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The cannons of the Saluting Battery at the Upper Barrakka Gardens in Valletta, with the Grand Harbour, Fort St Angelo and the Birgu yacht marina beyond

Where to stay in Malta

Photo: TerryDOtt, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Places to stay in Malta

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About Malta

From the airport at Luqa it is about 8 km by road to Valletta and about 29 km to the Gozo ferry at Ċirkewwa. In Malta the distances are short; parking and the ferry decide where a car earns its place.

Malta. Guide last checked .

Facts and rules

Last checked . Each fact links to its source.

Airport
Malta International Airport (MLA) at Luqa, about 8 km by road from Valletta and about 29 km from the Gozo ferry at Ċirkewwa. Rental offices are in the Park East car park, a 3-minute walk from the terminal. Source
Eco contribution
From 1 July 2026, EUR 1.50 per night per guest aged 18 or over, capped at EUR 22.50 per person per visit, shown separately on the receipt. Eco-Contribution Act (Cap. 473). Source
Short-let rules
A holiday rental needs a Malta Tourism Authority licence under the Tourism Accommodation Regulations 2026, in force since 15 June 2026. The MTA says listings must also show a separate registration number. Source
Parking in Valletta
Camera charge for entering, Monday to Friday 08:00 to 18:00: first 30 minutes free, then EUR 0.82 an hour up to EUR 6.52. Entry after 14:00 on weekdays and all weekend is free. Source
Monthly stays
The residential lease law does not apply to lets to tourists for tourism purposes. The eco contribution stops at EUR 22.50 per adult, reached on the 15th night. Airbnb calls 28 nights or more a monthly stay. Source
Entry rules
Schengen: non-EU visitors without a visa can stay up to 90 days in any 180. The EU Entry/Exit System, fully operational since 10 April 2026, registers non-EU travellers at the border. Source
Emergency number
112 Source

Areas of Malta

Saint Christopher Street in Valletta, a narrow street of limestone houses with enclosed wooden balconies and a statue of St Roque on the corner
Photo: Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Valletta

The walled capital on its peninsula, for walking, the views over the Grand Harbour and the churches and museums inside the walls. It suits a city stay without a car; with a car, the car is for day trips.

Airport
about 8 km
Sliema
about 6 km

Car and parking

Cars entering Valletta pay the Controlled Vehicular Access charge by camera, Monday to Friday from 08:00 to 18:00: the first 30 minutes are free, then EUR 0.82 an hour up to EUR 6.52. Entry after 14:00 on weekdays and all weekend is free. The bill goes to the registered owner, so the rental company passes it on. GetCar suggests parking outside the walls in Floriana.

Small wooden boats moored in Spinola Bay in St Julian's, with the stone quay, cafés and apartment buildings along the waterfront
Photographed in 2021. Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Sliema and St Julian's

The seafront towns across Marsamxett Harbour from Valletta, with the Sliema promenade, Spinola Bay, restaurants and nightlife in St Julian's, and the ferry from Sliema to Valletta. They suit a first visit without much driving and a long stay with services close by.

Airport
about 11 km
Valletta, from Sliema
about 6 km

Car and parking

GetCar rates Sliema and St Julian's the hardest places on the island to park, with the multi-storey car parks at Tigné and Portomaso and the ferry to Valletta as the working answers. The blue and green bays here are not defined in the national parking policy, so read the plate at each bay.

The palm-lined seafront road in St Paul's Bay, with cars parked along the kerb, apartment blocks on the right and boats moored in the bay
Photographed in 2019. Photo: HH58, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

St Paul's Bay, Buġibba and Qawra

The resort towns around St Paul's Bay in the north, with a seafront promenade, hotels and holiday apartments, between Valletta and the northern beaches. They suit a beach holiday with a car more than a city break.

Airport
about 19 km
Valletta
about 15 km

Car and parking

No official parking source for Buġibba or Qawra was found as of September 2026, so ask the host whether a space comes with the booking. The airport is about 19 km away by road and Valletta about 15 km.

Apartment blocks on the slope of Mellieħa above Mellieħa Bay, with the Marfa ridge across the water
Photo: John Cummings, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Mellieħa

The northern town on its ridge above Mellieħa Bay, with the sandy beach of Għadira below it and the Gozo ferry close by. It suits a beach week and a day on Gozo from one base.

Airport
about 24 km
Ċirkewwa ferry
about 6 km

Car and parking

No official parking source for Mellieħa was found as of September 2026; ask the host. The Gozo ferry at Ċirkewwa is about 6 km by road and the airport about 24 km.

The narrow turquoise inlet of Xlendi Bay on Gozo, with hotels and apartments on the left and the Xlendi watchtower on the headland
Photo: PavleG97, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Gozo

The smaller island, a ferry crossing of about 25 minutes from Ċirkewwa: Victoria and its citadel in the middle, and the bays of Xlendi and Marsalforn on the coast. Farmhouses, apartments and small hotels, for a quiet week or a month.

Victoria, from Mġarr harbour
about 6 km
Xlendi, from Mġarr harbour
about 9 km
Ċirkewwa ferry, from the airport
about 29 km

Car and parking

The Gozo Channel car ferry runs from Ċirkewwa to Mġarr: car and driver pay EUR 15.70 and each further adult EUR 4.65, once, at Mġarr or online. One national rental brand's terms name it as the only ferry the car may board. From Mġarr it is about 6 km to Victoria and about 9 km to Xlendi or Marsalforn.

Guides

Questions

How much is the eco contribution in Malta?

From 1 July 2026, EUR 1.50 per night for each guest aged 18 or over, capped at EUR 22.50 per person per visit. The accommodation provider collects it and must show it separately on the receipt, and the cap covers combined stays in Malta and Gozo in the same visit.

Can a rental car go to Gozo?

Yes, on the Gozo Channel ferry from Ċirkewwa to Mġarr, a crossing of about 25 minutes. Car and driver pay EUR 15.70 and each further adult EUR 4.65, once, at Mġarr or online. One national rental brand's terms name it as the only ferry the car may board.

How does parking work in Valletta?

Cars entering Valletta between 08:00 and 18:00 on weekdays pay the Controlled Vehicular Access charge by camera: the first 30 minutes free, then EUR 0.82 an hour up to EUR 6.52. Entry after 14:00 and at weekends is free. The bill goes to the registered owner, which for a hire car is the rental company.

How can a guest check that a holiday rental in Malta is licensed?

Short lets need a Malta Tourism Authority licence, and the MTA STR Licence Validator checks a licence number online. Under the EU short-term rental rules, the MTA says each operator is to have a separate registration number, shown on every listing.