Rick has done a couple of short bits on Malta. I am seeking more information about traveling around the island. We will be staying in the main city, Valletta. I am interested in best places to eat, drink and where to fine their best wine tasting places are located. Any personal experience in Malta would be most appreciated. I'm not renting a car so access to remote places is of no interest unless you can recommend a good tour guide. We are a group of 4. Thanks
Posted by
Kansas
1175 posts
Go to tripadvisor.com. There is an entire forum about Malta with lots of advice on hotels, restaurants, popular sights, etc. Frommers.com is another good website with Malta prominently featured.
Posted by
889 posts
Malta has an extensive bus system and I think you will be able to go anywhere you want by bus. We did not rent a car for our 2 week stay. Many bus routes start in Valletta. You can pick up a very useful bus map at the station. I also used an app which was really useful. You could use it to find the exact location of any bus stop and see which bus used that stop. If you are in doubt about which bus take, ask at the information booth. We really enjoyed our 4 days on Gozo. We stayed in Valletta for the rest of our time.
I’ll come back with recommendations for restaurants. We didn’t make any effort to drink special wine, so I can’t help you there.
You can use the search function on this site to find other posts about Malta. The search function can be hard to find. On my phone I can get to the search function by clicking on the little lines in the upper left from the main page and it appears at the top. I can’t remember where it is on a computer and I don’t have a computer handy.
Posted by
Uppsala, Sweden
7054 posts
Wikivoyage is a good start. https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Malta
Posted by
Washington DC
28247 posts
I've researched Malta but haven't gotten there yet. I believe Mdina, the medieval capital, is a top side-trip from Valletta.
Posted by
North Florida
115 posts
My husband and I where in Malta 2 weeks ago, we where in Valleta for 3 days with a Viking Ocean cruise and toured several of the areas. It was absolutely gorgeous and easy to navigate. We took busses to different areas and t was very easy to go across the water via a small boat to Birgu, I highly recommend doing that! We also ventured to Mdina, well worth it but we had to take the bus to get there...(that was where filming for many historical movies took place, it felt like we where in the middle ages).
Posted by
5107 posts
The bus system is good, but taxis won't break the bank since you have four. Make sure you book a time for the Hypogeum if you have any interest--we neglected to and missed it (a real shame as archaeology buffs)!
I recall the tourism website being helpful: https://www.visitmalta.com/en/ (probably also picked up a Rough Guide or Lonely Planet) See especially https://www.visitmalta.com/en/category/wine-in-malta/ (I also like to search the wine magazines when I go to a place where I am interested in wine)
My trip is too long ago to give restaurant pics, but despite it being rather sedate compared to popular Sliema/St Julian area, we greatly enjoyed strolling and dining out in beautiful Valletta.
Places I would include on Malta:
Hypogeum mentioned above https://heritagemalta.org/hal-saflieni-hypogeum/
Mdina/Rabat (and the catacombs)
megalithic temples (You can take bus, but I might book a driver for this day and do a scenic coastal drive)
Posted by
Germany
645 posts
LOVED Malta. You can get most places with the Bolt (formerly Taxify) app. We had a private guide and loved it. Make sure you book the Hypogeum early. Every place we went, whether on Gozo or Malta, was wonderful and interesting. On Gozo we ate at the Stone Crab in Xlendi, which we loved.
We also stayed a few nights on the Cutty Jean. It's a bit more of an adventure stay rather than luxury, but they also offer other services. He took us out on the dinghy for snorkelling and to a swim through a smugglers' cave. Totally cool!