Staying in the capital or arriving by cruise ship? Compare cars you can pick up in and around Valletta.
Local tips
Practical pointers from the CarsMT team in Malta, so there are no surprises at the rental desk.
Valletta is Malta's compact, walkable capital — a great place to stay, but not a place you need a car in. Renting here makes sense for day trips out of the city, or if you're arriving by cruise ship: the cruise terminal sits on the Grand Harbour waterfront just below the city walls, and some companies deliver there or to your hotel.
Valletta has a Controlled Vehicular Access (CVA) zone. Cameras record Maltese-registered cars — rental cars included — entering the city, and a small charge applies at certain times on weekdays. Rental companies usually pass it on to you afterwards, so ask how they handle it.
Street parking inside the walls is scarce. It's often easier to park in Floriana, just outside the city gate, and walk in.
Ferries cross from Valletta to Sliema and to the Three Cities, and many bus routes start at the terminus outside the city gate — handy for the days you leave the car parked.
In pictures
Questions
Not inside the city — Valletta is small, hilly and best seen on foot, and parking within the walls is scarce. A car is worth it for day trips: Mdina, the Blue Grotto, Marsaxlokk and the north-west beaches are all much easier to combine by car than by bus.
Some companies deliver to the cruise terminal on the Valletta Waterfront, below the city walls. Search with Valletta as your pick-up point to see which do, and leave enough time to get back before your ship's all-aboard.
The easiest option is usually to park in Floriana, just outside the city gate, and walk in — there's street parking and a multi-storey car park there. Inside Valletta, many bays are for residents only, so check the signs and bay colours before you leave the car.
Valletta's Controlled Vehicular Access (CVA) system uses cameras to record cars entering the city, and a charge applies at certain times on weekdays. Rental cars are Maltese-registered, so the charge reaches the rental company, which usually passes it on to you — sometimes with an admin fee. Ask how your company handles it, or park outside the zone in Floriana.
Ferries cross the Grand Harbour to the Three Cities and Marsamxett Harbour to Sliema, and are often quicker than driving round. Many bus routes also start at the terminus outside the city gate.
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.
Compare Malta's rental companies — deposits, debit cards and Gozo rules from their own terms.
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.
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