Four ways from the arrivals hall into Valletta — how each one works, where to find it and what it costs.
Last checked on 16 September 2026
Malta International Airport is at Luqa, about 5 km south-west of Valletta, and there are four ways into the capital: the Airport Direct bus, an ordinary city bus, a taxi booked at the booth in the Welcomers’ Hall, or a private transfer arranged before you fly. Which one suits you depends mostly on your luggage, the hour you land and where in the city you are staying, because vehicle access to the core of Valletta is controlled and no option drives right up to every door.
Everything below was checked against Malta International Airport and Malta Public Transport. Fares and routes are set by the operators, and the bus network has been revised more than once since 2025, so the official page for each option is linked underneath it.
Malta Public Transport runs five Airport Direct routes from the airport, and TD4 is the one for the capital: the operator lists it as serving Valletta and the Gozo Fast Ferry, running every 30 minutes. It is a limited-stop service with luggage space, which makes it the simplest public option into the city.
Ordinary Day Route buses also serve the airport and cost less than the Airport Direct. For the capital the through service is route 88, which Malta Public Transport lists as serving Valletta, Floriana, Marsa, Paola, Ħal Tarxien, Bir id-Deheb, Ħal Għaxaq, Gudja and the Airport.
Taxi services between the airport and any destination in Malta are available 24 hours a day. The airport notes that many operators work from the terminal but that the official taxi service for the Maltese Islands is Malta Taxi, which describes itself as the only taxi company licensed by Transport Malta.
Book before you fly and a driver meets you in the arrivals hall with a name sign, follows your flight if it is late and takes you straight to your address. The price is fixed per vehicle and paid when you book, so there is nothing to sort out on arrival — the simplest option with children, a lot of luggage or a late landing. In Valletta the driver sets down at the nearest permitted point, because access into the core is controlled.
from €27.50 per vehicle, taxes included
See vehicles and pricesIf a transfer is part of your package holiday, check your travel documents for the meeting point before you queue for a taxi.
Photo credits Mike McBey (CC BY 2.0) · Kk70088 (CC BY 4.0) · Kk70088 (CC BY 4.0) · Frank Vincentz (CC BY-SA 3.0)
