Gate-side reading fix near KEF Terminal 1 departures
Penninn / Eymundsson sits airside in Terminal 1 at Keflavík, close enough to most Schengen gates that you can duck in on a 20–30 minute wait. It’s the main books and magazines stop in the terminal, so this is where you buy a real book before a 5‑hour hop to mainland Europe or North America.
Stock skews heavily Icelandic, but you’ll still find English novels, Nordic crime paperbacks, and a solid rack of travel guides covering Reykjavík and the Ring Road. Expect standard airport pricing: paperbacks usually sit a few euros above city-center shops, and glossy magazines land in the 8–15 EUR range. Kids’ books and postcards are grouped together, handy if you need a last‑minute souvenir under 20 EUR.
Hours generally track the main flight banks, so the shop tends to open early in the morning wave and stay running into the late-night transatlantic departures. If you’re on a 01:00–03:00 departure, pass by at least 45 minutes before boarding in case they close between banks. Staff are used to tight connections and can ring up a single book or magazine in under a minute.
Selection leans more to fiction and Iceland-related non‑fiction than to business titles or niche tech. If you want a specific author, budget 5 minutes to scan the shelves, as sections are labeled in Icelandic first, English second. Tip: grab your reading material here before you head to the quieter far-end gates, where you’ll only find snacks and duty free, not books.