Driving in Malta, for a British driver

Driving in Malta comes with one pleasant surprise for a British driver. Traffic keeps to the left, just like at home, so the hardest adjustment most visitors face simply isn’t there for you. What you do need to adjust to is everything else, and that’s what I’d focus on.

Familiar side, unfamiliar units

On Malta and Gozo you drive on the left, and Malta’s tourism authority adds that all road signs are in English. The difference you’ll notice first is on the signs themselves. Limits are 80 km/h on open roads and 50 km/h in built-up areas unless signed otherwise, roughly 50 mph and 31 mph. After years of thinking in miles it’s easy to drift over, so I’d keep an eye on the speedometer for the first day.

Valletta’s cruise port reminds drivers that seat belts are compulsory for all occupants and that speed limits are strictly enforced, particularly in built-up and historic areas.

Licence and paperwork

According to gov.uk, a UK photocard licence is all you need to drive in Malta. Holders of an old paper licence may have to swap it for a photocard or add the right international driving permit, which is a job for before you travel, not at the hire desk. If you’re bringing your own car, which means driving to Sicily and taking the Virtu ferry from Pozzallo, gov.uk also says to check if you need a UK sticker.

Is driving in Malta difficult?

Not because of the side of the road. The honest answer from gov.uk is that the state of some roads is poor, and so is the standard of local driving. Spain’s foreign ministry adds that signage is poor. None of that is a reason not to drive, but it’s a reason to drive defensively, keep a navigation app running and not rely on a sign appearing in time.

Where I’d drive and where I wouldn’t

Gozo is, for me, the best place to have a car. There’s less traffic, the distances are short and the places worth seeing are spread across the island. On the main island, the west and south, with the Dingli Cliffs, Buskett and the temples, link up nicely by car. Where I wouldn’t bother is Valletta, Sliema and St Julian’s, with dense traffic, little room and better options such as the Sliema to Valletta ferry.

Car, scooter or bike?

Malta’s tourism authority mentions scooter, motorbike and bicycle hire too, but warns that cycle lanes on major roads are rather limited. Given what gov.uk says about local driving, I wouldn’t get on a motorbike for the first time here. For short hops around Valletta, Sliema and St Julian’s, the shared tallinja Bike e-bikes cost €3 for the first half hour, and on the Valletta Waterfront you can also rent electric cars, scooters and e-bikes.

Spare a thought for pedestrians as well. The cruise port asks walkers to use marked crossings and obey the signals, and in narrow village streets I’d always take it slowly.

Parking

Here’s some good news. Transport Malta runs public car parks on Malta and Gozo that are free to use, staffed by attendants you can tip if you wish. On the Valletta Waterfront, by the cruise port, there’s free and flat-rate parking, and Pembroke has a Park and Ride with a tallinja Bike station.

For viewpoints and beaches, such as Dingli, I’d arrive early just in case. And gov.uk’s warning about theft from parked cars is one I’d apply especially in those places, with nothing left on show.

Insurance and the Gozo ferry

The key point for anyone driving a hire car across is the insurance, more than the ferry fare itself. Read that clause before you pick up the keys, not at the port.

For anyone hiring or driving, Malta’s tourism authority recommends comprehensive cover, and I agree. If you’re crossing to Gozo, check that the cover includes damage on the ferry and on the island. A car and driver costs €15.70 return on Gozo Channel. What to look for in the contract, and when hiring makes sense, is in car hire in Malta.

If you decide not to drive after all, the island works well by bus and boat, as I explain in getting around Malta.