Driving in Malta: a first-timer's guide
What actually catches people out driving in Malta — the left-hand side, the roundabouts, the width of the lanes — and how long it really takes to settle in.
Updated 21 July 2026 · 6 min read
The left-hand side is the easy part
Malta drives on the left, like the UK and Ireland and unlike most of mainland Europe. If that's new to you it sounds like the hard bit, and it isn't. Following traffic is almost automatic — you fall in behind the car in front and the road does the thinking for you.
What catches people is the moments with no traffic to follow: pulling out of an empty side street, leaving a parking space, coming off a roundabout when nobody else is around. That's when instinct reaches for the wrong side. A useful anchor is that the driver sits nearest the centre line, so the kerb should always be on your passenger side. Half a second of checking that, every time you set off, is enough.
If you'd rather not also learn a gearstick with your other hand, an automatic removes one thing to think about. Most of our classes come both ways.
Roundabouts, and giving way
There are a lot of roundabouts in Malta and they're where left-hand driving becomes real. You go clockwise, and you give way to traffic already on the roundabout — which, driving on the left, means looking right as you approach.
Local driving is assertive rather than aggressive. Gaps get used, and hesitation causes more confusion than committing does. Take the lane you need early, signal clearly, and don't be surprised if someone joins a gap you were saving. None of it is personal.
The roads are narrower than you expect
Maltese lanes are often narrower than the equivalent road elsewhere in Europe, particularly in the villages, where the streets predate cars entirely. Parked vehicles narrow them further, and two-way streets frequently work as one-way-at-a-time by mutual agreement.
This is the single strongest argument for taking a smaller car than you would at home. A compact is easier everywhere on these islands, and the boot space you gave up will matter less than the width you kept.
Distances are short, journeys aren't always
Nothing on Malta is far. Almost everywhere is within 45 minutes of the airport, and much of it within 30. But short distances don't mean quick journeys: the Msida and Marsa junctions slow badly at the morning and evening peaks, and the coast road through Sliema is rarely fast.
Plan by time of day rather than by kilometres. A trip that takes 20 minutes at eleven in the morning can take 40 at half past five.
How long it takes to settle
Most visitors report the same arc: the first half hour is concentration, the first day is deliberate, and by the second day it's unremarkable. Give yourself an easy first drive if you can — arriving late at night and immediately tackling Paceville is a harder start than it needs to be.
Common questions
- Is driving in Malta difficult for a first-timer?
- Manageable, and easier than its reputation. The combination of left-hand driving, narrow lanes and busy roundabouts asks for concentration on day one, but most people stop thinking about it by day two.
- Should I hire an automatic in Malta?
- If you're not used to driving on the left, it removes one thing to coordinate while you adjust. It's also easier in stop-start traffic and on the hills, which Malta has more of than people expect.
- What size car is best for Malta?
- Smaller than you'd take at home. Village streets are narrow, parking is tight in the resort towns, and a compact is simply less stressful. Take the bigger car only if you genuinely need the seats.