How to travel around in Malta
Although Malta is one of the smallest countries in the world it can sometimes be quite tricky to be travel here.
If you are staying in the popular tourist and expat spots, you can cover everything on foot.
How To Get To Your Hotel From The Airport
You have quite a few options when it comes to travelling from the airport to your hotel. Here are your options and everything you need to know about them:
Option 1: Bus
Talinja(pronounced Taal-eenyeah) is the main public transport service provider in the Maltese Islands.
You can board a bus from the airport to your destination. Once you board a bus, buy your ticket from the driver.
The price of a one-way ticket is €1.50. Between mid-June to mid-October, it’s €2. The night service& direct lines cost €3.
The direct line helps you reach your destination faster. There are 7 direct lines to various destinations on the island.
If you plan on using the direct lines please visit this link to learn about the timetables and routes.
You can go to the reception at the airport for more information.
Price-💲/💲💲💲💲💲
Option 2-Hotel Shuttle Service From The Airport
The Airport runs a shuttle service called “Malta Transfer”. You can book your tickets on their website by clicking here.
Tickets are also available at the airport itself at the reception area. The price of each ticket is €5. You might have to pay more for extra bags.
Price:💲💲/💲💲💲💲💲
Customer Reviews:⭐⭐/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A lot of tourists have given unfavourable reviews for this service on tripadvisor.
Reviews on google for this service are not impressive either. That, however, doesn’t mean the service is bad. We often don’t leave good reviews unless they are convinced to do so. But we don’t hesitate to leave bad reviews.
If you choose to use this shuttle or have used it in the past please share your experience in the comment section below.
Option 3- Cab
Uber is not available in Malta. But, the island has a few alternatives to uber like ecabs, bonju & bolt(formerly known as “taxify”).
Price 💲💲💲/💲💲💲💲💲Cabs are more affordable in Malta than a lot of other places(yes, London & Tokyo I am talking about you).
If you would be staying in the central or northern harbour region, you would be spending €15–€20 for your taxi ride.
The most you would spend is more or less €30. If you decide to stay in the farthest place from the airport, in the city of Mellieha.It’s 30 Kilometres away.
If you think about it that’s just €1/Kilometre on average.
Customer Reviews: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Most customers are very satisfied. Drivers don’t usually drive like Formula one drivers & are courteous.
Bus
Talinja is the Island’s main public transportation provider. It runs an extensive bus service with over 2000 bus stops spread across the Maltese Islands.
It also runs a ferry service from Sliema To Valletta and From Valletta to Cospicua.
The price of a one-way ticket is €1.50 and €2 in the summer, the night service costs €3. You can buy tickets in the bus from the driver.The tickets are valid for unlimited rides for up to 2 hours.
You can buy a Talinja Explore card for €21 which allows you to travel for free for 7 days. The price for children is only €15.
You can buy a Talinja Explore card in the Airport in several locations spread across Malta.
You can also follow this link to see all the locations where you can buy your Talinja Explore card.
Important routes
Express Lines- Talinja runs 6 express services that pass through the Airport. Buses from each route pass by from here every hour.
X1 and X1B-Destination Cirkewwa: This line passes by Msida and Pembroke. It stops at the northern tip of Malta-Cirkewwa. You can catch a ferry to Gozo from here.
X2-Destination San Giljan- This route passes by Msida and Sliema. It stops at San Giljan(St Julian’s in English). If your hotel is in either of these locations you can hop onto this bus.
X3-Destination Bugibba-If your hotel is in Bugibba you can hop onto this bus.
X4-Valletta to Birzebuggia-If you’re staying is in the city of Birzebuggia you can choose to board this bus. If it’s in the north or in Floriana you can hop on to the bus going towards Valletta. Pretty much every bus route emerges from Valletta.
TD-2: A direct line between St Julian’s(San Giljan in Maltese) and the Airport. The cost of a one-way ticket is €3.
Planning Your Bus Journies
You can visit this page on Talinja’s website to see the timetable for pretty much any bus.
Buses can be late at times. That’s because they often get caught in traffic jams.
Traffic jams are common in Malta especially during the rush hours between 8 AM to 9 AM and 4 PM to 6 PM.
But that shouldn’t dissuade you from using the bus. Locals use the Talinja App on their phones to plan out their journey and to check whether their bus is on time.
The Talinja App gives you suggestions to alternate routes and the estimated time it would take you to reach your destination.
Bicycle
You might have explored most cities in Europe on a bicycle. But, cycling in Malta is generally not recommended for inexperienced cyclists.
Malta’s is a small country and its infrastructure is designed for commute by car. Dedicated bicycle lanes are generally missing in most areas. A lot of the roads have potholes which can be dangerous for cyclists.
But, there are some amazing bicycle trails in Malta. You can click here to learn about some beautiful bicycle trails in Malta. There are several bicycle renting services specializing in mountain bikes.
If you prefer to cycle around cities I would suggest you rent a bike with Next Bike. The first 30 minutes cost €1.50 and every hour after that costs €1. You can also save money on their weekly plans or tourist plans.
Safety -Please ensure that you are safe on the road. This involves things like:
-Wearing a helmet.
-Wearing appropriate clothing and shoes.
-Watching out for car doors being opened
-Watching out for potholes
-Using hand signals etc
Bicycle Advocacy Group is an advocacy group consisting of experienced cyclists in Malta. This group is trying to make Malta bicycle friendly. It also helps many people to learn how to cycle safely in Malta.
Please contact Bicycle Advocacy Group if you plan to cycle around Malta.
Renting a Car
The car is the preferred mode of transportation for most residents. One of the main reasons for this is because Malta doesn’t have a metro system.
Locals don’t like to rely on buses. Buses can often be late during rush hour.
This causes a lot of people to be late for work.
If you are in Malta on vacation, you don’t need to worry about being late for work. That’s why the bus is the cheapest and most convenient option for travellers.
But if you choose to explore Malta in a car you can still find plenty of car rental services here.
Car sharing services like GoTo have become quite popular for a few years now. Their cars are 100% electric. On their website, they say that you can rent their cars for €0.28 per minute.
Motorbikes & Scooters
Motorbikes & scooters are good options for someone who plans to stay here for a few weeks or months(or even for more than a year). These vehicles allow you to zip through traffic and narrow streets.
It’s also easier to find places to park these vehicles compared to cars.
Please ensure that you wear a helmet and have a driver ’s license. An EU/EEA driver’s license is valid in Malta. An Australian driver’s license is also valid in Malta.
If you have a Swiss or Australian driver’s license and have been residing in Malta for more than 185 days you need to exchange your driver’s license.
Driving your own vehicle in Malta
Many people drive to Malta and use a ferry from Sicily to bring their car here.
The cost to bring a vehicle to Malta with a ferry can range from €20 to over €100 depending on the age of your car, its size and it’s estimated CO2 emissions.
Some of the popular ferry services are virtu ferries and Grimaldi lines. If you are staying here for 6 months or less, you wouldn’t need to register your vehicle. You must have a sticker on the car that shows the country of registration of your vehicle.
Registering your vehicle in Malta
If you are planning to stay in Malta for more than 6 months you will have to register your vehicle.
Registering your vehicle can sometimes be very expensive unless you drive an electric vehicle.
You can click here to learn more about registering your vehicle in Malta.
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