Getting around Malta: real places, real hours and real prices

In Malta Living, a free browser life sim, the map is the real island, and getting around Malta works much as it does on the ground: buses, eCabs, your own car and the ferries to Gozo and Comino. The places have their real names, many keep real opening hours, and prices are set with a day in Malta in mind: €1.20 for two pastizzi, Malta's flaky savoury pastries, €2 for the bus, and a free ferry over to Gozo.

Real places with real names

You'll find the places you'd expect: the Upper Barrakka Gardens over the Grand Harbour, Sliema Promenade, Golden Bay, Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra, Popeye Village, the Malta National Aquarium, Mater Dei Hospital, the University of Malta, SOHO The Strand in Gżira, and the Citadel on Gozo. Businesses go by their real names, with no logos: Lidl in Mosta, Hugo's Pub on St Rita Steps, Is-Serkin in Rabat, Cynergi on St George's Bay, and Zara on Tower Road in the Boutique app.

Opening hours on Malta time

The game's clock is the actual time in Malta, so hours matter:

• Identità, the office for residence cards and permits in Msida, opens weekday mornings, 07:15 to 13:00.
• Lidl (Mosta) keeps the real shop's hours, 07:00 to 22:00.
• Sky Club and Club Shady in Paceville, St Julian's nightlife quarter, open 22:00 till 4.
• Is-Serkin serves pastizzi and tea in a glass around the clock, and Tokyo Club on the Paceville strip is open all day.

Streets, beaches and gardens never close: out of hours they're just quiet. A closed place tells you when it opens next. For what happens after dark, see Paceville nightlife.

What things cost

Two pastizzi, ricotta and pea, are €1.20 at Is-Serkin. At Hugo's Pub, a pint of Cisk, the Maltese lager, is €2.50 in happy hour, 17:00 to 19:00, and every bar has a menu with Maltese names like Hopleaf, Marsovin, Bajtra and Kinnie, the Maltese soft drink. Each activity shows its price up front. Homes and furniture use game prices, and all the money is virtual.

Tallinja bus fares, eCabs and your car

Tap any place and Go shows each way there, with its price and time. The 📍 Get around app does the same for anywhere on the islands, with your home on top.

• Walking is free, and quickest for a short stroll. Beyond about 1 km, the bus is faster.
• The bus is €2, €2.50 in summer and €3 at night. A personalised tallinja card (€25, in Essentials) makes every bus free, and locals start with one.
• eCabs costs €4 + €1.20 a km, at least €6, with 30% more in weekday rush hours (07:00 to 09:00 and 16:00 to 18:30) and 50% more late on Friday and Saturday nights.
• Your own car from the Cars app. Driving into Valletta on a weekday between 08:00 and 14:00 costs €0.82; electric cars go free, and run on 2c a km from a charger like the Msida Charging Point, 5c a km from anywhere else.
• A bike or scooter. A city bike is free to ride, an e-scooter 1c a km.

The bus fares match the real ones: Malta Public Transport lists €2 by day in winter, €2.50 in summer and €3 on night routes, and a personalised tallinja card means free travel on day and night routes (Malta Public Transport fares, tallinja card).

The Gozo ferry and the Blue Lagoon boat to Comino

At Ċirkewwa, two big tiles wait: the ferry to Gozo and the boat to Comino, the tiny island in between.

• The Gozo ferry is free going over, day and night. Coming back from Mġarr is €4.65, and free if you can't pay. The fast ferry runs between Valletta and Gozo for €7.50.
• The boat to Comino is €15 return by day, or €30 in the evening until 21:30, with the boat back included until 22:00. A day boat also goes from Mġarr.

The Blue Lagoon needs a free timed slot, 4,000 people a slot, and the Boat to Comino tile books it and boards you in one tap. Gozo Channel's own standard passenger fare is also €4.65, and foot passengers' tickets are validated only at the Gozo terminal (Gozo Channel fares, passenger fares).

Not getting around Malta tonight? Wolt brings food in about 2½ minutes for €2.49 delivery: a timpana (€8.50) leaves a leftover in the fridge, and a ftira shared with guests gives everyone Social.

For the bigger picture, read the Malta life simulator guide, see how your way into Malta changes your start, tour the phone's apps, or play Malta Living free in your browser.

Questions people ask

How much is a bus ticket in Malta?

Malta Public Transport lists €2 for a single journey by day in winter, €2.50 in summer and €3 on night routes, with tickets valid for two hours. Malta Living charges the same, and a personalised tallinja card makes the bus free in the game.

Do you pay for the Gozo ferry both ways?

Gozo Channel validates foot passengers' tickets only at the Gozo terminal, and its standard passenger fare is €4.65. In Malta Living the ferry over is free and the trip back from Mġarr is €4.65, or free if you can't pay.

Do you need to book the Blue Lagoon in Malta Living?

Yes, you need a free timed slot. The Boat to Comino tile at Ċirkewwa books it and boards you in one tap, €15 return by day or €30 in the evening.

How do I get to Gozo in Malta Living?

Take the Gozo Channel ferry from Ċirkewwa, free going over, or the fast ferry from Valletta for €7.50. "Welcome to Gozo" greets you at Mġarr Harbour, with a Go to the Citadel.