Car Hire Leknes Airport

Leknes Airport Mini Guide

Who Flies to Leknes?
If you want to experience life on a remote Norwegian island then Leknes is for you. It’s on the largest of the Lofoten Islands, high in the Arctic Circle and off the coast of Norway. Most who go there want to walk in the dramatic scenery, sail boats on the mirror like fjords or just hire a boat and fish. For a bit of drama the Maelstrom, not a whirlpool as you might imagine but a particularly ferocious tidal current, is found off the Lofoten Islands near Vaeroy.

How can I get to Leknes?
Leknes has its own tiny airport reachable by flying on Dash-8 aeroplanes from the small regional mainland airports of Bodo, Rost and Svolvaer. To reach them it’s necessary to get a connection from Oslo which is on the route map of many budget airlines.

What is the Airport Like?
It’s very basic as you’d imagine for a small island chain in the middle of nowhere. However it has free Wi-Fi internet access for those who have brought laptops with them and there are three car hire companies represented there so collecting your pre-booked hire car won’t be a problem. In the arrivals hall you won’t find an information point. Much of what you need to know is on a noticeboard including the taxi company numbers but if you’re really stuck, the friendly staff are always willing to help with a smile. It’s in the retail and dining departments where you’ll struggle, for there are no shops and only vending machines stocked with sandwiches, crisps and drinks. If you think you’re going to need more than that to keep you going then you must bring your own supplies to the airport.

Leknes airport is found on the Lofoten Islands, way up into the Arctic Circle. It’s unlikely you’ll find more dramatic scenery with millpond smooth fjords reflecting enormous peaks that seem to just rise out of the water.

There’s not much to do there but that’s part of the charm. Hire a car to get around the biggest of the islands and watch the fishermen going about their business. Visit the handful of local craft shops or just sit at a café, wrapped up and watch the world go by ever so slowly.