Malta Transport

Coming and Going

Mainland Europe has the best access to the Maltese archipelago. Malta International Airport is located about 8km (5mi) southwest of Valletta on the island of Malta. Air Malta has flights from Malta to a host of European cities as well as to Cairo, Tripoli and Tunis. Other carriers with services to Malta include Alitalia, British Airways, Emirates, KLM, Lufthansa, Swissair and Tuninter.

You can travel by bus from most parts of Europe to a port in Italy and catch a ferry to Malta. Eurolines operates buses across Europe with offices in all major European cities.

With your own vehicle, you can drive to southern Italy and take a car ferry from Salerno, Pozzallo or Catania (Sicily) to Malta. Drivers and motorbike riders will need the vehicle's registration papers, a Green Card, a nationality plate and their domestic licence. Contact your local automobile association for further details.

Rail travel from major European cities to southern Italy is easy and comfortable. If you're touring Europe on a Eurail or Inter Rail Pass, you can take the train to Reggio di Calabria or Catania then catch a ferry to Malta.

A year-round, high-speed ferry service is available between the island of Malta and Sicily. The run to Pozzallo takes 90min; there are less frequent services to/from Catania (3hr). There are also weekly ferry services to Genoa, Reggio di Calabria and Salerno. All passengers departing by sea must pay a departure tax.

Malta's popularity with the yachting fraternity means that it is possible to make your way there as unpaid crew. Yachts tend to leave Gibraltar, southern Spain and the Balearics in April and May to head towards the Greek Islands and the Turkish coast. It's possible to just turn up at a marina and ask if there are any yachts looking for crew, but there are also agencies that bring together yacht owners and prospective crew (for a fee).

Getting About

The public bus service is a good way to get around Malta and Gozo. Buses serve major tourist areas and go just about everywhere. Pay the driver for your ticket when you get on, and hold on to it - you may need to present it to an inspector. Buses display their route numbers, not their destinations, in the windscreen.

Although Valletta and the Cottonera are easily explored on foot, a car is a good option if you want to see more remote areas. Major and local rental agencies are located on the island of Malta. Driving is on the left. You can also rent bicycles, although rough roads and erratic drivers can make cycling an unpleasant experience.

A regular ferry service links irkewwa on Malta and Marr on Gozo, taking about 20min each way. There are also regular boat services between each island and Comino. Check locally for schedules. If you'd like to tour the islands in class, consider chartering a yacht.

Official Maltese taxis are white (usually a Mercedes with a taxi sign on top). As of mid-2006, taxi drivers have been using meters to determine the fare (except from the airport and port, where there are set fares).