Getting to Malta is relatively straightforward as it is well-connected by air and sea, particularly from Europe.
Malta is part of the Schengen Zone, so depending on your nationality, you may need a Schengen visa to enter. EU citizens do not need a visa to visit Malta, and travellers from countries with Schengen agreements can also visit visa-free for up to 90 days.
Getting to Malta By Air
The fastest and most common way to get to Malta is by flying. The main international airport is Malta International Airport (MLA). It is located in Luqa, around 8 kilometers from the capital Valletta.
Several airlines operate direct flights to Malta from major European cities like London, Paris, Rome, Berlin, and Madrid. Some of the main airlines serving Malta are Air Malta, Ryanair, EasyJet, and Lufthansa.
If you’re travelling from outside Europe, you will likely need to connect via a hub such as London Heathrow, Frankfurt, or Rome Fiumicino.
Examples of airlines with regular scheduled flights to Malta from other parts of Europe
The airline that flies to Malta from the largest number of European airports is, by a wide margin, RyanAir. RyanAir have plenty of scheduled flights to Malta from airports in both northern, eastern and southern Europe. Seasonally, the assortment gets even larger. We will not list all the airports here; it is better to visit the official RyanAir site to see exactly what is available.
KM Malta Airlines, the flag carrier of Malta, is, of course, also a notable player here. From its hub at the Malta International Airport, it serves several different destinations in Europe, including
Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels, Catania, Düsseldorf, London–Gatwick, London–Heathrow, Lyon,
Madrid, Milan–Linate, Munich, Paris–Charles de Gaulle, Paris–Orly, Prague, Rome–Fiumicino, Vienna, and Zürich.
Universal Air is another Maltese airline. It offers flights from destinations such as Corfu, Ibiza, Munich, Nice, Palermo, Prague, and Pécs.
Examples of other airlines
- Aegean Airlines, from Athens
- Aer Lingus, from Dublin (seasonally)
- Air France, from Paris (seasonally)
- Air Serbia, from Belgrade
- AirBaltic, from Riga and Tallinn
- British Airways, from London-Gatwick
- EasyJet, from London-Gatwick and Manchester. Seasonally also from Amsterdam, Basel/Mulhouse,Bristol, Geneva, Liverpool, London–Luton, London–Southend, Milan–Malpensa, Naples, and Nice.
- Eurowings, from Düsseldorf. Seasonally also from Hamburg.
- ITA Airways, from Rome-Fiumicino. Seasonally also from Milan-Linate.
- Jet2.com, from Manchester. Seasonally also from many other airports in the United Kingdom, plus Belfast.
- Lufthansa, from Frankfurt and Munich
- Luxair, from Luxembourg
- Norwegian Air, seasonally from Oslo and Copenhagen
- SAS, seasonally from Copenhagen
- SWISS, seasonally from Zürich
- Transavia, from Nantes and Paris-Orly
- Vuelin, from Barcelona. Seasonally also from Bilbao.
- Wizz Air, from Belgrade, Bucharest-Otopeni, Budapest, Katowice, Skopje, and Warsaw-Chopin
Examples of airlines with regular scheduled flights to Malta from Northern Africa or Western Asia
- Emirates, from Dubai
- Tunisair Express, from Tunis
- Turkish Airlines, from Istanbul
- Universal Air, from Casablanca and Tripoli
Transport from MLA on Malta
Once you arrive at Malta International Airport, there are several transportation options, including taxis, shuttle buses, and public buses to reach Valletta or other parts of the island.
Getting to Malta By Sea
Ferries to Malta depart from nearby Italy and certain other mediterranean destinations. Malta is also a popular stop for Mediterranean cruises, and several lines include Valletta as a port of call, providing an opportunity to visit the island as part of a larger Mediterranean itinerary.
Between Sicily and Malta
The island of Sicily has a regular ferry connection with Malta, with ferries departing from both Pozzallo and Catania to Valletta.
The dominating company on this route is Virtu Ferries, a Maltese company founded in the 1980s. Virtu Ferries operates ferry services between Sicily and Malta by catamaran, for both passengers and vehicles. The flagship catamaran is Saint John Paul II , which travels across the Maltese channel, between Pozzallo and Valletta, year round, and almost every day of the year. Virtu Ferries also operates Jean de La Valette on the Pozzallo – Valletta route, and this catamaran has room for 800 passengers.
MV/HSC Saint John Paul II is the largest high-speed catamaran in the Mediterranean Sea and the second-largest in the world. It is designed for 1,120 passengers and 24 crew, and features 490 truck lane metres for vehicles. It is named after the Pope who travelled on another Virtu Ferries catamaran during a 1990 visit to Malta.
Between Venice and Malta
Venezia Lines, which belong to the same company group as Virtu Ferries, runs a seasonal ferry service between Venice (on the Italian mainland) and Malta.
Between Malta and Gozo
Virtu Ferries Gozo operates the catamarans San Frangisk and HSC Gozo Express on the route between Valetta on Malta and Mġarr, a harbour town in south-eastern Gozo. Gozo is part of the Republic of Malta and is the second-largest island in the archipelago; only Malta itself is bigger. San Frangisk have room for 317 passengers and Gozo Express has room for 322.