New York to Akureyri (JFK–AEY) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections

US passport holders enter Iceland visa-free for up to 90 days within any 180-day period across the entire Schengen area. No advance application is needed. Iceland is a Schengen member but not an EU member. Passport must be valid for at least 3 months beyond the planned departure from the Schengen area. At Keflavík International Airport (KEF), immigration stamps your passport. The process is quick and rarely takes more than a few minutes.

The 90-day Schengen clock runs across all 29 Schengen countries. Days spent in Europe's Schengen zone before or after Iceland count toward the same 90-day limit. KEF is located 50km southwest of Reykjavik. The Golden Circle (Thingvellir, Geysir, Gullfoss), the South Coast waterfalls, and the Blue Lagoon are all within day-trip range of Reykjavik. The Ring Road (Route 1) circles the island in 1,322km and takes a minimum of 7 days to drive properly.

Direct flights from New York JFK to Keflavík run about 5 hours 30 minutes on Icelandair and PLAY. Boston runs about 5 hours. Direct service also operates from Washington Dulles, Chicago, Denver, Seattle, Minneapolis, and several other US cities. Icelandair offers free stopovers of up to 7 days on transatlantic flights. Iceland uses the Icelandic króna (ISK), trading at roughly 137 ISK per $1. Card payments work everywhere, including remote gas stations and small-town cafes. Cash is rarely needed. Flybus runs from KEF to Reykjavik BSÍ terminal in 45 minutes for ISK 3,499 ($25.50). Restaurant meals in Reykjavik cost ISK 3,000 to ISK 6,000 ($22 to $44). Hot dogs from Bæjarins Beztu cost ISK 590 ($4.30) and are an Icelandic institution.

The AirTrain connects JFK to the NYC subway and Long Island Rail Road at Jamaica Station (Howard Beach is the other connection point). Subway fare plus AirTrain totals $9.25 from midtown Manhattan; allow 60–75 minutes. LIRR from Penn Station takes 25–30 minutes to Jamaica, then 8–10 minutes on AirTrain; total fare around $10–15 depending on time of day.Taxis from Manhattan to JFK are a flat rate of $70 plus tolls and tip ($85–95 all-in). Ride-shares cost $45–80 depending on traffic and time of day. A dedicated express rail (JFK Connect) has been proposed but does not exist yet.