Although most tourists rent a car directly at the airport, the terminal can also be reached by public buses day and night.
Car rental
Malta is a small island with good bus services to almost everywhere. However, especially to the more secluded beaches, buses run perhaps only once an hour, so hiring a car can pay off handsomely.
Due to the high competition, prices for a week's rental in high season start from 130 eur, and in low season even below 60 eur.
Car rental companies are located in the garages to the right of the airport building (about 200 meters) on the 1st floor. In case you return the car outside the opening hours of the car rental, you can put the keys in the special compartments by the elevator.
Find out where to go by car and what to see in Malta, or even how petrol stations work in Malta.
Buses
There are buses to the airport from all over the island. For official and up-to-date information, visit: publictransport.com.mt. The bus stops are located right in front of the airport building and cannot be missed.
Tickets and prices
Individual fares cost 2 eur. Single tickets can only be purchased from the driver and are valid for 120 minutes including any number of transfers. Tickets can be paid by card or cash. You will always be given a paper ticket to show when you change trains.
If you want to travel more, a 12-ride ticket for 15 eur or a full-week ticket for 21 eur may be worthwhile. These tickets are not available from the driver, but only from newsagents and shops, see the list on the website: publictransport.com.mt/where-to-buy.
At the airport, this is the WHSmith shop (8:30am-8:30pm) in the arrivals hall, or the Agenda Bookshop (open 24/7) in the departures hall. The transport company also has an office directly in the arrivals hall (closes at 20:00).
The last option is to buy tickets from the ticket machines (in the arrivals hall or at the bus stop), where you can buy only a full weekly pass or a 12-ride pass.
Lines and timetables
Timetables and connection searches can be found at publictransport.com.mt/trip-planner or on the Tallinja mobile app.
Please note: When travelling by bus in Malta, always leave a sufficient reserve. Although the bus service is modern and clear, delays of more than 20 minutes are quite common. The reverse is also common, with buses leaving a bus stop a few minutes earlier than the timetable.
From the airport you can get direct connections to the following places. To see the exact timetable, click on the line number in the table below.
| Destinations | Line numbers | Cumulative frequency | Travel time | Operating hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valletta | X4 | 20 minutes (weekends 30 minutes) | 25 minutes | 5:25-22:35 |
| San Giljan (Paceville), Sliema, Gżira | X2, TD2 | 30 minutes | 40 minutes (TD2) 55 minutes (X2) |
5:50-0:30 |
| Cirkewwa (ferry to Gozo) | X1 | 45 minutes | 100 minutes | 5:30-22:50 |
| Marsaxklokk | 119 | 60 minutes | 35 minutes | 6:00-22:00 |
| Birzebbuga | X4, 119 | 15-30 minutes | 25 minutes | 5:15-22:45 |
| Bugibba (St. Paul's Bay) | X3 (X1 outside the centre) |
60 minutes | 75 minutes | 5:15-22:30 |
| Mdina (Rabat) | X3, 201 | 60 minutes | 40 minutes (X3) 70 minutes - (201) |
5:35-22:30 |
| Mellieha | X1 | 45 minutes | 65 minutes | 5:40-22:50 |
| Pembroke | X1 | 45 minutes | 43 minutes | 6:30-22:50 |
| Tarxien (Paola) | X2, X3 | 30 minutes | 15 minutes | 6:25-22:30 |
| Blue Grotto | 201 | 60 minutes | 15 minutes | 9:15-20:45 |
| Dingli Cliffs | 201 | 60 minutes | 50 minutes | 8:40-20:45 |
| Marsaskala | 119 | 60 minutes | 50 minutes | 5:50-22:00 |
| Birkirkara | X3 | 60 minutes | 45 minutes | 6:00-22:30 |
| Mater Dei (Hospital, University) | X1, X2, 117 | 20-40 minutes | 25 minutes | 6:05-22:50 |
The surrounding villages of Zurrieq, Qrendi and L-Imqaba are served once an hour by line 117.
There is no overnight service to the airport. Between approximately 23:00 and 05:30, the only option for getting to/from the airport is by taxi.
Taxi, Bolt, Uber
Airport taxis have fixed rates to various locations on the island of Malta, which you can find clearly on the airport website, for example you can pay to Valletta 19 eur, to San Giljan 22 eur and to Marsaxklokk 17 eur. Taxis can be pre-paid at the kiosk in the arrivals hall.
Often heavily discounted rides are available on Malta's widely used mobile apps Bolt or Uber.
- Bolt (available at: Google Play / App Store)
- Uber (available at: Google Play / App Store)
The Uber and Bolt stations are located to the left of the arrivals hall (approximately 50 metres).
Prices to Valletta are around 13 eur, while to San Giljan you will pay around 18 eur or to Sliema around 15 eur.