Home / Valletta / Malta International Airport / By bus

Malta airporttoValletta by bus

To the Valletta bus terminus outside City Gate · One way · All prices are totals for 1 adult · All service hours

2 buses from Malta International Airport

Not everything runs all night.Not all night: the Airport Direct TD4 to Valletta runs 05:20–00:50, the Route 88 via Paola runs 05:30–22:50.

Recommended

29 minutes quicker than the Route 88 via Paola, for €1 more.

Airport Direct TD4 to Valletta

TD4 · Malta Public Transport (tallinja)

11–17 min rideEvery 30 min05:20–00:50

The "Airport 1" stop at the bus terminal outside arrivalsBay B1 of the Valletta bus terminus outside City Gate

€3total for 1 adult€3 eachBuy ticketOn Malta Public Transport

Pickup, hours & luggage

Boards at. The "Airport 1" stop at the bus terminal outside arrivals, signposted from the Welcomers' Hall; the 24-hour card machine is by the stop

EUR 3.00, cash or contactless, exact change if paying cash. A resident's tallinja card, free on ordinary routes, pays EUR 1.50 here. The shareable twelve-journey card costs two journeys per ride (EUR 3.17, more than cash). The Explore Flex cards (EUR 21 for 4 days, EUR 27 for 7) include Airport Direct. Children under 4 free. The ticket covers two hours; the fine for none is EUR 50.

Luggage. Built for it: the operator says "ample luggage space", USB sockets and Wi-Fi on the Airport Direct fleet.

Hours. From Airport 1: every 30 minutes, 05:20–00:50, every day. Valletta bay B1 is 11–16 minutes later on weekdays, 12–17 at weekends; Lascaris two minutes after that. The last bus reaches the terminus at 01:02 (01:05 at weekends).

Price for every party size · Fare source

Bus

Route 88 via Paola

88 · Malta Public Transport (tallinja)

30–51 min rideEvery 20 min05:30–22:50

The "Airport 2" stop at the bus terminal outside arrivalsThe Valletta bus terminus outside City Gate

€2total for 1 adult€2 eachBuy ticketOn Malta Public Transport

Pickup, hours & luggage

Boards at. The "Airport 2" stop at the bus terminal outside arrivals, with a 24-hour tallinja card machine beside it

EUR 2.00 winter fare from 18 October 2026 to 12 June 2027 (EUR 2.50 in summer), bought from the driver, valid two hours with free changes. Free with a resident's tallinja card. The shareable twelve-journey card (EUR 19) is debited one journey a head (EUR 1.58), cheaper than a cash fare, sold at the airport office and 24-hour machines. Children under 4 free.

Luggage. An ordinary city bus: the operator welcomes "small luggage items" that do not block the aisle and says drivers "may limit or refuse" large or bulky ones.

Hours. From Airport 2: Monday to Friday, every 20 minutes, 05:30–22:50, 35–51 minutes to the Valletta terminus. Saturday and Sunday, every 30 minutes, 05:30–22:30, 30–44 minutes. Nothing after 22:50 — take the TD4 instead, which runs to 00:50.

Price for every party size · Fare source

Ride times exclude walking and waiting. Every way from Malta International Airport into Valletta

How do I get from Malta airport to Valletta city center by bus?

For one traveler the cheapest bus is the Route 88 via Paola at €2, 30–51 min; the fastest is the Airport Direct TD4 to Valletta at €3, 11–17 min. For one traveler that is the cheapest way into Valletta by any means.

Other ways in

The cheapest of each kind, for one

Valletta by taxiTaxi: €17 for one, 12–20 min

Compare all of them

Arriving late?

Not everything runs around the clock: the Airport Direct TD4 to Valletta runs 05:20–00:50, and the Route 88 via Paola runs 05:30–22:50. Outside those hours nothing on this board runs to the center, and taxis are not priced on it. and the board keeps only what is running.

Where each bus leaves you

Airport Direct TD4 to Valletta TD4

From the "Airport 1" stop at the bus terminal outside arrivals to Bay B1 of the Valletta bus terminus outside City Gate, by the Triton Fountain, in 11 to 17 minutes; then Lascaris Wharf for the Gozo fast ferry and the Barrakka lift, and Bombi in Floriana on the way back out. 11–17 min

Route 88 via Paola 88

From the "Airport 2" stop at the bus terminal outside arrivals to the Valletta bus terminus outside City Gate, in 30 to 51 minutes, after Gudja, Ħal Għaxaq, Żejtun, Tarxien, Paola, Marsa and Floriana (Bombi, Sarrija, Mall, Publiju). 30–51 min

Before you travel

How much is the bus from Malta airport to Valletta city center?

Route 88 via Paola: €2 for one traveler, €4 for two. Airport Direct TD4 to Valletta: €3 for one traveler, €6 for two.

How long does the bus take from Malta airport to Valletta?

Route 88 via Paola: 30–51 min, to the Valletta bus terminus outside City Gate. Airport Direct TD4 to Valletta: 11–17 min, to Bay B1 of the Valletta bus terminus outside City Gate.

What time does the bus run from Malta airport?

Airport Direct TD4 to Valletta: 05:20–00:50. Route 88 via Paola: 05:30–22:50.

Is the bus cheaper than a taxi from Malta airport?

For one traveler, yes: €2 against €17 for the Taxi. The taxi fare is per vehicle, so it gains on the bus with every extra traveler.