Vardø Airport (VAW) has daily connections to Kirkenes and Tromsø via Widerøe. The airport is on the mainland at Svartnes; from there it is a short drive through the Vardø Tunnel, a 2.9-kilometre subsea road tunnel that burrows under the Bussesundet strait to reach Vardøya island. The tunnel replaced the old ferry crossing and opened in 1982.
By road from Kirkenes it is about two hours on the E75 through open tundra and along the Varangerfjord. Bus connections exist but are infrequent. There is no ferry service. The Hurtigruten coastal cruise calls at Vardø as part of its round trip between Bergen and Kirkenes, making it possible to arrive or depart by sea.