Iceland (Lonely Planet, 7th Edition) - Fran Parnell [274]
Phone Codes
There are no area codes in Iceland, so you can dial the seven-digit number from anywhere in the country for the same price. For international calling, first dial the international access code 00, then the country code (listed in telephone directories), the area or city code, and the telephone number. International call rates are the same around the clock. To phone Iceland from abroad, dial the local international access code, the country code ( 354) and the seven-digit phone number. Toll-free numbers in Iceland begin with 800, and most seven-digit mobile phone numbers start with 8 (some start with 6).
Phonecards
The smallest denomination phonecard (for use in public telephone boxes) costs Ikr500, and can be bought from grocery shops, newsagents, post offices and Síminn telephone offices. Low-cost international phonecards are also available in many shops and youth hostels.
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TIME
Iceland’s time zone is the same as GMT/UTC (London), but there is no daylight-saving time. So from late October to late March Iceland is on the same time as London, five hours ahead of New York and 11 hours behind Sydney. In the northern hemisphere summer, it’s one hour behind London, four hours ahead of New York and 10 hours behind Sydney.
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TOURIST INFORMATION
Icelandic tourist-information offices are helpful, friendly and well informed and can be invaluable in assisting you to find accommodation, book tours or see the best an area has to offer. Employees usually speak several European languages including English.
Most tourist offices provide the useful booklets Around Iceland (a general tourist guide), Iceland on Your Own (a public-transport guide) and Áning (a guide to accommodation). All are free and published annually. If you plan to stay in farmhouse B&Bs, pick up a copy of The Ideal Holiday, a guide to farmhouse accommodation.
The Icelandic Tourist Board (Map; 535 5500; www.icetourist.is; Geirsgata 9, IS-101 Reykjavík) is the umbrella organisation in charge of tourism.
There are tourist offices at Keflavík International Airport ( 425 0330; www.reykjanes.is) and in Reykjavík at the Main Tourist Office (UpplýsingamiðstöÐ Ferðamanna; Map; 590 1550; www.visitreykjavik.is; Aðalstræti 2). Reykjavík also has several private tourist-information offices, and there are council-run information offices in towns and villages around the country.
The main regional tourist information offices:
East & southeast Iceland (Map Click here; 471 2320; www.east.is; Kaupvangur 10, IS-700 Egilsstaðir)
North Iceland (Map Click here; 553 5999; www.northiceland.is, www.visitakureyri.is; Hafnarstræti 82, IS-600 Akureyri)
South & southwest Iceland (Map Click here; 483 4601; www.southiceland.is, www.south.is; Sunnumörk 2-4, IS-810 Hveragerði)
West Iceland ( 437 2214; www.west.is; Sólbakki 2, IS-310 Borgarnes)
Westfjords (Map Click here; 450 8060; www.westfjords.is; Aðalstræti 7, IS-400 Ísafjörður)
Icelandic Tourist Board offices overseas:
Denmark ( 32 833 741; www.visiticeland.com; Islands Turistråd Skandinavia, Strandgade 89, 1401 K⊘benhavn K)
Germany ( 30 5050 4200; www.icetourist.de; Isländisches Fremdenverkehrsamt, Rauchstrasse 1, D-10787 Berlin)
USA ( 212-885 9700; www.goiceland.org; 655 Third Ave, New York, NY 10017)
If you arrive in a town after the tourist office has closed, the local petrol station is often a good bet for information on the area.
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TRAVELLERS WITH DISABILITIES
Iceland is trickier than many places in northern Europe when it comes to access for travellers with disabilities. International and internal flights can accommodate most disabilities, but some flights use small aircraft that may be unsuitable for the mobility impaired. Air Iceland and Smyril Line offer discounts