KayF

There is the public bus but if you've flown a long way and won't want to walk much, it's probably not a good idea. The transfer we arranged (details above) was just for us, we had an airconditioned car with driver and he was at the port to meet the ferry. You will need to check the ferry timetable but I think you will be able to book a transfer from Malta airport to the ferry, then another transfer once on Gozo to your hotel.

Travelling to Gozo on your arrival will add quite a bit of time on to your day. If you stay in Valletta, you could be at your accommodation very quickly. By the way, I suppose you know that Valletta is car-free so you will have to walk everywhere and also there are lots of stairs? The stairs were built low and flat - for the knights with their heavy armour we were told - so are not difficult.

Kay

plr

Kay, I'm a walker! It's what I love to do when traveling. I just don't want to be hauling all my luggage on foot for a long distance while also jet-lagged. Sorry I wasn't clear. Are there general listings of choices for booking these transfers (airport to ferry ? Gozo hotel to ferry / ferry to Malta hotel)? I'm not at all opposed to using the public bus if it isn't a hassle with luggage.

Amy

Valletta really is a wonderful place to "chill out" after your arrival; it's definitely not a resort town like some of the others. To me, it wouldn't be worth all of the extra time and effort to get to Gozo on the first day, and the buses can sometimes be crowded; that is, there might not be much room for luggage.

Just writing about this makes me want to be back in Valletta; there's something about the quality of that light on the golden stones: http://travel.webshots.com/photo/111...53546425HYBcpR (Sorry for the poor quality; this was pre-digital camera.)

ReturningKnight

@PLR: What exactly do you need to know...the above comments have me confused. You can check bus routes and times ONLY on the bus company's website: www.arriva.com.mt It's possible to buy a 7 day ticket from the airport and it won't cost teh earth. Expect long journey times, as the routes can be devious, but there is ample space for luggage on the X routes from the airport, and also to some extent on 12/13 (Sliema/St Julians/Bugibba) and 91 (M'Skala) as the bendies run on these routes. Cultural sites may be a bit off the beaten track, so the open-top hop on hop off might not be a bad idea. Let me know if you have specific questions.

ReturningKnight

@PLR: If you intend to spend most of your trip in Gozo, you might need a Gozo bus ticket...not sure the Malta one is valid there even though it's the same company. It is easy and cheap to transfer to Gozo by bus from the airport... X1 goes from airport (l-Ajruport) to ferry (ic-Cirkewwa) but not sure how often that runs. You can call their customer care (356)21222000- I am sure they will help you out.

plr

KayF & Amy, I truly do appreciate your recommendations. Spent time looking at Malta first, but the deal-breaker was my end-of-trip very early flight departure. Staying in Malta first would thus require 2-4 extra luggage pack-ups, which believe it or not, I absolutely will do some suffering to eliminate!

And so I think I will do a shuttle van service (about 20 euros, I think) rather than bus service from the airport to the ferry and to Gozo. If I'm going to pass out from exhaustion, I figure it's less likely that my body slumped on the floor will be ignored in a shuttle van than in a public bus, haha!

plr

...Although I have not yet checked to see how late the last ferry leaves from Cirkewwa....

ReturningKnight

You can find the ferry timetables at this link by clicking on timetable tab at the top of the page:
http://www.gozochannel.com/timetable_departure.htm

yorkshire

Have you booked your hotel in Gozo yet? Mine picked me up at the ferry port.
I also went immediately to Gozo upon arrival in Malta. I paid for a taxi or transfer to maximize my time.

plr

I've just learned that MaltaTransfer.com will transport a single individual for just 10 Euro to the ferry terminal, but charge a whopping 69 Euro from airport to my Gozo hotel, which is barely a half mile from the ferry terminal on Gozo! Let's see. Which should I choose?!

Nice to see all the evening ferry times! No problem, it appears.

Thanks again to everyone who has been so incredibly helpful on this and my other threads! I so appreciate all your contributions.

yorkshire

Use that transfer to get to the ferry port, then see if your hotel offers a more reasonable transfer, or just grab a taxi when you arrive on Gozo. Good luck--I loved walking across Gozo!

plr

Yorkshire, I was joking!! My hotel is within walking distance of the ferry--a half mile at most. I thought the price difference was unbelievable. 10 Euros is great! And yes, my hotel will transfer for free.

yorkshire

ha ha--obviously I am a careful reader. I thought maybe luggage was an issue.
Anyway, enjoy Gozo, it's gorgeous!

ReturningKnight

Just be aware that a half mile in Gozo is not necessarily walkable especially with luggage as the island is very hilly. Which hotel is it? The Grand is only one I know to be within walking distance.

ReturningKnight

If you use the bus it is only €2.60 (for a day ticket) and there are large bendy express buses with luggage storage space at the airport to ic-Cirkewwa ferry terminal. Route number is X1 and this link will give you the timetable (the buses are timed to correspond with ferry times as far as possible): http://www.arriva.com.mt/file.aspx?f=726
I would use the bus

plr

Yorkshire, luggage will Never be enough of an issue for me to pay an extra 59 Euro to go a few blocks!! Yup, RK, it's the Grand. And as I said--they transfer free of charge. I thought that even the X1 bus you mentioned might have a bunch of stops along the way, and I really want to get quickly to the bed at the end of the road! (what's a bendy bus?).

walkabout

They're those large buses with an accordion-like section in the middle that enables them to turn corners easier. Several cities in the US have them too. They look like this:
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standa...rrowed-time.do

ReturningKnight

Good hotel choice plr!

plr

So just for clarification: does the X1 bus go directly, non-stop from airport to the Cirkewwa ferry terminal? That's surely the best deal, if so.

ReturningKnight

It makes a few stops along the way but generally travels in a straight line to destination. The journey lasts 1h05min...travelling by car would take just under an hour, so it's not bad. The main stops will be Marsa P&R, Mater Dei Hospital, Pembroke P&R and Mellieha. Have a look at the timetable from the link on my Feb 28 post. It's a bus not a coach so you won't be able to sleep on the seats (no headrest) but it's reliable and will give you a teaser glimpse of the island. You can get a 2hour ticket from the driver which is even cheaper (€2.30).