Malta is small enough to cross by car in about an hour, but the transport still trips people up – there are no trains, the buses are cheap but slow in summer traffic, and whether to hire a car is a genuine decision rather than a default. The short version: buses cover most sights, ferries handle Gozo and the harbour crossings, ride-hailing apps fill the gaps, and a car only pays off if you're chasing remote beaches and the south. If you do want the freedom of your own wheels, you can compare Malta car hire before you fly. Here's how each option actually works.
- 01Buses (Tallinja) are the cheap backbone – a single fare is roughly €2–2.50 and valid for two hours, with a multi-day card for unlimited travel.
- 02There are no trains or metro in Malta; everything runs on buses, ferries, taxis and cars.
- 03Ferries handle the rest: the 25-minute Gozo crossing and the quick Valletta–Sliema and Three Cities harbour hops.
- 04Ride-hailing apps (Bolt, eCabs) are cheaper and easier than flagging a white taxi.
- 05Hire a car only if you want the remote beaches and the south – in the cities it's more hassle than it's worth, and Malta drives on the left.
The quick version: do you need a car?
For most first visits based in Sliema, St Julian's or Valletta, no. Buses and ferries reach the headline sights, and organised day trips cover the far-flung bits without you driving.
A car earns its keep if your trip leans towards the remote rocky swimming spots, the south (Marsaxlokk, the Blue Grotto) or the northern beaches, where buses are slow and infrequent. It also helps if you simply dislike waiting for a bus in the summer heat.
The trade-offs are real: aggressive local driving, narrow village lanes, and tight, pricey parking in Sliema and Valletta. Weigh the freedom against the faff before you book. For the full picture on first-visit planning, the Malta basics guide covers transport alongside everything else.
Buses: the Tallinja network
Buses are the cheap backbone of getting around, run by Tallinja (Malta Public Transport). A single fare is roughly €2–2.50 depending on season and is valid for two hours, so a journey with a connection still counts as one ticket.
If you'll use buses more than a couple of times, a multi-day travel card with unlimited rides pays off quickly – worth it for most week-long stays. Buy it at the airport or Valletta terminus, and use the Tallinja app to plan routes and check live times.
The honest downside is speed. The network is extensive but the popular routes get packed and slow in peak-season traffic, so allow more time than the map suggests and front-load travel into the cooler morning.
Ferries: Gozo and the harbour crossings
Ferries are the most pleasant way to travel here, and for some trips the only sensible one. The Gozo Channel ferry runs between Ċirkewwa in the north and Mġarr on Gozo in about 25 minutes, all day – and you only pay on the way back, so boarding outbound is quick. Our Gozo day trip guide covers the crossing in detail.
Closer to base, the harbour ferries are a genuine shortcut. The Valletta–Sliema crossing takes about seven minutes for around €1.50, and a separate ferry links Valletta with the Three Cities – both faster and nicer than the equivalent bus.
Taxis and ride-hailing
For door-to-door trips, skip flagging a cab and use an app. Bolt and eCabs both operate across Malta, with upfront pricing that's noticeably cheaper than the traditional white taxis and no haggling.
White taxis still have their place – they use fixed fares from the airport (around €17 to Valletta, €20 to Sliema or St Julian's), settled at the official counter. For everything else, the apps are the easy default.
Hiring a car: when it's worth it
Car hire is cheap in Malta, often from around €25 a day, and the rental desks are at the airport. If you want the flexibility for beaches, the temples and the quiet corners, comparing rates before you fly gets you the best deal.
Two things to know before you commit. Malta drives on the left (a British legacy), and the driving is assertive with narrow, busy roads – fine if you're used to it, stressful if you're not.
Parking is the other catch: it's tight and expensive in Sliema and Valletta, so a car is most useful if you're based somewhere with parking and heading out, rather than driving into the centres.
Getting in from the airport
The airport sits close to the main resort areas, so the first ride is short. Your options are the cheap Airport Direct express bus, a fixed-fare taxi, or a pre-booked private transfer that meets you at arrivals – the full breakdown is in our Malta airport transfers guide.
If you're hiring a car for the trip, picking it up on arrival saves a transfer, but only if you're comfortable driving straight from the airport into Maltese traffic.
Tourist option: the hop-on hop-off bus
If you'd rather link the sights without planning bus connections, the hop-on hop-off bus covers the island's highlights on two loops from Sliema, with an audio guide at each stop. It costs more than a Tallinja day card but bundles the route and the commentary into one ticket – useful on a first day to get your bearings.
Featured image: HH58 / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
