Traveling to Malta: Should You Drive or Fly?

It's currently winter here in Malta (around 13°C), which means the island is much quieter than usual since the main tourist crowds tend to enjoy their holidays here in the summer. However, I know there are plenty of you already planning for the upcoming summer season and considering a trip to Malta.

I often hear from people who aren't particularly keen on flying asking whether driving to Malta is a sensible alternative. I want to use this post to draw a direct comparison between travelling by car and travelling by plane, using a trip starting from Stuttgart as our example.

Travelling to Malta by Car

If you look at the route on Google Maps, the planner spits out a 2,104-kilometre journey driving all the way through Italy, across Sicily, and finally to Malta. Google estimates the driving time at just under 24 hours. Realistically, tackling this drive alone in that timeframe is almost impossible, especially since you are also bound by ferry schedules in Sicily.

The fuel costs for the trip to Malta—assuming a consumption of seven litres and a price of €1.50—come to roughly €220. On top of that, you have to add about €75 for Italian motorway tolls and €195 for the ferry tickets from Pozzallo (Sicily) to Valletta (Malta) for two people and a car.

For a round trip, that means you are looking at nearly two days of pure driving time at a cost of around €1,000, and that's before factoring in vehicle wear and tear.

Travelling to Malta by Plane

In my opinion, flying is the clearly superior alternative. It is significantly faster and much cheaper. A flight generally costs between €200 and €300 per person and takes just over two hours (depending on your departure point, such as Zurich or a major German hub).

The verdict is pretty clear at first glance: if you want to get to Malta, you should fly. It's quicker, cheaper, and - to my mind - the only sensible option.