Hirtshals – Tórshavn (Faroe Islands) – Seyðisfjörður (Iceland)
Hirtshals (DK) → Seyðisfjörður (via Tórshavn 62.01,-6.77) (IS)
- Year-round
- Overnight ferry
Key facts
Overland alternative: no overland route — this is THE (only) way to get a motorhome to Iceland and the Faroe Islands
The only alternative is flying + a rental motorhome: for 3+ weeks in Iceland the ferry with your own motorhome is usually cheaper AND more flexible
Ferry or drive on? Do the mathsDeparture port & check-in
Take the E39 as far as the last roundabout before the town of Hirtshals and take the first exit right, clearly signed SMYRIL LINE with a ferry pictogram. Vehicle check-in is at the end of Sigurd Espersens Vej and has toilets. Boarding starts about an hour before departure. In high season expect substantial waits: up to 800 vehicles are loaded and waits of up to an hour are normal. You are allowed to stay in your vehicle while boarding.
Facilities at the terminal
-
Fresh water
Through the campsites and motorhome aires in Hirtshals; toilets at the vehicle check-in.
-
Chemical toilet
Through the campsites and motorhome aires in Hirtshals.
-
Showers
At the campsites; on board in your cabin.
-
Fuel
Petrol stations in Hirtshals - fill right up, as fuel in the Faroe Islands and Iceland is dearer.
-
Gas & LPG
Fill or exchange your gas bottles in Denmark; refilling is difficult in Iceland.
-
Groceries
Supermarkets in Hirtshals; stock up well, because Icelandic groceries are expensive - but mind the import restrictions under grens_admin.
Where to spend the night before departure
-
Motorhome aires in Hirtshals (autocamperplads and Doggerbanke)
Motorhome aire- Distance to terminal
- ±2 km
- Price per night
- Not known
Overnight stays allowed
Several Danish motorhome aires a short distance from the ferry port; current rates unverified.
-
Tornby Strand Camping, Strandvejen 13, 9850 Hirtshals
Campsite- Distance to terminal
- ±5 km
- Price per night
- Not known
Overnight stays allowed
5 km from the port, explicitly set up for ferry travellers to Norway, Iceland and the Faroe Islands. Late check-in until the last ferry is in; for an early sailing the barrier opens at 06:30 and you pay only for the night before. There are also pitches outside the barrier for motorhomes.
Strict rules for motorhomes on the Norröna: a maximum of 3 gas bottles (propane or butane) weighing no more than 47 kg in total; gas appliances may not be used during the crossing; bottles must stay closed inside the vehicle and you have to declare them at check-in. Spare fuel in jerrycans is prohibited, and only empty jerrycans may be carried. The vehicle deck is closed during the crossing for safety reasons - take two days' worth of everything out of your motorhome before you board.
Arrival & first stop
First motorhome stop after arrival
-
Seyðisfjörður Campsite (in the middle of the village)
Campsite- Distance to terminal
- ±0.5 km
- Price per night
- Not known
Overnight: check in advance
Within walking distance of the terminal, season 1 April - 31 October. Hot showers, clean toilets, a well-equipped kitchen with dining tables, laundry, free wifi, a common room, reception 07:00-14:00 and 17:00-23:00. Electricity costs extra; children up to and including 15 stay free. Booking is not possible - you simply turn up.
-
Camp Egilsstaðir, Egilsstaðir
Campsite- Distance to terminal
- ±27 km
- Price per night
- Not known
Overnight: check in advance
The campsite at Egilsstaðir, the regional centre with supermarkets, petrol stations and workshops. You reach it on route 93 over the Fjarðarheiði pass.
The only road inland from Seyðisfjörður is route 93 over the Fjarðarheiði pass: 24.5 km, highest point 623 metres, surfaced but with steep sections and sharp bends, often in thick fog and regularly closed by snow in winter. Driving time is normally 30 to 45 min. Check road.is before you set off and do not attempt the pass in a storm with a tall motorhome - crosswind is the main risk there. Also: Icelandic single-lane bridges, gravel roads (F-roads are prohibited for ordinary motorhomes) and petrol stations that are far apart.
At Tórshavn, the intermediate call, you may bring frozen products ashore; into Iceland you may not. Post your tax-free receipts in the letterboxes provided in the Seyðisfjörður terminal for Icelandic customs - the refund takes three months or more.
Border, documents & rules
Iceland has strict import rules. Frozen products may not be taken into Iceland; to the Faroe Islands they may, up to 50 kg per booking free of charge. Pets may not travel to or from Iceland under any circumstances. For foodstuffs: from EEA countries you may bring animal products in sealed, unopened packaging with an ingredients list, but customs will question abnormally large quantities; from third countries animal products are largely prohibited. Plant-based foodstuffs up to 30 kg from third countries. Anything that is not sealed and labelled will be confiscated. Denmark and Iceland are both in Schengen, so there is no passport control, but there are customs checks because Iceland lies outside the EU customs union.
Motorhome tips
Book months ahead — summer sailings fill up as early as winter; the Sat departure gives a free 3-day Faroe Islands stop; cabin/couchette mandatory at booking; vehicle deck closed while sailing; gas: max 3 bottles / 47 kg, closed and declared; up to 800 cars per sailing = check in with plenty of time