Everything You Need to Know About Public Transport in Malta

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All information in this post is accurate as of the publishing date, however it is always best to check timetables, pricing, or opening hours before visiting a destination or venue.

Given that Malta is the world’s tenth smallest country, it’s a great candidate for getting around on public transport! We love using public transport in countries and cities all over the world, and we were able to get everywhere we wanted to in Malta. It can be so tricky to navigate transport in a different country. From knowing where to get tickets or how to pay, to finding the routes and timetables. We’ve taken our experience using the public transport in Malta and laid out everything you might need to know to use the system to see this beautiful country.

While you’re planning your trip to Malta, don’t forget to read our posts on where you should stay and the best things to do on your trip!

In this article:

  1. Modes of transport
  2. Paying the fare
  3. Cost of travel
  4. How to find timetables and routes
  5. Important things to know
Everything You Need to Know About Public Transport in Malta. Krissie staring out at the Blue Lagoon on the island of Comino in Malta. The ground is orange and the water is crystal blue. There are also boats and people in the water
The gorgeous Blue Lagoon

Modes of Transport

There are two main modes of public transport in Malta: buses and ferries.

Bus

Buses are by far the main mode of public transport in Malta, with roughly 80 routes across the country. Buses run from or through all the major cities, including Valletta, Sliema, St Julian’s, Mdina, and Victoria, as well as the airport and Ċirkewwa, where you can catch the Gozo Channel Ferry across to Gozo. You can use the public bus system to go pretty much anywhere you may want or need to go.

Ferry

Considering Malta is an archipelago nation consisting of three main islands, it’s no surprise that ferries are a common mode of transport. There are many private ferry companies and tour boats that operate around the coast. Many people choose to visit Gozo using one of these private companies, or the Gozo Channel Ferry from the north of Malta.

There is also a public ferry, which is what we will focus on for this post. There are two routes of public ferries, both starting or ending in Valletta, the capital. One route heads to Sliema, and one goes to Cospicua. If you catch the ferry from Cospicua to Valletta, you will also recieve a ticket for the Upper Barrakka lift, so you can get into the centre of Valletta.

Inside an empty bus in Malta with blue and red seats and green poles to hold onto "Everything You Need to Know About Public Transport in Malta"
While the buses in Malta are often delayed, they’re still a great way to get around

Paying the Fare

Bus

You may find information online about how Malta’s bus system is free. This is true, but only for residents of the country. Tourists must pay for bus journeys upon boarding.

In terms of how to pay, there are a couple of options. The method that we found the easiest and most cost-effective for our itinerary was to tap on to the bus with our bank-issued card. This will purchase you a two-hour ticket, meaning that you can transfer buses without paying again. You can also pay for a two hour ticket with cash upon boarding the bus. Keep in mind that you will likely need to pay in exact change if you opt for this method.

You could also choose to purchase a Tallinja card for your time in Malta. This could be cheaper, but isn’t necessarily, so make sure to calculate if this is a good option for you. For tourists, there are three main Tallinja cards: the Explore Flex Card, the Explore Card and the 12 Journeys Card.

The Explore Flex card is similar to the Oyster system in London, or the Opal system in Sydney. It is a plastic card that can be topped up with monetary value, which can then be used to pay for public transport in Malta. The Explore Card offers unlimited bus travel for seven days, and costs €21. The 12 Journeys Card allows 12 single journeys on bus services for €21.

If you are wanting to buy a Tallinja card, you can check here for locations they are available for purchase. We would highly recommend buying it at the airport upon arrival, so you are set for the rest of your trip.

Ferry

You can also purchase ferry tickets with card or cash upon boarding or at the ticket booth at the ferry stop. Unlike buses, ferry tickets are single ride only, so you will need to either buy a return ticket or purchase a ticket for each direction.

A public transport ticket machine in Malta where you can select 3 different cards and pay multiple ways "Everything You Need to Know About Public Transport in Malta"
An Tallinja Card ticket machine
A hand holding a paper ticket for the bus in Malta "Everything You Need to Know About Public Transport in Malta"
A bus ticket in Malta

Cost of Travel

Bus

Bus fares are based on whether you are catching a day time or night time bus. The bus numbers are different for these, with any night bus route number having an ‘N’ at the start. Day route fares cost €2.50, while night route fares are €3.

Tallinja cards may offer you a cheaper fare, depending on how often you are intending to catch a bus during your time in Malta. For example, we spent seven days in Malta, and we planned to catch nine day time buses and one night time bus. This would bring our fare total to €20.50 (the prices were slightly lower for individual rides at the time of our visit). We opted to pay for each of these buses individually, as that would save us €0.50 over the week.

If you are are intending to catch more than €21 worth of buses, it is definitely worth purchasing either the Explore Card for seven days of unlimited travel or the 12 Journeys Card.

Ferry

Ferry prices also change based on the time of day. Day time single tickets are €2, and night time singles are €2.50. The equivalent return tickets are €3.80 and €4.20.

A view of Valletta from Sliema in Malta across the blue water where you can see a big church with a dome on top "Everything You Need to Know About Public Transport in Malta"
The view from Valletta to Sliema

How to Find Timetables and Routes

It’s all well and good to know that public transport in Malta is available, but without knowing the schedule, it’s not actually that useful. Thankfully, schedules for buses in Malta are quite easy to find.

Google Maps

The Malta bus system is integrated into Google Maps. This means you can easily plug in your start and end points, and you will recieve detailed information on which bus routes you need to catch, and the times of the services.

One issue with this, however, is that the system does not have real time data. When a bus was delayed or running early, Google Maps did not update to give us the accurate information.

This is where the Tallinja App came in handy!

A Google maps screenshot of a bus route from Mayr to Rabat Saqqajja Bus Station in Malta "Everything You Need to Know About Public Transport in Malta"
Google Maps makes getting around so easy
A Google maps screenshot of a bus route from Mayr to Rabat Saqqajja Bus Station in Malta "Everything You Need to Know About Public Transport in Malta"
The 202 bus route from Mayr to Rabat

Tallinja App

The Tallinja App is the official app for public transport in Malta, particularly the bus. If you purchase a Tallinja card, you can register it in the app, but you can also use it to see bus routes and real time data. We used this in conjunction with Google Maps to find the right route and track the buses to know when the most suitable service for us was.

Ferry Timetable

Unfortunately the Valletta Ferry Service is not integrated with Google Maps and is not featured on the Tallinja App. Thankfully though, the schedule is pretty consistent and easy to remember!

The ferries run every half hour between Valletta and the two destinations: Sliema and Cospicua. To Sliema, ferries depart Valletta on the hour and half hour, and return from Sliema at 15 and 45 past the hour. Between Valletta and Cospicua, they depart on the hour and half our from Cospicua, and at 15 and 45 past from Valletta. You can see more about the ferry schedule here, including any seasonal variation in the first and last ferry of the day.

A screenshot of the Tallinja App of all the buses from Mayr in Malta "Everything You Need to Know About Public Transport in Malta"
All bus routes from the stop Mayr
A screenshot of the Tallinja App with bus number 202 selected from Mayr in Malta "Everything You Need to Know About Public Transport in Malta"
Once the 202 bus has been selected

Important Things to Know

  • Delays and cancellations are very common. We had a few instances where the bus we were wanting to catch simply never arrived. Make sure to plan extra time in case there are any delays.
  • Timeliness isn’t always a given. Similar to other countries in southern Europe, the timetables are more of a guide than they are a rulebook. Make sure you’re checking the real time data to know when your bus is expected to arrive.
  • Some bus routes are quite infrequent. Some of the routes only have a bus every half hour or hour, so make sure you check ahead. If you are intending to use the bus to get to the airport or ferry port for a departure, make sure you allow plenty of extra time just in case.
  • Buses can be crowded. Particularly in summer when there are many tourists on the island, the buses can be busy and hot. Prepare to potentially stand for part of your journey.
  • Ferry fares are sometimes only able to be paid in cash. We did not have any issues, but we have heard of the card machines being out of order meaning cash payment is required.

Public transport in Malta can be a game changer on helping you save money while you travel around the country. Keep in mind that it is not always 100% reliable, but with some planning ahead you can definitely make it work for you. Hopefully our information helps you to make the most of your time and money in making your way around Malta. Let us know if you have any questions or want to share your experience with the public transport in Malta!

Katherine leaning against a stone barrier with a view of Victoria in Gozo, Malta behind her. All the buildings are sand coloured and the land around the buildings is really flat with green bushes "Everything You Need to Know About Public Transport in Malta"
The view from the Cathedral of the Assumption

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Our favourite travel planning resources

Flights: Let’s start at the very beginning. When planning a trip our favourite websites to compare flights on are Google Flights and Skyscanner. We then personally prefer to go through the airlines official website to book flights.
Travel Insurance: Once you’ve booked flights, the very next step should be travel insurance. We highly recommend booking travel insurance for every international trip no matter the length, because it’s better to be safe than sorry. For our Australian readers we used Travel Insurance Saver which allowed us to book with only one way flights and were great.
Travel Items: It’s no secret that one of the best travel items is a portable charger. This INIU one has great reviews, is relatively cheap and has 3 spots for chargers so will be perfect to keep your phones alive during those long travel days! Another great item we used was a portable washing line which is perfect for when you don’t have access to a washing machine. And when you do, these laundry sheets are so easy to pack and work amazingly well.
Accommodation: For everywhere we stayed, we booked on either Airbnb or Booking.com. Both websites allow you to filter to only show you places in your budget, and pick from inclusions such as kitchen and laundry so it’s really easy to find exactly what you need!
Travel SIM: We used Airalo e-SIMs for data while overseas and loved them. You download the app, pick the plan you want and install it on your phone in less than 10 minutes. If you’re interested, use our referral code KRISTE3325 to get $3USD off your first purchase.
Tours & Activities: We booked all our day trips and some activities through GetYourGuide. There are so many things to see and do in each city and each one has a rating out of 5 and reviews to help you make your decision.

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