Malta: looking for accommodations in September

With five days, I would just pick one location, and Malta is really small--one base will be fine. If you planned to visit Gozo, you might pop over there for a couple nights.

It’s been years since I was in Malta but for places to visit here are a couple…The megalithic temples, Described as the oldest free standing structures in the world. Take a trip to Gozo and Comino, the two other inhabited islands. There are sure to be tour companies in Valleta who offer such trips. When I was there we explored the island by bus, visiting towns such as Rabat and M’dina. There are various museums and other sites relating to Malta’s amazing WWII history.

We used to stay at the Hilton in Sliema which had stunning views. I think it is now a Best Western, the Dragonara, and the rates include breakfast. Your budget is very generous for Malta so investigate the booking.com website to get ideas for where you might like to stay. You will see the booking.com maps indicate bus routes on the island. It is quite an extensive service, making it easy to get around.

We spent 12 days in Malta (and Gozo) this past September/October.

Hopefully your trip is in late September - early September might still be a bit hot for me. The last few days of September and the first week of October we had absolutely perfect weather for us (it still got hot during mid-afternoons, but it wasn't completely oppressive - I can't imagine being there in August!).

One thing to be aware of: Malta (well, Valletta and surrounding built-up areas) was perhaps the most "vertical" place I've ever been. Valletta is great for walking, as long as you can handle lots and lots of stairs (and hills) all day long. You will get a good workout every time you walk anywhere! Here's a photo of one of the "streets" around the corner from our BnB: A Street in Valletta. Now, not every street is like that, but many are, and it will be hard to completely avoid all the VUT (Vertical Urban Terrain). So get your knees, ankles and thighs ready.

We loved the place, but in some ways it is extremely touristy. There will be multiple huge cruise ships in port (which is right smack in the middle of Valletta). The streets around that part of central Valletta can be pretty crowded during the day; like many places with too many tourists, most of them day-trippers, Valletta is at its best very early in the morning, and after dusk. You will also encounter groups of cruise ship visitors on organized tours all over Malta.

There is a lot to see and do - more than I think most tourists expect. You won't be able to get to it all with a 5 day trip (we had 12 days, and could have used another week easily). We spent a few days on Gozo, which we also really loved (at least as much as the island of Malta), but you will need to prioritize.

If you want to go the Hypogeum (Ħal Saflieni), considered the top ancient site there, you should book your tickets at least 3-4 months in advance; it sells out every day (they only sell a small number of tickets, access is very limited). When I tried to book tickets in early July for our stay at the end of September, it was too late. If you want to go (and it was pretty amazing, though we had to pay through the nose to get tickets...), book your tickets as soon as you know what dates you'll be there.

Driving there can be, at times, um, challenging  (one of the most challenging places I've driven), but you kind of need a car to get to all the corners of the islands efficiently.

Hope that's helpful, happy to answer any questions. Cheers.