Footprint Reykjavik

Rating:
Summary: Tells you everything you need to know
Review: Finally travellers to Reykjavik get to buy a book that doesn't cover the whole of Iceland. As a result, it's much more compact (pocket-sized) and relevant to people who are going to stay in the capital most of the time.

This will apply to most first-time visitors to Iceland. The book does mention some of the more obvious trips you might make from the capital, but concentrates on the city itself.

It's a bit like a mini Rough Guide. Not stuffy, seems to know about the 'in' places to eat and be seen, the cool places to go, and yet has all the basic, sensible stuff you'll want to know about a city before you go there.

I'd say it's just about on the money.

Rating:
Summary: This is the one you need.
Review: I looked at this and the Rough Guide to Iceland, and if you're making a visit to Reykjavík this is the only guide you need. The style is chatty and down to earth, with masses of useful information for the visitor--especially good sections on eating in the city, and on galleries, music venues, and museums. Some of the small details (like descriptions of menus) could be updated, as could info on public internet access (v.cheap at the City Library), info on phoning abroad, and contact info for Hotel Loftleiðer. Dixon's grasp of Reykjavik life, though, is excellent--insightful, hip, yet generous and inviting. A great guide.

Rating:
Summary: This is the one you need.
Review: I looked at this and the Rough Guide to Iceland, and if you're making a visit to Reykjavík this is the only guide you need. The style is chatty and down to earth, with masses of useful information for the visitor--especially good sections on eating in the city, and on galleries, music venues, and museums. Some of the small details (like descriptions of menus) could be updated, as could info on public internet access (v.cheap at the City Library), info on phoning abroad, and contact info for Hotel Loftleiðer. Dixon's grasp of Reykjavik life, though, is excellent--insightful, hip, yet generous and inviting. A great guide.

Rating:
Summary: Maximum Fun in Reykjavik!
Review: This is a great little book, and really tells you what you need to know before a stay in Reykjavik. It is a small book, and fits into most any pocket. It is divided into useful sections like 'Sleeping' (hotels, guesthouses, etc.), 'Festivals and Events' (from Independence Day to the Icelandic Jazz Festival), and many other handy sections.

It focuses on things that are fun, historical, and/or quirky. For instance, there is an interesting and helpful commentary on Pingvellir National Park, home of the world's first elected parliament and general assembly (930 AD), and the huge geysers ("Geysir" and "Strokkur", which are, in fact, very impressive.) If you are into art there are numerous small and large art galleries and museums around Reykjavik, and this book details all the ones you might want to see (my favorite is the ASI Art Museum (www.asi.is, if you are interested), and the much stranger (and vastly creepier, yet less funny than expected) Iceland Phallogical Museum which is stuck away on Laugavegur, a key street in the main city shopping and arts district. It is just too weird to believe, but while you're there, you really owe it to yourself to visit, preferably not immediately after eating a large Mexican lunch, like I did (trust me on this one.) If you are into nightclubs, there are reviews of all of the happening places in Reykjavik, such as Club NASA. All types of transportation and lodging options (from the beautiful grand 'Hotel Borg', where I most recently stayed, to the Salvation Army Hostel accommodations for sleeping bags) are presented, and will definitely assist you in finding a place to stay that is in your budget and to your tastes.

The point of all this is simple: if you are going to visit Reykjavik, especially for the first time, you need this book. It has information that will be useful to absolutely anyone, as well as commonly called numbers, and several small but useful maps. As an aside, order it when it is in stock, it sometimes is unavailable for long periods, so grab it while you can. Don't go to Reykjavik without it.