Driving in the Faroe Islands: A Complete Guide for First-Time Visitors
Most visitors to the Faroe Islands get to know the archipelago through the windshield of a rental car. The islands’ only airport sits on Vágar, west of the capital, and the roads that leave it run through subsea tunnels, along the edges of fjords and into villages where the asphalt simply ends. For anyone planning a first trip, a handful of practical points can make the difference between a relaxed week and a stressful one.
Why most visitors end up behind the wheel
Public transport does exist. The national operator SSL runs buses and ferries, and a multi-day travel card covers most of the network, with the Mykines boat a notable exception. But timetables are built around residents, and travel guides broadly agree that services to small settlements, viewpoints and trailheads are too infrequent for visitors who want to explore on their own schedule. For that reason, most independent travelers rent a car.
That demand has a consequence. The islands have a small rental fleet, and local travel guides warn that cars tend to sell out during the high season, roughly mid-May to mid-August. Booking well ahead for a summer trip is the standard advice, and prices rarely fall as the season approaches.
Starting at Vágar Airport
Vágar Airport lies about 45 kilometers by road from Tórshavn, a drive that usually takes well under an hour. Several rental firms hand over cars at or near the terminal. A2B Car Rent, for example, runs its office in Sørvágur beside the airport with 24-hour pick-up and drop-off, one of several local providers of car rental in the Faroe Islands that travelers can compare before they fly.
Before driving off, note any existing scratches or dents. Parking at the airport, as in Tórshavn, Klaksvík and Runavík, is time-restricted, and drivers are expected to display a parking disc showing their arrival time.
Subsea tunnels and how tolls work
The first stretch east passes through Vágatunnilin, a subsea tunnel just under five kilometers long that opened in December 2002. It runs beneath the Vestmannasund strait, reaching about 105 meters below sea level before surfacing on Streymoy.
It is one of four subsea tunnels that charge a toll. The others are Norðoyatunnilin, opened in 2006 between Leirvík and Klaksvík; Eysturoyartunnilin, an 11-kilometer link between Streymoy and Eysturoy that opened in December 2020 and contains what is described as the world’s first subsea roundabout; and Sandoyartunnilin, which opened in December 2023 and connects Streymoy with Sandoy. Tunnels through the mountains are free.
There are no toll booths. According to Visit Faroe Islands, tolls are paid online within three days, after which the bill is sent to the car’s owner, which for a rental means the rental company. Eysturoyartunnilin is charged in both directions, while the other three are charged one way only. Many rental cars carry a tunnel subscription, but coverage differs between companies and between tunnels, so it pays to ask at the counter which crossings are included and how any extra charges are settled.
Single lanes, sheep and sudden weather
Away from the newer tunnels, the road network is modest. The speed limit is 50 km/h in built-up areas and 80 km/h on rural roads, and headlights must be on at all times, day or night. Several older tunnels are still single-lane, including the one into Gásadalur on Vágar and the chain of unlit tunnels on Kalsoy. These have passing bays at regular intervals, and the driver on the side with the bay is expected to pull in. Those lay-bys are for passing only, never for parking or photo stops.
Sheep roam freely across the islands and often stand on the asphalt with no interest in moving. Visit Faroe Islands asks drivers who hit one to report it to the police, because an unreported accident prevents the farmer from claiming insurance.
Weather is the bigger variable. The official tourism site warns that conditions can change in an instant and that all four seasons can turn up in a single day. Fog can settle on mountain roads quickly, roads can be icy between October and April, and in winter some villages are occasionally cut off by snow. The public roads authority, Landsverk, publishes driving conditions and webcam images, and a quick check before a long drive is sensible.
Fuel, fees and etiquette at popular stops
Fuel stations are found on six of the 18 islands, mostly run by the Effo and Magn chains, and the distance between them varies. Effo stations take payment by card or app at the pump as well as inside. Filling up before a long day out avoids a nervous return on a low tank.
Some of the best-known walks cross private farmland, and landowners charge for access. Visit Faroe Islands lists fees for routes including the Kallur lighthouse walk on Kalsoy and the Trælanípa cliff walk above the lake Sørvágsvatn on Vágar, and notes that new national legislation on sustainable tourism will affect these charges, so current rates should be checked before setting out.
Reaching Kalsoy takes its own planning. The island is served by a single car ferry from Klaksvík that carries around a dozen vehicles, and advance booking is recommended.
Basic courtesy goes a long way. Park only in marked spaces and stay on the road, since off-road driving is illegal. If a driver behind flashes their headlights twice, they are asking to pass, and pulling over at the next safe spot is expected.
None of this makes the Faroe Islands a difficult place to drive. Traffic is light, local drivers rarely use the horn, and distances between villages are short. The visitors who enjoy the roads most tend to be the ones who treat a forecast as a rough guide, leave slack in the day, and accept that a sheep standing at a tunnel mouth has the right of way.