Coastal village of Gjogv on Eysturoy island, one of the Faroe Islands.
Even for many seasoned travelers, the Faroe Islands remain something of an enigma. The islands—about halfway between Scotland and Iceland in the Atlantic Ocean—are simply a curious speck on the map when flying between the U.S. and Europe.
Those who do make the effort to visit are rewarded with wild, windswept lanscapes, traditional coastal communities and rare wildlife.
If getting to the rugged Faroe Islands was easier, there would be far more visitors. Yet new direct flight routes from Norway and France have brought more visitors than ever before to the islands.
New hotels in the capital Toshavn are just about keeping pace with demand during the summer. But this is no bustling place. Even in the middle of summer, it’s easy to find total isolation in unspoiled nature.
If you’re keen on visiting the Faroe Islands, there are direct flights to Vágar airport year-round from Denmark and many other seasonal options. For the adventurous, you can also travel by ship from Denmark or Iceland.
Faroe Islands by air
Atlantic Airways is the island’s main airline, operating daily flights to and from Copenhagen in Denmark year-round. On most days there is a departure in the early morning, early afternoon and early evening to Torshavn. Return times are typically early morning, mid-afternoon and late evening.
Atlantic Airways serves the remote Faroe Islands airport with daily flights from Copenhagen, ... [+]
Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) also runs flights from Copenhagen. Although not as frequent as Atlantic, the SAS departures can prove useful when connecting from SAS flights or other Star Alliance member airlines including Air Canada, Lufthansa and United.
The SAS flights vary upon season, however. In the spring and summer there are daily flights up to six days a week, but there are several weeks with no service in the late autumn and winter.
Atlantic Airways also operates direct flights from other parts of Denmark and the Norwegian capital city 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 twice-weekly flights from Bergen on Norway’s west coast to the Faroes.
If arriving by air, bear in mind that the capital Torshavn is a 40-minute drive from Vágar airport. If you plan on renting a car while in the Faroes, this is best arranged in advance from the airport.
Faroe Islands by ship
While flying is by far the easiest option for international visitors, arriving by ship adds a touch of old-time romance.
The Faroese-owned Smyrill Line operates the car ferry Norröna year-round from Hirtshals in Denmark to Seyðisfjörður in Iceland, stopping at Torshavn in both directions.
This opens up the opportunity for a truly special Nordic itinerary. Fly into Reykjavik, spend a few days enjoying the southern part of Iceland before sailing to the Faroes. Sail on to Denmark and return home by air from Copenhagen, or onward to Norway by ferry.
Smyrill also offers various package deals that include three nights in the Faroe Islands and/or seven or 14 nights in Iceland.
