Malta is an interesting place to get around. T
he streets are narrow and look like they've been paved by hurling buckets of tarmac on the road. And then they call it a two lane highway. There frequently isn't enough room for two cars to pass, let alone the buses. But the buses drive down the road anway and the buses always have right of way. So if there is a bus coming toward you and you're on a small road, you better put it in reverse because they are going to keep coming. If this sounds manageable, read through the driving tips for info on renting a car and navigating the island. If you choose to go this route, you will be rewarded by getting lost on gorgeous little backroads.
On the other hand, with such a small island it really isn't hard to get around without your own wheels. The buses are prolific, efficient, and cheap and they go all over the island. In addition, it's much less nerve-wracking to be a passenger on a bus than a driver or navigator. If you plan to bus around, you may want to consider staying in Valletta. All the buses leave from this destination and if you stay elsewhere on the island you will have to take a bus into the city and then a bus out to whatever destination you want to see. The downside is that sometimes the bus schedule isn't convenient for getting to out-of-the-way sites. Our solution was to use a mix of these two methods of transport.
