Valletta to Sliema: travel options
Approximate direct distance: 2 km • Travel distance depends on the route and transport you choose.
Compare the options
Recorded fares and journey times. Check each operator before booking.
| Transport Mode | Operator | Duration | Price guide | Stations / Airports | Key Booking Tip |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ferry Direct | Valletta Ferry Services | About 5m |
€3.00
Published fare
Fare source checked: 13 Sep 2026 Fares vary by departure and ticket conditions. Tickets and times: Valletta Ferry Services |
Dep: Valletta Marsamxett Landing
Arr: Sliema Ferries Pier (The Strand)
|
Transport Malta describes the harbour sea leg as approximately 5 minutes. The operator's current schedule page displays adult day €3.00 single and €5.00 return, with higher night pricing. Check the boarding-day ticket because the regulator's authorised-fares page currently shows a different tariff. |
Choosing your journey
Use the scheduled harbour ferry between Marsamxett in Valletta and Sliema Ferries on The Strand when those landing points fit your day. The published operator fare and the regulator tariff currently differ, so check the ticket displayed at boarding. Allow for the walk to each landing place and for waiting rather than treating the approximate five-minute sea leg as a complete city journey.
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Start at the right landing
The scheduled harbour ferry links Marsamxett in Valletta with Sliema Ferries on The Strand. Those are waterfront landing places, not interchangeable names for the main Valletta bus terminal or every hotel along the promenade. Transport Malta's published summer period runs from 1 June to 31 October, with departures no more than 30 minutes apart within the minimum schedule. The operator timetable should decide the departure you use on your date.
Check the fare at boarding
The current operator page displays adult daytime pricing of €3.00 for a single and €5.00 for a return. It lists €1.00 and €1.50 for child day tickets and €3.50 single and €5.20 return for night service. Transport Malta's authorised-fares page currently shows a different regulated tariff, so the two pages should not be treated as one figure. Check the posted ticket or the operator's current confirmation before putting the fare into a fixed budget. A personalised Tallinja card can be tapped for free harbour-ferry travel under the current public-transport scheme.
Count the complete journey
A Transport Malta strategy document describes the harbour crossing as approximately five minutes. That is a sea-leg estimate. Add the walk from your accommodation, the wait for the next sailing and the walk from The Strand or Marsamxett to your actual stop. The ferry can be convenient for a Valletta visit or a Sliema promenade day, but the best choice depends on where you begin and end. Transport Malta also says a valid ferry ticket includes same-day Barrakka Lift access, which may change the useful arrival point for a Valletta visit. Check the lift opening notice if you arrive late.
Choose one way or a return
The operator displays separate single and return products. Decide whether you will return through the same landing before buying, especially if dinner or a museum booking changes your plan. The return ticket is a fare product, not a reservation for a particular departure. Keep a little time for the next sailing and read the operator's seasonal timetable again when returning after an evening event.
Keep a bus as the backup
Malta Public Transport lists local bus routes between Valletta and Sliema, including route 15 and route 21. A regular bus ticket is seasonal and currently shown as €2.50 in summer or €2.00 in winter, with two-hour validity and transfers during that validity. Use the date-specific journey planner if the ferry landing is a poor fit, you are travelling late, or the sea is unsettled. Keep the ferry, bus and any Barrakka Lift access as separate parts of the plan. Continue with the Valletta guide and Sliema guide when choosing the walk from each landing place.
