We have taken the Smyril Line ferry from Denmark to Iceland twice — once with our car, once without. We have also flown to Reykjavik from Helsinki more times than we can count. So when readers ask us whether the Smyril Line vs flying to Iceland debate is settled, we can give a real answer, not a blog-post estimate.

The short version: the ferry can be cheaper, but only if you go with a car and travel as a couple. Flying is almost always cheaper per person if you are solo, and it is always faster. But cost is only half the story.

What the Smyril Line ferry actually costs in 2026

The Smyril Line sails from Hirtshals in northern Denmark, stops in Tórshavn (Faroe Islands), and arrives in Seyðisfjörður on Iceland’s east coast. The full crossing takes roughly 3.5 days one way. Here is what you are actually paying for in 2026.

Passenger fare and cabin options

• Reclining seat (no cabin): from around €120–€160 per person one way in shoulder season, rising to €180–€220 in peak summer. Fine for one night; not comfortable for 3.5 days.
• Basic 4-berth cabin (inside): €190–€260 per person one way in summer. If you book as a couple you often pay for the full cabin (~€380–€520 total), which gives you privacy.
• 2-berth inside cabin: €280–€380 per person in peak season. This is the sweet spot for couples — comfortable, private, and you can sleep properly.
• Outside cabin with porthole: €360–€480 per person peak. Worth it for the first crossing; you can skip it on the return.
• Vehicle deck — standard car: add €300–€480 for your car one way, depending on the vehicle length and season. This is where the real savings live, because a rental car in Iceland costs €60–€120 per day.

Food and extras on board

• The Smyril Line restaurant is surprisingly good but not cheap — budget €30–€50 per person per day if you eat all meals on board.
• Many passengers bring food for the first day or two to cut costs. The ship has a small shop, but prices are Faroese ferry prices.
• Over 3.5 days, onboard food can easily add €100–€180 per person to your total.

What flying to Iceland actually costs in 2026

Icelandic flights have become genuinely competitive since Icelandair regained dominance and budget alternatives expanded. But cheap flights to Iceland come with conditions that often push the real cost up.

Baseline airfare in 2026

• From Helsinki to Reykjavik (KEF): typically €180–€320 return in shoulder season with one stop, rising to €350–€550 in peak July. Direct options from some Nordic cities are sometimes cheaper.
• From Copenhagen or Oslo: €140–€280 return in shoulder season. These are the cheapest European departure points for Iceland.
• Budget carriers (Wizz and similar): can reach €90–€150 one way in sale windows, but luggage fees add €30–€60 per bag per flight, and the base fare rarely includes anything useful.

What you still have to pay after the flight

• Car rental in Iceland: a basic 4WD costs €65–€110 per day. For a 10-day trip, that is €650–€1,100 — often the largest single cost of an Iceland trip, dwarfing the airfare.
• Getting to the airport: Keflavik is 50 km from Reykjavik. The Flybus costs about €30 per person return. Taxis are €80–€120 each way.
• Luggage on budget carriers: if you bring hiking gear, camping equipment, or ski bags, checked luggage quickly adds €120–€200 to a return flight.

The real cost comparison: 8 scenarios for 2026

Here are the actual scenarios we have run, based on 2026 pricing. All figures are per person for a 10-day Iceland trip in summer (peak season), starting from mainland Scandinavia.

Hidden costs that neither the ferry nor the airlines advertise

Both options have costs that do not appear in the headline price, and they are usually the ones that surprise people most.

Smyril Line hidden costs

• Getting to Hirtshals: this port is in northern Denmark, far from Copenhagen. Train or driving adds distance and cost if you are not already in Scandinavia.
• The Faroe stopover: the ship stops in Tórshavn for 12–24 hours. This is a gift — but if you want to rent a car on the Faroes, add €80–€120 for the day.
• Early boarding fees: Smyril Line charges for early access to cabins. If your car is loaded but you want cabin access before the official time, you pay extra.
• Seasickness medication or patches: the North Atlantic is not always calm. We have seen other passengers spend a day horizontal. Budget €15–€30 for medication if you are susceptible.
• Missed connections: the ferry is occasionally delayed by weather. Build flexibility into any flights you have booked post-arrival.

Flying hidden costs

• Checked baggage on budget carriers: almost everything useful for Iceland (hiking boots, wet weather gear, camping kit) is heavy. Two checked bags can add €120 to a return flight.
• The Keflavik transfer: €30 by bus, €100 by taxi. Easy to miss when comparing headline fares.
• Car hire add-ons: Iceland car hire quotes almost never include the gravel protection (SCDW) or sand/ash protection that is essentially mandatory on the Ring Road. Add €15–€25 per day.
• Connecting flights: most European departures to Iceland involve a connection. If your connection is tight and misses, you lose a full day. Icelandair is generally reliable; budget airlines less so.

Who should take the Smyril Line vs who should fly

After two ferry crossings and a dozen Iceland flights, this is our honest framework for making the decision.

Take the Smyril Line if:

• You want to visit the Faroe Islands in the same trip — the ferry makes it a single journey.
• You are traveling for 2+ weeks and bringing your own car or a campervan, making car hire irrelevant.
• You enjoy the journey as part of the experience — the North Atlantic crossing is genuinely spectacular on a clear day.
• You are traveling as a family with young children who find airports stressful. The ship is a contained, calm environment.
• You have a slow-travel mindset and the three days at sea sounds like a feature, not a bug.

Fly if:

• Your Iceland trip is under two weeks — the time cost of the ferry makes no sense.
• You are traveling solo — the per-person economics almost always favor flying.
• You are on a strict budget and shoulder-season flights are available — cheap flights beat the ferry in this window.
• You need flexibility — flights can be rebooked, ferry cabins and vehicle spots are harder to change.
• You are prone to seasickness and do not want to medicate for 3.5 days.

The mistakes we made choosing between Smyril Line and flying

• Not including the Faroe stopover car in our ferry budget. We arrived in Tórshavn assuming we would walk everywhere. We ended up renting a scooter at premium prices because we wanted to reach Saksun. Plan for the stopover.
• Booking a reclining seat instead of a cabin. On our first crossing we saved money by booking seats. By day two we deeply regretted it. The North Atlantic is not a place to sleep in a chair for 3.5 days — book a cabin.
• Not checking ferry schedules before booking flights. The Smyril Line only sails once or twice per week. We once booked a flight back from Iceland and later realized the ferry timing would have fit our dates perfectly — we just hadn’t looked.
• Assuming the ferry is always cheaper. We did the math wrong the first time and forgot to include car hire, which the ferry eliminates. Do the full comparison, not just headline fares.
• Underestimating the food cost on board. Restaurant meals add up faster than expected. Pack snacks and at least one or two easy meals for the crossing.
• Not building in a Seyðisfjörður night. The ferry arrives at Seyðisfjörður on Iceland’s remote east coast. We drove to Reykjavik on arrival day — it was too far and too rushed. Stay one night near the fjord.

Frequently asked questions

A final word from Rovaniemi

We have done both enough times to have a real opinion. Flying to Iceland is convenient, efficient, and often cheaper for a quick trip. The Smyril Line is something else entirely — three days on the North Atlantic with the Faroe Islands in the middle, arriving at a fjord on Iceland’s quiet east coast. It is the kind of journey that becomes part of the story, not just the way to get there.

If you are running the numbers and they come out roughly equal, choose the ferry. The cost difference rarely stays significant once you factor in car hire, luggage, and the Keflavik transfer. And you will not regret waking up on the deck somewhere between Denmark and the Faroes, watching the ocean go by.

We are always happy to answer specific route questions — drop a comment below or find us on Instagram where we document this kind of trip planning in real time.