Car hire in Malta is inexpensive by European standards, which is exactly why the comparison is worth doing carefully. The daily rate varies least of all. The excess, the fuel policy and the extras are where two quotes that look alike stop being alike.
Whether you need a car at all, and what the roads are like once you have one, is covered under car hire in Malta. This page is about getting the booking right.
Comparing on the things that matter
The excess
The headline price is often low and the insurance excess high. Check the excess figure and how it is held on your card before you compare anything else.
This is where the real difference between cheap and expensive hire sits.
What to checkCompare hire carsLocalrent list the airport as Luka, which is their spelling of Luqa.
Hire the smallest you can live with
Village streets are one car wide and the parking spaces are tight. A large car is actively worse here, not better.
Full-to-full is the fairest fuel policy. Full-to-empty almost always costs more.
Driving here
Gozo, fines and damage
Most companies allow the car in Gozo, some do not, and some charge. Speed camera fines and the Valletta access charge are billed to them and passed on with an admin fee.
Photograph everything including the roof and wheels before you drive off.
Parking and the CVA
Check these before comparing prices
- The excess
- Headline rates are often low and the insurance excess high. Compare the excess and how it is held on your card, not the daily rate.
- Size
- Hire the smallest car you can live with. Village streets are one car wide and spaces are tight.
- Fuel policy
- Full-to-full is the fairest. Anything else usually costs more.
- Gozo
- Most companies allow it, some do not, some charge. Confirm if Gozo is in the plan.
- Fines and the CVA
- Speed camera fines and the Valletta access charge go to the hire company and come back to you with an admin fee. A hire car has Maltese plates and is not exempt.
- Damage on collection
- Photograph everything, including the roof and wheels, before you leave. Minor scrapes are common and timestamps win disputes.
The hold on your card
Most companies here block the excess on a credit card at pickup rather than charging it. The money is not taken, but it is unavailable until a week or two after you hand the car back.
Two things catch people out. A debit card is often refused for the hold, even where it was accepted for the booking. The card usually has to be in the main driver’s name as well.
Confirm both before you fly rather than at the desk.
Taking a hire car to Gozo
Almost every company allows it, and the ferry takes cars without a booking. Check the wording anyway. A few of the cheaper contracts exclude the crossing.
You pay for the car and driver on the way back to Malta only, the same as any other vehicle. The queue at Ċirkewwa on an August weekend can cost you a morning.
Driving here is covered under driving in Malta, and parking under parking and the CVA.