Where To Store A Bicycle Box In Iceland When Bikepacking

Working out where to store your bicycle box when planning an Iceland bicycle tour can be a bit of a problem. In this guide, I'll go over how I stored my bike box during my 6 week Iceland cycling trip, as well as other options for bicycle box storage in Iceland.

Where can you store a bicycle box in Iceland?

Most people planning a bicycle tour in Iceland will take their own bikes, and have to fly them there and back. In order to transport the bicycles safely by plane, a bicycle box, whether cardboard or hard-case, is needed.

This is me with my packed bike in the box ready to leave for Iceland:

As a result, sooner or later they have to ask the question “What do I do with my bike box?”.

In fact, I ended up thinking about this quite a lot before my own Iceland bike tour in 2023. It seemed whatever option for bicycle box storage in Iceland I came up with had a drawback, or cost a lot of money!

One of the main issues, was that although Keflavik Airport has a lovely place called the Bike Pit where you can assemble your bicycle on arrival, you can't store your bike box there.

On top of that, although in previous years cyclists touring Iceland were able to keep their bicycle boxes at some nearby car rental places (one called Geysir in particular), in 2023 they informed me they could no longer do that.

My next step, was to contact a hotel near Keflavik airport to see if by staying there they could store the bicycle box.

The hotel (being right by Iceland's main airport) was very expensive, and in addition they couldn't guarantee that they had room to store the bicycle box.

Now what?

Keflavík Airport Bike Pit – Good but no box storage

Upon arrival at Kef Airport, also known as Keflavik Airport, you’ll find the Bike Pit, an enclosed room located outside the main doors, offering tools and a sheltered area for assembling your bike.

This dedicated facility allows you to set up your bicycle away from the bustling airport crowds, providing a convenient and stress-free start to your cycling adventure.

The Bike Pit, a local bike shop, offers an array of tools for bicycles, including:

Two workstands
Two foot pumps
A variety of wrenches and screwdrivers

One thing I could have done, would have been to just leave the bike box in the Bike Pit outside the airport, and then hope I could pick another one up when it was time for me to fly back home.

I'm glad I didn't do this. Later on, I visited the Bike Pit and there were no boxes to be found there. If I had been banking on one being there before my flight back home, I'd have been in real trouble!

I made a short video at the Keflavik Bike Pit which you can see below.

By the way – Some cyclists have said they got lucky and found boxes there. I guess it really depends on the time of year your fly and when the flight is.

How I stored my bicycle box when cycling Iceland

In the end, I contacted a campground (Vogar Camping), who said they would store my bike box for a fee which worked out to be about 100 GBP for 6 weeks.

Yes, this is a lot of money to store basically a cardboard box and a bunch of packing material – but welcome to Iceland!

In addition, it would have been impossible to assemble my bike, and then cycle with the bike box from the airport to the campground, as the distance was about 20 kms.

This meant getting a taxi from the airport to the campground with my bicycle box. I also had to make the same journey in reverse. Each taxi journey was another 60 pounds.

Although not strictly the cheapest option (I'll come to that in a minute), it suited my purposes as Vogar Camping had cheap cabins.

This meant I could assemble my bike out of the elements, and get a more relaxed start to my cycling trip.

My thinking on this: My bike is worth about 4000 GBP, so spending an extra 220 GBP in storage fees to guarantee I could fly it back home safely was, in the grander scheme of things, just about worth it. If I had a much cheaper bike, I might have calculated the benefits of doing it this way weren't quite enough to balance out the cost. In addition, my flight home left at 06.00 in the morning, so a taxi there was better for me than sleeping in the airport the night before.

Most popular Iceland Bicycle box storage option

While the Vogar Camping solution worked for me, it might not be the best fit for everyone who needs to store their bicycle box when cycling in Iceland.

One of the most popular choices, is to store bicycle boxes at the Reykjavik Campsite.

Previously, they used to charge for bike box storage over 4 weeks, but in 2023 long-term storage for bike boxes is available for free for up to 6 weeks.

Note that you still need to get to the campground with your bicycle box, and that the cardboard bike boxes must be flattened for storage purposes. This means it's more difficult to store dedicated hard bike boxes there as well as additional packing materials.

Options for getting to the campground include taxi and buses – I was unclear if you would need two buses to get here or not. Perhaps a reader can clear that up for me in the comments section at the end of the article!

Where else to leave a bike box in Iceland

Everybody who travels does so differently, and so perhaps some of these other box storage options when visiting Iceland might be worth considering.

Reykjavik Bus Terminals And Other Storage Facilities

The main problem I encountered with these options, were that the maximum storage time was 30 days, which was of no use for my 6 week bicycle tour in Iceland. Additionally, it was debatable whether they lockers would be big enough.

There was also talk of a lockup facility which didn't have 24 hour access, and you might need to phone to get entry.

These options might work if you were traveling to Iceland for just a few days, but probably don't work out in terms of finances or convenience for stays of a week or longer.

Leaving your bicycle box at accommodation

I met a couple of cyclists who booked an AirBnB or room through Booking for their first night in Reykjavik, and arranged with the host to leave the bike box with them until their return.

There was no extra fee involved for people I spoke to who had done this, but they did of course have to get a taxi to and from the accommodation with their bike boxes.

Storing a bike box at car rental companies

Although I had no luck with the car rental companies at the airport itself, many car rental companies also have facilities a few kilometres away in Keflavik Town.

Perhaps contacting a few of them might lead to a good result. You should expect to pay a fee for storage, and you'll also have to work out how to get there and back with your bicycle box.

Westfjords bike box storage

For those venturing into remote areas like the Westfjords region of Iceland, bike box storage options are available at Fjord Hub. This facility provides bike box storage, storage for assembled bikes, and storage for gear and bags.

Fjord Hub charges a fee of ISK 750 per piece per day (2023 prices) for their storage services, making it an affordable option for cyclists exploring this secluded region of Iceland. Additionally, they offer storage for other bulky items, such as snowboards and skis, catering to a wide range of outdoor enthusiasts.

If you venture into the stunning Westfjords region on your cycling adventure, Fjord Hub offers secure and affordable bike box storage.

Getting hold of a bike box in Iceland

If you decide against paying for storage of your bike box, and want to get hold of one for your return flight home, you'll need to try local bike shops in Reykjavik.

Unlike many cities in Europe, Reykjavik doesn't have a huge population, this means the turnover of available bike boxes might be quite limited.

I suggest getting in contact with bicycle shops before you go to Iceland to see what the possibilities are.

Other options include building your own bike box with cardboard from industrial areas, and as mentioned, trying your luck at the Bike Pit at the airport.

Summary

I never thought that when planning my bike tour in Iceland, working out what to do with my bike box would have turned out to be such an issue! Still, it's something you'll need to keep in mind when planning your tour.

Personally, i thought that hoping to pick up a box in the Bike Pit at the terminal building was a bit risky, and was glad that my storage solution worked out.

Have you ridden around Iceland on a bike, and what did you do with your bike box? I'd love to hear from you, so please leave a comment below.

What To Do With A Bike Box In Iceland FAQ

Where can I leave my bike box in Iceland?

Bike boxes in Iceland can typically be left at campsites and hotels for a fee. There are no official storage options for bicycle boxes in Keklavik Airport in Iceland.

How easy is it to store a bike box in Reykjavik?

Storing a bike box in Reykjavik is relatively easy, but you'll have to ask around. Try places like campgrounds and car rental storage places. You can also try hotels and AirBnB owners.

Where can I get a bicycle box in Iceland?

You can try obtaining a bicycle box in Iceland at bike shops in Reykjavik. You can not buy bicycle boxes at the airport.

Where do you leave your bike bag in Iceland?

To leave your bike bag in Iceland, consider accommodations with secure storage, bike rental shops, or airport facilities if it can pack down small and fit in a locker.

Bicycle Box Storage In Iceland