General facts

Population: 400,000

Area: 120 square miles (316km q.)

Religion: Roman Catholic 98%

Language: Maltese & English

Government Type: Republic, EU State

Capital City: Valletta

Highest Point: Dingli Cliffs (253meters)

Driving: on the left of the road

Minimum Age for drivers: 18 years

Seat belts: required for drivers and front seats passengers

Helmets for Motorcyclist: required

Time: winter 1 hour ahead of GMT

Summer: 2 hours ahead of GMT

Electricity: 220 / 240 volts

The Climate in Malta: is warm and healthy. There are no biting winds, fog for only short periods, averaging about 578mm (20 inches) in a whole year. The temperature averages 14.1ºc in winter and 32ºc in summer with the sun shining for an average of 6.46 hrs and 10.11 hrs respectively.

Best Beaches: Mellieha Bay, Gnejna, Armier, Golden Bay, Ghajn Tuffieha, Ramla Bay (Gozo) Blue lagoon (Comino).

Must sees & dos

Once in Malta do not miss visiting some of the many historic and cultural places offering unique experiences and outstanding wealth in forms of architecture, art, history, legends & myths.
Valletta is a must see being the capital and offering lots of museums, libraries, churches, shops, restaurants, wine bars & outdoor cafes. Mdina is the old capital city also called ‘The Silent City’ and is fully fortified featuring lots of small cobbled roads with huge palaces and great views of the main land, it’s normally a preferred outing by a number of locals for a Saturday afternoon visit to one of the bastion cafes enjoying the sun and sipping on their favourite drinks. Marsaxlokk is the main fishing village, where you will find a flee market as well as many cheaper restaurants where you will normally eat very fresh fish at a fraction of the normal resort price. Dingli Cliffs, Blue Grotto and Hagar Qim Temples are also worth a visit and can make up a great walking tour in the Winter & shoulder months. Several picturesque and secluded beaches best enjoyed off the Summer season as most get too crowded in Summer. Do get out of the beaten track and visit some villages where you will normally find the local ways of life.Comino and the Blue Lagoon is also a favourite but do try to avoid weekends in Summer as it gets over crowded. Gozo is always worth at least a day’s visit and here you can really experience the local life style as it seems that time has stood still on this island.
Thing to try:
• Local pastizzi (pea, anchovy or cheese) found in the many bakery shops scattered across the islands
• Kinnie a local bitter orange soft drink
• Cisk the local lager, goes down very well nicely chilled in the bitter late afternoon sun
• Twistees (cheese, bacon, peanut) a local packet snack made from puffed rice
• Gozo cheese, bigilla, salted tomatoes, pickled onions making up the famous hobz bi-zejt, a typical local snack with fresh bread, tomato paste & several dried and pickled local specialities. These can normally be bought separately as well
• Typical Maltese food including Rabbit, Lampuki (fish), Qarnita (octopus), Bragjoli (rolled beef), Mqarrun il-forn (baked pasta), Majjal (pig roast) & Soppa ta’ L-Armla (widow soup).

Traveller facts

You may well feel that you’re visiting a European country, but these islands are one of the last outposts of Europe and the pace of life is very relaxed especially in Gozo - so it helps to know certain practicalities. Here are some useful tips to help you settle in.

Getting there

Being islands the only way you can reach Malta is by air or sea. By air there are several direct flights from major cities around Europe with various airline including Air Malta, RyanAir, German Wings, EasyJet, Lufthansa, Alitalia, Emirates, British Airways, ClickAir and other charter companies operating flights to the islands. For a general guide of direct flights available from the various cities you may click here. It is always reccomended to get your flight booked at the earliest possible in order to secure the cheapest price possible.

Travelling by boat is possible from Catania or Pozzallo in Sicily where you can get on a Catamaran, which takes cars as well and get to Malta in 3 hours or 1.5 hours respectively. In Summer this schedule is operated on a daily basis and there are also other possibilities including a ferry from Genoa and Salerno.

Where to stay

The islands offer several accommodation options including various hotels in the different categories, self catering apartments, villas & the traditional farmhouses. Most properties are featured online and you may research the various available options and plan way in advance to make sure you get the preferred property booked up for your stay in Malta. During peek periods the best properties get booked up very early so it is always recommended to secure your property way in advance. Most people think it is best to go directly to the hotels or property owners however through common practice and past traveller experiences we advise you to go through a specialised operator. Apart from the fact that should something go wrong the operator will always stand on your side and make sure a proper solution is provided to accommodate your needs. It is also evident that the price you pay for booking the same property through one of these operators is much better. sundreamstravel.com is a local company specialising in incoming travel to the islands with Malta being it's main product and focus. We offer an easy to use web site giving you the opportunity to learn about our islands through this one source and book your holiday to the islands online.

Another aspect to be considered when choosing your property in Malta is the various locations and attractions and your special interest in visiting the islands. If visiting on business or with historical interests we would suggest Valletta, Sliema and St Julian's being the most central resorts offering the best properties catering for this genre. For families and mature visitors we suggest St Paul's Bay, Bugibba, Qawra, Golden Sands, Mellieha, Ramla & Gozo where you will find the best beaches and picturesque sea front promenades. St Julian's can also be an option for this genre as it offers some very exclusive 5 Star resorts with all the facilities. For the younger travellers interested in night life and entertainments St Julian's is the best place followed by Bugibba and Qawra which mostly come to life in the Summer months. Finally for those seeking tranquillity and a peaceful getaway we recommend Golden Sands, Ramla, Comino & Gozo where time seems to stand still.

Getting around

Malta has a good, cheap and efficient bus service. The main bus station is in the capital, Valletta, from where buses run to all parts of Malta. The buses are yellow and orange, and prices range from 47 cents to 58 cents. You can also buy day tickets which give you access to unlimited rides everyday, the cost for these is as follows:
• Single day € 3.49
• Three days € 9.32
• Five days €11.65
• Seven days €13.98

Most buses run via to Valletta & back but there are additional buses running from the resorts to the main beaches and attractions.
Taxis are generally expensive, so agree on the fare before you set off. The prices rise dramatically after midnight. You can hail taxis from the street or from hotels.
Car hire rates are among the cheapest in Europe and driving is on the left. But do take care – accident rates in Malta are quite high and it’s not uncommon for Maltese drivers to flout all the recognised rules of the highway code.
Rabat, sometimes referred to as Victoria, is the main town on Gozo and all roads converge on the town, making navigation quite easy.
The local bus service on Gozo provides cheap transport from Rabat to most of the island’s outlying villages, but we recommend hiring a car as it will enable you to explore the island’s treasures at your leisure.

In general the main roads on Gozo are good, but if you do plan to go off the beaten track you may find the going a bit bumpy so ahead and get a jeep instead.
The Gozo Channel Company operates an all-year-round service between Cirkewwa (Malta) and Mgarr (Gozo). The journey time is approximately 20 minutes and costs only Euro4.65 per adult, Euro1.15 cents per child and Euro15.70 per car and driver or Euro12.80 if travelling in the evening/night off season.
Whilst you may see mopeds and motorbikes for hire in the main resorts, we advise against using them as they can be particularly dangerous when you are not familiar with the vehicles or the local roads. However good a driver you feel you might be, we cannot be so sure about the other motorists on the road! If you do opt to hire a moped, please ensure that you are fully covered on your personal travel insurance and that appropriate clothing and crash helmets are supplied for you to wear at all times.

Car rental

It is usually better to pre book your car before getting to the islands mainly during peak periods because of availability but also for other reasons. There are many boot shops that will guarantee the best rate to you but when you add up all the supplements and taxes that they put on your contract you will end up paying much more. By this time you are usually sat down at their office and ready to rent the car after a lot of running around and not to loose any more time you just say yes to everything to get on with your holiday. Be very careful.
In most cases once you rent the car even if you pre-book it, the delivery driver who will be signing your contract will try and sell you various extras including a map, extra driver, personal accident insurance (which you should be covered for if you have provided for a travel insurance) and excess waiver. Just say no to everything unless you are sure about wanting to add one of these extras to your rental contract. In certain cases they will also tell you that the car has air-conditioning and you did not pay for it etc. Just insist that you prefer getting the car that your ordered instead of paying anything extra.

Money matters

The national currency is the Euro since 1st January 2008.
Major credit cards are widely accepted in Malta, except for petrol stations where cash is preferred. Most banks offer cash advance facilities for Mastercard, Eurocard and Visa during normal banking hours. Outside banking hours this service is available at foreign exchange bureaux.
Many major banks have money-changing facilities in the afternoon, and there are a lot of cash withdrawal machines in the tourist centres. You’ll need some form of identification to change money. Kindly note that, at banks & foreign exchange bureaus, you get better currency exchange rates than at most hotels.

Language

The local language is Maltese which is a mix between Semitic, Latin, English, French, Spanish & Italian. However all local people speak very good English. A high percentage speak Italian as well.

Time

Malta and Gozo are always one hour ahead of the time in the UK. The time zone is GMT +1 hour.

Business hours

Most shops open at 9am and close at 1pm for a siesta, before opening again from 4pm until 7pm Monday to Saturday. In the resorts, many shops remain open all day as well as on Sundays.
Banking hours are generally from 8.30am until 12.45 or 1pm Monday to Friday and until noon on Saturdays.
Standard post office opening times are 7.45am to 12.30pm Monday to Friday and from 9am until noon on Saturdays.

Staying in touch

Stamps can be bought from post offices, newsagents, souvenir shops and hotels.
Most hotels provide local and international call and fax facilities. A much cheaper and popular way to make international calls is by using calling cards. These can be used directly from your property or through the card phones or coin phones available around the islands. These can be found in public areas, the airport and popular tourist spots. Phone cards are available from newsagents, stationeries and souvenir shops that display the various card signs.

You may also find cheap calling rate services from most internet cafés around the islands. Internet is available in many hotels, who at times provide free wireless in the lobby areas, ask your receptionist for further details. You may also find free wireless in certain restaurants and public places around the islands. If you need a 24 hour connection you may need to get a wireless solution from one of the local suppliers, speak to your representative for more info.

Electricity

The electrical supply is 220/240 volts. The 13-amp, three-pronged plugs and sockets are used, so you will not need an adaptor if coming from the UK. Otherwise most hotels provide adapters for two-pin plugs.

On the beach

With good sea quality, no tides and an average temperature of 22.8°C, swimmers will not be disappointed at the range of swimming in the Maltese Islands.
There are lots of very good sandy beaches in the northern part of Malta, although they are all quite small. The best known are at Mellieha Bay, Golden Sands and Armier. In the south the best sandy beach is at Birzebbugia.
Malta is a mecca for divers and snorkellers. The island offers a well developed infrastructure for beginners and experienced divers. Anyone who wants to dive within the territory of the Maltese Islands needs to have up to date medical certification and the appropriate licenses, unless of course diving with on of the many schools. Your diving school will make sure that the necessary administration is completed before your dive.
Swimming from the rocks is possible from almost all of Malta’s shoreline. But please don’t jump or dive from the rocks as there are plenty more rocks submerged just below the surface. Be careful if you’re swimming in secluded areas – choose a place with a good way in and out of the sea.
Don’t wear your swimming costume away from the beach, in town centres, restaurants or bars, as you’ll offend the locals.
Don’t swim when a red flag is flying as it warns of dangerous undercurrents (occasionally seen at Golden Sands).
Most of the main beaches in Gozo are rocky but the majority have seafront lidos or concrete bathing platforms so you can still enjoy the warm Maltese waters.
Gozo’s shoreline measures about 43km with the main holiday destinations are focused around Marsalforn and Xlendi on the west side of the island. Both areas have very small beaches, which can get a little busy in the summer.
Gozo’s most famous beach is Ramla Bay - a wide sweep of soft reddish sand on the north side of the island. The best way to reach the beach is along the road from Marsalforn.
The island also has many fjord-like inlets which offer excellent swimming. Some do require a bit of effort to reach but on the whole they’re worth it. Try Mgarr ix-Xini, San Blas and Dwerja.

Staying healthy

As you get closer to the tropics, the effect of the sun is much stronger. Any ill effects from the sun can be avoided by not overdoing the sunbathing when you first arrive and by applying sufficient high factor suntan lotion. You should also be aware of the effects of heat exhaustion, especially when you first arrive. Avoid over-exertion and drink plenty of non-alcoholic fluids. You should also only drink bottled water.
Health standards are good in Malta and Gozo and the only real hazard is sunburn.
Malta and Gozo offer free healthcare to British nationals and to any other European National who simply have to present the E111 card.

Bites and stings

Be sure to avoid insect and animal bites through the use of effective insect repellents. If mosquito nets are provided, then please make use of them and make sure that you keep your windows closed to stop the mosquitoes from getting into your room. Unfortunately any number of infections can be carried by different insects and the bites themselves can be very painful, so do take sensible precautions.

In an emergency

Your representative will normally be able to help if you need assistance but in an emergency you may find the following numbers useful.
Police 191
Emergency 112
Fire service 199

Travelling with Pets

Any dog/cat imported into Malta must have an import permit issued by the Director of Veterinary Service prior to import. It is advisable to apply 6 weeks prior to import to allow for vaccination and resting prior to import.

No Pit Bull Terriers or crosses may be imported into Malta, otherwise a cat or dog must have a certificate issued by the government veterinary service, declaring that the country of origin has been free of rabies for six months before the departure of the pet. The certificate must also declare that the country of origin has an official policy for the strict control of animal importation. Furthermore, if a cat or dog originates from a non-free rabies country, it has to be certified that it originates from an area free of rabies.

The animal must also have a veterinary health certificate issued by a recognised veterinarian, just before travelling to Malta, stating that the cat or dog is healthy and shows no evidence of clinical disease or parasitic infection, and that it has been vaccinated against rabies by an inactivated vaccine not less than 30 days and no more than six months before export. The animal has to be consigned to Malta directly from the country of origin either by air or ship securely crated as freight so that it appears on the cargo manifest.

The Ministry for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries' Veterinary Service (Telphone: 21239968, 21225930) in Malta must be notified of the exact date of the animal's arrival at least one week before and also whether the animal will be accompanied or not. Call the Quarantine Station on 21244236 with flight or vessel details.

The importation of animals is only allowed during office hours - 7.30 am to 5.00 pm. Animals will not be accepted on Saturdays, Sundays or public holidays.

Cats and dogs imported from the United Kingdom are quarantined at the Small Animal Quarantine Section at Luqa for three weeks, from other countries the quarantine period can be up to six months. An import licence, from the Department of Trade, and an entry form (Number 2) from the Customs Department must be completed before the release of the cat or dog from quarantine.

For more information, please contact:

Director of Veterinary Service
Albertown
Marsa
Tel: +356 21225638, 21225930
Fax: +356 21238105

Other links >>

sundreamstravel.com - The Malta Travel Specialists