Malta drives on the left side of the road, which can sound intimidating at first, but honestly, it’s manageable. Most cars are small, roads are well-marked, and after a short adjustment period, it starts to feel natural. Plus, because the island is so small, most drives take 20–30 minutes max, which makes planning your days incredibly easy.
Our Experience Renting a Car in Malta
On our trips, we rented small cars, once with Avis and once with Sixt, and had good experiences with both. Rental prices are very reasonable, especially outside peak summer season. For example, in December, we paid around €300 for 10 days for an automatic car with full insurance, which felt like good value.
Malta’s roads go uphill and downhill a lot, and streets can be narrow, especially in villages and older areas. Because of that, we highly recommend choosing an automatic transmission, even though it costs a bit more. If you’re also getting used to driving on the left, it removes a lot of unnecessary stress and makes the whole experience feel safer and more relaxed. And what can be more fun than driving on a sunny island with your windows down, just having the time of your life.
Insurance
We strongly recommend getting full insurance coverage. Roads can be tight, parking spaces small, and local driving style can feel a bit chaotic at times. Having full coverage means you don’t have to worry about scratches, mirrors, or unexpected bumps. Even though we never had any accident on Malta, it’s good to be care free.
You usually have two options:
- Insurance offered directly by the rental company
- Third-party insurance through services like Revolut or worldwide travel insurance providers
We’ve used third-party insurance before and it worked well for us, but make sure you understand what’s covered and how claims work before deciding.
Get yours too.
Where to Pick Up Your Car
Most rental car companies operate from the multi-storey parking garage near Malta International Airport. It’s about a 5-minute walk from the arrivals terminal, signs leading there are clear and easy to find. No shuttle buses needed, which is a big plus after a flight.
Tips on Renting a Car
A few things we’ve learned that really help:
- Book in advance, especially if you want an automatic car or are traveling in high season
- Stick to well-known rental companies like Avis, Sixt, Europcar, or similar
- Prices are usually much better when booked online ahead of time
- Smaller cars are easier to park and navigate through villages
- When you pick up your car, take a full video or photos of the vehicle, inside and out. Even if everything looks fine, it’s always better to be safe than sorry when returning it
- use Apple maps as they have all the new updates, Google Maps drove us to one way streets way to often.
Is Renting a Car in Malta Worth It?
For us, absolutely yes. Renting a car made it easy to explore remote viewpoints, small villages, cliffs, and beaches that would be harder or slower to reach by bus. It also meant we weren’t tied to schedules and could adjust plans on the go. I mean one time we drove all around the island just because we felt like it. And we went to dinners to local restaurants on the other side of the island just because we could do it with the car.
If you need help planning your trip to Malta, we covered everything in our guides:
- 8 Top Things to do in Valletta, Malta
- 3 Days in Malta: The Perfect Itinerary
- 5 Days in Malta: The Ultimate Itinerary for Your Trip
- Day Trip to Gozo: Best Things to Do on Malta’s Sister Island
- How to Get to Gozo from Malta: Ferry Guide, Prices & Tips
If you’re comfortable driving and want flexibility, renting a car in Malta is simple, affordable, and one of the best ways to see the island properly.
Have fun in Malta, until next time, be mesmerized 🩵