Malta , like the former English colony, has a left-sided movement. The roads in the country are meandering, sometimes they do not meet the European standard. But the transport system in the Maltese archipelago is well developed. The most popular mode of transport are buses, the network of which covers the main island and the island of Gozo . You can also use a taxi and a rented car to move around. Between Malta and Gozo, Comino , between the cities of Valletta and Sliema are ferries that carry both people and transport. Consider each of the existing modes of transport in Malta.
Buses
Since 2011, the bus communication system has been transferred to the management company Arrive and has been substantially updated. Now on the island there are modern buses equipped with air conditioning. Almost the routes begin and end in Valletta, because here is the main bus station of the country. There are bus services between some resort towns, but they either work only in the summer, or are used as an individual service, that is, they do not stop anywhere between the starting and ending points. Therefore, you need to be prepared for the fact that to the place where you want to get to the direct route there will not be, and you need to go through Valletta. With Valletta you can already get anywhere.
The bus schedule can be viewed on the website of the Transport Association of Malta, as well as ask any bus driver. There is a summer and winter schedule. Basically buses run from 6.00 to 22.00. The intervals between buses are usually 10-15 minutes. The fare depends on the distance you need to travel. Therefore, when you enter the bus, you must tell where you are going and find out the price of the trip. It will range from € 0.5 to € 1.2.
The main routes for tourists who are sent to the resort cities:
- in Sliema : No. 65, 64, 63, 62, 60;
- in St. Julian's : No. 70, 68, 66, 64, 62;
- in Melliech : No. 44, 45, 645;
- in Rabat / Mdina : No. 80, 81, 84;
- in Marsascala : 19, 17;
- in Marfa , Chirkevu: 645, 45;
- in Bugibba , Aura : 70, 59, 58, 49.
Taxi
Taxi in Malta - a fairly expensive form of transport. Almost all cars are Mercedes, they are white and black. Travel in a black car will cost you 1,5-2 times cheaper, they have fixed prices, but cars come to you only under the order. And in white - the cost is determined by the driver, but you can bargain with it.
Specify the rates and order a taxi can be on the websites of companies Malta Taxi, Maltairport, Ecabs, Taxi Malta, MaltaTaxiOnline.
Car for rent
In Malta, any national or international driving license is considered valid. The legislation of the country is allowed to drive the car from the age of 18, but many rental companies refuse to rent cars to persons under 25 and over 70, or rent at higher rates. You can hire a car immediately upon arrival to Malta near the airport , where you will have a good choice of rental companies (Avis, Herts, Eurocar and others). You can also book a car in advance via the Internet.
Prices for car rental are cheaper than in mainland Europe, and start from € 20-30 per day.
Ferries
Modern ferries, delivering tourists from Malta to Gozo, Comino and connecting Valletta and Slim, belong to the company "Gozo Channel". On the site of this company you can see in advance the schedule of ferries, conditions and the cost of transportation.
Approximately the price of comfortable delivery by sea to the island of Gozo is € 4.65, for motorists with a car - € 15.70. There are benefits for local pensioners and children. The journey takes 20-30 minutes. Departure is from the village of Cherkevva, back from the island of Gozo - from the port of Mgarr.
You can get to the island of Comino from the town of Martha (not far from Cherkevy).
A ferry ride from Valletta to Sliema will take no more than 5 minutes and will cost you € 1.5. For comparison - by bus you will go for about 20 minutes. In Valletta, the direction is from Sally Port (under St. Paul's Cathedral), and in Sliema the receiving side is the Strand. These ferries belong to the company Captain Morgan, and on their site you can always see the schedule of their movements.