Should you hire a car in Malta?

While you’re planning and researching your trip to Malta, you’re probably looking for the best locations to stay in and the easiest way to get around during your stay to see as much of our beautiful landscape as possible. Hiring a car during a short holiday can be helpful if you’re staying in a remote location or want to travel to remote locations. But actually, it is possible to travel around most of Malta very easily without a car, particularly if you stay in our capital city, Valletta. Transport links in Valletta are excellent and will take you easily (and cheaply) to Gozo and Comino if you’re willing to travel by road and water. Taxis are easy to find, and buses are frequent and start as early as 5am. You can also hire bikes and quad bikes to explore and enjoy a brisk walk from the bus stops to some of the more isolated beaches.

Driving & Parking In Valletta

Something to bear in mind if you do hire a car is that you’ll need somewhere to park it at your accommodation if you’re keeping it for the duration of your stay. If you’re staying in a hotel in Malta, check whether they have a car park and how much they will charge you for using it. Also consider any parking arrangements for the place you’re travelling too. Driving in Valletta can be a bit of a hassle, there are several one-way systems that can be tricky to navigate, and there is a camera system recording licence plates to ensure parking is paid for.

Parking spaces are colour coded too, and the times of entry will dictate charges. It’s free after 2pm but only on weekdays, and you can park in blue spaces up to 6pm but not after, until 8am… so make sure you do check out all the rules before you drive in Valletta. It’s actually much easier to stay in Valletta and travel out, or park just outside and get Valletta public transport in.

Parking in nearby Sliema and St. Julians can be slightly easier but in the summer months it can be particularly busy, so you may want to leave extra time to find a space (or wait for one!)

Hiring A Car In Malta For A Day

If you do want the freedom to explore Malta without needing to wait for timetabled transport, then hiring a car for the day could be a great adventure. If you choose the right hire company, they may even deliver the car straight to the door of your accommodation and collect it at the end of the day for you, saving you time and effort. Your hotel service team should be able to recommend a tried and tested service to you.

One boutique hotel in Valletta that offers a great service to its guests is Casa Ellul. It is owned by a local family who have lived and worked in the area all their lives and know everything about Valletta and have great connections to other local businesses. The team will certainly be able to recommend when and how to hire a car if you need to, but also offer advice on other easy ways to travel.