Driving in Malta: A Complete Car Rental Guide

Most of the time, tourists visiting Malta can usually rely on public transport which in some cases also includes various ferries. It’s efficient and most of the main areas where tourists choose to stay are well connected. However some may prefer driving in Malta for several reasons. To give you an overview of how things work in Malta:

In this guide I will go through the pros and cons of driving in Malta, car rental costs, rules, street parking, and general parking information.

The Pros and Cons of Driving in Malta

Pros

One main pros is that driving gives you the flexibly to drive around whenever you like. You may also want to access remote places. And lastly sometimes it’s more cost effective, especially if you are travelling with family.

Plus the good thing is that in Malta the cost of renting a car is quite reasonable. When I compare the prices of what I have paid abroad, renting a car in Malta is quite cost effective. Especially if you are considering the basic models.

Cons

There are a few arguments against driving in Malta. Firstly is dealing with heavy traffic most especially during rush hour. Secondly the local drivers who at times do not adhere to the rules, and parking. Parking is quite a biggie, especially in busy parts of the island.

In fact parking is an issue all to itself and requires a dedicated section. So I shall cover parking in Malta in greater detail further down this article.

Cost of Renting a Car

Renting a car in Malta could cost anywhere from €13 to €85 a day. The least expensive cars are compact 4 seater models that are fully air conditioned, whereas the more expensive models are 5 seater SUVs with all the comforts. However vans to accommodate more people are more expensive and could cost up to €214 daily.

The best platform you can use to rent a car in Malta is Discover Cars. Discover Cars will allow you to compare prices for all the rental companies in Malta so you can get the best deal. Plus they have a good reputation with an excellent Trustpilot rating because they take proper care of their customers.

Rules for Renting a Car in Malta

Before you rent a car, you need to make sure that you are within the specified age limit. Otherwise, there’s a chance you might arrive to rent the car but be denied from renting the vehicle.

Each rental company have their own rules. Here are the minimum and maximum age limits for renting a car and some other information. However you should check if there are any other additional rules. Discover Cars has ‘Rental Conditions’ right underneath the rating of the company, making it easy for you to check.

Car Company	Minimum Age	Maximum Age
Abbycar	21 years. Young driver fee applies to drivers under the age of 25	75 years. Senior driver fee applies to drivers over the age of 72
Aca Rent	21 years. Young driver fee applies to drivers under the age of 26	80 years
Ace Rent a Car	21 years. Young driver fee applies to drivers under the age of 25	70 years
Add Car	25 years	80 years. Senior driver fee applies to drivers over the age of 70
Aquarius	21 years. Young driver fee applies to drivers under the age of 26	70 years
Autounion	21 years. Young driver fee applies to drivers under the age of 25	75 years. Senior driver fee applies to drivers over the age of 70
Avis	21 years. Young driver fee applies to drivers under the age of 25	N/A
Budget	21 years. Young driver fee applies to drivers under the age of 25	N/A
Carwiz	21 years. Young driver fee applies to drivers under the age of 26	75 years. Senior driver fee applies to drivers over the age of 71
Europcar	21 years. Young driver fee applies to drivers under the age of 26	70 years
First	21 years. Young driver fee applies to drivers under the age of 25	75 years. Senior driver fee applies to drivers over the age of 70
Green Motion	21 years. Young driver fee applies to drivers under the age of 26	75 years. Senior driver fee applies to drivers over the age of 71
Maltafirst	23 years. Young driver fee applies to drivers under the age of 25	99 years. Senior driver fee applies to drivers over the age of 70
Okmobility	21 years. Young driver fee applies to drivers under the age of 26	75 years
OTO Q	21 years. Young driver fee applies to drivers under the age of 24	85 years. Senior driver fee applies to drivers over the age of 72
Routes	21 years. Young driver fee applies to drivers under the age of 25	75 years. Senior driver fee applies to drivers over the age of 71
Sicily by Car	21 years. Young driver fee applies to drivers under the age of 26	75 years
Sixt	21 years. Young driver fee applies to drivers under the age of 26	No maximum age. Senior driver fee applies to drivers over the age of 70
Surprice	21 years. Young driver fee applies to drivers under the age of 26	75 years. Senior driver fee applies to drivers over the age of 71

Most car rental companies will also expect that the driver license must have been issued by authorised authorities at least 1 to 2 year(s) before the date of the commencement of the rental.

If you are travelling with kids in tow you will need car seats for your kids. The rules in Malta are the same as those across the EU for driving in Malta, hence you will need to rent car seats for kids to be in line with regulations. On Discover Cars you can include a car seat from the filters on the left hand side.

Is Parking Free in Malta?

Street parking in Malta is free except in Valletta. Everyone other than residents of Valletta need to pay car tax to park inside Valletta as a form of congestion charge. In fact most people tend to avoid parking in Valletta other than the ring road which is exempt.

I have a guide on driving and parking in Valletta to help any visitors on navigating their way into the capital city. It covers the fees for the congestion charge and tips on where to park amongst other things.

Otherwise some public car parks are minded by car park attendants, whom most people tip a small monetary sum of around €1. However you are not obliged to do so because they are paid by the local council.

There are some private car parks where you would need to pay to enter. They can be expensive, but will cost nothing like the car parks in central London.

Limited Parking in Malta

Most of the time you can make do with street parking in certain areas. That is, if you go early before shops are open to avoid the rush. Parking in general is a problem in Malta, especially in busy areas like Sliema, St. Julian’s and Valletta.

Sliema, St. Julian’s and Valletta

If you opt to stay in either of these areas and hire a car, I would suggest you find a hotel with a car park. In this guide on comparing Sliema, St. Julian’s and Valletta as places where to stay, I suggest some hotels in good locations, some of which have parking.

In Sliema and St. Julian’s the problem is quite acute during summer months. I have sometimes gone round and round for half an hour to find a parking spot.

In winter it is not as bad and most likely you will find a spot somewhere fairly quickly. However it does depend on the area you are in, because if there are offices in the area it is harder to find parking.

Other Areas

Most other areas have parking issues, but they aren’t as bad. However if there is an event or something going on, you will have issues finding parking if you do not go early.

For example parking in Marsaxlokk is usually a breeze. However when the Sunday market is set up in the morning, or Saturday evenings at dinner time is harder to find parking.

Popular beach areas like Ghadira and Golden Sands are also busy in summer. Driving in Malta in summer is easy because there is less traffic than winter time. So getting to the beach is easy. The issue is if you go late to the beach, parking is harder to come by.

However recently both Ghadira and Golden Sands have gotten private paid parking areas. So if you do not find free street parking, you can rely on these car parks. The one at Golden Sands is located here and the one for Ghadira is at the db Seabank Resort located here.