By bus
Next to the car, the bus is the most important means of travel in Malta. All larger and many small towns can be reached by bus. In addition, this means of transport is very inexpensive in contrast to German conditions. The buses are generally reliable. Delays only occur on (often) overcrowded streets, while on free streets the departure can sometimes be ahead of time. Compared to earlier times, the buses are modern and air-conditioned, but due to the road conditions they are relatively small and sometimes overcrowded.
History
In July 2011 the bus traffic was taken over by the operating company Arriva taken over and the old centralized bus system with concessionaires and their partly historic vehicles abolished. The historic Maltese buses have been replaced by new air-conditioned vehicles. Some of the newly acquired articulated buses proved unsuitable for the narrow road conditions in the capital area and were soon decommissioned. After the operating company incurred a major loss, the bus system was taken over by the Ministry of Transport at the end of 2013 and has been operating as Malta Public Transport with a white / green design.
Hints
Traveling by bus in Malta is an experience. It never gets boring and you learn a lot about the country and its people. You shouldn't apply domestic standards and just enjoy it.
- Here, too, it should be noted that there is left-hand traffic. So you have to check whether you are actually standing on the right side of the street.
- Some bus routes (e.g. the X2 from the airport) run on a circular route - so some roads only drive in one direction!
- You can always pay on the buses to the driver, but as appropriate as possible. In some places there are also sales points and machines where a chip card can be purchased as a ticket in advance.
- The multiple and weekly cards the size of a girocard are simply placed on the cash register with the driver. It then beeps and you can go on.
- In contrast to German buses, there is often only one entry and exit door: the driver. Start in good time when you're in the back of the bus. A scream "wait" The direction of the bus driver often also helps if you get through too slowly.
- If you want to be picked up from a stop, you must inform the driver of this with a hand movement. When the bus is full, however, it can happen that the bus just continues to drive despite a hand signal. Then one can only hope that there will be more space in the next bus.
- Buses also leave up to 2 minutes before the official timetable, but they are also regularly late. Often you can still get to the supposedly missed bus.
- By ringing the doorbell, the driver must be made aware that he would like to get off at the next stop.
- Sometimes other road users only pay attention to their own good progress. This can often mean that the bus brakes sharply. So you should either sit well or hold on tight at all times.
- If construction sites restrict traffic or if there are festivities, it may happen that the bus does not go to the designated stop. This is not noted at the stop. So if the bus does not show up long after the scheduled time, you should inquire with the locals.
- Especially at transfer bus stations, such as in Victoria and maybe in Valletta, it can happen that a bus, which just arrives as number 311, turns into number 303 and thus heads to a different destination than expected. For this it is sometimes advisable to ask the bus driver about the planned destination. Or you wait the 5 minutes until the bus leaves and see whether the display on the bus might still change.
- On weekends and during special events, the buses can be overcrowded. The passengers do not always answer the bus driver's call to move backwards. Anyone who is still standing at the bus stop is simply unlucky.
- There is an app (Android, iOS) which helps to plan bus routes. Unfortunately, delayed buses are no longer taken into account and it is often difficult to determine where you are on your way to the correct bus stop. Google Maps does it in a similar way, but more up-to-date.
Even if the maximum extent of the island is only 28 km, z. B. from Mellieħa to Marsaxlokk needed up to over 2 hours. This is due to the fact that there are no straight connections between the cities, the routes are very winding, the towns are very narrow and it is usually very slow uphill.
Line bus traffic
The bus routes X1 - X4 as well as TD2 and TD3 operate as express lines from Airport in the most important places. Line X4 runs to Valletta until around 11 p.m. (to the bus station in Floriana is located), the X1 to the west to the ferry terminal Gozo in Cirkewwa, the X2 and TD2 to St. Julian's Bay via Sliema.
Connection to the ferry connection between Cirkewwa (Malta) and Mgarr (Gozo)
Cirkewwa and Mgarr are served by numerous bus routes. Even if it is generally said that all places on Gozo can only be reached from Victoria, in Mgarr you have the option of taking the 322 bus in the direction of Marsalforn to reach the temple complex in Ggantija directly.
Fares
There are tickets that can be bought directly from the driver and the prices of which vary in summer and winter. In winter you pay € 1.50 and in summer € 2 for a single trip (including changing trains) to a destination, which must be reached in a maximum of two hours. At night and on the TD lines, a single trip costs € 3. There are also cheaper group tickets for 12 trips at € 15, as well as a 7-day ticket at € 21 (€ 15 for children up to 10 years) for any number of trips during this period. Details on the currently valid prices are here to find. The trading cards can be bought at a white machine at the airport and some larger stops.
Round trips
In Malta, two bus companies offer Malta sightseeing and Citisightseeing Malta Tours. These include a north route and a south route on Malta and one (MaltaSightseeing) or two (CitySightseeing) Gozo routes.
The tours last without breaks:
- approx. 2 hours with MaltaSightseeing on Gozo - approx. 3 hours with CitySightseeing per round (north or south tour) on Malta
You can leave the bus at any stop and continue with the next bus from the same company. The journey can be continued approximately every 45 to 60 minutes. At shared stops on the north and south tours, you can also change to a bus on the other round trip operated by the respective company.
The prices are
- 17 euros for adults and 10 euros for children (MaltaSightseeing, 2015)
- € 20 / € 12 (adults / children 5-14 years) for the one-day ticket, or € 37 / € 17 for the two-day ticket (CitySightseeing, 2017)
for all round trips of the respective company.
The companies sometimes use the same and sometimes different stops. In addition, the companies use comparable vehicles and the same color scheme, which can lead to irritation. It is therefore necessary to pay attention to the company's logo or lettering. The other company's tickets are not mutually recognized.
| Round trips with Malta sightseeing |  |  |  |
| Gozo route | North route | South route |
Web links
- List of bus routes in Malta (Wikipedia)
- Malta Public Transport
- List of lines to the main places, including all timetables
- MaltaSightseeing
- CitySightseeing Malta
With the taxi
At the ferry port on Gozo, numerous taxi drivers offer an inexpensive tour to Victoria (but the bus prices simply cannot be undercut). However, you may be able to organize a nice tour of the island.
With the rental car
Make sure you have good insurance.
Mt the ship
Ferry connection between the islands of Malta and Gozo
The fare for the return trip is 4.65 euros for an adult (2015).
By bicycle
Cycling in Malta is at best possible with a mountain bike, maybe with a touring bike, but probably very difficult with a racing bike. The streets are very narrow and the traffic on the main roads is relatively dense. Often there is no alternative. In some cases, mountains, walls or guardrails border directly on the roadside. It goes uphill and downhill almost non-stop and obstacles that slowly move uphill are overtaken, even when it is tight. It's good when you can find routes far away from the main roads. You often have to do without paved paths. Without a corresponding route plan, however, you quickly end up in dead ends.
On foot
Many destinations can be explored on foot. However, the main roads cannot always be avoided on longer hikes. And then more and more caution is called for because it is sometimes quite tight. You should always pay attention to the direction of travel that deviates from Germany, especially in tight bends and at intersections. Therefore, unlike in Germany, you should walk on the right-hand side of the street.
No railroad
On Malta there was a rail link between Mdina and Valetta. However, this rail connection was discontinued in 1931.
