Transportation in Malta

Malta is centrally located in the Mediterranean, close to Italy, Greece and North Africa.
Malta flights are offered on a daily basis from the main airports around Europe to Malta Airport. A number of Mediterranean cruises stop in Valletta's Grand Harbour as well as ferry crossings from Sicily. The first thing you will notice when you travel around Malta, is that everything is close by. From one side of the island to the other side takes about 1 hour by car.

Our comprehensive Malta Transportation Guide below will tell you all you need to know about travelling in and around Malta. Use our Malta Destination Guide or check out our Malta tour options for good ways of exploring this beautiful archipelago.

- Malta Airport
- Mediterranean Cruises
- Malta Car Hire
- Malta Public Transportation
- Malta Island Ferries
- Malta Taxis
- Malta "Eco-friendly" CT Cabs

Malta Airport
Air Malta is the republic's national airline and has good connections to major cities in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Malta International Airport (MLA) is located at Luga in the South of Malta and is 7 km (4.5 miles) from Valletta in a South-Westerly direction. From the tourist area of St Julian's it would be 13 km or 8 miles and from Mellieha about 22 km or 13.5 miles. Though the airport itself is compact, it has all modern amenities at par with international standards: car hire, currency exchange, airline booking desks and information centres.

To reach the airport from Valletta, you could board bus 8, which departs at 20 minute intervals starting at 6 am and operates until 9 pm from the Valletta Bus Terminus. You could even drive to the airport in 30 to 45 minutes from any part of the island.

Visit our partner Air Valid for Airline Reviews and Information about Malta. Below we have listed a number of airlines that fly to and from Malta; Air Malta, Easyjet, Air France, Alitalia, Ryanair and Lufthansa.

Mediterranean Cruises - Valletta's Grand Harbour
There are many cruise lines that included Valletta in their itineraries around the Mediterranean. Furthermore there are many ferry connections via Italy or Sicily. From Sicily there are good high-speed ferries to Malta. There are two options: Virtu Ferries or Grimaldi Ferries. Virtu Ferries operates with catamarans between Malta and Sicily. Grimaldi Ferries operates between Malta - Italy and Malta - Sicily.

Malta Cruises
Holland America Line (HAL)
Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC)
Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL)                    

Malta Ferries
Grimaldi Ferries
Virtu Ferries

Malta Car Hire
There are many Malta  car rentals present on the island, however driving in Malta is not without challenges. Poor traffic discipline, congested roads and parking problems are huge deterrents. Avis, Hertz and Europcar are recommendable Malta car hire companies.

Malta Public Transportation

Public transportation in Malta is operated by Malta's Public Transportation Association or ATP. Their fleet consists of classic buses and city buses.

A good way to pick up the timetable is to either check the website of ATP or pick up a paper map and timetable from the ATP kiosk at the main bus station of Malta just outside the City Gate of Valletta.

Buses carry the route number at the front on a sign and are easy to spot thanks to their bright orange colour. An one way ticket varies from € 0,47 - € 1,16, day tickets are € 3,89 which you can use to travel all around the island.

Using public transport and getting to Gozo from the main island of Malta is simple. Take a bus to Cirkewwa (bus 145 or 645) then get on the ferry to Gozo and end up in the capital of Gozo, Victoria, by taking bus 25 from Mgarr Ferry Terminal.

Malta Island Ferries
The ferry service between Malta and Gozo is operated by Gozo Channel Company Ltd. Crossovers take about 25 minutes and ticket prices for passengers are € 4,65 and for cars € 15,70.

Malta Taxis
White taxis can be hailed from anywhere on the island, but fix on the fare before you get in. The services from the airport have fixed rates to different parts of the island. The only spot you can't have a taxi pull over is at a bus stop, so take care not to stand at one when you are hailing a taxi.

You'll find white taxis in Valletta relatively expensive- much like Western Europe in terms of fares. They rarely have a meter, so it is crucial that you agree on a price before you board them. If you need a taxi, go for M Mobility Malta. E-mail: info@mmobilitymalta.com  tel: (+356) 79717179.

Water Taxi in Grand Harbour Valletta
If you'd like to see more of the coastline from afar, you can hire a Water Taxi operated by A & S Water Taxis. Catch one from the Grand Harbour and you could even go as far as the historic Vittoriosa or Senglea on the traditional boat called the ‘dghajsa'.

Malta "Eco-friendly" CT Cabs
To explore the island the eco-friendly way, get into one of the CT cabs. These electric vehicles run on battery power and in and around Valletta. If you spot one and want to hop on, simply hail it down like you would a taxi. Fares cost 1 Euro regardless of where you're travelling to. You can also book a seat 15 minutes before you want to catch one. The CT cabs operate between 7 am and 11 pm all days of the week.