Rent on Gozo itself and skip taking a car across on the ferry. Compare local and international companies.
Local tips
Practical pointers from the CarsMT team in Malta, so there are no surprises at the rental desk.
If you're staying on Gozo, renting a car on the island itself is often simplest: you cross as a foot passenger and pick the car up at Mġarr harbour or have it delivered to your hotel. Local Gozitan companies know the island well, and some rental companies on Malta don't allow their cars on Gozo at all — check the conditions if you plan to bring one across.
The car ferry runs from Ċirkewwa, at Malta's northern tip, to Mġarr and takes about 25 minutes. You don't pay on the way there — the return fare is paid at Mġarr when you leave Gozo. There's also a fast ferry for foot passengers between Valletta and Mġarr. Check current timetables and fares before you travel.
Gozo is quieter and more rural than Malta, and a car is the easiest way to see it. Head for Victoria and its hilltop Citadel, the red sand of Ramla Bay, the Inland Sea at Dwejra (where the Azure Window stood until 2017), and the bays at Xlendi and Marsalforn. Country roads can be narrow, so take it slowly.
In pictures
Questions
Yes. Gozo has its own rental companies, and international brands are available too. You can pick the car up at Mġarr harbour as you arrive on the ferry, or have it delivered to your hotel or farmhouse. Search with Gozo as your pick-up point to compare them.
If you're staying on Gozo, renting there is usually simplest: you cross as a foot passenger and skip the car queue at the ferry. If you're only visiting Gozo for a day, bringing your Malta car across can work — but check first, because some Malta rental companies don't allow their cars on Gozo, or don't insure them there.
The Gozo Channel car ferry runs from Ċirkewwa, at Malta's northern tip, to Mġarr on Gozo; the crossing takes about 25 minutes. There's also a fast ferry for foot passengers between Valletta and Mġarr. Check current timetables and fares before you travel.
No — you pay once, on the way back. Going to Gozo is free at Ċirkewwa; the return fare for the car, driver and passengers is paid at Mġarr when you leave Gozo.
It's the easiest way to see the island. Buses run from Victoria to the villages and bays, but less often than on Malta, and many of Gozo's best spots — Dwejra, Wied il-Għasri, the quieter bays — are much easier to reach by car. Country roads can be narrow, so a small car is a good choice.
Updated October 2026 by the CarsMT team in Malta. About us
Other pick-up points
Read our full guide to renting a car in Malta — documents, insurance, parking and taking the car to Gozo.
Car hire companies based on Gozo — deposits, delivery to Mġarr and taking the car to Malta.
Compared company by company: renting under 25, insurance excess, fuel policies.
Car hire prices in Malta by month — what a week's hire costs per day at the airport, in the towns and on Gozo.
Car rental bookings are provided by our partner DiscoverCars.com. CarsMT may earn a commission when you book through these links, at no extra cost to you.
Coming sooniPhone app
