Getting around Malta without losing half a day to each trip

Malta is small, but getting around it takes a bit of strategy. Distances are short and the traffic isn’t, so what makes the difference is combining bus, boat and, now and then, a car. Here’s how I’d do it depending on the kind of trip.

The bus is the backbone

Public transport in Malta means buses, run on both islands by Malta Public Transport. The tourism authority sums it up fairly, they serve the tourist areas, go practically everywhere and are cheap. A single on a day route costs €2.50 during the summer season (€2 in winter), covers two hours of changes and can be paid to the driver in cash, by card or with your phone. Every bus has free Wi-Fi.

For a stay of several days, I’d go straight for a pass. For several days, the Explore Flex gives unlimited travel, night and airport buses included, for €21 (4 days) or €27 (7 days). If two of you won’t travel much, the €19 12 Single Day Journeys card can be shared. All the useful routes, and how to buy each card, are in Malta buses.

The boats that dodge the traffic

This is my favourite Malta trick. There’s a non-stop ferry between Valletta and Sliema, and another between Valletta and Cospicua in the Three Cities. They cost €3 single and €5 return by day, sail every quarter of an hour on weekdays and in summer run until midnight on Sundays and public holidays. I’d use them whenever possible, and I explain the timetables in Valletta ferries.

For Gozo, the boat isn’t optional. The Gozo Channel ferry leaves Ċirkewwa, at the northern tip, and reaches Mġarr in about 25 minutes. There’s no booking and the €4.65 return fare is paid on the way back from Gozo. From Valletta there’s also the Gozo Highspeed fast ferry, about 45 minutes. I compare them in the Malta to Gozo ferry. Comino is reached by small boats from Mġarr or Ċirkewwa.

Hire car or not?

A car has its moments in Malta, and the British driver has a head start. Both islands drive on the left, the road signs are in English and the limits are 80 km/h out of town and 50 km/h in it. gov.uk accepts a UK photocard licence but is frank that parts of the road network are in bad shape and local drivers aren’t the most careful.

That’s why I wouldn’t hire one for a stay in Valletta, Sliema or St Julian’s. I would for Gozo, where buses are less frequent and the sights are spread out, or for a day along the southern cliffs and temples. What to check in the contract, especially if you’re taking it on the Gozo ferry, is in car hire in Malta.

Taxis, ride-hailing and bikes

Public-service taxis are white and, according to the tourism authority, can pick you up anywhere except at bus stops. Its advice is to agree the fare before you get in, and Spain’s foreign ministry adds that many drivers don’t use the meter. Booths for paying in advance can be found at the airport and also in Sliema and Valletta, and Uber, Bolt and eCabs also operate. I compare them in taxis in Malta.

For short hops there’s tallinja Bike, Malta Public Transport’s shared e-bike scheme, with docks in Valletta, on the Waterfront, in St Julian’s and at the University. It’s €3 for the first half hour, or €1.50 with a tallinja or Explore card. The tourism authority warns that cycle lanes on main roads are limited, which I’d take seriously. Gozo is where I’d actually ride, and the three official routes, 27 to 42 km each, are in cycling in Malta.

There’s also the hop-on hop-off, which leaves from Valletta harbour and is sold as an Explore Flex add-on as well. For a single sightseeing day it can save a lot of route-planning.

How I’d plan it

A word on timing, too. In the winter season a bus ride costs 50 cents less, and the harbour ferries sail until midnight on summer Sundays, so the calendar shifts the sums a little either way.

Staying in Valletta or Sliema, buses and ferries cover nearly everything, with a 7-day Explore Flex if you’re doing day trips. For Gozo, one day by ferry and bus or, to see the whole island, two days with a car. And if you’re flying in, start with your first journey, sorted in Malta airport to Valletta.