Looking for a quick, cheap, easy, environmentally-friendly way to get around Reykjavik? Then look no further than WOW citybikes. For less than the price of a bus ticket, you can rent one of the airline company’s signature purple bikes for up to thirty minutes. With eight bike stations in the city, it’s easy to rent, ride, and return your bicycle. And in a country where everything is really expensive, cycling is an economical way to get from point A to point B in Reykjavik.
Where Can I Sign Up for WOW Citybikes?
The process for joining is actually quite easy. There are a few different ways available to take advantage of the WOW citybike program. You can either sign up online to obtain a membership pass key, get a passcode from a bike station kiosk, or use the Transit app to rent a bike. It’s available for download from either the Google Play store or the Apple App store. Once you’re signed up, you’re ready to use WOW citybikes.
How Do WOW Citybikes Work?
You’ll get to the bike station kiosk and unlock your bike using the code or passkey. Once you’ve retrieved your bike from its docking station, you’ve got up to 30 minutes to ride it around town and re-dock it to any other docking station in town. Simply slide your bike in and wait for the green light to confirm that it’s locked once again. If you decide to ride for longer than 30 minutes, you’ll need to pay extra. WOW citybikes are available starting in late spring. You can rent them all the way through the fall until the weather turns bad. They’re a great way to see the city and even go on a DIY tour of Reykjavik.
How Much Do WOW Citybikes Cost?
The price to rent a bike is actually quite reasonable. Each half-hour ride is 350 ISK, which is 100 ISK less than a single ticket for taking the bus. If you decide to ride the bike for longer than half an hour, every additional 30 minutes costs 500 ISK. 30-day passes are 3.900 ISK for unlimited 30-minute rides and a 90-day season pass is 9.900 ISK for unlimited 30-minute rides.
Cost Breakdown
Initial 30 minutes: 350 ISK (2,52€ or $2.86)
Additional 30 minutes: 500 ISK (3,60€ or $4.09)
30-Day Pass: 3.900 ISK (28,06€ or $31.89)
90-Day Season Pass: 9.900 ISK (71,22€ or $80.96)
Note that both the 30-Day Pass and the 90-Day Season Pass are meant for unlimited rides of 30-minutes only. They do not include rides over 30 minutes. You still need to pay 500 ISK for additional time on the same journey. If you want to go for longer, return your bike to a kiosk and pick up another one.
WOW Citybikes: Reykjavik on Two Wheels
Using bike-sharing programs in urban centers is a win-win situation for everyone. It’s good for the environment, it’s good for your health, and it gets you to where you’re going quickly. Iceland and Reykjavik are both quite forward-thinking and embrace initiatives like WOW Air’s citybike program. Take part in this bicycle hire scheme and help support Iceland’s green initiatives. The country already has plenty of cars, so why not be a leader in helping to make bikes cool too? If Amsterdam can do it, so can we!