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GETTING AROUND
IN MALTA
a short guide – a consumer’s
perspective
Malta is a
small island and thus certain forms of transport such as
trains do not exist because of the short distances. The
people usually talk Maltese amongst themselves but the
vast majority can speak English. Italian is usually
understood though the number who speak the language is
much lower.
Temperatures in Malta are usually high and, with the
humidity that is usually present, it is felt much more
severely. UV index during the summer months is usually
very high. It is thus advisable that tourists should take
the precautions.
Arriving at the Airport
Once you
have cleared your luggage, white taxis are available to
take you anywhere on the Island. Their rates are the
following:
Lm 4 - Gudja, Safi, Sta.Lucia
Lm 5 - Corradino, Fgura, Ghajn Dwieli, Tarxien
Lm 6 - Albert Town, Birzebbuga, Floriana, Ghaxaq,
Gwardamangia, Qormi, Qrendi, Sta.Venera, Valletta, Zejtn,
Zurrieq
Lm 7 - Cospicua, Dingli, Ghar Lapsi, Rabat / Mtarfa,
Senglea, Siggiewi, Ta' Qali, Vittoriosa, Xghajra, Zabbar,
Zebbug
Lm 8 - Attard, Balzan, Birkirkara, San Gwann,
Sliema, St.Andrews, St.Julian's, Swieqi, Ta' l-Ibragg, Ta'
Xbiex
Lm 9 - Bahar ic-Caghaq, Gharghur, St.Paul's Bay
Lm 10 - Bahrija, Bidnija, Bugibba, Burmarrad, Ghajn
Tuffieha, Golden Bay, Qawra, Wardija, Xemxija, Zebbiegh
Lm 13 - Armier, Cirkewwa
All taxi rates quoted above
are inclusive of:
Up to 4 persons and up to four normal sized luggage
All week any time including Sunday and public holidays.
Malta
International Airport adopts a system whereby passengers
are to pay before boarding a taxi. An appropriate Taxi
Booth is situated inside the Arrivals Hall and passengers
pay a fixed rate according to the area, and are presented
with a voucher to be forwarded to the taxi driver.
Public Bus Service
Route bus
No 8 operates a regular service between Malta
International Airport and Valletta. The bus stop is
located outside the Check-in hall.
Other Taxis
Taxis in
Malta are expensive. One is always advised to see that the
driver is using the taximeter to establish the rate.
Otherwise, one must negotiate the fare to be paid
beforehand.
If you have
any complaints, you may report the matter to the Malta
Transport Authority either through their website or
telephone.
Buses
Buses are
the most widely used system of travel as they are still
relatively cheap to travel with and because the system
practically takes you everywhere on the Island. There is a
variety of buses on the system, some very old while others
are more modern, though few if any, attain the recently
published EU specifications which are to be enforced in a
few years.
They are
fun to travel with as they provide you with a taste of
Maltese life style. Yet they are rather unreliable to
travel for a fixed appointment as the time take depends on
the temperament of the driver rather than distance.
It is
advisable that you have the correct change as some of the
bus drivers are highly temperamental as our weather.
However, new bus ticketing machines have been introduced
lately.
The main
bus terminus is in Valletta which is the capital city.
However, in most of the other towns or villages, one would
usually find a bus terminus. This is usually located in
the main village square. One can ask for information
either at the hotel or at the bus terminus in Valletta.
Buses to
and from a place usually leave every ten minutes, though
the frequency of certain bus routes is longer. One
particular aspect of the bus system that it is very rare
that you need to change bus to arrive at you destination.
All bus routes leave Valletta directly to each locality.
However, some localities are served through other routes.
You may get
information of the bus route to be taken and the fare from
your hotel or from the bus terminus.
Gozo
Gozo is a
smaller sister island. One can travel there, either by
boat or by helicopter. The helicopter port is at the Malta
Airport. The ferry boat is much more popular. Ferryboats
are run by Gozo Channel which is a state monopoly. One
needs to go to Cirkewwa which is one of the furthest
points north in Malta as the ferryboat crosses from
Cirkewwa to Mgarr, Gozo.
One can
either travel by bus from Valletta to Cirkewwa or by using
one's using his/her transport. If one is travelling from
Valletta by bus, one needs to catch the No 45 bus. There
are direct services to Cirkewwa from Sliema (bus No 645)
and from Bugibba (bus No 48).
One
can get information on the ferryboat schedule either from
the hotel or by phoning Gozo Channel offices on
21243964 /5.
Public
transport in Gozo is in shambles and one should not
consider this option.
Travelling
in Gozo is done best with self drive cars. In fact, this
is the best option especially in Gozo. International
driving licences are acceptable. Tourists should be
careful as in Malta we drive on the left.
There are
three main problems with self drive cars. First is the
state of the roads. In certain areas they are filled with
pot holes. The second problem is the way the Maltese
drive. We are not the most observant of rules and
regulations and tend to reduce a two carriage road to one
since we tend to drive in the middle of the road. The
third problem is parking or rather lack of it especially
in towns.
Other than
this, self drive cars are the best option to get round the
Island. Gozo is much better to drive than in Malta as
there is less traffic, the roads are in much better shape
and directional signs are everywhere. However, one hot
spot for parking is Victoria, especially in weekends and
in summer or holiday periods.
Hotels
There is a wide variety of
hotels though most are located in the northern part of the
Island. They are classified periodically by the Malta
Tourist Authority. The classification is shown at the
entrance of the hotel.
One
may consult
http://www.maltahotel.net
website to find out the facilities offered at the hotels.
All hotels
are required to offer safety deposit facilities depending
on the star classification. The higher once need to have a
safety deposit box in each room. The others need to offer
this facility at the reception.
Restaurants
One would
find restaurants everywhere. At present restaurants are
classified though no one knows this classification. Soon
they are to be reclassified and would have to exhibit this
together with their menu and prices at the entrance.
Standards
vary considerably from one restaurant to another. Tipping
also varies according to the locality. The Maltese tend to
tip according to the service provided but it is unusual to
tip more that 5%.
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