Transportation in Malta

Air and water transport, taxis, and buses

Transportation in Malta

It is easy to get around the small Mediterranean country of Malta. There is an international airport, ferry services between the islands, different types of taxis and a well-developed bus system with 80 different routes.

Air transport

Malta has an airport on its main island and a heliport on Gozo, the second-largest island in the Maltese archipelago. Malta International Airport is located in the southeast of the main island. It is served by 27 airlines, including the national carrier, Air Malta. Flights connect Malta with major cities in European, but also some African countries and the Middle East.

Water transport

There is regular ferry service between the two main islands Malta and Gozo, the trip takes about 20 minutes. Two ferry companies run services from Gozo and Malta to Comino. United Comino Ferries provides round trips from Malta to Comino’s Blue Lagoon, while Ebson’s Comino Ferries offers hourly trips to the Blue Lagoon from Gozo and from Malta.

Traditional boats, the Maltese Dghajsa, are used as water taxis and operate between all three main islands, Malta, Gozo and Comino. The A&S water taxi company  offers 30-minute or 45-minute cruises around Malta’s Grand Harbour.

Taxis

There are two main types of taxi service in Malta, the black taxi service and the white taxi service. The black taxi service is less common, cheaper and can only be used it’s ordered by telephone in advance. The more common white taxis can pick you up and drive you anywhere. Services from the airport are based on fixed tariffs. In general, taxi fares in Malta are relatively high. To avoid surprises, you should only get in a taxi after you have agreed on the fare.

Buses

Buses are probably the cheapest way to get around Malta. Considering the small size of the country (316 km2, 121 sq mi), 80 bus routes makes for a good public transport network.

Buses tend to be reliable, and they follow a fixed timetable . There are plenty of bus stops all over Malta and Gozo, all of them equipped with a flag indicating the name of the stop. Buses are accessible for people with disabilities.

If you don’t want to pay the toll for entering Valletta by car, there is also a shuttle service. The buses operate between Valletta and the Floriana Park & Ride Facility outside the city.

Further reading

Does this article help?

Do you have any comments, updates or questions on this topic? Ask them here: