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Time Check - Ferry vs Driving (Using Þorlákshöfn port)

Posted by (Colorado) on

Those of you that have been to the Westman Islands via ferry and used the Þorlákshöfn port:

If I'm considering departing Westman Island ferry for Aurora Hotel (we'll be flying out the next day), by my study of the ferry website and google maps, I can either:

Take the ferry to Þorlákshöfn and drive to KEF (which would be approximately 5 hours)
OR
Take the ferry to Landeyjahöfn and drive to KEF (would be approximately 3.5 hours)

Does that sound right? Boat is slower, but might be a nice break from all the driving! Not sure why, other than the duration or schedule, one would pick Þorlákshöfn over Landeyjahöfn, do you?

Side Note: My daughter often gets motion sick, but I've been on a car ferry and they have very little movement (and she has too, when she was about 5 years old and did NOT get sick) so I think she'd be ok.

Posted by
5764 posts

I totally promote ferry use over air travel, but in this particular case have to comment that the Westman Islands ferries cross a stretch of water with a real reputation for lively sea conditions with significant movement on the ferries. If your daughter is prone to motion sickness I am very unsure as to whether ferries, as opposed to flights, are the best idea.
This is a different type of car ferry route to what you will have been on.
The flights leave from Reykjavík city airport and only take around 20 minutes.

Posted by
341 posts

Thanks for advising on the rough sea.

RS Guidebook updates on this site says no more flights from island Iceland to island Westman:

Westman Islands For books printed before April 2024, the following may
apply:
There are no longer any flights to the islands from mainland Iceland. The only way to get to the islands is by 40-minute ferry
(accessible from Landeyjahöfn, just 10 minutes south of highway 1 on
the South Coast).

Posted by
5764 posts

That's interesting as Eagle Air are booking flights until March. They have been on and off, due to funding constraints but are currently on again- for how long is hard to tell.

But if you are going to have to take the ferry better to take the 40 minute crossing to Landeyjahöfn than the old 3 hour crossing to Þorlákshöfn .

At least it is now a short crossing.

Posted by
2027 posts

Yes, the shorter crossing is much easier. They do have sickness containers all very accessible on the ferry but I know that isn't what you want.

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