How to get to the Faroe Islands

The Faroe Islands is an archipelago of 18 islands located about halfway between Iceland and the Shetland Islands in the North Atlantic Ocean. To get there you'll need to fly or take a ferry.

Flying to the Faroe Islands

Flying is the most convenient way to get to the Faroes. Vágar Airport, located on the island of Vágar, is the archipelago's only commercial airport. You can fly direct to Vágar with Atlantic Airways and Scandinavian Airlines from various European cities throughout the year, including Copenhagen, Reykjavik, Bergen, Paris and Edinburgh.

There are more flights in the summer months (June-August) from other European destinations such as the Canary Islands, Barcelona, Crete, Malta and Mallorca.

From Vágar Airport, you can either rent a car, take a public bus or jump in a taxi to the main island of Streymoy where the capital city of Tórshavn is located. The drive to Tórshavn takes around 40 minutes.

Taking a ferry to the Faroe Islands

You can take a ferry to Tórshavn on Smyril Line's M/S Norröna. The service travels between Hirtshals in Denmark and Seyðisfjørður in Iceland via Vágar. There are two weekly departures in the high season (July-August), and one crossing per week during the rest of the year.

You can travel as a foot passenger or bring your vehicle. The ship has a cafeteria that serves Scandinavian specialties, a gourmet restaurant, a cinema, a shop and a swimming pool.

The journey is around 35 hours, so it may not be a good option if you're on a tight schedule (or prone to seasickness!). However, it offers amazing scenery as you approach the islands; if you’re really lucky, you may spot a whale from the deck.

Getting around the Faroe Islands

Tunnels and bridges connect the main islands so you can travel around easily if you have a car. If you want to go to the other islands, you’ll need to take a ferry which is relatively easy and cheap to do.

Driving

Three subsea tunnels connect the seven largest islands (Streymoy, Eysturoy, Vágar, Suduroy, Sandoy, Bordoy and Svínoy):

  • Vágatunnilin: connects the western island of Vágar (Airport) to the island of Streymoy
  • Norðoyartunnilin: connects the northern island of Borðoy (Klaksvík) to the island of Eysturoy (Leirvík)
  • Eysturoyartunnilin: connects the island of Streymoy with the island of Eysturoy.

All main highways are paved, but there are gravel roads in some of the more remote villages so ensure you take extra care when driving. Driving is on the right side of the road and you'll need to pay a toll to use the subsea tunnels.

There are no toll pay stations at the tunnel entrances, so you must pay at one of the following petrol stations within three days of the journey:

  • Effo, Kollafjørður
  • Effo, Gundadalur
  • Effo, Klaksvík
  • Magn, Klaksvík
  • Magn, Gøtudalur
  • Effo, Leirvík
  • Magn, Miðvágur

Public transport

It's fairly easy to get around without a car thanks to the islands' public transport network. Ferries connect most islands, and buses connect most of the main villages once you’re on land.

One of the great things about taking the bus in Tórshavn is that it's free. However, you’ll need to work around departure times, which might not be ideal if you’re pushed for time or battling against the rain (which is very common as it rains a lot here).

There's also a helicopter that services the Faroe Islands. It's used mainly by locals to get around or to deliver goods, but you can sometimes do a single trip if it's not too busy and there's a spare seat. Tickets are cheap, but there are only 12 seats so make sure you book in advance.

Want to learn more about the Faroe Islands? Return to the Faroe Islands FAQs

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