Do you need a car in Malta?
If you are staying in Valletta or Sliema and mostly want the old cities, no. Valletta is best on foot, the Sliema ferry crosses the harbour in a few minutes, and the buses reach Mdina. A car earns its keep the moment you want the west coast, the north and Gozo: Popeye Village at Anchor Bay, the Dingli and Mtaħleb cliffs, the beaches around Mellieħa, and the Gozo bays. Those places are a long bus ride apart, with changes. With a car they are a morning.
A good compromise is a car for two or three days in the middle of your trip, not the whole week. Spend the Valletta days without one, so you are not paying for a car to sit in a car park.
Where to pick up the car
Most visitors collect at Malta International Airport (MLA) in Luqa. Almost every firm has a desk or a meet-and-greet there, and it is the easiest place to compare prices. Some local firms will also deliver to your hotel, and there are offices in Sliema, St Julian's, Buġibba and Mellieħa if you only want a car for part of the stay. If you are basing yourself in Gozo, you can rent there instead and leave the Malta side car-free.
Booking tips
- Book early for summer. July and August sell out, and prices climb close to the date. Free cancellation lets you lock in a price and keep looking.
- Go small. Village streets are narrow, the old cores have tight turns, and parking spaces were not drawn for SUVs. A compact car is easier everywhere on the islands.
- Automatic or manual. If you need an automatic, filter for it and book early; they go first.
- The deposit. Most suppliers hold a deposit on a credit card in the main driver's name. Debit cards are often refused at the desk, so check before you travel.
- The excess. Basic cover usually leaves you liable for the first part of any damage. Decide before you arrive whether you want full cover, so you are not deciding at the counter.
- Photograph the car all the way round, wheels and windscreen included, before you drive off. Do it again when you return it.
- Fuel policy. Full-to-full is the fairest: you collect it full and bring it back full.
- Gozo. If you plan to take the car on the ferry, check that the rental terms allow it.
- Age. The legal minimum to drive is 18, but rental firms set their own minimum and often charge a young-driver fee under 25.
Road rules that catch visitors out
- Drive on the left. Cars are right-hand drive, like the UK. At roundabouts, give way to traffic coming from your right.
- Speed limits: 50 km/h in built-up areas and 80 km/h on the open roads and bypasses, unless signs say otherwise. Speed cameras are common, so keep to the limit even where you can't see one.
- Drink-driving: the limit is 50 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood, and lower for some drivers. The easy rule: don't.
- Seat belts for everyone, and no phone in your hand while driving.
- Licences: an EU licence is fine. Visitors from outside the EU can drive on their own licence for up to 12 months from their last entry. An International Driving Permit is only a translation, but some rental firms still ask for one.
A word on local style: Maltese traffic is busy and assertive, especially at rush hour around Msida, Marsa and Birkirkara. Leave space, expect cars to pull out, and plan long drives outside 7–9 am and 4–6 pm. Distances are short, so being stuck in traffic often costs you more time than the distance does.
Parking, and what to do in Valletta
On the street, white bays are general parking. Blue and green bays are reserved in some towns, often for residents, so read the sign. Yellow lines mean no parking.
Valletta has a charge for driving in, the CVA (Controlled Vehicular Access). The first 30 minutes are free, then it's €0.82 an hour up to €6.52 a day. It's free after 14:00 on weekdays and all weekend. Cameras read the number plate. With a rental car, the firm gets the bill and may pass it on to you with an admin fee.
The simpler answer is not to drive in at all. Park in Floriana, just outside City Gate, and walk. The Floriana Park & Ride costs about €0.40 a day and has a shuttle on weekdays and Saturdays. The MCP car park by the bus terminus is closer but more expensive. Mdina is the same: the silent city is closed to visitors' cars. Park outside the walls and walk in through the main gate.
Taking the car to Gozo
The Gozo Channel car ferry runs from Ċirkewwa, at the northern tip of Malta, to Mġarr on Gozo. The crossing takes about 25 minutes, with sailings every 45 minutes or so in summer and less often in winter. A car and driver costs about €15.70 return, and you pay only on the way back. You don't need to book; you queue at Ċirkewwa. Allow extra time on summer Saturday mornings and Sunday evenings, when the queues are longest.
The fast ferry from Valletta to Gozo carries foot passengers only. If you want the car on Gozo, it's Ċirkewwa.
A two-day filming-location drive
This is the drive we would plan for a film fan. All the stops are on the Shot in Malta page, with what was filmed at each one.
Day 1: the harbour, Mdina and the cliffs
- Morning, Valletta. Park in Floriana and walk to Fort St Elmo, the prison in Midnight Express and Jerusalem's wall in World War Z. From the Lower Barrakka Gardens you can see across to Fort Ricasoli, where Rome, Troy and Gladiator II's Colosseum were built. The fort itself is a film backlot and not open to visitors.
- Midday, Mdina. Drive inland (about 25 minutes) and park below the walls. Walk through Mdina Gate, King's Landing's gate in Game of Thrones, to Pjazza Mesquita.
- Late afternoon, the cliffs. Head south-west past Dingli to Mtaħleb Cliffs & Valley for the views and the sunset. The roads out there are narrow, so take it slowly.
Day 2: the north and Gozo
- Early, Anchor Bay. Drive north to Popeye Village in Mellieħa, the Sweethaven set from 1980 and the only film set on the islands that is still standing. There is parking above the bay, and the best photo of the village is from the road on the far side of the cove.
- Ferry to Gozo. Ċirkewwa is about 15 minutes from Anchor Bay. Cross to Mġarr.
- Afternoon, Dwejra. Drive to the Dwejra / Azure Window site, where the Kraken rose in Clash of the Titans and Daenerys married Khal Drogo. The arch fell in 2017; the coast is still worth it.
- On the way back, a detour to Mġarr ix-Xini, the inlet where By the Sea built its French village, is a quiet place for a swim before the ferry.
Frequently asked questions
Which side of the road do you drive on in Malta?
The left, as in the UK and Ireland. Cars are right-hand drive, and at roundabouts you give way to traffic coming from your right.
Do I need an International Driving Permit to rent a car in Malta?
A valid EU licence is enough. Visitors from outside the EU can drive on their own licence for up to 12 months from their last entry. An International Driving Permit is only a translation and does not replace your licence, but some rental companies ask for one, so check your supplier's terms before you book.
Can I take a rental car to Gozo?
Usually yes, on the Gozo Channel car ferry from Ċirkewwa to Mġarr. Check that your rental terms allow the ferry before you go. The fast ferry from Valletta carries foot passengers only.
How much is the car ferry to Gozo?
About €15.70 for a car and driver, return. You pay only on the way back from Gozo, not on the way out.
Are there toll roads in Malta?
No conventional toll roads. The one charge is Valletta's Controlled Vehicular Access (CVA): the first 30 minutes are free, then €0.82 an hour up to €6.52 a day, and it is free after 14:00 on weekdays and all weekend.
What is the speed limit in Malta?
50 km/h in built-up areas and 80 km/h on the open roads and bypasses, unless signs say otherwise. Speed cameras are common.
Prices and rules change. We checked these against Malta's CVA tariff page, the Gozo Channel fares and driving guides for visitors in October 2026. Check the latest with your rental company before you travel.