How to Travel in Malta – By Bus, Car, Ridesharing, Ferry
Malta is a small island country, and traveling between various tourist attractions here is not complicated. You just need to be informed in advance and know all the possibilities available to move from one point to another. That's why I invite you to read this article, to find out all the transport options available to you.
1. By bus through Malta
The bus is the only public means of road transport in Malta. You have the possibility to reach any point in Malta by bus, excluding going to the islands of Gozo and Comino, where a ferry is needed. The buses are clean, cheap and in general they respect the posted schedule.
The price of a travel ticket varies and it depends on the type of bus. You can pay in cash, directly to the driver, or you can travel with a travel card, through which you benefit from reduced ticket prices.
- Buses that have only a number displayed (eg: 1, 2, 3, etc.) are standard buses.
- A ticket costs 2 euros if you buy it from the driver, or 1.85 euros with the transport card
- Buses whose numbers start with N are night buses (eg: N11, N13, N212, etc.)
- The ticket costs 3 euros if bought from the driver, or 2.85 with the card
- Buses whose numbers start with TD (eg: TD2, TD10, TD13, etc.) are Tallinja Direct buses - they have fewer stops than standard buses and reach their destination faster, but the tickets are also more expensive:
- 3 euros if you pay directly to the driver, 2.85 euros with the transport card
- Buses whose numbers start with X are the buses that go to the airport (ex: X1, X2, X3, etc.).
- The price is the same as a standard ticket: 2 euros for the driver or 1.85 with the transport card.
From the moment you buy a bus ticket, it is valid for 2 hours, regardless of whether you change the means of transport.
To find out how to get from one destination to another, I recommend that you follow Google Maps or install the application Tallinja, to find out the timetable of all buses.
In Valletta there is the bus terminal from which most of the buses depart. Thus, if you want to move from one point to another on the island, it is quite likely that you will not find a direct means of transport and that you will need to return to Valletta to change buses. This means that you will lose more time on the road.
Travel card in Malta
If you plan to travel often by bus in Malta, I recommend purchasing a travel card. Here you have several options to choose from, and for tourists the most suitable ones are described below.
Explore Flex Card
You can buy this card at the price of 6 euros, a value that will be considered travel credit. This card offers you reduced ticket prices on buses and public ferries.
You can recharge this card at any time directly from the Tallinja application.
Below is the list of transport services that you can pay with this card and what are the discounts:
| Standard ticket price | Ticket price with travel card | |
|---|---|---|
| Day Bus (ex: 1, 2, 3) | €2.00 | €1.85 |
| Airport Bus (ex: X1, X2, X3) | €2.00 | €1.85 |
| Night Bus (ex: N11, N13, N212) | €3.00 | €2.85 |
| Tallinja Direct (ex: TD2, TD10, TD13) | €3.00 | €2.85 |
| Valletta - Cospicua Ferry | €1.50 | €1.30 |
| Valletta - Sliema Ferry | €1.50 | €1.30 |
Explore Card
If you plan to stay in Malta for a week, this card offers you unlimited transport on any means of public transport (standard or night bus) for 7 days. The card costs 21 euros / adult or 15 euros / child.
For more details, you can also check the official website: https://www.publictransport.com.mt/en/.
Advantages / Disadvantages by bus in Malta
Advantages
- It's cheap
- The buses are clean
- You can move to any location within the island of Malta or Gozo
Disadvantages
- The travel time is quite long. If there is no direct bus between two locations, you must return to Valletta to change the means of transport
- It can be quite crowded. If the bus is already full, the drivers do not stop in every station to pick up other passengers, so you will have to wait for the next bus
- On some routes, buses do not run very often (for example, it may be one bus/hour). During weekends and holidays, they circulate less often.
2. With a rented car through Malta
In Malta you can choose to drive around with a rented car. You can rent a car at a fairly affordable price, but expect to leave a guarantee beforehand. You can find cars here: https://www.maltacar.com/.
You should know that in Malta they drive in the English style: cars have the steering wheel on the right and are driven on the left side of the road.
In cities, parking spaces on the street are free, but the roads are quite narrow and it is more difficult to find a free space. Do not park in front of the garages or on the yellow lines! Only where the parking lots are marked with white lines.
Otherwise, you can look for paid parking lots, where you can leave your car easily.
Advantages / Disadvantages with a car in Malta
Advantages
- You are flexible - you can visit many locations on the island in one day.
- You move quickly from one point to another - If a bus trip can take up to two hours to get to a location, by car you can get there in 10-20 minutes.
- You visit many more places - with a car, it's easy to get to places you would otherwise miss.
Disadvantages
- The biggest disadvantage is that in Malta you drive on the left! Not everyone would feel comfortable driving with the steering wheel on the right, and maybe that's why many avoid renting a car in Malta or in other countries with a similar driving style.
- Parking places - in the months with many tourists it can become stressful to look for parking places in crowded areas - with the bus/bolt you don't have such problems.
3. With Bolt/Uber through Malta
The Bolt was the means of transport most often used by us in Malta. The prices are not very high, you have the comfort of a car, but you don't have the stress of finding parking spaces.
As an example, these were the prices we paid on Bolt trips:
- Aeroport – Valletta 13 euro
- Valletta – St. Julians 9 euro, Sliema – St. Julians 7 euro
- St. Julians – Blue Grotto 17 euros
- Blue Grotto - Mdina 14 euros
- Mdina – Marsaxlokk 18 euro
- Marsaxlokk – Valleta 14 euro
I mention that there are many cars that offer these ridesharing services in Malta. Never, after ordering a Bolt, did we wait more than 30 seconds for the car to arrive. Usually, at each tourist attraction, there were several Bolt/Uber cars already waiting in the parking lot for orders.
As a curiosity: all cars whose registration number ends in LY are ridesharing cars.
Advantages / Disadvantages with Bolt/Uber in Malta
Advantages
- With ride sharing you get to your destination the fastest
- Compared to a rented car, you don't have the stress of parking
- There are many ride-sharing cars in Malta, you will not wait more than a few minutes for the car
- You will have the comfort of a car, and not the discomfort of a crowded bus, with many stops and long travel time
- If you are 4 people, the price is not much higher than the price paid for 4 bus tickets
Disadvantages
- If you are one or two people, it is more expensive than traveling by bus
- You are not as flexible as with a rented car. If you notice an interesting location on the road, you could quickly stop there with your rented car, and then continue on your way
4. By ferry through Malta
In Malta you have the possibility to travel by boat between different locations.
Ferry to Gozo
If you want to reach Gozo, you can take the ferry from Valleta or from Cirkewwa, a port in the north of the island of Malta. The ships stop in Mgarr, the port on the island of Gozo, and the triptakes several tens of minutes.
- Valletta - Gozo - the trip takes 45 minutes
- Cirkewwa - Gozo - the trip takes 25 minutes
The companies that operate these routes are Virtu Ferries Gozo, Gozo Fast Ferry and Gozo Channel.
With Gozo Channel, for example, you have the possibility to go by car. The price is 15.70 euros (car + driver), 4.65 euros / adult or 1.15 euros / child.
If the weather does not allow, the water transport is cancelled.
Ferry Valletta – Sliema, Valleta – Cospicua (The 3 cities)
From Valletta you have a return ferry to Sliema or to Cospicua (one of The 3 Cities). The trip takes a few minutes, and a ticket starts from 1.3 euros. You can pay with the transport card, and you benefit from a reduced price.
| Standard ticket price | Ticket price with transport card | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult / day | €1.50 | €1.3 |
| Adult / day / return ticket | €2.8 | |
| Adult / night | €1.75 | €1.65 |
| Adult / night / return ticket | €3.3 | |
| Child | €0.5 | €0.45 |
| Child / return ticket | €0.9 |
If you traveled by ferry to Cospicua (The Three Cities), on the basis of the ticket you have free access to the Barrakka Lift, from the port to the Upper Barrakka Garden.
