Malta has an extensive network of bus routes that will take you to every corner of the island.

However, if you also want to explore the outlying areas, where buses run only once an hour, you might want to consider hiring a car. This is because the bus service isn’t entirely reliable.

Book your hotel in Malta in advance

Public transport buses

Probably the best option in Malta is to use public transport. In 2011, there was significant investment and a complete overhaul of the entire bus fleet. Previously, Malta’s buses were old and iconic yellow buses; now, there are new, air-conditioned buses everywhere.

All transport in the country is operated by Malta Public Transport.

The bus network is fairly extensive in both Malta and Gozo, and you can reach almost all places of tourist interest by bus.

You must always board via the front door only.

Timetables and a map of the bus network in Malta

Most main routes run every 20–30 minutes, whilst secondary routes serving smaller beaches and towns usually run once an hour.

Timetables and maps for all routes in Malta and Gozo: publictransport.com.mt/en/routes-timetables

The overall map of the route network has not been updated since 2016.

Timetables are not reliable. 

Traffic in Malta is very heavy, which naturally affects the punctuality of buses. Delays of between 5 and 40 minutes are not at all unusual during the summer season. Unfortunately, the opposite situation is also quite common, where a bus may well leave the terminus 5 to 10 minutes early.

It is also not unusual for a bus not to turn up at all.

Timetable reliability is particularly poor on the main island of Malta, where most bus routes pass through densely populated areas with very heavy traffic.

Timetables on the island of Gozo are considerably more reliable, but even there, delays of 5 to 15 minutes are fairly common.

Regular bus services usually run from 5.00 am to 10.30 pm.

There are also three night services operating in the area from Valletta via the towns of Sliema, San Giljan, Pembroke and Bugibba to the ferry terminal on the island of Gozo.

Tickets – prices and where to buy

In Malta, you can buy either paper single-use tickets valid for 2 hours (with unlimited changes), a weekly pass, or a book of 12 tickets at a discounted price. Electronic ticketing via mobile apps is not yet available here.

The personalised Tallinja card, which you can top up as and when you travel, is particularly good value for money for long-term stays (the initial cost is 10 eur and you must also provide all your personal details).

No discounts are available for children or senior citizens.

Single-journey tickets

The ticket is valid for 2 hours and allows you to change buses. Tickets can only be purchased from the driver, who accepts both cash and card payments.

• 2,50 eur (summer season)
• 2 eur (winter season)

The winter season runs from mid-October to mid-June.

Weekly ticket

If you’re staying in Malta for more than 3 days and aren’t hiring a car, it’s very likely worth buying a weekly pass, which is valid for 168 hours from the first use.

You can buy the ticket from ticket machines (for example, at the airport or Valletta bus station) or at ticket offices. This ticket cannot be purchased from the driver.

• 25 eur
• 7 eur For children under 10 – this ticket can only be purchased at staffed ticket offices and not from ticket machines
• List of ticket offices

It is issued as a card which you ‘tap’ when boarding the bus at the driver’s counter.

Book of 12 tickets

This card may be worth it for those who plan to travel by bus very frequently and won’t be staying in Malta for very long. It can also be shared with other people.

You can buy it from the same places as the weekly ticket (see above), and12 journeys cost 21 eur. When boarding the bus, you must always ‘tap’ your ticket on the validator by the driver.

Stops

The stops are clearly signposted and even have detailed timetables displayed at them.

All stops areon request. If you wish to alight, you must press the ‘Stop’ button before getting off. If you are standing at a bus stop, you must wave to the bus. Particularly in summer, buses are sometimes so full that they no longer pick up passengers at stops.

The central bus station is located at the entrance to the capital, Valletta.

Popular routes

Due to the unreliability of timetables, it is best to use the bus service on routes where several services run together, resulting in a frequency of between 5 and 15 minutes.

The most frequent services in Malta are, for example, between these towns.

• Valletta – Gzira – Sliema – San Giljan – Pembroke (every 3–10 minutes)
• Valletta – Mellieha – Gozo Ferry Terminal (frequency: 10–20 minutes)
• Valletta – Birkikara – Mosta (every 5–10 minutes)
• Valletta – Birkikara – Mdina (every 5–10 minutes)
• Valletta – Bugibba (every 10–15 minutes)
• Mosta – Bugibba (every 5–15 minutes)
• Valletta – Marsaxlokk (every 10–15 minutes)
• Valletta – Paola – Tarxien (every 2–8 minutes)

Buses to the airport

You can find detailed information about public transport to Malta Luqa MLA Airport in our guide.

Taxis, Bolt, Uber

The Bolt and Uber mobile apps are very popular in Malta; they are used throughout the island and are often up to a third cheaper than traditional taxis.

• Bolt (available at: Google Play / App Store)
• Uber (available at: Google Play / App Store)

The availability of Uber or Bolt cars is also significantly greater than that of ordinary taxis.

You can also use both Bolt and Uber for journeys outside the city. Here are some examples of fares on the most common routes.

• Valletta – San Giljan: 12 eur
• Valletta – Popeye’s Village: 28 eur
• Valletta – Blue Grotto: 17 eur
• Valletta – Airport: 12 eur
• San Giljan – Blue Grotto: 19 eur
• San Giljan – Gozo Ferry Terminal: 27 eur
• San Giljan – Popeye’s Village: 26 eur

The 10 best hotels in Malta

Ferries from Valletta

The capital, Valletta, lies on a long, narrow peninsula, and to ensure that the bus journey to the mainland opposite – to the Tri-Cityin the south and Sliema in the north – isn’t the only, very long option, there are two ferries operated by Valletta Ferry Services.

Ferries run on both routes every 30 minutes from around 6.30 am to 7.00 pm, and in summer until 11.30 pm; see the exact timetable and the locations of the ferry terminals on the website: vallettaferryservices.com. The crossing takes about 10 minutes.

Prices

• Adults: 3 eur or 5 eur(return),
• Children: 1 eur or 1,50 eur return
• Evening fare after 19:30: 3,50 eur or 5,20 eur(the fare is the same for children)

Both ferries offer breathtaking views of the capital, Valletta.

As both ferries depart from opposite ends of Valletta’s coastline, they are linked by a free minibus service that runs to coincide with each ferry’s arrival.

Car hire

If you don’t mind driving on the left, very heavy traffic and narrow roads, hiring a car is a good way to explore the countryside and beaches.

Most multinational car hire companies, such as Avis, Sixt, Budget, Europcar and others, operate in Malta. Ideally, compare the prices of all car hire companies using a comparison website.

Book a car – Malta Airport

You can find detailed information on driving in Malta, car hire prices, traffic and roads in the Car Hire section.

Ferry to Gozo and Comino

If you don’t want to spend all your time on the main island of Malta, head over to the nearby islands of Gozo and Comino. Ferries and boats depart from Cirkewwa Harbour, which can be reached by bus from all over Malta; to view routes and timetables, click on the route number:

• Airport – routesX1andX1A
• Valletta – routes41and42
• Pepka the Sailor’s Village, Ghajn Tuffieha and Golden Bay beaches, Mgarr – route101
• Bugibba – route221
• San Giljan, Sliema, Pembroke – route222

Cirkewwa – Gozo ferry

The boats, operated by a single company, Gozo Channel run 24 hours a day, approximately every 45 minutes during the day, and carry both pedestrians and cars. It is not possible to book tickets online; payment is always made for the journey from Gozo to Malta only, at the Mgarr ferry terminal on the island of Gozo.

The journey from Malta to Gozo is free of charge.

• Ferry timetable for Gozo

The fares are as follows:

• Adult – 4,65 eur
• Car with driver – 15,70 eur (each additional passenger pays 4,65 eur)
• Child aged 3–12 – 1,15 eur
• Adult (night rate between 20:00 and 5:30) – 4,05 eur

Valletta–Gozo ferry

High-speed catamarans carrying only passengers without cars also run directly from Valletta.

A one-way ticket costs 7,50 eur and detailed information can be found on the website: gozohighspeed.com/pages/fares-and-schedule.

Malta–Comino ferry

It’s more expensive to get to the island of Comino, even though it’s closer. This is mainly due to its popularity with tourists and the fact that practically nobody lives on Comino itself.

As well as the sightseeing cruises, which we cover in the ‘Activities’section, there is also a regular ferry service from Cirkewwa harbour, running directly to the Blue Lagoon. Ferries depart every half hour during the day; on the return journey from Comino, every second service also stops at Gozo.

• Comino ferry timetable

A return ticket costs 14 eur when purchased online, or 15 eur when purchased on the spot. More information is available on the website cominoferries.com.