Ferrying to Iceland

As I type I am looking out at the waves of the North Sea as we sail toward Torshavn, the capital city of the Faroe Islands. We are aboard the Smyril Line ferry that departed from Hirtshals, Denmark on Saturday, September 16, with a final destination of Seydisfjordur, Iceland on Tuesday the 19th. And, as if that isn’t exciting enough, Bijou is on board, too!!! I mean, she’s been with us for almost all of our European adventures, how could we not bring her along?

Iceland is a big bucket list destination on our European tour and we’ve been trying to get there since the spring of 2021. Covid stopped us in our tracks. The Iceland borders were open to tourists, but Denmark was not. We had parked up in Germany near the Danish border waiting for them to open up to travelers so we could catch the ferry, but the authorities kept extending the closures, so we finally threw in the towel and took off to Poland. We ended up having a fabulous summer in Scandinavia, so it all worked out. But still, we haven’t stopped trying to get to Iceland.

When we were in Ireland this summer, I mentioned to Steven that we might be able to work in Iceland if we traveled there either this fall or in the spring of 2024. As you might imagine, transporting a motorhome and two people to Iceland is not a cheap endeavor, but we managed to hit a window when ferry fares seemed almost affordable, similar to plane fare. We waited about three weeks just to sit with the idea for a while, then we pulled the trigger. At the height of the tourist season the cost was more than double, so we decided we would brave the North Sea in the fall. And so here we are, being brave.

On Board the Smyril Line

We had about a day and a half of gorgeous weather, perfect for being out at sea. At this point the waters were somewhat sheltered by Norway to the north, so all was hunky dory. We sailed through the North Sea oil fields, the middle of the Shetland Islands and on toward Torshavn, the capital of the Faroe Islands. Unfortunately, not long after leaving the Shetlands, the weather took a turn for the worse.

Torshavn, Faroe Islands

As night came, the weather made a turn for the worse, though we both managed to get some sleep. We arrived in Torshavn just as it was starting to get light outside. We were able to disembark and spend a couple of hours in town. Lucky for us, there was a break in the precipitation during our visit. We returned to the ship only to find our departure was delayed by four hours. This, according to the announcement, was due to maintenance issues and not weather. I don’t find either one of those comforting, to be honest.

The North Sea

We pulled out of Torshavn around 5 pm and headed north around the islands. Just as it started to get dark we were out in the open sea and beyond the protection of land. This is when things really started to get rocky. The captain calmly informed us of 18-22 foot swells and high winds. I asked the woman at the customer service desk if this was considered rough. She said, “It depends on who you ask.” I took that as a yes.

When we originally booked our passage we just picked a few meals to have on board and brought plenty of snacks of our own. We had nothing preordered the night before our arrival in Iceland so we just stopped by the cafeteria for burgers. As the waves grew higher, we barely made it back to our cabin and immediately got horizontal. From that moment on we were confined to our cabin where going from our beds to the bathroom was a huge challenge. Steven struggled with seasickness. I am not prone to that, but even I found it tough going until I was able to fall asleep. Until then, we watched some shows we had downloaded. I found that as long as I watched the screen, which was not pitching up and down, I felt less of the effects of the ship bucking like a bull.

Seydisfjordur, Iceland

It goes without saying that we were thrilled to arrive in Iceland. Of course we were excited to begin our adventure, but mainly it was good to be on solid ground. Our excitement was short-lived however. Somehow we thought there would be a bit of protection from the storm that we’d been through at sea, but this was not the case. We were met with lashing rain and high winds gusting up to 80 mph. Half the town had been evacuated as a precaution due to landslides. In December 2020 there was a huge landslide and the entire town had to be evacuated. I guess this is just a way of life for residents of coastal Iceland.

To get from Seydisfjordur to Highway 1, better known as Iceland’s Ring Road, we first had to drive from sea level across a 2000 foot pass. Given the wind and rain conditions and all the warnings, we decided to just stay put. We went to the campground about 500 meters from the ferry. It turned out to be the best decision because the queasy feelings of sea sickness stayed with us for a while. So we were happy to just chill out. Also, before we sailed we had put our bikes inside Bijou. The ferries charge by length and height for vehicles, so with our bikes inside we saved a couple of hundred euros on our fare. When we got off the ferry we had to get them out and put them back on the rack in the pouring rain. I say “we”, but you know I mean Steven.

We spent the day with winds howling all around us, but we were warm and cozy in Bijou. We took some time to figure out our route. The weather in Iceland seems to mirror that which we experienced in Ireland this summer, wet and cool. In Iceland, especially in the north, wet and cool can mean freezing temperatures and ice. Not exactly good motorhoming weather. One thing Iceland has on top of those conditions is wind, especially this time of year. Really, really fierce winds that are no joke when it comes to driving a high-profile vehicle. Adventure, indeed!

Before I wrap up this post, I want to make a recommendation for a television series. You know how we like to watch shows that take place in the towns we visit, well lo and behold, we came upon an Iceland-produced show that was filmed in Seydisfjordur, and our Smyril Line ferry features in many of the first season’s episodes. The show is called “Trapped” and it is a “Nordic thriller” available on Netflix in Iceland, but not sure about the US. We are really enjoying it, so for all you who are looking for new shows to watch, give this one a try if its available and let us know what you think!

As always, another pencil art portrait contribution from Steven. He has been enjoying working online with an art teacher. If you would like to see more, you can keep up with what he’s doing by following his Facebook art page here or on Instagram here.

Up next: The Iceland adventure begins

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