Faroe Islands on a budget: How to sleep for free!

Beyond being incredibly beautiful, the Faroe Islands is notorious for being incredibly expensive too. But a visit to the gorgeous isles doesn’t have to break your bank account, at least not if you’re willing to rough it a little. Just bring your camping gear and put on your charm!

If you combine these free overnight stays listed below with hitchhiking (very easy and safe!), you could even enjoy a very cheap trip to the Faroe Islands!

Free campsites on the Faroe Islands

Tentsite on Nólsoy

There’s a free primitive tentsite just above the harbour on Nólsoy, the island just across the ocean from Tórshavn. The terrain is quite uneven but there are a few flat spots to pitch small tents.

If you’re looking for a bit more comfort but still a cheap night on the island, it’s possible to park a caravan or motorhome in front of the football field for 100 DKK per night. Electric power can be provided on request. There are no showers available. The campsite is open from April 1st to October 1st, but the tentsite is available year-round.

There are free public toilets near the supermarket which you can use free of charge (open 24hrs), and there are also free public toilets at the harbour which are open during ferry operating hours. The latter are accessible for the disabled. You can get fresh drinking water at both public toilets.

Contact Visit Nólsoy for more information at +298 52 70 60 or info(at)visitnolsoy.fo.

Curious what there is to see and do on Nólsoy? Click here to read my in-depth guide to the island!

Elduvík Camping

The campsite in Elduvík on northeast Eysturoy is a small, primitive site with limited facilities. It’s free to pitch a tent or park a caravan or motorhome, although only for three consecutive days.

If you need electricity, this can be purchased at the tourist information centre in Runavík for 300 DKK.

Contact Visit Runavík for more information at +298 41 70 60 or visit@runavik.fo.

Wild camping on the Faroe Islands

All land in the Faroe Islands is privately owned and thus, wild camping is not permitted. However, if you ask around, you’ll soon find a local who either owns land in the area or knows someone who does. Ask politely, and I’m almost certain they’ll allow you to stay the night. I’ve done this on several of the smaller islands where there are no tentsites, such as Fugloy, Koltur and Skúvoy, and I’ve never been turned away.

I also heard from four Swiss travellers that they had success asking locals to camp out in their gardens, so this might also be worth a try but remember to always respect a ‘no’.

Free shelters on the Faroe Islands

Skarð on Kunoy

Skarð is an abandoned village on the island of Kunoy where hikers can stay overnight in a little red shelter. As far as I know, this is the only public shelter in the entire country. Reaching it is no easy feat though; you can either hike for three hours along the coast from Haraldssund or take a treacherous climb over the mountains from the village of Kunoy (only recommended with a local guide!).

Remember to bring your own sleeping gear and food as there is nothing out there except abandoned houses, beautiful nature and solitude!

Sleeping for free in your (rental) car

Parking is free anywhere on the Faroe Islands, and thus, you can save a lot of money by camping out in your car! I’ve done it myself all throughout Germany as well as in Austria and Iceland, and it wasn’t as uncomfortable as it sounds. Just put the front seat down as far as possible and maybe something under your feet – or, if you’re tiny like me, crash on the back seats!

Just make sure you park out of the way of houses and private parking lots, and of course don’t park at the side of the road so as not to put yourself in potential danger. And please, do not do this with campervans or motorhomes, it’s only acceptable to do in small, unseeable cars.

Couchsurfing on the Faroe Islands

Back in the days when I first travelled to the Faroes, I used Couchsurfing to find a host after my tent got destroyed in a storm, and I ended up staying with a lovely family for two weeks that I still visit to this day.

The golden days of Couchsurfing are over and the site now requires payment to get access to potential hosts, but according to the site itself, there are over 300 hosts in the Faroe Islands so there might be potential for a free stay there. But do remember that Couchsurfing is much more than just a free place to stay. It’s a cultural exchange and an exceptional chance to make local friends!

It might also be worth searching for hosts on other similar sites, such as BeWelcome, Trustroots and TrustedHousesitters.

Workaway on the Faroe Islands

Workaway is an excellent way to emerge yourself in local culture and help out hosts while receiving free accommodation and food – and often, so much more than that!

This option is ideal for those that want to stay for at least a few weeks, and don’t mind spending time on different chores. Basically, Workaway allows you to pay for bed and board by helping out hosts with household chores or different projects. Currently, there are over 20 hosts on the Faroe Islands, and one of these families is one that is very close to my heart. I’ve stayed with them many times over the past seven years (as a friend, not a workawayer), and they almost always have a workawayer staying with them. It’s a lot of fun for everyone!

Workaway is the ultimate way to learn about Faroese culture and share your own culture while exploring the country at a slow pace.

Other cheap places to stay on the Faroe Islands

If the free options don’t satisy your needs, you can also stay at these cheap campsites around the country:

Streymoy

Eysturoy

• Eiði = 120 DKK per tent per night / 220 DKK per caravan/motorhome per night. Access to toilets, showers and kitchen facilities. Washing machine for a small fee. Open from April 11th to October 1st.
• Gjógv = 200 DKK per tent and caravan/motorhome per night. Access to toilets and showers. Open from May 1st to August 31st.
• Fuglafjørður = 150 DKK per caravan/motorhome per night, unclear if tent slots are available. Access to toilets and showers. Open from March 1st to October 1st.
• Selatrað = 125 DKK per tent per night / 175 DKK per campervan/motorhome per night. Access to toilets and showers. Open year-round.
• Æðuvík = 100 DKK per tent per night / 200 DKK per campervan/motorhome per night. Access to toilets and showers. Open year-round.

Norðoyar

• Mikladalur, Kalsoy = 100 DKK per tent per night / 200 DKK per caravan/motorhome per night. Access to toilets and showers. Open from April 1st to October 1st.
• Svínoy = 100 DKK per person per night. There are no spaces for caravans or motorhomes, only tents. Access to a toilet. Shower for a small fee. Open from April 1st to October 1st.

Vágar and Mykines

• Giljanes (Miðvágur) = 100 DKK per adult per night. Access to toilets, showers and kitchen facilities. Washing machine for a small fee. Open year-round.
• Mykines = 100 DKK per adult per night. Access to toilets and showers. Open from April 1st to September 30th.

Sandoy

• Sandur = 50 DKK per tent per night / 100 DKK per caravan/motorhome per night. Access to toilets. Showers and washing machine for a small fee. Open year-round.
• Dalur = 100 DKK per tent per night / 175 DKK per caravan/motorhome per night. Access to toilets. Showers and washing machine for a small fee. Open year-round.

Suðuroy

• Vágur = 100 DKK per person in a tent per night / 200 DKK per caravan/motorhome with two people included. Access to toilets and showers. Washing machine for a small fee. Open from April 1st to October 1st.
• Hvalba = 100 DKK per tent and caravan/motorhome per night. Access to toilets and showers. Open from April 1st to October 1st.
• Fámjin = 100 DKK per caravan/motorhome per night, unclear if tent slots are available. Access to toilets and showers. Open from April 1st to October 1st.
• Sumba = 100 DKK per tent and caravan/motorhome per night. Access to toilets, but no showers. Open from April 1st to October 1st.

Spejderhuset on Suðuroy

In addition to the campsites on Suðuroy, there is a cabin in Tvøroyri that you can rent for 100 DKK per person per night. The cabin is located on the opposite side of the fjord from where the ferry docks at Ovari Vagur 44. There is a stream nearby where you can get clean drinking water, and there is also a toilet at the site.

Contact +298 239390 or info(at)tvoroyri.fo to book the cabin and gain access to the facilities.

Other cheap options

Travelling in the off-season? Then you might get lucky and find a cheap bunk bed at Giljanes Hostel on Vágar! I stayed there for 100 DKK per night / 3100 DKK for an entire month in October 2020. Keep an eye on booking.com for this special deal!

Wanting to stay for a month or more? Search on Airbnb for good deals as you can often save a lot by booking month-long stays! Alternatively, search up local facebook groups (such as this one) and ask if anyone has a place to rent for a few months. That was how I found my rental house on Nólsoy back in 2019 where I stayed for six weeks for a total of 4500 DKK!

Other ways to keep costs down on the Faroe Islands

Hitchhike everywhere! It’s surprisingly easy and very safe. Locals are friendly and often curious about your adventures, and/or willing to tell stories from their lives on the islands. It’s a fun way to meet locals and travel for free all over the country. I’ve done it ever since I started travelling solo in the Faroes in 2015, and I’ve never had an issue getting to my planned destination, even with a huge backpack and other travellers! I’ve met many interesting people this way, and many of my stories and knowledge on the Faroe Islands come from conversations I’ve had with locals during my hitchhiking trips.

Take the free red busses around Tórshavn. They even go as far as Kollafjørður, Kaldbak and Kirkjubøur. See more here.

Drink nature’s own water – it’s free, clean and incredibly fresh!

Limit restaurant and café visits and eat from supermarkets instead. Food is expensive, but this will definitely keep the costs down.

Buy traditional Faroese sweaters, souvenirs and other clothing in thrift stores instead of the expensive high-end stores. Tórshavn has four thrift stores, and most other larger towns have 1-2 thrift stores too!

Updated 22/6/2023