seat on request. There is no single published rate to quote — price a transfer for your actual party against the coach fares above and decide with real numbers.

Timing advice

If you arrive on an early morning transatlantic flight (common from North America, landing 06:00–08:00), children will be jet-lagged and disoriented. A direct transfer to your accommodation is kinder than waiting for a bus and then a hotel shuttle. Get everyone horizontal as quickly as possible.

For evening arrivals, the same logic applies. The shorter the journey from plane to bed, the better the first day in Iceland goes for the whole family.