Fast Facts

American Express-- There is no American Express office in Iceland. To wire money, use Western Union (www.westernunion.com); the money will show up at branches of Landsbankinn (www.landsbankinn.is; tel. +354 560 6000).

Area Codes-- Iceland has no area codes. All phone numbers are seven digits. The country code is 354.

ATM Networks Networks-- Most Icelandic ATMs take cards on the Plus or Cirrus networks.

Business Hours-- Most shops are open from 9 or 10am until 6pm Mon-Fri, 10am-4pm Saturday, and sometimes 1-5pm Sunday. The "10/11" chain of supermarkets is open until 11 PM, seven days a week.

Drugstores-- Icelandic drugstores are called Apótek, and there are drugstores in most larger towns. In smaller settlements, you can find basic medicines at gas stations.

Electricity-- Iceland uses 220 volt, 50 Hz electricity with two round prongs on most plugs.

Embassies & Consulates-- All foreign embassies are in Reykjavík. If you have an emergency outside office hours, just dial 112 and explain. They'll track down a consular official for you.

The U.S. Embassy (www.usa.is) is located at Laufasvegur 21, tel.562-9100; fax 562-9118. It's open Monday-Friday 8am-12:30pm and 1:30-5pm.

Canada's embassy in Reykjavík (www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/canadaeuropa/iceland/menu-en.asp) is at Túngata 14. tel. 575-6500; fax 575-6501. It's open from 9am-noon, Monday-Friday.

The British Embassy is at Laufasvegur 31, tel. 550-5100, fax 550-5105. It's open 9am-noon, Monday-Friday.

There's a UK consulate in Akureyri, at the Central Hospital on Eyrarlandsveg. tel. 463-0102, fax 462-4621.

Australia does not have an embassy or consulate in Iceland. Services for Australian citizens in Iceland are handled through the Australian consulate in Stockholm, Sweden at Sergels Torg 12, tel. +46-8-613-2900, fax +46-8-247-414. Remember that this is an international call from Iceland.

Emergencies-- Dial 112 from any phone in an emergency.

Etiquette & Customs-- Icelanders are quiet and friendly, getting progressively less quiet and more friendly as they get more and more drunk on a Saturday night.

Dress appropriately for the weather, and you can't go wrong. One exception: if you're going to partake in Reykjavík's nightlife, go for black or another conservative, stylish look. (For men, you can't go wrong with a sportjacket over a T-shirt or casual shirt).

Language-- Icelandic is an extremely difficult language. Luckily, everyone in Iceland speaks at least a little English and many Icelanders are completely fluent.

Liquor Laws-- The drinking age in Iceland is 20, and under-20s are also barred from nightclubs. Once you do get in, though, there's no stopping "till the dawn. You can buy beer at grocery stores, but for harder stuff you'll need to go to a bar, a restaurant, or one of the state-run "vinbuð" stores; the most prominent is on Austurstræti in downtown Reykjavík.

Lost & Found-- Be sure to tell all of your credit card companies the minute you discover your wallet has been lost or stolen and file a report at the nearest police precinct. Your credit card company or insurer may require a police report number or record of the loss.Most credit card companies have an emergency toll-free number to call if your card is lost or stolen; they may be able to wire you a cash advance immediately or deliver an emergency credit card in a day or two.

Within Iceland, you can call Visa at 525-2000 during business hours. MasterCard holders should call the US emergency number +1 636-722-7111 collect, and American Express holders should call +1 336 393 1111 collect.

Identity theft or fraud are potential complications of losing your wallet, especially if you've lost your driver's license along with your cash and credit cards. Notify the major credit-reporting bureaus immediately; placing a fraud alert on your records may protect you against liability for criminal activity. The three major U.S. credit-reporting agencies are Equifax (tel. 800/766-0008; www.equifax.com), Experian (tel. 888/397-3742; www.experian.com), and TransUnion (tel. 800/680-7289; www.transunion.com). Finally, if you've lost all forms of photo ID call your airline and explain the situation; they might allow you to board the plane if you have a copy of your passport or birth certificate and a copy of the police report you've filed

Mail-- Iceland's postal system is reliable and efficient. Most post offices are open Monday-Friday, 9am-4:30pm. Letters sent within Iceland cost ISK 45; letters to Europe cost ISK 60, and letters to other countries cost ISK 85. Heavy packages can be expensive to send; a 10-pound package will cost at least $25 to send to the US.

Newspapers & Magazines-- For English-language publications, go to Mal og Menning (Laugavegur 18, 101 Reykjavík; tel. +354 515 2500.) They have a great collection of newspapers, magazines, books and even comic books in English.

Passports--

For Residents of the United States: Whether you're applying in person or by mail, you can download passport applications from the U.S. State Department website at http://travel.state.gov/passport_services.html. To find your regional passport office, either check the U.S. State Department website or call the National Passport Information Center toll-free number (tel. 877/487-2778) for automated information.

For Residents of Canada: Passport applications are available at travel agencies throughout Canada or from the central Passport Office, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Ottawa, ON K1A 0G3 (tel. 800/567-6868; www.ppt.gc.ca).

For Residents of the United Kingdom: To pick up an application for a standard 10-year passport (5-yr. passport for children under 16), visit your nearest passport office, major post office, or travel agency or contact the United Kingdom Passport Service at tel. 0870/521-0410 or search its website at www.ukpa.gov.uk.

For Residents of Ireland: You can apply for a 10-year passport at the Passport Office, Setanta Centre, Molesworth Street, Dublin 2 (tel. 01/671-1633; www.irlgov.ie/iveagh). Those under age 18 and over 65 must apply for a €12 3-year passport. You can also apply at 1A South Mall, Cork (tel. 021/272-535) or at most most main post offices.

For Residents of Australia: You can pick up an application from your local post office or any branch of Passports Australia, but you must schedule an interview at the passport office to present your application materials. Call the Australian Passport Information Service at tel. 131-232, or visit the government website at www.passports.gov.au.

For Residents of New Zealand: You can pick up a passport application at any New Zealand Passports Office or download it from their website. Contact the Passports Office at tel. 0800/225-050 in New Zealand or 04/474-8100, or log on to www.passports.govt.nz.

Police-- Dial 112 from any phone if you're in trouble.

Smoking-- Reykjavík means "smoky bay," so it shouldn't be a surprise that smoking is allowed in most places in Iceland. It's up to individual restaurateurs to decide whether or not they allow smoking. Non-smoking rooms are available in all hotels.

Taxes-- Iceland's 24.5% VAT (sales tax) is included in prices, but tourists can get that back. If you spend more than Kr 4,000 in a store, ask for a VAT refund note when you pay. Present refund notes for less than $70 to the bank in the departure hall at the airport to get your money back; notes for purchases over $70 should be stamped by passport control at the airport, then given to the bank there.

Telephones-- All phone numbers in Iceland have seven digits, and there are no long-distance calls. Landline numbers within Reykjavík start with a "5". Landlines outside Reykjavík start with a "4", and cell phones start with a "6" or "8". Just dial all seven digits from whatever phone you're calling from, and you'll be fine.

Icelandic payphones are pretty easy to use: pick up the handle, drop in your ISK 5, ISK 10 or ISK 50 coins, and dial your number. Calls from payphones to landlines within Iceland cost ISK 30, plus ISK 4/minute. Calls to mobile phones cost ISK 50 plus ISK 30-35/minute, and directory assistance calls cost ISK 30. Calls from pay phones to the US, UK, Ireland, and Australia cost ISK 50 plus ISK 45/minute. Not all payphones accept phone cards, but you can get ISK 500 cards for the ones which do at most gas stations, post offices and Siminn stores.

To connect to AT&T, dial 800-9001. To connect to MCI, dial 800-9002. To connect to Sprint, dial 800-9003.

If you're calling Iceland from the United States:

1. Dial the international access code: 011

2. Dial the country code 354

3. Dial the number. So if you wanted to call American Embassy in Iceland, you would dial be 011-354-562-9100.

To make international calls: To make international calls from Iceland, first dial 00 and then the country code (U.S. or Canada 1,U.K. 44, Ireland 353, Australia 61, New Zealand 64). Next you dial the area code and number. For example, if you wanted to call the British Embassy in Washington, D.C., you would dial 00-1-202-588-7800.

For directory assistance: Dial 118 if you're looking for a number inside Iceland, and dial 1811 for numbers to all other countries.

For operator assistance: If you need operator assistance in making a call, dial 115>.

Toll-free numbers: Numbers beginning with 800 in Iceland are toll-free, but calling a 1-800 number in the States from Iceland is not toll-free. In fact, it costs the same as an overseas call.

Time Zone-- Iceland is always on GMT, with no daylight savings time. So during the winter, Iceland is five hours ahead of the eastern US, and on the same time as the UK; during the summer, it's four hours ahead of the eastern US, and one hour behind the UK.

Tipping-- Icelanders don't tip.

Useful Phone Numbersful Phone Numbers Phone Numbers--

• U.S. Dept. of State Travel Advisory tel. 202/647-5225 (manned 24 hrs.)
  
• U.S. Passport Agency tel. 202/647-0518
  
• U.S. Centers for Disease Control International Traveler's Hotline: tel. 404/332-4559