The 1 million euro question will now be answered. Do you want to know how to get to Faroe Islands? Of course, you do! We all want to know but we also want to know how to get to Faroe Islands the cheapest way possible.
Most of you, followers of our Instagram and Twitter, asked us by email and messages what was the best way to get to the Faroe Islands. And now I’ll answer your questions, doubts and more.
So, how to get to Faroe Islands?
Well, since we just did this trip by plane, I will say plane. But it can be quite heavy on your wallet. Atlantic Airways is the only company that flies to the Faroe Islands and, since it is not super touristic, the price can be quite high. With round trips going from 350€ to 900€, depending on the season, this archipelago can scare some young photographers and travelers.
But don’t get too scared right about now, we will show more than one way to answer the question “How to get to Faroe Islands?” There’s an alternative if you’re off with taking a ferry there. Either way, please check this website and see if you find good deals here.
We’ve met a super cool American guy in Tórshavn that found a one-way ticket from Copenhagen to Iceland, with a stopover in the Faroe Islands, for less than 100 US Dollars. So he left Denmark, slept on the ferry, arrived in the Faroe Islands and after a week was taking another boat to Iceland. Sounds like a pretty cool trip to me. According to him, the secret to this success is to be extremely flexible with your dates and buy the ticket on the spot. He said that ferries that are about to leave sometimes have empty spots and they want to fill it in fast. Especially if you’re there for the low season.
So the best way to save money on your trip to the Faroe Islands is to take your chance on that. But be aware that it is an open ocean and, even if we’re talking about the super cool and big ferries they have up north, it will shake like a motherf*cker. And if you’re like me, suffer a lot with seasickness, I have the solution for you: hot water. I learned that in Asia and works like a charm for any of the following: seasickness, carsickness and if you get sick from food. Just boil the water like you would do for tea, but forget the tea. I promise it is 100% bulletproof!
But back to the subject: Now let’s talk about flying to the Faroe Islands. With the Faroese company you have direct flights from many cities, including but not limited to: London, Barcelona, Copenhagen, Reykjavik, Crete, Palma de Mallorca, Edinburgh and more cities in Norway and Denmark. To fly there we took a plane from Berlin to Copenhagen and from there, in just 2 hours we landed in Vágar. Or how I like to call it: My airport. The code if FAE and my last name, like you already know, is Faé. The flight price might be a bit salty but the view you’ll have from your window is a must. I truly believe that everybody should see what we saw at least once in their life. If you don’t believe, google where FAE Airport is and be amazed.
What do you need to know before getting to Faroe Islands
Answering the question “How to get to Faroe Islands?” is not enough for us. Now we’ll tell you what you need to know and how you need to prepare before going to the Faroe Islands.
I think the most important thing to tell you is: FAE is the smallest airport I’ve ever seen. And because of that, they don’t have a bank there to exchange your money for their money. Alternatives for this problem goes from traveling with a credit card to exchanging your money to Danish Crowns beforehand. Danish cash is accepted in the Faroe Islands even tho they have their currency. And also they would rather have their currency for any sort of transaction. Keep this in mind.
Pro tip: If you’re coming home with Faroese money, in Copenhagen they can exchange to Danish crowns for free.
The other way is also free of charge, so if you can choose, fly from/to Copenhagen. Also, they are super religious, and banks will not open on Christian holidays. Check if there’s any before your trip. We went there during Easter, and we only survived because the owner of a hotel helped us out. Another critical thing for first-time travelers is: don’t trust the forecast.
The Faroe Islands are a piece of land in the middle of the ocean. Even though this archipelago has similar temperatures during summer and winter – and rarely gets to minus – heavy coats are advised. The wind you’ll find in some parts will break you in half if you’re not well dressed. Think hiking boots, waterproof jackets, pants, gloves and extra socks. The islands are too damn pretty to follow only the asphalt routes. You’ll have to hike up and down to get the full experience.
How to get to Faroe Islands? – Gásadalur and other sights in the Faroe Island
That is an easy question to answer: rent a car and drive your ass off. I’m not a big fan of driving but having a car over there will save your life. And take you to everywhere you need to be. Please be aware that some roads and tunnels are paid. I’m only telling you that for you to avoid surprises in the end. And if you want to avoid surprises, book the car in advance. You can have better prices using this link here.
Another thing, make sure you know how to drive with a stick. At least our experience renting a car there showed us that most of the vehicles available are with the stick. We even met some other travelers along the way that asked for automatic, but there wasn’t any available. And please, practice some extreme situations too. The weather can change from sun to snow in a blink of an eye. If you live where there’s winter, you’re fine. But if you’re a virgin on driving with snow, take some lessons or drive extremely slow. Below you’ll find two photos snapped on the same day: one around 10 am and the other around 2 pm. Just as an example of how crazy the weather can be.
A bit more about driving in the Faroe Islands
Driving a car in the Faroe Islands is quite a unique experience. I hate driving from one city to the other because I find roads quite dull, I confess. But this place is so beautiful that you’ll not be able to drive more than 15 minutes without making a quick stop to take a photo. I swear to all the nonexistent gods out there! You’ll not be disappointed.
Please book the car with GPS, ok? Even though the majority of the cars have GPS built in, Faroe Islands are so remote that requires a special GPS. Don’t get lost, book the damn GPS.
Here’s a map of all the places we went in 3 days. But if I have to be brutally honest with you, my lovely reader, book yourself five days or more. There’s so much we’ve missed. There’s so much more places to see and mountains to hike that I can’t count. Zooming on it you can see the roads and calculate the time between destinations.
How much you’ll spend in Faroe Islands
Let’s talk about money now. If you think that the Faroe Islands are expensive, you’re right. You kind of got this impression when we answered the question “How to get to Faroe Islands?” back at the beginning of this post, right?
Yes, it is expensive and yes it will be more than Berlin or Lisbon. But it will be less than Copenhagen. More than Milan but will not be comparable to Oslo. So, in other words, expansive but not deadly. In the capital, you’ll have several options for dining at affordable prices. The Irish pub in Tórshavn is a great example of places where you can eat for around 10 or 15 euros per person.
I had a delicious fish and chips, and Felipe went for the burger. Both were super good, and I recommend it 100%. If you’re into brunch, we will give you a super tip: Kaffihúsid. This place is a lovely cafe and art/craft store right by the harbor. We had the brunch there, and it was enough energy for the whole day. Coffee, eggs, fruits, bread, juices, sausages and more. Everything in a cute and super cozy place by the water. Those two restaurants were our favorites in the capital by far!
We also had some local beers, but those were something around 8 or 9€ a pint/bottle. That is mainly because the Northern countries have high prices for alcohol, so it wasn’t a big surprise. In Copenhagen, the beer went from 9€ to 11€ for example. In Helsinki we usually pay 6€ or 7€ for a 400ml pint, that is smaller than what you can get in the Faroes. A friend of mine paid 16€ for a beer in Oslo, and she wasn’t the only one telling me stories like that. If you put all that in consideration, Faroe Islands are not that bad.
The Faroese beer is also one of the best beers we had. Ever. Save some money to try at least one.
Because basically, nothing grows over there, they try to make their beer with such a high quality that can be exported. The Faroe Islands survived mainly exporting fish and importing everything else. So eat as much fish as you can and drink as much beer and your wallet allows you.
How to get to Faroe Islands?- Staying in the Faroe Islands
“Where to stay in the Faroe Islands?” This is super easy to answer too. As easy as “How to get to Faroe Islands?”
Get most of your nights in the capital because you’ll have everything a big city has to offer. But try to sleep 1 or 2 nights in smaller villages up north. I tell you this because everything is far in the Faroe Islands. All the sights are 30 or 40 or even 60 minutes drive from each other. Not because the place is big but because there are only 2-way-roads. And a lot of mountains. And almost all the roads go around the mountains and not through them.
Our stay was one night in Gjógv and two nights in Tórshavn. If we had five nights, I would probably add a night or 2 in Tvøroyri and Klaksvík. It would be easier to explore the northeast and south side of the archipelago. But feel free to explore the map above and see the cities you like the most. After that, use any of the links here to book your hotel, we’re making sure that you’ll get the best price using them.
In Gjógv, the place we stayed was outstanding for many reasons. But even tho you know I will say the landscape, I have to add one thing above this on my list: they had a shrimp, tangerine and buckwheat salad that changed my life. You gotta stay there and pray for having this option on the dinner time. I mean it.
Gjáargarður is the name of the place, and I have no idea how to pronounce this name. But it is all good because the lovely people from the Faroe Islands know that we’re too dumb to understand the complexity of their language. And Gjáargarður is the only guesthouse in the town, so you’ll be fine. Here are some cool options for hotels and guesthouses across the Faroes ( I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX). If you’re staying more than just a few days and have a tight budget, check the hostels. They usually have a kitchen, and the supermarket is quite doable if you’re saving money.
If you don’t need to worry too much about price, go crazy. The service in the island is outstanding, and the Faroe Islands offer a lot of options for luxury and high-class stay. Hotel Føroyar is an excellent option for photographers searching for cool shots. It is a bit far from the main city, but you’ll have a spectacular view from your window.
