5 Reasons You Should Visit the Faroe Islands Sooner Rather Than Later

Visiting Iceland just a decade ago was far different from what it is today. The Faroe Islands may be following a similar path. The North Atlantic archipelago is becoming more popular, and the same tourist invasion could change the dynamics of visiting.

The Faroe Islands are a self-governed territory of the Kingdom of Denmark and are halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The remote location, inclement weather, and short summer season have so far conspired to keep visitor numbers down. However, the Faroes’ stunning landscapes, fresh seafood, and local farms, coupled with welcoming residents, are propelling the islands to the top of many traveler’s bucket lists.

If you’ve considered a visit, there’s no better time to do so. Here are a few reasons why you should.

1. To Enjoy the Pristine Natural Beauty

The Faroe Islands offer amazing scenery. Go while the natural beauty is unspoiled, and sights (while remote) are relatively easy to access. With connected underground tunnels linking the islands, you can visit 3 islands in just a day.

You can rent a car or hire a guide. With little traffic, the islands are yours to explore.

2. Tourist Numbers Are Increasing

In 2023, the Faroe Islands saw a record number of tourists, over 400,000 by air and cruise ship. Most visits are during the prime season of June, July, and August.

Iceland has over 2 million visitors each year but is much bigger at nearly 40,000 square miles, while the Faroe Islands encompass only around 540 square miles. You can imagine how easily tourism could overwhelm the islands.

Visiting before the volume of tourists increases may be a smart move.

3. There Are Limited Lodging Options

About 50,000 people reside in the Faroe Islands, nearly half of whom are in and around the capital and largest town, Tórshavn on the main island of Streymoy. Tórshavn is a great base for exploring the surrounding area and nearby islands.

Unfortunately, lodging options in the town are limited and should be booked in advance. There are fewer than a dozen hotels in and around Tórshavn. As tourism increases, the availability of lodging could decrease.

4. You Can Still Use Points and Miles To Offset the Cost

Fortunately, you can still use points and miles to offset the cost of visiting the Faroe Islands. Advanced planning is necessary, but it is doable.

Here are some ideas for using rewards currencies for your trip to the Faroe Islands.

Flights

While you could take a 20-hour ferry ride from Iceland or a 2-day ferry from Denmark, flying to the Faroe Islands is more efficient. Vágar Airport (FAE) on the main island can be accessed easily from Keflavik, Iceland (KEF), Copenhagen, Denmark (CPH), Oslo, Norway (OSL), or many other major European cities.

Atlantic Airways, Icelandair, and Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) have frequent flights to FAE.

It’s generally not expensive to fly to the Faroe Islands. During the summer, flights are added, and availability also increases.

Cash prices for tickets to the Faroe Islands can be quite affordable if you fly in economy class, even in peak season. Prices increase significantly for the limited premium economy ($1,500+) and business class ($3,000+) connections from the U.S.

With that said, using frequent flyer miles for your flights can be a better alternative. A quick search on roame.travel brings up several options:

Depending on your stash of rewards currencies, you can select an option, dig deeper, and pick specific dates:

For example, if you have a lot of Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles, you can use them to book Icelandair flights.

Bilt Rewards points earned on the Bilt World Elite Mastercard^® Credit Card can be transferred directly to the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan.

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Bilt World Elite Mastercard^® Credit Card

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Bilt World Elite Mastercard^® Credit Card

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Annual Fee

$0

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Why We Like This Card

Never before has there been a credit card built specifically with renters in mind. Enter the Bilt World Elite Mastercard^® Credit Card, designed specifically to help renters earn rewards on their rent payments with no transaction fees.

Of course, aside from rewards on rent, there are many other solid features that the card offers that add extra value to cardholders. In this guide, we provide a complete breakdown of everything the Bilt Card has to offer to help you decide whether the card makes sense for you.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 3x points per $1 at restaurants
• 2x points per $1 on travel booked directly with airlines, hotels, and car rental agencies
• 1x point per $1 on rent payments, without a transaction fee, up to 100,000 points each calendar year

Cons

• Does not offer a welcome bonus
• Must use the card 5 times each statement period to earn points

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Card Highlights

• $0 Annual Fee
• Earn 1x points on rent payments without the transaction fee, up to 100,000 points each calendar year
• Earns 3x points on dining
• Earn 2x points on travel
• Earn 1x points on other purchases
• Earn double points on the first of each month (excluding rent, up to 1,000 bonus points)
• Use the card 5 times each statement period to earn points
• Earn up to 5x Bilt points on Lyft rides when you link your Bilt account and pay with your Bilt card
• Point redemptions include airlines, hotels, future rent payments, statement credits, toward a down payment on a home, etc.
• Select “Learn More” to learn more about the product features, terms, and conditions

Financial Snapshot

• APR: See Rate & Fees
• Foreign Transaction Fees: $0

With the merger of Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines, you can also transfer American Express Membership Rewards points to Hawaiian and then to Alaska at a 1:1 ratio.

Lodging

There are few options for booking lodging with points or free night certificates in the Faroe Islands. Here are some ideas for offsetting lodging costs:

• Book the Hilton Garden Inn Faroe Islands with Hilton Honors points or free night certificates earned on select Hilton-branded cards. A standard room can be booked from 50,000 points per night.
• Use Choice Privileges points to book the Hotel Føroyar, Ascend Hotel Collection, for 30,000 points per night.
• Use Delta Stays credits of up to $250 annually on Delta co-branded cards.
• Use the up to $300 annual Capital One Travel credit on the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card or Capital One Venture X Business Card.
• Use the up to $300 annual travel credit on the Chase Sapphire Reserve^®.
• Book hotels via the associated travel portal or reimburse the hotel expense using rewards from Amex Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards, or Wells Fargo Rewards (value will vary).

We like that the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card comes with a free hotel night certificate each year after spending $15,000 on the card.

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Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

An excellent high-earning Hilton credit card that comes with perks like Hilton Honors Gold status and up to $200 in Hilton credits every year.

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Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card

An excellent high-earning Hilton credit card that comes with perks like Hilton Honors Gold status and up to $200 in Hilton credits every year.

Welcome Offer

Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership

130,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$650

Annual Fee

$150

APR

19.99%-28.99% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

If you’re someone who loves traveling and loves staying in Hilton hotels, adding a co-branded Hilton hotel card to your wallet is almost a no-brainer. From automatic Hilton elite status to up to $200 in Hilton credits every year, the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card can be a great fit for Hilton loyalists looking to up their travel game.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 12x points per $1 at Hilton hotels
• 6x points per $1 at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations, and U.S. restaurants
• 4x points per $1 at U.S. online retail purchases

Cons

• Annual fee of $150 (rates & fees)

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Card Highlights

• Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
• Get up to $50 in statement credits each quarter for purchases made directly with a property in the Hilton portfolio on your Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card. That's up to $200 in statement credits annually.
• Earn 12X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton portfolio.
• Earn 6X Points for each dollar of purchases on your Card at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. supermarkets, and at U.S. gas stations.
• Earn 4X Points for each dollar on U.S. Online Retail Purchases.
• Earn 3X Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card.
• Earn a Free Night Reward from Hilton Honors after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year.
• Enjoy complimentary Hilton Honors™ Gold Status with your Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card.
• Spend $40,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year and you can earn Hilton Honors™ Diamond Status through the end of the next calendar year.
• As a Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card Member, you can enroll to receive complimentary National Car Rental^® Emerald Club Executive^® status through the link on your American Express online account. After you're enrolled, you can reserve a rental car by calling National Car Rental directly, using your travel service, or by booking online or through the National Car Rental mobile app. Terms apply.
• No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
• $150 annual fee.
• Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 19.99%-28.99% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

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Activities

Booking experiences for your Faroe Islands trip with points and miles is possible. Here are some ways to save on things to do there:

• Book experiences via Viator to triple dip. Earn up to 3x Ultimate Rewards points for travel purchases with select Chase cards plus Membership Rewards points through Rakuten. You’ll also earn Viator rewards for future bookings
• Book activities via Citi Travel or Chase Travel using rewards points.
• Reimburse your experience purchase with a statement credit by redeeming Capital One miles or Chase Ultimate Rewards points.
• Use the up to $300 travel credit from the Chase Sapphire Reserve card.

5. To Have a Unique Experience

With endless hiking trails, driving from village to village, wildlife watching, or trying a local fermented beverage, the islands will deliver unique experiences.

Driving is best, with endless jaw-dropping scenery around every corner, as the ocean is never far away. The high cliffs with waterfalls and wildlife residents are worth seeking out. You may even find puffins!

The residents of the Faroe Islands are welcoming and eager to share stories about their history and sometimes difficult life.

Regardless of your preferences, there will be something new for you to enjoy in the Faroe Islands.

Final Thoughts

Anticipating that the Faroe Islands will eventually become crowded with visitors is a reasonable assumption based on the increasing number of tourists. Those who travel frequently look for new destinations and experiences, and the Faroe Islands check all the boxes.

Eventually, the Faroes might turn into a new Iceland: a rugged, gorgeous place in the North Atlantic, submerged by vast numbers of tourists.

So, if you’ve been thinking of visiting the islands, there are several reasons to go sooner rather than later.