Malta

I am going in March and reading some of the previous posts and doing research (LP guide book), I think 2 weeks maybe too long unless you are going to hang out at the beach. I am only going for 4 days.

If interested, Ryanair has cheap flights between Malta and Sicily (CTA).

Suggest you get the LP or another guidebook on food, attractions, etc. Looks like no shortage of hotels. Rental cars are quite cheap.

Also, suggest you do a search on previous topics to see what others have said.

I don't think it's too long provided you split your time between Malta and Gozo (the latter is another island you can get to by ferry). I regret that I did only a day trip to Gozo because it really does have a different feel than the Malta proper. I would stay in Valetta for at least a week, ditch the rental car idea unless you want to sit in major traffic and drive on the other side of the road with a stick shift car (buses go everywhere and are great). Most places are very walkable. The only place a car would be helpful is in Gozo because it's quite rural and the farmhouses are spread about (and very little traffic, unlike Malta). But you can opt to stay in one of the larger villages like Victoria. Try to stop over in Comino if you like to swim or snorkel (Malta and islands are excellent for diving, swimming, and snorkeling...I don't know how warm the water is in winter though). No need to worry about safety, it's perfectly safe everywhere (I went out on my own at all hours).

Get a Bradt guide to Malta as well as Lonely Planet and visit the tourism website online for ideas on attractions. Valetta, in particular, is full of interesting sites but, to see Malta, you really need to also get out of Valletta (to Mdina, Rabat, smaller villages like Paola, Naxxar, etc). I would not worry about getting bored..if you do, you can take a 40 minute flight to Sicily.

I spent two weeks in Malta about 10 years ago and would have been satisfied with one week. I was with a group of friends so we had fun anyway, but we were hard pressed to find things to see and do the second week. The food by the way, was acceotable but not memorable. For one week however, lots of history to explore, lots of churches and lots of well fed cats.

Thanks everyone for your advice - and Mrs EB - I realize that Malta is considered to be part of Europe, but it was not listed as such on the Europe menu

Neither is Romania or Ukraine and some others but I would still put it under General Europe than under Beyond Europe.

Okay, sorry that you think I picked the wrong category - mia culpa a thousand times. But there were no questions about Malta under General Europe and Malta is not on the European continent geographically. Sorry for that apparent stupid mistake.

Have a good evening

Malta in winter wouldn't be my choice. I'd go to Sicily, with maybe a few days in Malta (flying in/out).

Food: if it comes from the sea, it will probably be fresh and good. Malta grows a lot of produce, so you'll probably get good fresh veggies, but not much else. I thought the wine was mediocre. There are lots of attractions to fill a week or more. Malta is incredibly scenic when the sun is shining, but that's not a given in winter. I was there in early June and it was sunny and beautiful. I met UK tourists who said that was their first sunny day after several pretty dull days and they were delighted. If it's gray and drizzly, it won't be scenic. Malta was under British rule until the mid-20th century. They drive on the left as they do in the UK. Also, the streets are narrow and there are way too many cars for the space they have to occupy. Traffic is slow even outside the cities and parking is probably hard to find and expensive. I believe English is an official language, it is studied in school and widely spoken, but our tour bus driver didn't know more than half a dozen English words.

Don't get me wrong. I was on a 5-day intensive tour and loved all the sights. The people were friendly, the seaside villages were charming, the history is amazing. But 2 weeks in winter? Sicily would be a perfect choice - great food, great wine, lots of attractions, easy driving.