Bugibba Transportation

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On our most recent trip to Malta We walked up the main Qwara road which has not changed and over to Buggiba, although not really changed much the old yellow Maltese buses much loved by some (usually the tourists) and hated even feared by others (usually the locals) have been replaced, since 04/07/2011 Arriva are operating the bus service with a new fleet of blue buses. Much more comfortable and with air conditioning so they won't have to drive round with the windows and door open, they even have suspension which many of the older ones were sadly and bone jarringly lacking.
We purchased our 7 day bus ticket from the easy to use ticket machine at the bus station for 12 euro.

The morning after we headed off to the Bus Station at Buggiba to catch the bus to Valetta. It is certainly a good job that we bought our ticket the afternoon before as the que for the bus stations single ticket machine was enormous, nearly the same size as the que for the Valetta bus which was in with the door open but no driver, the new electronic display said it was due to leave at 10:15 though so just 5 minutes to wait though.
Well we waited and after 5 minutes the display changed to 10:25 for the next bus but we were still waiting and the bus was still driver less. A couple of buses came in together going in the other direction but still we waited and our bus with it's door open still was not going anywhere and we were all stood outside it it the sun slowly cooking until 2 number 31 buses came in together followed shortly after by another one great we thought because by now the que was going to fill 3 buses easily!
One bus was parked up with the door shut though and the driver got out of the other one and said he was having his dinner and proceeded to eat his large sandwich in front of a couple of hundred people who by this time were quite hot and quite annoyed. The 3rd bus let it's people of though and we got on that one, the driver with the sandwich relented wrapped it back up and let people on his bus and we were soon after thankfully on our way, it seems that Arriva still have some operating issues here and although early days the old yellow buses would certainly be welcome back at least by the tourists as there were no massive ques last time we came and the buses seemed plentiful enough. Modernisation may be for the better but sometimes it just does not seem that way. The buses are cooler than the old ones though but it seems to me that it would have been easier to leave the bus routes the same as they used to be for the first period as it took a great deal longer to get to Valletta as it used to do and the buses although look great with there route plans on the side so you can tell where they go only really work if that's the route they are actually doing.

We arrived at Valletta's bus station which looks completely different now more modern road marking's, bays for buses with the electronic displays (which have by this time given up displaying arrival departure times and are just stating “buses running at scheduled times” whose times though nobody really seems to know. Maybe the drivers or the people running around with clipboards shouting and waving at buses do? But then again it could be the Arriva staff that have been sent over from the UK to help organise it that have the answers though! I'm sure it will all come together eventually but it does not look like it is going to be soon.

A couple of days later we went to catch the bus from the nearest bus stop, our original plan was to get the bus to either the Airport of Valletta then the bus to Zurriq and walk to Hagar Quim, The airport bus went past without stopping as did 2 number 31's going to Valletta, the one stopped but as the Bugibba bit is a loop it was the one going the other way. The next one that came was an old coach with a number 41 written on a piece of card, it had obviously been hired with driver by Arriva to help out, after checking it was going to Valletta we got on that, we already had our tickets but it would not have mattered as because he had no ticket machine he was not charging people anyway.

We arrived at Valletta and decided to change our plans and have another walk around Valletta as the queue's for the buses were long and they are just not reliable at the moment. hopefully they will sort them out soon.

Located 13 km away from the capital Valletta, Bugibba is well connected to all the major towns in Malta.

Getting in by bus from Valletta, Mdina and Cirkkewa (the harbor to Gozo) is also easy.

Busses to Valletta: 49, 57 and 449.

Bus to Cirkkewa: 48

Bus to Mdina and Rabat: 86

The bus service in Malt is very good. there is a direct bus services from Bugibba for some places so you dont have to go the bus terminus in Valletta.
These bus are old but there are a few modern buses as well.

well the only way to get around is Car or Bus, busses are pretty old but cheap! you can get anywhere! you can always hire a car which is also pretty cheap, best place i recomend is Marys shop on the corner across the rd to the Kebab shop By Qwara Bus Station :)

There is a bus terminal in Bugibba just behind the new dolmen hotel which basically gets you to most of the main beaches in malta and also valletta.I think you've got to go on them at least once just for the experience!

These are everywhere in malta - well, everywhere with lots of tourists. Nice enough I guess, especially here at Qawra/Bugibba where you can take a trip along the long seafront.
This horse was really beautiful, and so mild mannered.

There is a bus station at Bugibba with a regular service of busses to the tourist hotspots such as Velletta, Mosta, Mdina, Mellieha, Gozo Ferry, Golden Bay, Sliema, St Julians, Marsaxlokk etc. Most busses stop running quite early - the last one back from Sliema is about 8:30. You can get back from St.Julians (well, Paceville to be exact) a bit later, busses from there run till after 10.

Now that Easyjet are making regular flights to Malta this as to be good news.

Are flight was by Easyjet from Manchester UK. The flight was good only half late on the return flight.