Car Hire Gozo: The Best Rates and Providers

Looking for a hire car in Gozo (Malta) for your holiday?

You’ve come to the right place: I’ll help you find the best deals for car hire in Gozo and show you the options available, and their rates.

Although the island of Gozo is small and takes a ferry ride to get to, car hire is by far the best option to explore the island. With a rental car, you get a lot more flexibility and a hassle-free experience.

Search for the best deals here:

Car Hire Gozo Deal Finder

The two options for renting a car in Gozo

There are two options for car rental in Gozo:

Renting a car for when you arrive in Gozo, to collect it close to the ferry terminal at Mġarr Harbour
Hiring a car from Malta airport and take it across to Gozo on the main ferry that crosses over to the sister island from Ċirkewwa (the northernmost tip of the main island Malta).

Car rental agencies in Malta don’t charge any additional fees to do so, and ferry tickets cost around €20 for a vehicle, driver and one passenger. It normally ends up costing you less renting a car from the airport, but the downside is you’ll have to drive or around an hour to get to the ferry terminal.

You can also opt to have a company deliver your rental car to the hotel you’re staying at on your holiday, but the prices for that are pretty steep.

Although you can rent a car from Gozo, you can also decide to drop it off at the airport if more convenient for you. You’ll need to cross over to Malta by ferry and drive it down to the Park East car park at Malta International Airport.

The Gozo ferry terminal at Mġarr Harbour, from where you can get on a bus or taxi or get a Gozo car hire.

Gozo Car Hire: Getting the Best Price

I always recommend Rentalcars.com for car hire, both in Malta as well as Gozo. Using the search function at the top of this page you can compare the best rates to get the cheapest car hire deals.

You can choose to rent a car from one of the many international companies represented in Gozo, as well as local agencies.

How the price comparison works

Select your preferred pick up date, pick up time and drop off date and drop off time
Provide driver age.
Select the location where you’d like to pick up your vehicle from. Select a different location for drop off if needed.
Click/tap the Search button, compare the best price deals for different vehicles and book.

Tips for Car Hire in Gozo

Book early: There are few options for car rental companies in Gozo, so don’t wait to make your booking. Prices can rise quickly with limited supply and cancellation is usually easy and flexible.
Driver ages: Most companies make a hire car easily accessible for people between 25 and 69 years old. However, older drivers may be charged an additional fee and drivers over 80 years old may need to contact a car rental company directly to arrange a car rental.
Always check the small print before you book and collect your car. Look out for any hidden charges and for the fuel policy. You’ll either be asked to return the car with a full tank of fuel, or the equivalent amount that you picked up the car with.
Navigation/GPS: Google Maps works well but beware of narrow country roads. The further away from the centre you go, the more likely is that you’ll encounter them. Often they’re still two-way roads so drive slowly and stop by the side of the road to let oncoming vehicles pass.
Insurance will be included in your default rental contract price, but it could make sense to buy excess insurance. This type of insurance is usually cheap and will cover you against high excess charges in case you accidentally damage your vehicle.

Discover Gozo by Car: Where to go

The island of Gozo is home to some of the most beautiful places to visit and rugged landscapes in the Maltese archipelago.

While public transport is available (bus routes), cars make it easy to explore the island.

Here are a few suggestions on where to go and what to see.

Dwejra: Natural Beauty in Gozo

Dwejra is one of Gozo’s most stunning locations.

Known for its inland sea (a small pebbly bay surrounded by tall cliffs and an opening out to the open sea), the Blue Hole dive site and the location of the Azure Window, which unfortunately collapsed in 2017.

Capital city Victoria

Capital Victoria is right at the centre of Gozo and there’s a lot to explore here on foot: The citadel on the hill, the old town around St. George’s basilica and the various sights and shops to visit.

Be warned though: All roads in Gozo lead to the small city of Victoria, which can make it a bit of a bottleneck for cars.

Traffic congestion during the day is common, especially in summer.

TIP: Parking in Victoria

If you’re looking to stay at one of the hotels here, ask whether private parking is available for your vehicle, and at what price. Public parking spaces are limited here!

If you can’t get private parking, your best bet is to head to the public transport bus terminus in the city centre. That’s where you’ll find the largest public car park.

Ramla Bay

Ramla Bay is Gozo’s largest sandy beach and is largely untouched by man. Visit the beach itself or enjoy the views from either side of the bay. You can navigate to Tal-Mixta Cave (to the East of the bay) to make your way to this naturally formed cave with wide open views.

You can also head to the location of Calypso’s Cave (currently closed to the public) and enjoy views on the West side of the bay from there. This cave was named after the character in Homer’s Odyssey, who is said to have called Gozo her home.

Other beaches in Gozo

Enjoy Gozo’s other beaches, like Daħlet Qorrot, Ħondoq ir-Rummien and Wied Il-Għasri, which can take longer to reach by bus. These beaches are more off the beaten path and taking a trip to any of them can make for a memorable holiday in Gozo.

Alternative ways of getting around to Gozo car hire

Looking to discover Gozo but not sure whether renting a car is for you? These are a few other ways to explore the island:

Hop-on-hop-off buses go all around Gozo and you can get onto one from near the ferry terminal
Several Gozo day trip providers start their tours from that location too. These can be a fun way to get around, without having to worry about parking your vehicle anywhere.
Public transport: Several routes start and terminate at Victoria, but waiting times can be long. The big benefit is that it’s the cheapest way of getting around.

Do you have any questions about hiring a car in Gozo?

Leave a comment below and I’ll help you as soon as possible!

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