Taking a hire car to Gozo: the ferry explained

Yes, you can take the car

Taking a hire car to Gozo is normal and permitted. Your insurance and unlimited mileage apply on Gozo exactly as they do on Malta, and there's no separate permission to arrange. You drive on at Ċirkewwa and off at Mġarr.

What isn't permitted is taking the car off the Maltese islands entirely — Sicily included — without written agreement.

How the crossing works

The ferry runs from Ċirkewwa at the northern tip of Malta to Mġarr on Gozo, year-round and frequently through the day, with a reduced overnight service. The crossing itself takes about 25 minutes.

You queue in lanes at the terminal, drive on when directed, and either stay on the car deck or go up to the passenger deck. There's no booking for the vehicle — you turn up and join the queue.

When you pay, and the bit that surprises people

The vehicle fare is collected on the return leg rather than on the way out. Visitors regularly arrive at Ċirkewwa expecting to pay and find they simply drive on — then wonder whether they've done something wrong. They haven't; you pay coming back from Gozo.

Timing it in summer

In July and August the queue builds, particularly late morning heading out and Sunday evening coming back. It's rarely a disaster, but it can add half an hour or more at each end of the day.

Getting to Ċirkewwa early is the simplest fix. From Mellieħa the terminal is about ten minutes away, which is why the north makes such a convenient base for a Gozo day.

Should you take the car, or leave it?

If you're going for a day and staying near Mġarr or Victoria, you can walk on as a foot passenger and manage. If you want Ramla, Dwejra, Xlendi and the villages — which is most of what makes Gozo worth going to — take the car.

If Gozo is the whole trip rather than a day out, collecting a car on Gozo itself avoids the crossing in both directions. That's a different arrangement from a Malta hire, so ask us before you book.