Know before you go : Malta Edition

In this article, I’ll make an overview of everything useful to know before going to Malta, including some travel tips.

You’ll find : 

Malta is an island located in the Mediterranean sea, in Southern Europe, around 80km south of Sicily, Italy. The closest countries are Tunisia, Libya and Italy.

The capital is Valletta, but the largest city in Malta is St Paul’s Bal.

Malta is the tenth smallest country in the world, with only 316km² and the island’s population is around 519.000 people.

Only the three largest islands – Malta, Gozo and Comino – are inhabited.

The best time to visit Malta would be on the shoulders seasons, so either in May-June or September-October.

We went in October and it was a great weather (max 27 degrees). I would not recommend trying to come in July or August as the weather is hot and there are way more tourists on this tiny island.

The currency in Malte is the Euro.

Almost every restaurants and grocery store accept the card for paiements, but you should withdraw some cash for local markets, bakeries, boat rides…

The prices for restaurants vary depending if you go to touristy areas or more local places, but overall it’s quite reasonable (minimum would be 11-13€ per person for a pasta dish in a good italian restaurant – there are tons of those as Italy is really close by).

We took some pastizzis in bakeries for lunch (savoury pastries filled with either ricotta or curried peas), so we didn’t even reach 4€ per person. As for dinner we ate at Is-Suq Tal-Belt Valletta Food Market and had the best indian food for 10-12€ each, and other time at Pastaus and paid 13€ each.

Regarding the places to visit such as the various activities or the different boat rides, to give you some examples, the boat day to Comino and Gozo was 30€ per person and the museums are between 3-10€, you can check out the different ticket prices here.

Regarding accomodations, you can find most Airbnb / hotels around Valletta (the close neighbourhood are a great alternative to downtown bookings as they are less expensive and the area is quieter) for 90€ per night for two people. We chose to stay in an Airbnb at L-lmsida, so we paid way less (150€ for 3 days for 2 people, which is 25€ per day per person !). If you’re interested in booking it, here’s the link. It was a nice apartment, with everything you could need for a short stay. Plus the bus stops were only a few meters away.

Clothing : I would suggest packing first a hat or a cap as well as sunglasses and sunscreen because the sun is strong, and you’ll definitely need it if you come to Comino and the Blue Lagoon.

Of course, bathing suits, and nice trainers if you plan on walking.

Adapter: Malta uses Type C and F power outlets, like most European countries. Travelers from outside Europe will need a plug adapter. A power bank is also handy for keeping your devices charged during a long day of exploration !

There’s a lot to bring back from Malta !

Traditional items : In Malta there’s also a lot of pottery and ceramics as well as blown glass. A nice souvenir from Malta can also be lace, filigree or even door knockers !

Food : When exploring the different villages, you’ll come across salt, jams, maltese nougat, honey and even maltese cheese.

The official language is Maltese, however you’ll find that everyone has a great level in English.

But here are a few words you can use :

Hello : Bonġu [Bon Ju]

Thank you : Grazzi [Grats-ee]

You’re welcome : Mhux problema [Mush prob-lay-muh]

I understand / I don’t understand : Nifhem / Ma nifhimx [Ni-fem / Maa ni-fimsh]

Sorry : Skuzani [Skou za nee]

My name is… : Jisimni… [Yis-im-nee]

Yes / No : Iva [Ee-va] / Le [Lay]

As we came from France, our mobile plan included internet and calls in Malta.

However if you need to buy one upon arrival, Airalo e-sim has the best value for money. Otherwise you can buy a Sim card at Epic Malta, it has great options available for tourists and it’s not that expensive (10€ for 8Gb). You can find all the store’s locations here to buy the SIM card.

Now we personally did not rent a car, but if you do, I recommend booking via Kayak. I find it to be the best comparative tool for booking a car abroad.

There’s a lot of things to see in Malta and around ! You can spend a day in visiting Valletta, discover the islands around like Gozo and Comino, or explore the villages in Malta like Marsaxlokk or Rabat…You won’t be bored a second !

Here’s a list of the best things to do on the island :

That’s it for my Malta travel tips ! To have a lot more information and pictures about these places, you can read my ultimate Malta itinerary.

I have also made a detailed post about a boat day to Comino and Gozo.