Situated 8km south of Valetta, Malta Airport (MLA) has nine car hire companies serving visitors to this popular archipelago in the central Mediterranean. Despite a reasonable public transport system, hiring a car is a more convenient choice, especially if you’d like to spend time exploring the island’s many attractions.
Malta Airport (Photo: Cezary Borysiuk via Flickr / CC BY 2.0)
Airport car hire at Malta Airport is quick and convenient, with most of the car rental agencies situated on Level 1 (lower) at the Park East building, which is a 3-minute walk away from the main terminal. Notable car rental companies include Budget and Sixt which both offer a wide selection of vehicles at competitive prices. If you’ve booked in advance all you need to do is turn up and present your driver’s licence, a credit or debit card and one form of ID.
To determine which rental car companies offer the best vehicles across our three categories (Most Affordable, Best for Luxury, Best for Minivans), TravelMag.com carefully researched prices, availability, policies and customer reviews of the car rental companies. Here are our findings:
Most Affordable: Sixt
After running several searches across different dates and lengths of stay, German car rental company Wheego often came out as the cheapest car hire option at Malta Airport. However, because of the nature of some of the customer feedback, we’ve chosen Sixt which not only receives great user feedback but also has with a wide selection of cars, with many brands represented in the small car range. As for pricing, a days rental in early September costs anything between €35 to €100 per day, depending on the size and model of the car. Apart from the large selection of cars, Sixt offices across the world are famous for their friendly and fast customer service and the condition of the vehicles on offer.
Best for Luxury: Budget
In all honesty, when it comes to luxury cars for hire at Malta Airport, the choice is not particularly inspiring. However, on balance, we found that Budget had the best reviews and so we would suggest opting for them. If you’re a BMW fan, you’ll also be pleased to know that the BMW520 features in their fleet while fans of SUVs will appreciate the Ford Expedition. For those looking to cruise the island in real style, they have both a Ford Mustang Convertible and a Chrysler 300 LTD. And if you change your mind, or find a better deal at the last minute, free cancellation is available up to 48 hours before pick-up.
Best for Minivans: Green Motion
Green Motion’s rental desk at Malta Airport offers several large cars and van rentals that are ideal for families travelling with little ones. Green Motion offers 4 packages on their vehicles, from ‘Basic’ to ‘Premium Plus’ where there is no excess liability and cancellation can be made up to 24 hours before pick up. At their cheapest rates, they have the 7-seater Nissan NV200 for rent at €90 per day and 8-seater Peugeot Expert at €200 per day. The one small downside to Green Motion is that their desk is only open from 8am to 8pm, meaning that those arriving on evening flights will not be able to pick up their car on arrival. However, for choice and pricing, Green Motion are still our best pick for families.