My husband and I went to the Faroe Islands back in the Spring of 2019 as part of our last big trip before having kids. We planned a Scandinavian trip that also included time in Copenhagen, and spent six days driving around the Faroe Islands.
Why the Faroe Islands?
By the time we started planning this trip, my husband and I had already been hiking in Iceland, Switzerland, Japan and Australia. We were looking for a new country to explore, and had been reading that the Faroe Islands were one of those “up and coming” hiking destinations because of the incredible scenery and sod covered buildings.
We were pretty confident in both our hiking abilities at this point, and my husband’s comfort level driving rental cars in foreign countries. It seemed like a good idea to spend some time in nature sandwiched between fun urban culinary and cultural experiences in Copenhagen before becoming parents.
Planning:
There weren’t a lot of hotel options outside of Tórshavn, so we decided to stay at different Airbnb’s for this trip. (Our last positive experience before Vienna). We wanted to explore some of the different islands, and decided to break up our stay with two nights in Muli, two nights on the south island, and then two nights in Tórshavn. We didn’t plan much else in advance knowing we would spend most of our time outside hiking.
It’s been seven years since our trip, but this listing is for one of the places we stayed. It was super cozy inside, and we were able to get groceries at a store not too far away.
Experience:
We were pretty surprised at the lack of travel infrastructure in the Faroe Islands. Unlike all of our other hiking trips, there were not really well-marked hiking trails or even parking lots outside of the area immediately surrounding Tórshavn. A few times we just parked the car and hoped for the best as we explored. I was really glad we had a hand held GPS on our hikes to help us navigate because a few times we had to hope and pray a pile of rocks was the trail marker we needed. I was also several months pregnant, and hiking poles were a must for this trip because the trails and grassy areas had some pretty extreme elevation changes too.
A totally crazy thing about driving in the Faroe Islands is the one-way underwater tunnels between the islands. There are little holes carved into the tunnels for cars to stop in, and you have to navigate figuring out which direction in the tunnel has the right of way, and when you need to be ready to pull to the side of the tunnel/cave so another car can pass through.
Lessons Learned:
The Faroe Islands are for more adventurous and experienced travelers. You cannot go there expecting an established travel infrastructure like other countries. You should expect very limited options at grocery stores, and not plan to find “fun” coffee shops and other businesses during your travels to the island.
Travel Gear:
- A hand-held GPS is a must for this trip. You need it for hiking and navigating the islands.
- Bring basic kitchen equipment like a sharp knife, spatula and some cooking oil if you plan to stay in something other than a hotel because the available kitchen supplies vary greatly between accommodations.
- Hiking poles. The lack of marked trails and established paths makes for some treacherous hikes.
Final Thoughts:
I’m glad we went to the Faroe Islands before having kids because it would have been really hard to travel there with kids under twelve due to the limited food and activity options. While the scenery and landscapes are breathtaking, the lack of travel infrastructure means I would not recommend the Faroe Islands for anyone who isn’t very comfortable navigating foreign countries with limited resources.
Leave a Reply