The Faroe Islands strike is over, and services are returning to normal. Find out the latest updates and how you can save big on your next visit.
You may have heard about the recent Faroe Islands strike...
For almost a month, major workers' unions were on strike following unsuccessful negotiations regarding salaries. The work stoppage significantly affected fuel supplies, grocery supplies, and essential services.
Fortunately, the strike is now over, and the Faroe Islands can flourish once again. Here’s a recap of the events that transpired.
The Faroe Island strike began on May 14 and impacted several activities and essential services. Some of the issues that arose included:
A lack of fuel at gas stations.
A reduction in fresh food supplies at grocery stores.
Schools were closed due to the lack of garbage collection services.
No public buses were operating.
Delays in luggage transportation at airports.
While flights and ferries weren’t impacted, other travel services made it difficult for visitors to enjoy their stay while exploring the Faroe Islands.
Even though services were unavailable, talks continued behind the scenes. The mediation sessions resulted in new agreements with the workers' unions and the Employers’ Association on Sunday evening.
The two-year contract signing also immediately ended the strike, and everyone is excited that life can get back to normal.
The good news is services and activities are in the process of getting up and running for citizens and visitors to the Faroe Islands. Some of the early wins include:
Fuel is immediately available to everyone so they can fill up their vehicles.
Staff have returned to work, and many services have reopened.
Garbage has been collected from schools so kids can return safely.
Public buses are operating as usual.
Luggage is getting transported at airports as normal.
We here at PHD Car Rent are thrilled that the strike is over, and we can once again provide you with a comfortable vehicle to explore the Faroe Islands.
To celebrate, we’re holding an End of Strike Super Sale. You can save up to 50% on rentals while enjoying our always-available features, including:
No upfront security deposits.
A handy key box system so you don’t have to wait in line and can hit the road faster.
Free cancellations, no questions asked.
24/7 roadside support to give you peace of mind you’re in safe hands for the entire trip.
At PHD Car Rent, we won’t waste a minute of your precious vacation time. We keep paperwork to a minimum and do everything in our power to get you on the road faster.
BOOK NOW and make the most of the End of Strike Super Sale so you can enjoy the glorious Faroe Islands in style.
The first big thing to know about renting a car here is that there is a relative scarcity of rental cars (around 1,400 rental cars only across all the islands!), which means that prices will get steep, especially during the peak of summer holidays. If you’re planning your visit to the Faroe Islands sometime within the year, do your best to always book in advance. Winter is a good time to snatch up deals—and if you’re smart about which car rental company you choose, you can do so without any worry about cancellation fees.
Google “car rentals in Faroe Islands” and you'll likely find listings for the big car rental companies (Sixt, Kayak, etc). But that’s not all there is. With some locals being too aware of how high car rental prices put off some travelers from visiting their homeland, they’ve set up shop to offer more affordable prices (i.e. our mission in a nutshell!). But it’s not just a matter of pricing. With a local, small team you can expect much more personal support and all the attention that small businesses are known for: ensuring you’re satisfied and sharing with you recommendations.
If you haven’t been lucky enough to nab a car rental winter deal, this is a must-do. Because for many car rental companies (especially the big ones), apart from the rental price of your vehicle, other costs can include cancellation fees and security deposits. The latter can be especially annoying when they charge your credit card immediately for a high deposit, before releasing it with the cost of your bank’s currency exchange fee. Our favorite alternative? Go with a car rental company that doesn’t charge you for cancellations & security deposits.
Thought the rocky Faroe Islands would require 4-wheel drives? Not all. Off-road driving is actually banned from the islands, and thanks to a fantastic road network, just a standard car type would do you well for your adventures (even in winter!)
If you haven’t been lucky enough to nab a car rental winter deal, this is a must-do. Because for many car rental companies (especially the big ones), apart from the rental price of your vehicle, other costs can include cancellation fees and security deposits. The latter can be especially annoying when they charge your credit card immediately for a high deposit, before releasing it with the cost of your bank’s currency exchange fee. Our favorite alternative? Go with a car rental company that doesn’t charge you for cancellations & security deposits.
One of the unique things you’ll quickly find out about the Faroe Islands is its many tunnels connecting you all across the archipelago. There are around 20 of them—and they can go either under the seabed itself (sub-sea tunnels) or right through a mighty mountain.
Whether it’s because of the sparsity of the population or the immensity of space around, the Faroe Islands have no parking fees whatsoever…with one exception. If you’re planning to park at the airport, you can expect to pay a fee there—otherwise, park as long as you want, free of charge.
Perhaps a little disappointing to the 4-wheeler adventurers: the Faroe Islands doesn’t permit any off-road driving (officially: it’s prohibited by law). This is to protect the pristine nature all around, much of which is actually private property. So do enjoy your road trips—but on the ample roads, bridges, and tunnels.
Quintessentially Faroese, when you’re driving around here you’ll very soon be greeted with our most common habitant: wooly sheep. You’ll see them across fields and by roadsides, but just be mindful that some can galavant across the roads (often when in a panic). So when sheep are around, do slow down.
For a quick runthrough of local driving rules: if you’re in town areas, the speed limit is 50 km/h (31 mph)—otherwise, it’s 80 km/h (50 mph). You drive on the right-hand side. It’s illegal to hold a mobile device (or drink alcohol) while driving. And while the legal driving age in the Faroe Islands is 18, most car rental companies will require you to be at least 20-21 years of age.
We’re keeping this part short—only because we’ll be breaking things down for you fully in a separate
blog. But the quick sum of it is: if you’re looking to rent a car for your adventures in the Faroe
Islands, you can either rent from the regular big companies or opt for a local car rental company.
Why we’re biased for the latter? Because, well, that’s what we do—but in our PHD Car Rent way. We make
reservations a breeze, never tie up your money in security deposits, don’t charge cancellation fees
(unless you cancel 24 hours before your pick-up time), and make sure your money goes the furthest for
you.
Our mission has always been to provide the best value car rentals that you can rely on for quality and
friendly, local service. But don’t take our word for it—check out our 134, 5-star Google reviews!
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