How to get to Seyðisfjörður
COVID-19 TRAVEL REGULATIONS FOR VISITORS TO ICELAND
By ferry from Denmark:
Smyril Line operates a weekly car ferry between Hirtshals (Denmark) and Seyðisfjörður. Booking information can be found on their website: http://www.smyrilline.com This is probably the most beautiful way to arrive in Iceland, and you’ll set foot on land right at Skaftfell’s doorstep. Bring seasickness tablets.
By plane:
When arriving in Iceland at Keflavik International Airport, Seyðisfjörður is still a small journey away. You will first have to make the transit from Keflavik Airport to the Reykjavík Domestic Airport: There are several companies providing an airport bus service, for example Flybus, which will take you to the BSÍ central bus station. From BSÍ it is a 20 min walk or short taxi ride to the Reykjavík Domestic Airport (for Air Iceland Connect). Some airport bus companies offer a drop-off at the domestic airport for an additional fee. You should calculate at least 2,5 hours for the transfer between airports.
From Reykjavik Domestic Airport you fly to Egilsstaðir. Icelandair operates this flight several times a day and it takes one hour.
It is advisable to coordinate arrival times in Egilsstaðir with the local minibus to Seyðisfjörður. The morning flight connects directly to the bus on weekdays, pick up is at the airport. There is no bus on Sundays and on public holidays. The minibus will take you over the mountain pass Fjarðarheiði into Seyðisfjörður in approximately 25 min. Bus 93 timetable Egilsstaðir – Seyðisfjörður
If linking the flight to the bus schedule is absolutely impossible, or if you miss the bus, you can hitchhike, or take a taxi, which will cost around 12.000 ISK (80 Euros). Taxi contacts: Guttormur 00354-6594828; Jón 00354-8982625.
By car/bus:
The car journey from Keflavík/Reykjavík to Seyðisfjörður takes 8-10 hours depending on weather/road conditions. In the winter months (November to April) traveling by road can be problematic due to bad weather and icy roads, so please consider if you feel confident and experienced enough to drive in these conditions, and perhaps plan an extra day or two for the trip. If you drive, keep checking weather and road conditions. Very good advice is available at www.safetravel.is
Traveling by scheduled bus from Reykjavík takes around 14 hours and/or requires a one-night stopover in Akureyri or Höfn. It is a beautiful way to get to know the country and its landscape on the way. A route planner is available here: www.straeto.is
Return travel:
Please note that return travel might be difficult during the winter (and sometimes during the rest of the year, too) due to bad weather conditions. Occasionally Seyðisfjörður gets snowed in and the mountain road to the airport is closed, so we cannot reach the airport for a day or two. Especially in the winter it is therefore advisable to book changeable flights, and to allow two days between your inland flight (from Egilsstaðir to Reykjavik) and your international flight (from Keflavik).
If you have any questions please contact residency@old.skaftfell.is
How to get around in Seyðisfjörður
There is no public transport in Seyðisfjörður, and no taxi service. But the town is small (population around 650), and it only takes a few minutes to walk from one end to the other. Our residencies are located in three different houses. All can be reached from the Skaftfell main building in a 2-5 min walk.
Car rental in the East
The nearest car rental companies (Avis, Europcar, Hertz) are located in Egilsstaðir Airport.
Internet
The residency apartments have wireless internet, with a free download limit of at least 250 GB per month. There is also free WiFi at the Skaftfell Bistro and at several other locations in town.
Other artists-in-residence
There are 3-4 artists on the Skaftfell residency program at the same time. We usually meet for coffee once a week in the Skaftfell office or elsewhere by individual arrangement.
What to bring
- Warm, waterproof clothes, hat, gloves, scarf, woolly sweater, hiking boots or other good waterproof shoes/boots, swimsuit, sunglasses, warm socks for wearing indoors.
- Private computers, cameras, adapters to connect to data projectors etc., specialized art materials and tools as needed.
- European citizens are advised to bring a European Health Insurance Card.
- Towels and bedlinen are provided in the residency apartments.
Shopping and art supplies
There is only one supermarket in Seyðisfjörður. More extensive (and cheaper) shopping can be done in Egilsstaðir.
Seyðisfjörður has a post office, a bank, and a cash machine (ATM).
There are no art supply stores in Seyðisfjörður. In Egilsstaðir there is a hardware store called Húsasmiðjan. The stationary shop A4 sells paper and basic drawing utensils, as well as some art materials. The printshop Héradsprent in Egilsstaðir has a selection of paper, paint, and basic tools, and offers a wide range of printing services. The Skaftfell office also sells a small range of paper. Furthermore it is possible to order from shops in Reykjavík. See the SÍM list of art supplies, services and equipment.
More touristic information about Seyðisfjörður and East Iceland can be found at www.austurland.is and www.east.is.