How to get to Malta, and why the plane usually wins

Malta is an island, and that makes planning refreshingly simple. From Britain there’s one door almost everyone uses, the plane, and two detours that only pay off in particular cases, the ferry from Sicily and the cruise ship. Here’s how I’d weigh them up.

Flying in is the obvious choice, and a good one

Malta International Airport, in Luqa, is the only airport in the country, so there’s no second-guessing which one to pick. In 2025 some 10,061,969 passengers passed through, August was the busiest month, and the airport has links to 35 countries.

I looked at its departures board on 28 September 2026 to see what a normal autumn day looks like from the British side. If you’re combining Spain and Malta, the year-round route from Barajas is in Madrid to Malta flights. Heathrow and Gatwick appeared with KM Malta Airlines and British Airways, Stansted and Luton with Ryanair, and a run of regional airports, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham and Belfast among them, with Ryanair and Jet2. That’s a snapshot, not a timetable, and some routes thin out in winter. I compare carriers and seasons in flights to Malta.

When the planes are fullest

The airport’s own figures show how seasonal Malta is. In 2025 August was the busiest month with 1,072,390 passengers and January the quietest with 507,574, less than half. August 2026 went higher still, 1,204,465 passengers, 12.3% up on the year before. In practice that means the arrivals hall, the bus queue and the taxi rank are at their fullest in July and August. If your dates are flexible, I’d look at the shoulder months first, when many of the same direct routes are still flying and the island has room to breathe.

Getting out of the airport

Malta Public Transport runs five Airport Direct lines that fan out to Valletta, Sliema, St Julian’s, Buġibba, Rabat, Mellieħa and the Gozo ferry at Ċirkewwa, for €3 a trip (€3.50 on the TD1). The bus terminal is about 100 metres from arrivals, according to Gozo’s tourism ministry. If you prefer a car, more than 30 hire companies operate from the airport, and Malta drives on the left, so a British licence holder feels at home straight away.

What you’ll find inside the terminal, from the tourist office to the pharmacy, and how the buses and taxis compare, is in the Malta airport guide.

Is there a ferry to Malta?

Only from Sicily. Virtu Ferries sails between Pozzallo and Malta on a fast catamaran, and on its published timetable for late September 2026 the crossing takes 1 h 45 min, with several sailings a day each way, some leaving before dawn.

People often look for a ferry from Catania, and that’s where plans go wrong. On that timetable there is no sailing from Catania. The company’s answer is a port-to-port coach from Catania to Pozzallo, with a supplement of €20 a head per crossing between October 2026 and April 2027. I’d only go this way if you’re already touring Sicily, and I explain the details in the Sicily to Malta ferry.

Arriving by cruise ship

Malta features in several Mediterranean cruise itineraries, and ships berth at the Valletta Waterfront in Floriana. The port says the capital is a fifteen-minute walk away, and the Upper Barrakka Lift takes the climb out of it. If you only have a few hours ashore, my plan for them is in Malta cruise port.

Passports, the 90-day rule and the new border checks

gov.uk says Malta follows Schengen rules. gov.uk’s rule for British visitors is a visa-free stay of up to 90 days within any 180-day window, with a passport issued less than a decade before you land. The Entry/Exit System replaces manual passport stamping. If you come by sea, Virtu Ferries only accepts passports and identity cards, not a driving licence. Children, residence permits and the fine print are in Malta entry requirements.

My pick, by starting point

From London or any big regional airport, I wouldn’t overthink it, direct flight and airport bus. Just put your watch forward, as the time in Malta is always an hour on from UK time. If your local airport only flies in summer, I’d compare a connection through London with a short domestic hop. I’d keep the Pozzallo ferry for anyone combining Sicily and Malta, and the cruise for those already sold on the ship.

Once you’ve landed, the next job is getting around by bus, ferry or hire car, which I cover in getting around Malta.