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TheFaroe Islands is served by an internal transport system based on roads,ferries, andhelicopters. As of the 1970s, the majority of the population centres of the Faroe Islands have been joined to a single road network, connected by bridges and tunnels.
International transport, both for passengers and freight, remains difficult due to high costs, long distances, and bad weather, especially during the winter. Exporting domestically produced goods is thus expensive; this limits the development of a commodity-based economy.
The general history of the Faroese transportation system can be divided into four periods:
During this first period, transportation was rather primitive; it consisted of row boats, walking, and, in certain places, horse transport (for the upper class).[citation needed] Boats were used for transport between villages, even on the same island, as land transport was difficult due to the steep mountains.[1]
The second period commenced in the late-19th century, when ferry connections began to emerge. The ferries were largely private initiatives, but they increasingly came to be operated by the public sector. This was supplemented by an emerging culture of automobiles. AfterWorld War II, a large part of the Faroe Islands was accessible via ferries and automobiles; private buses and taxis operated as well.[2]
The third period was characterized by modernization. The introduction of the car ferry made it possible to drive between the various city centres of the country. It became possible to drive from the capitalTórshavn toVágur andTvøroyri in the south, toFuglafjørður andKlaksvík in the north, and to the airport atSørvágur in the west.Vágar Airport was built by theBritish during World War II; it was reopened as a civilian international airport in 1963. Additionally, the road network was further developed. Tunnels to distant valleys andfirths such asHvalba,Sandvík, andNorðdepil were constructed in the 1960s.[3]
The fourth period saw the emergence of a "mainland" thanks to tunnels and bridges. In 1973 theStreymin Bridge, the first bridge between two Faroese islands, was established betweenNorðskáli onEysturoy andNesvík onStreymoy; in 1976 the new tunnel between Norðskáli and Eysturoy was completed. The Faroes' two largest islands were connected into what is now referred to as "Meginlandið", the Mainland. In 1975 thecauseway betweenViðoy andBorðoy was constructed, in 1986 a similar one between Borðoy andKunoy was established, and in 1992 the capital Tórshavn was granted a first-class connection to the northern parts of the islands, creating the infrastructural prerequisites for a mobile society on the mainland.
The newest developments of the Faroese transportation network are thesub-sea tunnels. In 2002 the tunnel between Streymoy andVágar—the latter is the airport island—was finished, and in 2006 theNorðoyatunnilin between Eysturoy and Borðoy was finished.[4] A toll, payable at petrol stations, of 170 DKK (130 DKK in June 2013) is charged to drive through these two tunnels; the others are free. Now more than 85% of the Faroese population is accessible by automobile.[5] On 19 December 2020 theEysturoyartunnilin between Streymoy and Eysturoy opened for traffic.
In early 2014 all political parties of theLøgting agreed to the construction of two tunnels:Eysturoyartunnilin, a tunnel connectingEysturoy andStreymoy, which was completed in 2020, andSandoyartunnilin, a tunnel connecting Streymoy andSandoy, will be completed by 2023.[needs update] The combined cost of the project is estimated at almost 3 billion DKK, and it will be the most expensive construction project in Faroese history.[6] Eysturoyartunnilin has the world's first under-searoundabout. Its three tubes are 7.1 km, 2.1 km and 1.8 km long, linked together by the roundabout. Sandoyartunnilin will be 10.6 km long.[7]
There have been talks about a possible tunnel between Sandoy andSuðuroy. The tunnel would be around 20–25 km long. If completed this would mean that 99% of the Faroes would be connected by road.
There are no passenger railways on the Faroe Islands due to the difficult landscape, small population, and relatively short distances.
Two railways have operated on the islands. A tunnel and rail system supplied a NATO radar installation, now decommissioned, which previously existed on a mountaintop in the southern part of Streymoy Island. TheGjógv incline railway operates a freight service between the harbour and the village of Gjógv on Eysturoy island.
Roads have become the main method of transportation on the islands, replacing boats. In 2021, there were 16,289 petrol cars, 9,795 diesel cars, and 567 electric cars.[8]Google Street View became available for some roads in November 2017, supplied by residents and sheep rather than Google cars.[9]
total: 960 km (600 mi)[10]
The national bus network (Bygdaleiðir, Village routes) is operated byStrandfaraskip Landsins operating the characteristic blue buses. Mostminibuses,buses andcoaches in current service are built by eitherVolvo orIrisbus/Iveco. In 2024, they introduced their firstBattery-Electric buses, theIveco E-Way.[11] The principal route isTórshavn-Klaksvík (via theNorðoyatunnilin tunnel andStreymin Bridge). Although individual buses are generally owned by individuals or small companies, the timetables, fares, and levels of service are set byStrandfaraskip Landsins and the government.
The municipalities of Tórshavn, Klaksvík,Eysturkommuna andSunda operate their own free-of-charge local services, usually referred to asBussleiðin. Tórshavn's Bussleiðin has five routes and is operated by the Tórshavn municipality. Like Bygdaleiðir, the actual buses are privately owned, but contracted to Bussleiðin. Klaksvík's service commenced in 2014.[12]
total: 6 ships (1,000 gross tonnage (GT) or over) totaling 22,853 GT/13,481 tonnesdeadweight (DWT) (1999 est.)
The Faroese ferry companyStrandfaraskip Landsins operates a network of ferries, in addition to the rural blue buses, called Bygdaleiðir (Villagelines). Their largest vessel is theSmyril, a roll-on/roll-off ferry which maintains the link between Tórshavn and the southern island,Suðuroy. This vessel entered service in 2005. Another ferry,Teistin, a roll-on-off ferry, maintains the link between the island ofSandoy and Streymoy; the ferry port on Streymoy is atGamlarætt nearKirkjubøur andVelbastaður on the south-west coast of Streymoy. Asub-sea tunnel is under construction between Sandoy and Streymoy, it will open in 2023 according to the plan. After that there will not be need of a ferry between the two islands. The proposedSuðuroyartunnilin would also remove the ferry services to Skúvoy and Suðuroy.
Since the early 1980s,Smyril Line has operated a regular international passenger, car and freight service using a large, modern, multipurpose ferry, theNorröna. The weekly service links the Faroe Islands withSeyðisfjörður, Iceland, andHirtshals, Denmark.[13]
Atlantic Airways is the national airline of the Faroe Islands, and has its operating base atVágar Airport. It operates regular flights toIceland,Denmark,Norway, andScotland while there are also seasonal flights connecting the Faroe Islands with destinations includingBarcelona,Mallorca,Lisbon, andStewart International Airport, New York.[14]
Originally state-owned, the airline has been partially privatised. The Government has plans to continue selling its remaining share in the airline. As a private company, Atlantic Airways continues to provide the Faroe Islandssearch and rescue capability, under contract to the government.
The Faroe Islands has only one commercial airport.Vágar Airport is located close to the village ofSørvágur, on the island ofVágar. It has a paved 1,799 m / 5,902 ft runway, and was originally built by BritishRoyal Engineers during the Second World War. The main airlines operating regular scheduled flights areAtlantic Airways andScandinavian Airlines. Other airlines operate charter flights.
Helicopters provide domestic scheduled transportation, medical evacuation, and search & rescue activities.[15]
There are public (passenger and freight) heliports atFroðba,Hattarvík,Kirkja,Klaksvík,Mykines,Skúvoy,Stóra Dímun,Svínoy, andTórshavn (Boðanes). There are air ambulance heliports atSkopun andTórshavn (hospital).
Faroe Islands travel guide from Wikivoyage