Fuelling a hire car in Malta
How the full-to-full policy works, what to put in the tank, where the stations are, and the one mistake that costs real money.
Updated 21 July 2026 · 4 min read
Full-to-full, and why it matters
You collect the car with a full tank and bring it back full. That's the whole policy, and it's the fairest of the common arrangements because you only ever pay for the fuel you actually used, at the pump price rather than a marked-up rate.
The alternative you'll meet elsewhere — prepaid fuel, sometimes called full-to-empty — sells you a tank up front and refunds nothing for what's left. Unless you time your last drive to arrive on fumes, you're donating the remainder. We don't operate it.
Petrol or diesel?
Check before you fill, every time. The fuel type is on a sticker inside the filler flap and on your rental paperwork. Most of our fleet is petrol; the vans and the minibus are diesel.
Misfuelling is the single most expensive mistake available to you at a Maltese filling station. It isn't covered by the insurance, and draining and flushing a tank is not a small bill. Ten seconds of checking is cheap by comparison.
Finding a station
Stations are common enough on the main routes and around the larger towns, less so in the villages and thinner on Gozo. Many operate automated pumps that take cards around the clock even when the kiosk is closed, which is worth knowing if you're returning the car for an early flight.
Fuel prices in Malta are set nationally rather than by each station, so shopping around gains you nothing. Fill up wherever is convenient.
Before you return the car
Fill up shortly before you get back to the airport rather than an hour earlier on the other side of the island — the last stretch of driving still burns fuel, and 'nearly full' isn't full.
There are stations on the approach roads to the airport, which is the sensible last stop. If the car comes back short, a refuelling charge applies, and it will cost more than the fuel would have.
Common questions
- What fuel policy do you use?
- Full-to-full. You get a full tank and return a full tank, so you pay only for what you used, at pump prices. No prepaid fuel schemes.
- Is fuel cheaper at some stations in Malta?
- No — prices are set nationally rather than by individual stations, so there's nothing to gain from driving further to fill up.
- What if I put the wrong fuel in?
- Stop, don't start the engine, and call us. Misfuelling isn't covered by the insurance and draining a tank is expensive, so it's worth checking the sticker inside the filler flap every single time.