Visit Faroe Islands

I was lucky enough to have the possibility to visit a friend staying in the Faroe Islands. With more than one year delay, I'm collecting in this article some notes and advice I can give after my visit. Moreover, I discovered that some scenes of 007, No Time to Die were recorded in FO.

Just to recap, the Faroe Islands are north of the UK, southeast Iceland, and part of the Danish Kingdom, but not a member of the European Union.

Slave Cliff (Lake Above the Ocean) on Unsplash

Flying.

The two (and only) airlines flying to the Faroe Islands, at least from Copenhagen Kastrup Aiport, are SAS and Atlantic Airways. The latter is the local one, and most people recommend flying with them. Even so, I used SAS and didn't incur any issues or delays. FO are known for the weather changing very quickly, but also for the foggy weather (I thought it was only the case for Venice). The common saying is: a local pilots are good at landing with the fog, otherwise you may end up going back to Copenhagen due to bad weather conditions.

Alternatively, I know some people brought their car by ferry departing from Denmark.

Moving.

Yes, you need a car. Especially if you are staying for a short time and you want to explore the wildness. FO are connected through undersea tunnels. You need to pay a fee when you transit them (~100 DKK). If you are planning to visit Tórshavn, the capital - the red buses are free (and there's free Wi-Fi available). You can use Google Maps to check the schedule, it works pretty well.

You can also try to book a helicopter trip (some good tips).

Mobile Data.

Let's start by saying FO aren't in the EU. Therefore, your EU roaming allowance isn't valid since your carrier will most probably consider FO an extra EU country. However, good news if you have a Danish number! Some carriers let use your data as home (i.e., 3 DK, Lebara) - and I'm very sure Lycamobile doesn't work.

I strongly suggest having a data plan with you if you're planning to drive and explore. Outside Tórshavn, I didn't find too many Wi-Fi hotspots and Google Maps is a necessity while driving. You can get a prepaid sim card with Vodafone FO or Føroya Tele.

Currency.

FO has its own currency, the Faroese króna, but all the payments are processed in Danish krone (DKK). The exchange between the two is 1:1 and you can pay everywhere with the card in DKK.

Food for thought.

When I travel I usually take inspiration from Instagram users and pictures posted on Unsplash for places to see. These were the three main resources I used:

• Saviour Mifsud
• Annie Spratt
• Giovanni Genzini

Hiking.

BRING MOUNTAINS BOOTS. Yes, I strongly suggest bringing them. Keep in mind in case it rains the ground gets muddly very very easily.

It is very hard to plan hikes - the weather conditions can change very fast. However, you can have a quite reliable overview of the possible conditions the evening before using YR.no.

Hikes that I made and strongly recommend:

• Slave Cliff (Lake Above the Ocean), my Strava track - you need to pay 200 DKK to access the area
• Eiðiskollur, my Strava track
• Nólsoy, my Strava track - I didn't complete it due to the low visibility
• Klaksvík

Unfortunately, I had some more things left on my todo list:

• Viðareiði and Villingadalsfjall
• Kallur Lighthouse, and look at the view
• Helicopter trip

You won't get bored at all, all these hikes are in nature and surrounded by unique landscapes.

I was surprised that FO has its own Systembolaget which is called Rúsdrekkasøla Landsins. Therefore, it's not possible to buy alcohol in the grocery shops - but I strongly suggest giving a try to the local beer Føroya Bjó!

God tur!