I’m delighted to say me and Raquel had the amazing fortune of ticking off a new location on our map bucket list, as we took the first direct flight from London Gatwick to Vagar in the Faroe Islands, courtesy of Atlantic Airways.
Flying out twice a week on Tuesday’s and Saturday’s, the previous alternative was to fly up to Edinburgh and change flights, or to fly over to Copenhagen. As you can imagine, this has significantly sped up the transport time, so you can spend more time on holiday and less time in airports and flying.
Coffees and teas were provided for free, while we even got a little marzipan treat on the flight, the perfect sugar rush before arriving.
Why Visit The Faroe Islands?
This beautiful archipelago is a phenomenal place to visit, offering stunning scenery, great hiking routes and gorgeous waterfalls. The locals are friendly and welcoming, while the food is absolutely scrumptious (especially if you love seafood).
But best of all, it’s not a tourist trap, it hasn’t been overrun with holiday makers, meaning you can learn about the local culture and embed yourself in very quickly without having to push past crowds.
Being English, we’re all a bit useless with languages, but everyone here seemed to be very fluent in English, meaning you don’t have to worry about a language barrier.
Another added benefit is the long days in the summer period, with June seeing 20 hours of sunlight. We would walk back in the evening from the restaurant, around 10:30pm with it being just as light as during the day.
My top tip would certainly be to book a heimablídni (home hospitality), which is a lunch at a farmers house. They will talk through their daily lives and the local culture, while you can also feel good that you’re helping them to cover their costs and supporting a small local business.
How Long Does The Flight Take?
Our flight time was 2 hours and 10 minutes, which breezed by in no time. As it’s not an overly booked up route, it also means you tend to have space on the plane, a rare treat when that happens so I made sure to spread out as much as possible.
Why Are They Now Offering Flights From London Gatwick?
This isn’t actually the first time, this route was first introduced in 2020, but unfortunately the global pandemic put a hold to that.
They even offered a route from London Stansted a while back, but this was stopped in 2014.
It should however be stated that this new route is in an experimental stage, running from the 1st June through to the 31st August, so I’m hoping plenty of people go between these dates so that the direct route remains in place.
The Trip
I will be writing and posting videos of our trip regularly over the next few weeks, so if you’re tempted to take a flight over, definitely have a sift through the content for inspiration.
It was an amazing experience; you get the type of scenery you expect in Norway or Iceland, but at a much cheaper price and without the crowds. The salmon tasted incredible everywhere you went, locally sourced, while it is certainly the dream location for outdoor adventurers.