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Faroe Islands 2017

Posted by (San Antonio, TX) on

My wife and I are considering the Faroe Islands as the focal point of a trip sometime next year. We're wondering about the transportation logistics in getting to and from the Faroes. Atlantic Airways has flights from the nearby Nordic Countries and Scotland, but the locations and number of flights vary quite a bit with the season. Denmark has daily connections, but other places have flights only two or three times a week (if in season).

Given the unpredictable weather and fog in the Faroes, we were wondering how often flights are cancelled and what the overall experience is with Atlantic Airways. We just want to be careful that we don't wind up in a situation where we're stranded either in trying to get there or leaving. We'd prefer to connect through Iceland (and yes, we've already noticed that the flight leaves from the domestic airport in Reykjavik rather than the international airport in Keflavik), but given the limited connections, should we instead consider Denmark to guard against getting stranded?

Any other information about the Faroe Islands is appreciated. We're still very early in the planning stages -- hoping that it becomes reality!!

Posted by
16028 posts

I was in the Faroe Islands last month.

Atlantic Airways is the only airline to fly there. (There is a twice a week ferry that goes from Iceland to Denmark and stops in the Faroes.)

Atlantic Airways is fine. The seats are small and very little leg room but they serve a snack and free non-alcoholic drinks as well as beer and wine. I flew round trip from Edinburgh. (They only fly from Reykjavik domestic airport during the summer months. At other times it's Keflavik.) The flights from Edinburgh and Iceland are only a little more than an hour. The flight from Copenhagen is 2.5 hours.

The weather can change in a heartbeat. I followed the airline for awhile before I actually flew and quite often flights are diverted because the weather is bad on the Faroes. What they will do is divert if they can't land and then try again later if they think the weather will clear. If not, they will reschedule for the next day.

And speaking of weather, don't expect heat waves. In the summer the high rarely goes about 60 F.

Be Aware,....they recently built a new airline terminal at Vagar. They now have two gates. And about a third of the terminal is taken up by the duty free shop.

The Faroes themselves are beautiful. To really see them you have to rent a car. The people are very friendly and just about everyone I met spoke English. (It's a mandatory subject in grade school.)

Food isn't cheap (There is a Burger KIng in Torshavn, but no McDonalds, and a Whopper, fries and a coke was a little over $12.

The city buses in Torshavn, the capital, are free and go just about everywhere in town. Kids ride them and they are very well behaved. There is practically no crime on the islands. Many residents told me they keep their car keys in the car and sometimes don't bother to lock their house doors.

I can't wait to go back. And I hope it never gets so popular it becomes overrun with tourists.

Posted by
334 posts

Thank you both for your responses. Even when asking the question, I was wondering if anyone would respond given how few go. While I had considered other forums, I think of the RS forums as "home," so wanted to ask here first.

Posted by
149 posts

I visited the Faroe Islands in 2001 but judging from Frank's excellent reply, it doesn't appear to have changed much. The scenery is stunningly beautiful and there is ample room for peace and quiet. If you enjoy hiking or just sitting on a rock watching the waves and the puffins, then it's the perfect destination.

We had no weather issues flying to or from the Faroes. We did have two internal travel delays due to mechanical issues with one of the helicopters. The first time, the other passenger invited us into her home for tea while we waited about an hour. The second time was less convenient: it was a problem they couldn't fix immediately and the sea was too rough for the boat to run. We were on Mykines, one of the most remote islands and scheduled to fly to Cpenhagen the next day. Fortunately the waves subsided enough in the evening for a choppy but safe passage and we made our flight. In hindsight, we should have planned for our last day to be spent in Torshavn or on Vagar.

Unlike Frank, we did not rent a car. We purchased a transit card allowing unlimited travel on buses, ferries and postal boats. We paid for the helicopter separately. We also did a lot of walking. A quick internet search shows that the transit card is still available, although not as good a deal as in 2001. Of course, it might be a good deal compared to the price of a rental car. Also, there are islands accessible only by passenger boat or helicopter, so it depends on where you wish to go.

If you are an off-the-beaten path kind of guy, I highly recommend going!

Posted by
334 posts

We've had our eye on the Faroes ever since we visited Iceland three years ago. We spent 10 days in Iceland, and we've talked about going back, even when we've traveled elsewhere. (Iceland sounded especially good last year when we were under the scorching sun of Bosnia). In addition to seeing Iceland again, we wanted to explore something nearby and after doing the most basic of research, we were sold on the Faroes. It appeared to have everything that we loved about Iceland in an even more dramatic environment as well as the Nordic culture that we also loved in Iceland.

Thanks again.

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