Why Malta
An archipelago of three inhabited islands — Malta, Gozo, Comino — totalling three hundred and sixteen square kilometres. It is one of the most densely populated countries in the world, and it shows: Malta is urban almost everywhere, Gozo is rural and quiet, Comino is nearly deserted and holds the Blue Lagoon.
Valletta is the smallest capital in the European Union and is crossed on foot in twenty minutes. Mdina, the old fortified capital, is home to a few hundred people and empties in the evening.
April–June and September–October. Summer is very hot and the island is stony, without shade. Winter is mild but windy, and the sea becomes too rough for the crossings to Comino.
Entry and stay
An EU and Schengen country. An identity card is enough for nationals of the EU, the European Economic Area and Switzerland.
For other nationalities, the European Entry/Exit System (EES) has been in service since 10 April 2026 and digitally records every crossing of a Schengen external border. ETIAS, a twenty-euro authorisation for visa-exempt nationalities, is expected in the final quarter of 2026.
Source: France Diplomatie and the European Commission, checked on 22 September 2026.
Getting around
There is no railway. The bus network covers the archipelago from Valletta's central station at a flat fare, but journeys are slow and the buses packed in season.
The Gozo ferry leaves from Ċirkewwa and takes twenty-five minutes; the Valletta–Sliema crossing saves a long road detour.
Driving is on the left. The roads are narrow, parking is difficult, and local driving has a reputation for being nervous.
Money
Euro. Cards work everywhere in urban areas; markets and some small shops on Gozo stay in cash.
Before you go
English is an official language alongside Maltese, and universally spoken: a British legacy that also shows in the electrical sockets, Type G as in the United Kingdom. An adapter is needed from France.
Comino's Blue Lagoon is saturated in summer, to the point that quotas and restrictions have been introduced. Going early or out of season changes everything.
Churches require covered shoulders and knees, and the rule is enforced. The country is strongly Catholic and the village feast days — the festi — occupy the villages all summer, with fireworks and closed streets.