Where to holiday in Malta?

adonis10

Thinking of trying a holiday to Malta but have no idea where to look first. Anyone been? Recommendations?

elsien

What do you want from a holiday?

adonis10

elsien wrote: »

What do you want from a holiday?

The OH and I love holidays where we can have a nice balance between relaxing and doing very little, but also seeing sights and interesting places, love good restaurants and exploring quieter areas off the beaten track. Done lots of Greek Islands, plenty of places in Italy and now stuck for where to go next

richardw

Have a browse http://www.visitmalta.com/en/where-to-stay

PompeyPete

Chevron are Malta specialists...

https://www.chevron.co.uk/?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Brand%3A%20Chevron&utm_term=chevron%20holiday%20malta&utm_content=Chevron%20-%20holidays%20malta

...all sorts to suit all budgets.

How do you intend travelling around? Buses are cheap, and there's plenty of them plying the main routes. BUT they get very busy, so I advise choosing your accommodation carefully close to a bus terminus. If you are hiring a car then good luck, not a very relaxing experience, and parking can be a challenge.

Malta is tiny, but there are over 400,000 vehicles clogging the place up, that = more vehicles than people old enough to drive the things. The major routes mainly go through small towns, the roads weren't built for the amount of traffic, and roadworks and diversions are everywhere.

Eating out isn't particularly cheap either, nor is food in the supermarkets for self catering. Blame the EU for that.

Valetta is a beautiful city, with plenty to see and do, and is very walkable, though are are some steep hills dropping down to the waterfront.

Sliema is very popular with a lovely seafront that goes all the way to also popular St Julians.

Bugibba is popular too especially with older British and British expats. Plenty of cheap watering holes.

Mellieha, in the north is also popular, and very handy for getting to the ferry to Gozo.

There's also a couple of other nice spots south of Valetta.

Gozo is a lovely little island, ferries run regularly, take about 25 minutes, and a return ticket costs €4.65.

The above is based on a 3 week AI stay in Mellieha in February last year, and 4 weeks B&B in Bugibba in November last year.

PompeyPete

Also, with visitor numbers to places like Tunisia, Turkey, and Egypt suffering badly, Malta is reaping the benefits. But, imho I think the infrastructure is creaking, and struggling to cope especially during main tourist months.

Grumpelstiltskin

I have to agree with Pete. You look at a map and think Malta a small island, problem is as Pete says it is crowded.

If you go please don't even think about hiring a car unless you are happy with driving in a crowded city with the added hazard of drivers who just don't take any notice of the rules of the road and having nowhere to park.

Having said that it is one of my favourite places to visit.

PompeyPete

The Azure Window is no more...

http://www.timesofmalta.com/mobile/articles/view/20170308/local/the-azure-window-lost-and-gone-forever.641810

...so never underestimate the weather in Malta.

[Deleted User]

I was in Mellieha in January and had a few days in Bugibba during February with Mrs Sleazy. Bugibba seemed more 'touristy' to me, but wherever you go the buses seem to run everywhere anyway - 21 Euros for a weekly ticket. Lucky with the weather both places too...

Doshwaster

I like St Julians/Spinola Bay but it may be a little too lively for some people. Bugibba is more of a typical Mediterranean tourist resort and may be better for the elderly or those with young families. Valletta is lovely during the day but pretty dead in the evenings. I wasn't too keen on Sliema.

As above, don't even think about driving as the roads a busy and parking is limited. The bus network is comprehensive and the weekly ticket is good value for exploring the island.

Malta isn't a really a budget destination these days. Food and drink are excellent quality - thanks to a lot of Italian immigrants - but costs won't be as cheap as elsewhere on the Med.

GDB2222

What time of year do you want to go?