Malta

Theres an often overlooked holiday destination that is cheerful, relaxed and cheap: Holidays in Malta offer a variety of activities from areas of great culture, to towns with a buzzing nightlife to the couple of theme parks for children and families. Whats more, the weather in Malta is ideal for British tourists, with the climate being typically Mediterranean: in the peak of Summer the average temperature tops 30 degrees centigrade.

The top Malta holiday destination is its capital, Valetta. This is a stunning 16th century fortified city offering a magnificent harbour and a colourful nightlife. Mdina gives an alternative cheap Malta holiday option a beautiful medieval fortress town which gives a wonderfully tranquil vibe thanks to its ban of cars. Those wanting a memorable night on the tiles should head west of St Julians to Paceville the hub of Maltas nightlife, with a selection of bars, discos and clubs which come alive at the weekend. Malta holiday makers who want a little of the nightlife, as well as other traditional tourist amenities may find Buggibba or Qawra ideal for them. The island has several festivals around the year the most appealing to Malta holiday makers probably being the jazz festival in July which may appeal to adults, while the islands two theme parks Popeye Village and Dinosaur Park are ideally suited to children and families visiting Malta.

Currency

The currency was changed to the Euro (EUR) on 1 January 2008. Major credit cards are accepted at most establishments.  Banks are open mornings only Monday to Saturday.

Time

Local time is GMT +1
(GMT +2 from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October).

Language

English and Maltese are the official languages.

Electricty

240 volts AC, 50Hz.  
The UK-style three square-pin plugs are used.

Malta Climate

The Maltese Islands are set in the heart of the Mediterranean with a climate that is heavily influenced by the surrounding seas.  Malta's summer months are hot, dry and very sunny with temperatures peaking at around 31C in August.  Malta and the nearby island of Gozo have very stable climates year round and begin to heat up in April with little rain during the summer season between April and August.  Malta lies between Southern Italy and Africa so the climate is very similar, and is also comparable with Southern Greece.  The high daytime temperatures are cooled down by sea breezes that also affect Italy and Greece but Malta is usually drier due to the short sea distance of the African coast.

Tipping

A gratuity of 10% is expected in hotels, and 10% in restaurants, if service charge is not included in the bill.  Most services are tipped about 5-10% (including taxi drivers).

Communications

The country code for Malta is +356, and the outgoing code is 00 followed by the relevant country code (e.g. 0044 for the United Kingdom).