Malta & Gozo · self-drive car hire
Car hire in Sliema
Staying on the Sliema seafront? Collect at the airport and you're at The Strand inside half an hour, with the car outside for the rest of the week.
Getting to Sliema from the airport
Sliema sits on the coast north of Marsamxett Harbour, a 20 to 30 minute drive from the airport depending on the Marsa and Msida traffic. You collect at Park East, walk out of arrivals and turn right, and drive straight to your hotel or apartment rather than waiting on a transfer.
Driving and parking in Sliema
This is among the densest parts of the island and the seafront fills through the season. Parking is largely on-street and turns over slowly; The Point has a paid underground car park that solves a few hours easily, and the streets set back from the promenade are the better bet for longer. Many of the back roads are narrow one-ways, so a smaller car genuinely earns its keep here.
What a car unlocks from here
Valletta without the parking problem
Drive round the harbour in about 20 minutes, or leave the car and take the ferry across in a fraction of that.
The north-coast beaches
Għadira, Golden Bay and the sandy stretches the buses reach slowly are 30 to 40 minutes up the road.
Half-day trips
Mdina, Marsaxlokk and the Ċirkewwa ferry to Gozo are all comfortable morning drives from here.
Where you collect
There's no desk in Sliema — collection is at Park East inside Malta International Airport, 20–30 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 Sliema — common questions
- Where do I collect the car for Sliema?
- At Malta International Airport — the Park East building, a few minutes on foot from arrivals. From there it's roughly 20 to 30 minutes to Sliema.
- Do I need a car if I'm staying in Sliema?
- For Sliema itself, not really — it's walkable and the ferry handles Valletta. A car pays for itself the moment you want the north beaches, Mdina or Gozo, which is most people by day three.
- Is parking difficult in Sliema?
- Honestly, yes, especially in summer. Ask your building whether a bay comes with it before you assume one does, and take a smaller class if you have the choice.