The coastal town of Gjogv on the island of Eysturoy, one of the Faroe Islands.
Even for most experienced travelers, the Faroe Islands remain a mystery. These islands—situated between Scotland and Iceland in the Atlantic Ocean—are just a blip on the map when flying between the U.S. and Europe.
Those who make the effort to visit are rewarded with wild, windswept landscapes, familiar beaches and exotic wildlife.
If it were easy to get to the rugged Faroe Islands, there would be a lot more visitors. However new direct flight routes from Norway and France have brought more visitors than ever before to the islands.
New hotels in the capital Toshavn almost keep up with the demand during the summer. But this is not a crowded place. Even in the middle of summer, it is easy to find complete isolation in unspoiled nature.
If you are keen to visit the Faroe Islands, there are flights to Vágar airport all year round from Denmark and many other seasonal options. For the adventurous, you can also sail from Denmark or Iceland.
Faroe Islands by air
Atlantic Airways is the island’s largest airline, operating daily flights to and from Copenhagen, Denmark year-round. On most days there is a morning, afternoon and evening departure to Torshavn. Return times are usually morning, mid-afternoon and evening.
Atlantic Airways serves the airports of the remote Faroe Islands with daily flights from Copenhagen, … [+] Denmark. This may interest you : Lufthansa’s cancellations affect more than 130,000 passengers.
Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) also flies from Copenhagen. Although not as frequent as Atlantic, SAS flights can be useful when connecting from SAS flights or other Star Alliance member airlines including Air Canada, Lufthansa and United.
SAS flights vary by season, however. During spring and summer there are daily flights up to six days a week, but there are several weeks without service in late autumn and winter.
Atlantic Airways also operates direct flights from other parts of Denmark and the Norwegian capital Oslo. Among other destinations, Reykjavik in Iceland, Edinburgh in Scotland and Paris in France are also served by Atlantic on certain days of the week, although the latter two are seasonal services.
Finally, Norwegian airline Widerøe operates two flights a week from Bergen on the west coast of Norway to the Faroes.
If you arrive by plane, remember that the capital Torshavn is a 40-minute drive from Vágar airport. If you plan to hire a car in the Faroes, this can be arranged well in advance from the airport.
Faroe Islands by ship
Although flying is the easiest option for international travelers, arriving by boat adds to the feeling of old romance. To see also : Walk down and save big with this World Traveler subscription.
The Faroese Smyrill Line runs the Norröna ferry all year round from Hirtshals in Denmark to Seyðisfjörður in Iceland, stopping at Torshavn on both ends.
This opens the door to a special Nordic trip. Fly to Reykjavik, spend a few days enjoying southern Iceland before visiting the Faroes. Sail to Denmark and return home by plane from Copenhagen, or to Norway by ferry.
Smyrill also offers different package prices that include three nights in the Faroe Islands and/or seven or 14 nights in Iceland.
