Driving in Malta: 7 Things Nobody Warns You About
Malta is tiny. You can drive from the airport to the northern tip in under an hour. That makes people assume driving here is easy. It is not hard, exactly — but it is its own thing.
The island has rules that are official, rules that are unofficial, and rules that exist only in the heads of the locals who have been navigating these lanes since they were sixteen.
I have driven in Malta more times than I can count, and something still catches me off guard every trip. Below are the seven realities you need to know before you turn the key.
The Left Side Is Not the Problem — Your Brain Is
Malta drives on the left. Steering wheel on the right. If you are from the UK or Australia, skip ahead. If you are from continental Europe, the US, or anywhere else, this is the single biggest adjustment you will face.
The first roundabout is fine. The second is fine. It is the quiet moment — turning out of a side street onto a main road with no other cars around — when your brain forgets everything. That is the moment that gets people.
My honest suggestion: book an automatic. One less thing to think about. Follow other cars for the first hour rather than leading. And avoid driving after dark on day one. Not because the roads are dangerous, but because your brain is already working overtime.
The most important tip? If you find yourself on an empty road and start wondering whether you are on the correct side — stop. Pull over, wait for another car to come past. There is a very real chance the answer is not the one you were hoping for. You will be completely fine by day two. I promise.
The Painted Roundabouts Will Confuse You
Malta loves roundabouts. They added a huge number during the Covid years, so even if you have been before, the network has changed. Most are normal — you slow down, give way to the right, standard stuff.
But then there are the painted roundabouts. As the name suggests, it is literally a circle painted on the road. No raised kerb, no physical barrier, nothing stopping you driving straight over it. The rules are exactly the same as a normal roundabout, but if you are not expecting it, the first time you approach one you are not sure what to do.
My advice: treat it exactly like a physical roundabout. Drive as if the kerb were there. Do not expect every other driver to do the same — many locals treat them as suggestions — but technically, the police could stop you if you ignore them. There is a particularly famous one in Victoria, Gozo, right on Republic Street. Watch for the signs.
The Pickup Photo Rule Is Non-Negotiable
This one I feel strongly about because it has happened to people I know, and it is completely avoidable. You land in Malta for a road trip, you are excited, you pick up the car, and you drive off. What you did not do — what most people do not do — is spend five minutes properly documenting the condition of the car before you leave the lot.
You return the car at the end of the trip, and suddenly there is a scratch on the bumper or a dent on the door that apparently was not there before. And they charge you €300, €400, sometimes €500 for damage you did not cause. Unfortunately, there are dishonest suppliers who build their business on this type of scam. Easy money for them.
The solution takes five minutes. Photograph everything before you drive away and at drop-off, too. All four sides, the roof, the undercarriage, the interior. In this way you have a before-after documentation. If the company has a damage report form, fill it in — even if the agent waves you off and says it is fine.
Beyond the photos, I only book from reputable suppliers. I use DiscoverCars, the comparison platform that works as a sort of Airbnb for car rentals, where every supplier is rated between 5 and 10 stars by real customers who actually completed a rental — not like Google Maps where anyone can post. I filter above 8, usually 9, to shortlist only the most trusted operators and book from there. I have never been disappointed.
The Streets Are Narrower Than You Think
Nobody tells you quite how narrow some Maltese streets are. I am not talking about the occasional tight lane — I am talking about villages where two cars meeting face-to-face is genuinely a negotiation. The historic centres, the old villages, some of the back roads in Gozo — they were built for a time when the widest thing coming through was a horse.
This is the main reason I always recommend a compact car in Malta. Anything larger and you will spend your holiday folding in mirrors and holding your breath. It is also the main reason I recommend full insurance. In a narrow street with stone walls on both sides, a scraped mirror or scratched door happens easily. That kind of small damage can cost €300 to €700 at drop-off without coverage.
Your credit card might technically cover you, but check the excess. Mine has a €700 deductible, which makes it useless for the small stuff. Counter insurance at the desk runs €30 to €50 per day and often excludes tyres and rims. I add full coverage through DiscoverCars for €8 to €10 per day — zero excess, tyres and rims included, roadside assistance. Done before I land. Honestly, it is a no-brainer.
Maltese Drivers Are Efficient, Not Reckless
I say this with genuine affection. Maltese drivers are not reckless. They are just efficient — very efficiently using every available centimetre of road.
I once rented a car in Scotland to drive to the Isle of Skye, which has roads of similar width to some in Malta. In Skye, when I met a car coming the other way on a single-track road, the Scottish driver calmly waited for me to pass. In Malta, the Maltese driver is already through the gap before you have finished deciding whether the gap exists. It is fine. Just give way, let them go, and enjoy the show.
The thing I would actually warn you about, though, is the indicators. Using your turn signal in Malta is technically correct and occasionally happens. But enough local drivers do not bother, especially at roundabouts and intersections, that you cannot rely on a signal to tell you where a car is going.
Watch the car itself. Watch where it is actually pointing and moving. Do not assume that because someone has no indicator on they are going straight, and do not assume that because someone has one on they are actually turning.
Fuel Stations Have a Curfew
Petrol stations in Malta are served — someone fills the tank for you, at no extra charge, which is a nice touch. The price is fixed island-wide — one company controls supply, so every station charges exactly the same. There is no point driving around looking for a cheaper deal. The good news is that it comes in significantly cheaper than most of continental Europe.
The catch is the hours. Most stations operate roughly 7am to 6pm. After that, you need to find an automated station, and depending on where you are, they are not as common as you might hope.
My habit in Malta is to fill up whenever I am passing a station during the day, before it becomes a question of need. The automated pumps accept credit cards and cash, but if you are in a rural part of Gozo at 8pm, you do not want to be running on fumes.
The Gozo Ferry Is Free — But Only One Way
If you are renting a car in Malta, you should absolutely plan at least two days in Gozo. It is a completely different pace — quieter roads, different scenery, and an even stronger case for having your own wheels because the bus network there is minimal.
The ferry from Ċirkewwa in the north of Malta to Mġarr in Gozo is easy and genuinely enjoyable. Short crossing, beautiful views over the Mediterranean. And here is the thing that confuses first-timers: the ferry is free in the direction to Gozo. You just drive on and go. Coming back, you pay — and you pay for both directions, obviously.
Before you take your rental car on the ferry, check your rental conditions. Most companies are fine with it, but some charge an extra fee or require notification. Do not assume. The crossing takes about 25 minutes, and having a car on Gozo is even more valuable than on Malta itself. The best spots — the salt pans, the inland sea, the Azure Window ruins — are scattered around the island.
A Few Quick Rules Worth Memorising
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| Speed limits | 80 km/h outside towns, 50 km/h urban, odd 45 km/h signs exist |
| Headlights | By law, keep them on everywhere — tunnels, daytime, all roads |
| Mobile phone | Strictly prohibited while driving, even for maps |
| Seatbelts | Mandatory front and rear |
| Parking | White = free, Blue = paid, Green = residents, Yellow = no parking |
| Rental plates | Look for K or Z on the third position — locals know you are a tourist |
| Tolls | None. Malta has no highways. |
Final Word
Five takeaways before you drive.
Give yourself the first day to adjust to the left side. Book an automatic if you are not used to it.
Watch out for painted roundabouts. Same rules as a normal one, just no physical barrier.
Photograph the car at pickup. All four sides, undercarriage, roof, interior. Five minutes that could save you hundreds.
Full insurance before you land — not at the counter. €8 to €10 per day through DiscoverCars. Zero excess.
Fill up during the day. Do not get caught in Gozo at dusk with an empty tank and no automated station nearby.
Do that, and Malta opens up in a way that buses never will. The megalithic temples at dawn, the silence of Mdina at dusk, the swimming spots with no name — they are all out there, waiting at the end of a narrow lane.
