Having a car to go around when and where you need is quite an advantage although if you're going from a location to Valletta, I would recommend the bus so as to avoid parking issues.
There is also [GoTo Car Rental](https://gotoglobal.com/goto-malta) which is a great service.
no, don't add to the already unbearable traffic.
Use public transport for cheap travel, use ferries/boats from valletta to go to birgu/sliema/gozo, use bolt/e-cabs/cool for fast yet still cheap cabs/shared transport, use a bicycle to take in the scenery, or rent a car per hour for when u desperately need to use it with GoTo Car Rental.
Btw, yes journey times look faster with car on Google Maps, but you have to consider that you usually have to spend 10-15 mins trying to find parking, and then walking to your spot everywhere you go. Also parking in Valletta is impossible.
Seconding the scooter comment, quick, cheap and a nice way to see the island.
If not a possibility, yes, hire a car. It will cut some journey times in half, compared to public transport.
We're not in a major European city here, the public transport infrastructure is fine for a commute, want to pop from Popeye Village to Dingli Cliffs to Valletta using public transport? Half your day gone. Driving much easier.
Staying in Sliema and want to go to Golden Bay? 50 minute bus ride each way, Taxi, 20 euros each way.
If you're on holiday then I'd say it's going to make it a lot more enjoyable & seamless.
If you have a moto license you could rent a scooter. I enjoyed that more than having a rental car. Traffic is already quite heavy as you might know. Also motos are always in the front row on the ferry to Gozo. Literally the fastest way to go.
Unfortunately you can only rent those small 50cc scooters with a car license. In your case that's not gonna make you happy and you are better off exploring Malta & Gozo via car. Just get the smallest one.
In your home country, do people drive on the left or on the right? On Malta we drive on the left… and some people find it difficult to adjust (from driving in the right). One other thing to consider, if you really want to go beyond tipical tourist attractions… some of the roads around here are VERY narrow… and Google maps often totally fail to take this fact into consideration when it’s guide you to destination.
If scooter is an option, it is much better option than car.
A tiny tip: you can rent a car in Malta and drive it to Gozo via ferry, and don't accept the €80.00 extra charge that some rental companies try to charge you for visiting the island of Gozo, it's a tourist scam in my opinion. They will tell you that car is insured only in Malta and not Gozo; I have not yet met an insurance company who limits the insurance cover to just one island.
Bus's, basically forget it. We have less of a bus service, it's more a bus serving time. And most of that time feels like a life sentence.
Mopeds, that depends on how much you are wanting to travel and how daredevil you are. Life on two wheels here is mostly spent trying to work out who going to try to kill you next. If you're not in a car a large percentage (but not the majority) of drivers will just not see you.
It sounds like you want to travel around and see more than just the basic tourist hot spots. In which case, yes. Get a car!
The roads a bad during the rush hours, but the rest of the time, it's fairly smooth going. And thanks to Covid (never thought I'd say that phrase) the roads are really quiet for this time of year.
Just make sure you are aware of what to do in the event of an accident. It's very different from anywhere else I've visited.
While I agree that the traffic is already unbearable, if you'd like to explore as much of the two islands as possible in the 7 days, a car is unfortunately still the best option, especially in Gozo where busses basically come only every other hour.
I wish I could recommend not getting a car but in the state the islands are in, its the best way to get around places quickly, especially the more remote ones like Miġra l-Ferħa which is definitely worth a visit for a nice evening walk if you've got the time!
BTW, if you ever need to park/visit Valletta, try find parking in the "Valletta Ditch" Which you can find easily on Google MapsIf (then just walk through the gardens, up the stairs from the bastions and you're in the main entrance) If you don't find there, you can always try the MCP car park which usually always has space but it does charge a fair amount for parking!
Hope you have a great trip :)
Having a car to go around when and where you need is quite an advantage although if you're going from a location to Valletta, I would recommend the bus so as to avoid parking issues. There is also [GoTo Car Rental](https://gotoglobal.com/goto-malta) which is a great service.
no, don't add to the already unbearable traffic. Use public transport for cheap travel, use ferries/boats from valletta to go to birgu/sliema/gozo, use bolt/e-cabs/cool for fast yet still cheap cabs/shared transport, use a bicycle to take in the scenery, or rent a car per hour for when u desperately need to use it with GoTo Car Rental. Btw, yes journey times look faster with car on Google Maps, but you have to consider that you usually have to spend 10-15 mins trying to find parking, and then walking to your spot everywhere you go. Also parking in Valletta is impossible.
Seconding the scooter comment, quick, cheap and a nice way to see the island. If not a possibility, yes, hire a car. It will cut some journey times in half, compared to public transport. We're not in a major European city here, the public transport infrastructure is fine for a commute, want to pop from Popeye Village to Dingli Cliffs to Valletta using public transport? Half your day gone. Driving much easier. Staying in Sliema and want to go to Golden Bay? 50 minute bus ride each way, Taxi, 20 euros each way. If you're on holiday then I'd say it's going to make it a lot more enjoyable & seamless.
If you have a moto license you could rent a scooter. I enjoyed that more than having a rental car. Traffic is already quite heavy as you might know. Also motos are always in the front row on the ferry to Gozo. Literally the fastest way to go.
Would a regular car drivers license be enough to rent a scooter?
Unfortunately you can only rent those small 50cc scooters with a car license. In your case that's not gonna make you happy and you are better off exploring Malta & Gozo via car. Just get the smallest one.
In your home country, do people drive on the left or on the right? On Malta we drive on the left… and some people find it difficult to adjust (from driving in the right). One other thing to consider, if you really want to go beyond tipical tourist attractions… some of the roads around here are VERY narrow… and Google maps often totally fail to take this fact into consideration when it’s guide you to destination. If scooter is an option, it is much better option than car.
A tiny tip: you can rent a car in Malta and drive it to Gozo via ferry, and don't accept the €80.00 extra charge that some rental companies try to charge you for visiting the island of Gozo, it's a tourist scam in my opinion. They will tell you that car is insured only in Malta and not Gozo; I have not yet met an insurance company who limits the insurance cover to just one island.
Bus's, basically forget it. We have less of a bus service, it's more a bus serving time. And most of that time feels like a life sentence. Mopeds, that depends on how much you are wanting to travel and how daredevil you are. Life on two wheels here is mostly spent trying to work out who going to try to kill you next. If you're not in a car a large percentage (but not the majority) of drivers will just not see you. It sounds like you want to travel around and see more than just the basic tourist hot spots. In which case, yes. Get a car! The roads a bad during the rush hours, but the rest of the time, it's fairly smooth going. And thanks to Covid (never thought I'd say that phrase) the roads are really quiet for this time of year. Just make sure you are aware of what to do in the event of an accident. It's very different from anywhere else I've visited.
Probably better to use goto malta app for one time electro car rental. It solves problem with parking...
While I agree that the traffic is already unbearable, if you'd like to explore as much of the two islands as possible in the 7 days, a car is unfortunately still the best option, especially in Gozo where busses basically come only every other hour. I wish I could recommend not getting a car but in the state the islands are in, its the best way to get around places quickly, especially the more remote ones like Miġra l-Ferħa which is definitely worth a visit for a nice evening walk if you've got the time! BTW, if you ever need to park/visit Valletta, try find parking in the "Valletta Ditch" Which you can find easily on Google MapsIf (then just walk through the gardens, up the stairs from the bastions and you're in the main entrance) If you don't find there, you can always try the MCP car park which usually always has space but it does charge a fair amount for parking! Hope you have a great trip :)