Malta Transport

Air
Travelling by air is the most popular way to arrive at Malta, with Malta International Airport at Luqa being a convenient hub with a good selection of flight connections.

Malta International Airport is Malta’s sole commercial airport, located at Luqa, about eight kilometres from Valletta. Air Malta has a good flight schedule, linking the country to destinations across Europe and the United Kingdom, while several other international carriers operate from the airport, linking the country to Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.

Main destinations served include London, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Exeter, Glasgow, Leeds-Bradford, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham, East Midlands, Dublin, Frankfurt, Paris, Rome, Madrid, Berlin, Amsterdam, Brussels, Zurich and Vienna, while major carriers include Air Berlin, Air Malta, Alitalia, British Airways, BritishJET, Emirates, Lufthansa and Ryanair.

The airport has a single terminal which caters to all arrivals and departures. The facilities and amenities are modern and well laid out. There is a good selection of restaurants, cafeterias and bars. There is a fully-equipped business centre with conference rooms as well as three VIP lounges and banking, postal and telecommunications services. Duty-free and regular shopping outlets are also on hand. 

The airport is well-equipped to cater for disabled passengers, and the single parking lot can be used for both short-term and long-term stays. The car park has room for 650 vehicles and is connected to the terminal by a footbridge.

Ground transportation between Valletta and the airport consists of buses and taxis. The buses run every 30 minutes between 06:00 and 22:00, seven days a week, and stop at many destinations on the 30-minute trip. Taxis can take visitors to any destination on the island of Malta for a fixed rate, paid for in advance; one of the rare occasions where you can be sure of the price of the taxi fare!

Sea
There is a good selection of ferries and catamarans running routes between Malta and Sicily and the southern Italian mainland. Both passenger and car ferries operate, meaning visitors can bring over their own cars. 

Grimaldi Ferries operate both car and passenger ferry services between Valletta in Malta and Salerno on the southern Italian mainland, while Virtu Ferries run high-speed catamarans capable of carrying both people and vehicles between Malta and the Sicilian ports of Catania and Pozzallo. During summer, there are also limited ferries between Malta and Genoa. 

The frequency of the ferry and catamaran services between Malta and Italy depends greatly on the season, with more regular operations during the summer months. Services may be cancelled at short notice if adverse weather conditions set in, which is more likely to occur during the winter months.

Air
While there are no domestic airline operations in Malta, there are regularly scheduled helicopter flights from Malta International Airport to Gozo. The helicopter lands at Xewkija, with the scenic flight taking around 15 minutes.

Car
Malta has a good road network that is easily navigated, making car rental a popular option for getting around the island. All major international car hire operators have representatives on the island, although rates are usually much cheaper if you book in advance online. Alternatively, visitors can drive their own car to the southern Italian ports of Salerno, Catania or Pozzallo and take it across on a ferry or catamaran. UK drivers will feel at home, as driving is on the left hand side.

Taxi
Maltese taxis are infamous for ripping off foreign tourists; however, for many, they are the only means of getting around the cities and islands. Although there are licensed and unlicensed taxis, there is no guarantee that the driver of a licensed cab will switch the meter on. Licensed taxis have a ‘Y’ as the third letter of the license plate. There are two colours of taxis on Malta. Black taxis are reserved in advance, while white ones can be flagged down in the street. Of course, when business is slow, black taxis may allow themselves to be flagged down, allowing the savvy tourist to negotiate a better than usual fare for their trip.

Water
There are frequent ferries linking Malta and Gozo, while the resort on Comina operates a ferry service for both guests and the general public to Malta and Gozo. The ferries run seven days a week, 365 days a year, unless cancelled because of bad weather.