About 5 years in the past, I bear in mind an previous coworker telling me he was going someplace known as the Faroe Islands. I regarded the islands up, confirmed they regarded spectacular, and promptly forgot about them – means too costly and onerous to get to, I advised myself. Together with tens of millions of different vacationers, I headed for close by Iceland as a substitute.
Quick ahead to current day and these tiny islands between Iceland and the UK are on the prime of my record. And I am having a bet: The Faroe Islands may very well be the subsequent Iceland, one of many hottest locations on the globe within the years forward.
We imply tiny: 17 of 18 Faroe Islands are inhabited – and altogether, this Danish archipelago is a 3rd the scale of Rhode Island. But it is acquired the identical impossibly stunning surroundings as Iceland … with a fraction of the crowds. However most significantly, they’re about to be a lot simpler (and cheaper) to achieve from North America: The primary-ever nonstop route from the U.S. to the Faroe Islands takes off this summer season whereas Icelandair will add flights to the islands subsequent spring, finally making easy one-stop flights a cinch.
With the brand new flight choices launching later this yr and much more on the best way subsequent spring, 2024 goes to be one of the best yr to go see dramatic landscapes like these earlier than the key will get out.
What are the Faroe Islands?
Completely triangulated between Iceland, Scotland, and Norway, the Faroe Islands are an more and more widespread journey vacation spot for these searching for a lesser-tread, scenic spot.
I have not been myself. However from pictures and descriptions, the islands seem like a moody combine between its neighbors … with out the swelling crowds you would possibly discover in locations just like the Norwegian fjords or round Iceland’s Ring Street.
In accordance with Go to Faroe Islands, the territory’s tourism authority, the nation has a really Icelandic panorama. The nation guarantees numerous cliffs, moors, waterfalls, and 18 totally different volcanoes. Go to Faroe Islands additionally says to be careful for hobbit-like turf-covered homes and shaggy sheep. The web site additionally boasts, “unimaginable magnificence, mysteriously hidden like a baby’s fantasy world.”
A part of the allure of the Faroe Islands, like its neighboring Iceland, is that the climate is … nicely, not nice!
The common excessive temperature often falls in August at round 55 levels. The report excessive temperature for the islands was a cushty 71 levels. The each day imply temperatures on the islands hover between 39 and 51 levels relying on the time of yr, so you may most likely depart your shorts and swim trunks at dwelling on this journey.
Due to its northern, seaside local weather and ever-changing climate patterns, the island is a bucket record vacation spot for birders, fishermen, climbers, mountain bikers, and even scuba divers, in response to Go to Faroe Islands.
Attending to the Faroe Islands
All flights to the Faroe Islands land on the small airstrip within the city of Vágar (FAE).
Most flights out and in of Vágar are on an airline known as Atlantic Airways, and it is an oddball. Atlantic is a industrial airline … and an intra-island industrial helicopter operation … and in addition serves because the search and rescue operation for the islands and surrounding waters. It is a unusual enterprise mannequin borne out of necessity.
This yr, Atlantic Airways is doing one thing else fascinating: They’re including the first-ever nonstop service between the Faroe Islands and the US.
Though this new route solely operates out of the small (and considerably inconvenient) New York-Stewart (SWF) airport positioned 70-plus miles exterior of Manhattan, it is a welcome first strive at industrial air service to and from the U.S. And for those who’re a resident of Connecticut or the higher NYC space, it is a fairly wonderful deal.
Supplied all goes nicely this summer season when the brand new route commences in August, we hope Atlantic Airways brings the U.S. flight again subsequent yr. Higher but, hopefully they fly to a better-connected airport like New York Metropolis (JFK) or Newark (EWR). Heck, possibly a profitable summer season might persuade greater U.S. airways to observe swimsuit sometime with nonstop flights to the Faroe Islands of their very own.
Flights to the Faroe Islands from the U.S. aren’t model new, although – you simply wanted to make a connection in Europe to get there. Scandinavian Airways (SAS) has been flying vacationers there for years and can proceed working these flights subsequent yr, giving U.S. vacationers a fantastic choice to go to the islands with a pitstop in Copenhagen (CPH).
And it wasn’t too way back that we noticed these flights go on sale – large time!
Enter: Icelandair (And its Stopover Program!)
I’ve a sneaking suspicion that we will see flights get even cheaper, too. Why? As a result of one other main (and infrequently less expensive) provider has simply introduced new service to the Faroe Islands (FAE) beginning in Might 2024: Icelandair.
Beginning Might 1, Icelandair will start flying from its hub in Reykjavik (KEF) to Vágar. Crucially for U.S. vacationers, the flight leaves Reykjavik at 8:30 a.m., that means the flights from the U.S. to KEF will arrive in time so that you can make the connection onward to KEF. And would not you understand it, these flights are already bookable as we speak!
As you may see, the itineraries are amazingly handy to make it to the far reaches of the Faroe Islands from the U.S. And Icelandair has a sturdy community of flights to North America for vacationers to benefit from.
Beginning subsequent Might, you may join one-stop to the Faroe Islands from the next airports on Icelandair:
- Baltimore (BWI)
- Boston (BOS)
- Chicago-O’Hare (ORD)
- Denver (DEN)
- Detroit (DTW)
- Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP)
- New York Metropolis (JFK)
- Newark (EWR)
- Orlando (MCO)
- Portland (PDX)
- Raleigh (RDU)
- Seattle (SEA)
- Toronto (YYZ)
- Vancouver (YVR)
- Washington, D.C. (IAD)
Whereas New York-Stewart and SAS’s North American hubs could have the one routings to the Faroe Islands in 2023, these 15 cities will all have one-stop connectivity to FAE beginning subsequent Might. However let’s not neglect concerning the primary cause why Icelandair is one among our favourite airways: The handy and low-cost Iceland stopover program.
When flying Icelandair, you may add a stopover in Iceland for as much as seven nights on any roundtrip ticket – although for Icelandair’s most cost-effective Financial system Gentle fares, you are restricted to a most of three nights. In some instances, that stopover is just a few {dollars} greater than the price of an ordinary roundtrip ticket … however typically, it is the very same value. And in a choose few instances, the stopover may even be cheaper than the roundtrip fare!
You most likely see the place I am going with this. The Iceland stopover program creates a tantalizing chance: A two-in-one journey to see each the Faroe Islands and Iceland.
Learn subsequent: Methods to Plan the Good Iceland Stopover Journey
When you do not overdose on spectacular vistas and dramatic landscapes throughout your journey, you would pull off one of many biggest journeys I might think about with an affordable and handy one-stop itinerary every means. When you do not e-book this for subsequent summer season … I’ll.
Backside Line
Get used to listening to concerning the Faroe Islands, as a result of one of many subsequent nice journey vacation spot for North People goes to be a lot simpler and (we’re betting) less expensive to get to in 2024.
The addition of Atlantic Airways’ nonstop service to New York and Icelandair’s addition of the Faroe Islands to its route map goes to make the dreamy nation a journey hotspot within the years to come back.