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Car Hire Malta Airport: Compare the Lowest Rates

Looking for car hire in Malta at the airport?

You’ve come to the right place for the best prices.

We are local travel experts and can help you find the best car hire price with the best international and local car hire agencies around for your airport car hire.

Why rent a car from Malta airport?

Renting a car from Malta International Airport:

Is the most flexible way to get to your place of stay and to find your way around the island
Usually results in the cheapest rates
It’s easier to communicate with your rental agency, most having their offices located at Malta airport

What do you need to rent a car from Malta airport?

A valid driver’s licence. All international driver’s licenses are recognised in Malta
Passport or national ID card
A valid credit card

As a driver aged 21-75 you can rent a car easily with car hire companies in Malta, through usually lower rates are provided to drivers aged 30-65.

How to hire a car from Malta airport

The most convenient way to get set with your car hire from Malta international airport is booking in advance. You’ll often also get the best car hire deals that way.

You can use the search function on this page to compare the best deals on Malta International Airport car hire.

Search and compare car rental prices

Select your pick up location and pick up date and time as well as your drop off date and time
(Select an alternative drop off location if required)
Hit the Search button
A new page will open and will serve you with car hire deals from the best car hire agencies in Malta
You can use the filters to narrow down the deals to your requirements. Once you find a deal you like, click View Deal and be sure to review and compare all fees.
You can also review all the details of what’s included (and what isn’t) at this point, so all that you need to know is included and available to read upfront. You can also select options like child seats.
When ready, you can continue to book using your credit card. Normally the agency will want you to present the same card when picking up your car in Malta.
Once confirmed, you’ll receive an email with all details as well as your car hire voucher.

Search and compare here (go back to the price comparison search)

Car hire Malta airport: Choosing your car hire company

Which companies offer car hire at the airport?

The following companies offer car hire from Malta airport, with the bolded agencies having a physical desk on location (whereas the other, mostly smaller local agencies offer to deliver your car to the airport and allow you to drop it off in the car rental parking area on your return).

International

AVIS
Europcar
Hertz
Budget
Thrifty
Goldcar
Sixt
Green Motion
Alamo

Local

First Car Rental
Aquarius Rent A Car
Drifter
Percius
Butterfly
JS Car Hire
Merlin Car Hire

Which car hire agencies in Malta are best?

Our experiences are that some of the bigger international car hire agencies present in Malta, like Europcar and Hertz, provide a good level of service while Goldcar and Thrifty generally don’t get great reviews and are the exceptions.

The local option I recommend without reservation is First Car Rental. Their service gets the best reviews and they offer competitive rates all year round.

You can search for options with First Car Rental here:

The reality is that excellent service is hard to find anywhere in Europe, including Malta. All agencies have their small print and tactics to try and squeeze a little more out of their rental contract with you.

Generally speaking, agencies operating in Malta have a good reputation and it’s not common to hear of customers being cheated one way or another. Having said that, as with all car hire companies worldwide, you need to pay attention to the small print on fuel policy, CDW and insurance excess charges as well as carefully check the condition of the vehicle provided before you sign off with the representative you’re dealing with.

Our best advice: Don’t skip the small print and carefully read what the agency’s rules are before you book.

Where can I find car rental agencies at the airport?

Car hire desks can be found at the Park East parking building of Malta International Airport. More on that below.

Where do I pick up and return my rental car?

Car hire pick up

The location pick up is the rental car park and offices are located in a multi-story car park to the side of the large parking area opposite the terminal building. With your back to the Arrivals lounge entrance, it’s located to your (far) right.

To pick up your hire car at Malta airport, you will need to go to this location to find the car rental desks for your chosen provider.

From the Arrivals Hall, follow these steps to get there:

Follow the signs to “Park East”, which will lead you to a tunnel at level -1 that takes you to the car park right away. (Look to your right as you exit Baggage Reclaim and Customs)
Once at the car park, go up to Level 1 and you will be able to spot the car rental agency desks as you exit the elevators/staircase.

Car rental drop off at Malta airport

Unless you indicated a different location for your drop off time, you can return your car at Malta airport at the same location. The level and drop-off parking area are clearly indicated inside the car park. You can drop off the key at the agents’ booth on location outside regular opening hours.

Finding your way back to the parking area on the day and time you need to drop off your hire car is pretty straightforward.

You can set your GPS (or Google Maps) to take you to Malta International Airport and just follow these steps:

Coming from the direction of Valletta, once you get to the large roundabout right outside the airport, take the exit heading to Hal Far (2nd exit) and keep left straight after you exit the roundabout.
You’ll end up on a two-lane road descending down to a small tunnel. Stick to the left lane.
After you pass through the tunnel just keep left. Keep going past the entrance of the open-air car parking area until you get to the entrance of the car park and make your way up to the car hire drop off area.
Missed the turn? Not a problem. The main road at the airport runs all the way around the main open-air parking area so just keep following the turns all the way around (ignore any exit signs) and you’ll come right back around. Always remember to stick to the left lane.

Where can I find the nearest petrol station?

If your car rental agreement is based on a “Full-to-full” (return the car with a full tank) or “Fair usage” (return the car with the same amount of fuel it had when you picked it up) fuel policy, you’ll be cheaper off filling up your tank right before you return your car. If you return your hire car with too little fuel you’ll be charged high fuel prices.

The nearest petrol station is located just outside of the airport’s open-air parking area next to the local McDonald’s and Sky Parks office block.

How to get there

If you drive from the direction of Valletta to the airport, you’ll get to the large roundabout nearby, as described earlier. Instead of taking the 2nd exit to the airport, take the 3rd exit in the direction of Zurrieq and Kirkop and you can turn into the petrol station on your left.

Once you’ve topped up your tank, you can get to the ring road easily from the petrol station (by following the signage).

How to pay for fuel

Most petrol stations in Malta are equipped with 24/7 automated fuel pumps. Using the pay machines you can pay with either cash or using one of the major credit card providers. Touchless payments with a card or phone/watch are also possible in most cases.

During regular office hours, petrol station attendants will handle the pump for you and also accept the same payment methods.

About Malta International Airport

Malta International Airport (MIA, also referred to as Luqa airport) is Malta’s only airport and is located in the Southeast of main island Malta.

Being a small airport, it only has a single terminal with a single Departures Hall and Arrivals Hall. On the airport campus, you can find a parking garage, business centre and Foodcourt with various dining options and retail areas.

Malta International Airport is located around 9 kilometres from the capital city Valletta and its bustling city centre, which is around a 15- to 20-minute drive.

The most popular airlines that currently fly to and from Malta are Air Malta, Malta Air and Easyjet.

Top Tips for renting a car in Malta

Malta car hire tips

The average daily price for a car rental varies depending on the time of year. During the low season (Nov-Mar – with the exception of Christmas week), you can hire a car for as little as €10-15 per day as the average price, but during the high season the best price you can get for a rental car goes up as high as €25 per day.
Some Malta car hire companies apply a fair fuel policy, which basically means that if you receive your rental car with half a tank of fuel, you’re expected to return it with the same amount of fuel. The alternative to a fair fuel policy is called full-to-full, whereby you get a full tank and are expected to return the car with a full tank. So keep an eye on that fuel gauge before you drop off your car and top up if you need to at the petrol station near Malta International Airport
Getting optional collision damage waiver protection may be worthwhile for added peace of mind, though you can often get cheaper third party insurance that covers the excess you’d have to pay in case of any damage caused
Although small vehicles are the most popular choice for most car rental customers, you can also rent larger vehicles if you’re travelling with a small group.

Driving in Malta

You’ll drive on the left side of the road in Malta, the same as in the United Kingdom (and something that’s inherited from having been part of the British Empire. Cars are right-hand drive.
For US drivers: Both manual and automatic car rentals are available, but manual options are more frequently found, so beware to select the right gearbox type when you book your car.
If you’re interested in visiting Gozo, you can take your car across to Malta’s sister island using the ferry up North at Ċirkewwa.
Rush hour traffic is a thing in Malta, it being a densely-populated country. On weekdays the peak hours are around 7-9 am and 5-7 pm while on Saturdays a lot of locals will be running errands between 9 and 1 pm around the central parts of Malta. Sunday in summer is known for traffic jams heading North to the beaches in the mornings with congestion in the opposite direction in the late afternoon/early evening.
Speed limits are set at 80 km/h on open roads and 30 or 50 km/h in built-up areas and town centres. Speed cameras are in use in Malta but don’t monitor average speed over a trajectory.

Tips: Destinations to explore

Now that you have a rental car in mind for your holiday to the Mediterranean island of Malta, here are a few places to explore

Mdina and Rabat are popular destinations for both tourists and locals but on weekdays they’re pretty easy going places full of culture and history all year round
Valletta is a must-visit place and with a large car park within a few hundred metres from the city’s main gate, it’s a good place to get to by car. Do keep rush hour in mind though!
St. Julian’s and Sliema form the more urban core of the Maltese archipelago and are popular destinations for nightlife. From clubs, pubs to restaurants, there’s something for everyone
When you get a car hire at Malta airport, you can take your car across to the island of Gozo, which is highly recommended as a destination for sightseeing. Driving there is easy too, with far less traffic congestion and quieter roads.
While most popular tourist destinations are found in the centre and North of Malta, the South also offers plenty to explore in terms of villages, bays and natural beauty. Visit Marsaxlokk (fisherman’s village) or Marsaskala, or take a short boat trip into the Blue Grotto.
Looking to top up your tan and enjoy the sea? Head to Golden Bay, Għajn Tuffieħa or Comino’s Blue Lagoon!

FAQs

Is it worth hiring a car in Malta?

Although public transport in Malta (buses) can get you pretty much anywhere, the routes aren’t very flexible and travel times can be quite long. If you want to get the most of your holiday, with flexible transport that gets you from A to B quickly, renting a car is usually the best option.

More info

Have a look at these articles for more info:

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