This is the practical small print. Most of it is reassuring: English is everywhere, the plugs are British, the water is safe and the emergency number is the European one. The bits worth reading twice are the sun and the sea.
Four things that change how a day goes
Language, money and plugs
Maltese and English are both official, English is spoken everywhere and signs are bilingual or English. The euro is the currency and cards work almost everywhere, though village bars, bakeries and pastizzeriji are often cash only.
Plugs are Type G at 230 volts, the same three pins as the UK, and driving is on the left. If you’re coming from mainland Europe you’ll need an adapter. From the UK or Ireland you won’t.
Getting about the islands
There is almost no shade
There’s very little natural shade in Malta, and the limestone reflects light and heat straight back up at you. The summer UV index is high enough that an hour of unprotected midday sun does real harm, not just discomfort.
Between about eleven and four in July and August, treat outdoors as something you do briefly. Locals do, which is why the streets empty in the afternoon and fill again at seven.
What each month feels like
There are no lifeguards
Most swimming spots here have no lifeguard, and plenty are rock and ladder rather than sand. The water is clear and usually calm, which makes it easy to underestimate.
Offshore wind is the main danger. It flattens the water near the shore and pushes anything inflatable steadily out to sea. If the wind is blowing from the land towards the water, leave the floats behind. Jellyfish turn up in warm still spells, and red flags are enforced where they exist.
Which bay is sheltered today
Wind decides your day
Temperature rarely ruins a Maltese day. Wind does. It closes bays and cancels boat trips and Comino crossings at short notice. It can make one bay unswimmable while a bay on the other coast stays flat.
Because the islands are small, the answer is nearly always to swap the bay rather than the plan. That’s the whole reason the beach picker exists.
Wind and sea temperature now
Numbers and facts worth having
Most of Malta is free to walk into. A few sites need booking and they fill up.
Quick reference
- Emergency
- 112, for police, ambulance and fire.
- Currency
- The euro. Cards are widely accepted; carry some cash for bakeries and village bars.
- Plugs
- Type G, three pins, 230 volts, as in the UK and Ireland.
- Driving side
- The left.
- Time zone
- Central European Time, with summer time, as in most of mainland Europe.
- Tap water
- Safe to drink. It is heavily treated and tastes strongly of minerals, which is why most people here drink it filtered or bottled. That is taste, not safety.
- Tipping
- Not obligatory and not large. Rounding up, or five to ten per cent for good service, is normal. Check whether a service charge is already on the bill.
- Pharmacies
- Widespread. Some stay open on Sundays and public holidays, on a schedule that rotates. Our page for Sundays and public holidays shows which ones are open.
Staying connected
EU roaming rules apply here, so an EU or EEA plan works at home rates with nothing to set up. If you’re coming from outside the EU, including the UK since roaming guarantees ended, check what your operator charges before you land rather than after. An eSIM bought in advance is usually cheaper than finding out from the bill.
What changes with the season
You get the best walking of the year, and the island is green.
- The countryside is green from February to April and burnt brown by June, so put the walking days early in the trip.
- The sea does not really warm up until May. Treat a beach day as a coast day and you will not be disappointed.
- Holy Week moves every year and changes opening hours across a lot of towns. Check the dates before you fix a day to Valletta.
Everything is open and everything is busy. The heat sets the timetable.
- The midday heat limits you more than the distance does. Start early, stop between one and four, then go out again in the evening.
- The Blue Lagoon needs a slot booked in advance. It is free, but it is not optional.
- Beaches fill from mid-morning, and the northern buses fill with them. A full bus will drive straight past your stop.
The sea is still warm and the crowds have gone. Many people prefer October for that reason.
- The water lags the air by about a month, so swimming is still on the table through October.
- The Valletta harbour ferries switch to their winter timetable on 1 November, and the last crossing comes earlier than people expect.
- Rain returns in November. Keep one flexible day rather than booking every morning.
Swap the beach days for walking days and the itineraries still work.
- The sea is too cold for most people, so every beach day in these routes becomes a coast walk instead.
- Comino boats run to a reduced service or stop altogether, so treat the Blue Lagoon as a summer plan.
- The sites and the museums are almost empty in winter, so this is a good time to walk round them.
Two things are worth arranging before you fly rather than after. Take out travel insurance when you book rather than the week you travel. Cancellation cover only applies to what happens after it starts. And if your flight in was delayed by three hours or more, that is a delayed flight you can claim for, separately and in cash.