Malta & Gozo · self-drive car hire
Car hire in Mdina
The old capital is closed to almost all traffic — which makes where you park, and what you do with the rest of the day, the real question.
Getting to Mdina from the airport
Mdina sits high in the middle of the island, 25 to 30 minutes from the airport across country. It's one of the easier drives on Malta: less coastal traffic, and the approach up towards the walls is genuinely worth the trip on its own.
Driving and parking in Mdina
You don't drive into Mdina — the silent city is closed to almost all vehicles, which is much of its charm. Park in Rabat just outside the walls, where there are car parks and on-street spaces, and walk in through the gate. Rabat's own streets are narrow, so the marked car parks are less stressful than hunting a kerb.
What a car unlocks from here
Rabat and the catacombs
Immediately outside the walls, and usually far quieter than Mdina itself.
Dingli Cliffs
About 10 minutes further west, and the best sunset on the island.
The centre of everything
From here the north coast, Valletta and the south are all roughly half an hour, in different directions.
Where you collect
There's no desk in Mdina — collection is at Park East inside Malta International Airport, 25–30 minutes away. Walk out of arrivals, turn right and carry straight on for a few minutes; the car is waiting there.
Open 08:00 – 02:00, every day.
How the airport pickup worksIn every rate
- Comprehensive insurance
- Unlimited mileage across Malta and Gozo
- Free cancellation up to 48 hours
- 10 classes, from €6 a day
Car hire in Mdina — common questions
- Can I drive into Mdina?
- No — the walled city is closed to almost all traffic beyond residents and permit holders. Park in Rabat outside the gate and walk in; it's a couple of minutes.
- Where do I collect a car for Mdina?
- At Park East inside Malta International Airport, roughly 25 to 30 minutes away.
- Is Mdina worth a car trip?
- It's one of the few places on Malta where the drive is part of it — and pairing it with Dingli Cliffs makes an easy half-day that public transport turns into a whole one.