The airport sits in the middle of the island, so no transfer is a long one. They differ mainly in how predictable they are. At one in the morning with luggage, that predictability is worth paying for.
Four ways to get to your hotel
Pre-booked private transfer
You agree the price before you fly and a driver waits in arrivals with a name board. No app, no queue, no working out where the pick-up zone is at midnight.
This is the right answer for late arrivals, families, and anyone who would rather not think about it.
The airport guideBook a transfer
Bolt, Uber and eCabs
All three operate here and all three are priced in the app, so you see the fare before you accept it. It’s normally the cheapest door-to-door option, with Bolt the one most people already have and Uber the smallest fleet of the three.
They collect from a marked ride-hail zone rather than outside arrivals. It’s a short walk and it’s the thing that confuses most first-timers.
Getting around Malta
White taxi
Fixed fares by zone, displayed at the rank and paid at the desk inside the terminal before you travel. There is no meter and nothing to negotiate.
It costs more than a ride app and less than a private transfer, and the price is completely predictable.
Bus fares and routes
The bus
Routes run direct to most of the tourist areas and it costs a fraction of everything else. If you’re travelling light and arriving in daylight, take it.
It’s slow with a lot of luggage and the service thins out late at night, so check the last departure before you count on it.
Ferry routes and fares
Which one to pick
Choosing between them
- Pre-booked private transfer
- Fixed price agreed before you fly, driver waiting in arrivals with a name board. The right answer for late arrivals, families, and anyone who does not want to think about it.
- Bolt, Uber or eCabs
- Usually the cheapest door-to-door option, priced in the app. Collected from the marked ride-hail zone rather than outside arrivals, which is a short walk.
- White taxi
- Fixed zone fares paid at the desk in the terminal before you travel. No app needed and no surprises.
- Bus
- A couple of euro and direct to most tourist areas, but slow with luggage and thin late at night.
A transfer to Gozo means the drive north to Ċirkewwa plus the ferry crossing. The total time is a lot more than the map distance suggests. Book a transfer that includes the crossing, and allow for the summer vehicle queue in both directions.
Drivers who come up to you in the arrivals hall offering a fixed price are not operating legitimately. The fare is usually well above the official rate. Use the white taxi desk, the marked ride-hail zone, or a driver you booked in advance.