Travel

Atlantic Airways launch direct route to magical Faroe Islands from London Gatwick

A visit to the unspoilt and magical Faroe Islands in the wild North Atlantic, halfway between Iceland and Norway – is now even easier as their national carrier, Atlantic Airways, has launched a new route from London Gatwick, starting from 1st June 2024.

This direct new flight from London Gatwick to Vagar in the Faroe Islands is now available for bookings on their website.

Plus, the airline is offering a special promo code for bookings made now for the first week of flying in June at a reduced cost of just 831 DKK (£96).

The direct new flight from London Gatwick is scheduled to run twice a week and will operate on Tuesdays and Saturdays from 1st June until 31st August 2024.

This 801-mile (1,289 km) London route will be Atlantic Airways’ second UK destination; flights from Edinburgh will continue, also twice weekly on Mondays and Thursdays. For those looking to head to the capital, Torshavn, Vagar Airport is only 45 minutes by car.

The Faroe Islands is now an extremely well-connected archipelago, not just to Europe and the US, but within the 18 islands themselves. Another undersea tunnel, The Sandoyartunnilin (Sandoy Tunnel) opened on 21st December 2023, connecting the main island of Streymoy with Sandoy to the south, making the small and very remote island of Skúvoy more accessible.

The tunnel is 10.8 km and runs under the Skopunarfjørður strait from Gamlarætt to Traðardalur in central Sandoy. The tunnel includes an awe-inspiring underwater world of art installations by local artist, Edward Fuglø. Travellers can be captivated by the journey beneath the North Atlantic as it becomes an experience in itself, creating a unique blend of natural wonder and human innovation.

The ten art installations are cave paintings reimagined, they depict the stories of the two places connected by the tunnel, the historical village of Kirkjubo and Sandoy. Stories laced with legend and myth of the Faroes and the common theme of hidden treasure – powerful wily clergy that suck the life-blood out of the common people, of steely women finding their way in a world dominated by men, of angry witches cheated out of their gold and of huldres, those grey folk who live inside the hills, and who would leave ordinary humans alone if only they’d stop meddling.

The new London Gatwick service commences 1st June and runs until 31st August, with prices from £120 one way. Visit www.atlantic.fo for further information.

Flights to the Faroe Islands (Edinburgh to Vágar Island, Faroe Islands) operate all year round and cost from £200 pp return.

Fast becoming a must-visit destination for 2024, the iconic grass-roofed houses (a nod to the islands’ Viking heritage) dotting the rugged vistas, and stunning waterfalls tumbling from hillsides, this natural outdoor playground, with its fascinating foodie scene (not to mention its large population of sheep, outnumbering local inhabitants by nearly two to one), has so much to offer the adventurous traveller.

Choose from an excellent selection of hotels, guesthouses, cottages, self-catering apartments and campsites in the Faroe Islands – or why not split your stay across a home-stay and another form of interesting accommodation?

Related: A weekend in Torshavn: The cosy capital

Jack Peat

Jack is a business and economics journalist and the founder of The London Economic (TLE). He has contributed articles to VICE, Huffington Post and Independent and is a published author. Jack read History at the University of Wales, Bangor and has a Masters in Journalism from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

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