Getting around on Maltese public transport

Malta busThe Mediterranean island of Malta  is a great holiday destination, offering visitors historic cities, like Mdina, spectacular beaches – see my post on the Blue Lagoon , and glimpses into its ancient past.

On a visit to Malta, my family and I chose to base ourselves in the picturesque capital city of Valletta and to make our way around the island on Malta’s historic and remarkably colorful public buses.

Malta busIf you are based in Valletta, travelling by bus rather than renting a car to get around the option, is a viable option. Frequent buses leave the capital’s main bus depot at regular intervals for points all over the island. Check for updated schedule information at the Malta bus web site.

We found it a convenient – and inexpensive – way to travel around the island, since we didn’t want the hassle of (left-handed and chaotic – and we live in Rome and know a thing or two about chaotic driving) driving and we found Maltese taxis insanely overpriced.

Our children really enjoyed riding on these colorful old buses and insisted on purchasing a souvenir toy bus before we left Malta.

The disadvantages? The Maltese buses can be crowded, particularly in the summer months and on weekends, and reaching multiple destinations can be difficult. You must often go back to Valletta to depart again for another destination. There was no air-conditioning, although we didn’t find this to be too much of a problem, even in late June.

So decide what works best for your needs when getting around the pretty Mediterranean island of Malta. On our return, we’ll definitely be back exploring the island on the yellow and red Maltese buses.

6 Comments

  1. ledrakenoir on August 27, 2013 at 8:59 am

    These kind of old busses are wonderful – and in fact they give a much better picture of the area – not because of they are old not because we meet the local people – really enjoy visiting Malta – actually there are many worth visiting Mediterranean islands – Malta, Cyprus, Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica, Crete and many more of the small islands have a wonderful atmosphere… 🙂

    I will soon be visiting Malta again… 🙂

    • kimberlysullivan on August 28, 2013 at 4:02 pm

      Too true, Le Drake. It’s a great way to meet the locals (although I still made zero progress on the difficult Maltese language). : ) Agree with you – Medierranean islands are spectacular. Always hard to leave…

  2. ledrakenoir on August 28, 2013 at 4:07 pm

    Agree with you – the maltese language is so difficult… 🙂

  3. Claire 'Word by Word' on August 30, 2013 at 9:37 am

    Nothing like an authentic local experience, I am sure the children will remember the visit all the more for having taken those bus rides.

    • kimberlysullivan on August 30, 2013 at 5:34 pm

      True, Claire. What kid (or kid at heart) would’t love bumping around on those colorful buses? And, as I’m sure you know well, travelling with kids is another great way to meet locals.

  4. […] of Malta, including  the historical town of Mdina, tempting swimming at the Blue Lagoon, and the colorful local buses that will ferry you around the […]

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