Iceland (Lonely Planet, 7th Edition) - Fran Parnell [46]
Íslandsbanki (Map; 440 4000; www.islandsbanki.is; Lækjargata 12)
Kaupþing (Map; 444 7000; www.kaupthing.com; Austurstræti 5)
Post
Main post office (Map; 580 1200; Pósthússtræti 5; 9am-6pm Mon-Fri) With an efficient parcel service, philatelic desk (www.stamps.is) and poste restante service.
Telephone
Public phones are rare in mobile-crazy Reykjavík. Try the tourist office, the post office, by the southwestern corner of Austurvöllur, on Lækjargata, or at Kringlan shopping centre.
At the city hostels you can buy an Atlas telephone card to make cheap international calls.
Tourist Information
Reykjavík has a very good main tourist office and an increasing number of private centres. Besides providing information, they can make accommodation, bus-tour and entertainment bookings.
Pick up the free booklets Reykjavík This Month and What’s On in Reykjavík for events in the capital. The excellent English-language newspaper Grapevine, widely distributed, has the lowdown on what’s new in town.
Main Tourist Office (UpplýsingamiðstöÐ Ferðamanna; Map; 590 1550; www.visitreykjavik.is; Aðalstræti 2; 8.30am-7pm daily Jun–mid-Sep, 9am-6pm Mon-Fri, to 4pm Sat & to 2pm Sun mid-Sep–May) Staff are friendly, and there are mountains of free brochures and leaflets, plus some maps for sale. Internet access costs Ikr350/500 per 30/60 minutes (free with the Reykjavík Welcome Card).
BSÍ bus terminal tourist desk (Map; Vatnsmýrarvegur 10) Information leaflets.
Raðhús Tourist Information Desk (Map; 411 1000; Tjarnargata 11; 8.20am-4.30pm Mon-Fri, noon-4pm Sat & Sun mid-May–mid-Sep, closed Sun mid-Sep–mid-May) Small tourist desk inside the city hall.
Nordic Visitor (Map; 511 2442; www.icelandvisitor.com; Lækjargata 2; 9am-6pm Mon-Fri, 10am-4pm Sat Jun-Aug, 10am-6pm Mon-Fri Sep-May) Private office.
Icelandic Travel Market (Map; 552 4979; www.icelandictravelmarket.is; Bankastræti 2; 8am-9pm May-Aug, to 7pm Sep-Apr) Private office.
Travel Agencies
Numerous travel agents and tour companies in Reykjavík specialise in trips around Iceland by bus or plane. A few agents can also arrange international travel. Click here.
Ferðaþjónusta Bænda (Icelandic Farm Holidays; Map; 570 2700; www.farmholidays.is) Arranges farm holidays and self-drive tours around Iceland.
Gavia Travel ( 511 3939; www.gaviatravel.com; Alfaheidi 44) Small local agency specialising in nature and birdwatching tours.
IcelandTotal ( 585 4300; www.icelandtotal.com; Skútuvogur 13A) Can organise coach tours, car hire and complete holiday packages.
Norræna Ferðaskrifstofan ( 570 8600; info@smyril-line.is; Stangarhyl 1) The local agent for Smyril Line, which runs ferries to the Faeroes and Denmark.
Úrval Útsýn (Map; 585 4000; www.urvalutsyn.is; Lágmúli 4) Mainstream travel agency specialising in international travel.
Útivist (Map; 562 1000; www.utivist.is; Laugavegur 178) Owns several mountain huts, including some at Þórsmörk and Landmannalaugar, and runs guided hikes.
Worldwide Friends ( 552 5214; www.veraldarvinir.is; Einarsnes 56) Non-profit agency specialising in the arrangement of volunteer programs in Iceland.
Return to beginning of chapter
DANGERS & ANNOYANCES
If you find a safer city, let us know! Accidental injury at the hands of drunken revellers is a possibility, although considering how many beers are sunk at the weekend, it’s surprising there isn’t more trouble.
Return to beginning of chapter
SIGHTS
Hallgrímskirkja
Reykjavík’s most attention-seeking building is the immense concrete church Hallgrímskirkja (Map; 510 1000; www.hallgrimskirkja.is; Skólavörðuholt; 9am-8pm Mon-Sat, to 5pm Sun Jul & Aug, 9am-5pm daily Sep-Jun), star of a thousand postcards and visible from 20km away. However, in a scandal that has shaken the city, it was recently discovered that the original builders cut corners by skimping on quality materials, and that Reykjavík’s iconic symbol is falling apart. The whole thing is covered in scaffolding and under repair until at least 2010. You can still get an unmissable view of the city by taking an elevator trip up