Malta to Gozo ferry: car ferry vs fast ferry (and why you only pay leaving Gozo)

There are two ferries from Malta to Gozo, and the right one for you depends almost entirely on one question: are you bringing a car? The Ċirkewwa car ferry runs 24 hours a day and carries vehicles across in about 25 minutes. The Valletta fast ferry takes foot passengers only, on a longer 45-minute run. And here is the quirk that confuses nearly every first-timer on both services: you only pay on the way back from Gozo, never on the way out.

We live here, we cross often, and below we lay out both services side by side so you can decide before you travel — plus how to dodge the summer car queue and exactly how the pay-on-return system works.

Key facts

• Two separate ferries. Ċirkewwa (car ferry) and Valletta (fast ferry, foot only).
• Car ferry: ~25 min, runs 24/7. Foot passenger €4.65 return; car + driver €15.70 return.
• Fast ferry: ~45 min, foot passengers only. Adult €7.50 one way.
• You pay on the return leg only. Boarding from Malta needs no ticket.
• No car reservations on the car ferry — first come, first served. Summer weekend queues can top 90 minutes.

The two ferries at a glance

	Ċirkewwa car ferry (Gozo Channel)	Valletta fast ferry (Gozo Highspeed)
Route	Ċirkewwa (north Malta) ↔ Mġarr (Gozo)	Lascaris Wharf, Valletta ↔ Mġarr (Gozo)
Crossing time	~25 minutes	~45 minutes
Carries cars?	Yes	No — foot passengers only
Frequency	Daily, 24 hours	Roughly hourly, year-round
Adult fare	€4.65 return (foot passenger)	€7.50 one way
Car + driver	€15.70 return (vehicles up to 5.3m)	Not available
Reservations	None — first come, first served	—
When you pay	On the return leg, at Mġarr	On the return leg, at Mġarr

Ċirkewwa car ferry: schedule, crossing time and boarding

The car ferry is run by Gozo Channel between Ċirkewwa, at the northern tip of Malta, and Mġarr harbour on Gozo. The crossing takes about 25 minutes and the service runs daily, around the clock — there are sailings through the night, which makes it the dependable option if your plans are loose or your flight lands late. The current published timetable covers 19 May 2025 to 8 November 2026.

Boarding is simple in principle: you drive or walk on at Ċirkewwa without buying anything first. The fares themselves are low. A foot passenger pays €4.65 for the whole return trip, charged once. Children aged 3–12 pay €1.15, and permanent-resident senior citizens aged 60 and over travel free with valid ID. A car with its driver (vehicles up to 5.3 metres) costs €15.70 return.

The “you only pay leaving Gozo” quirk explained

This is the part that catches everyone out, so here is exactly how it works. When you leave Malta from Ċirkewwa, nobody sells or checks a ticket — you simply board. Payment happens only at Mġarr on Gozo, on the return leg. Foot-passenger and vehicle tickets are validated at the Gozo side, not the Malta side.

In practice that means: do not worry when you are waved onto the boat at Ċirkewwa without paying. This is normal and correct. You have not skipped a step and you will not be fined. You settle up once, at the Gozo terminal, before you sail back. The fares above are round-trip figures for exactly this reason — one payment covers both legs.

Valletta fast ferry: schedule and terminal

The fast ferry — sold under the “Gozo Highspeed” brand — sails from Lascaris Wharf in Valletta directly to Mġarr in about 45 minutes, and it carries foot passengers only. No cars, no vans. It suits you if you are based in or near Valletta and want a day on Gozo without driving up to the north of Malta first.

Sailings run roughly hourly all year. The first departure from Valletta is at 06:45 and the last standard sailing is at 20:45, with extra late-night crossings on Friday and Saturday and daily late sailings through summer running until 00:30.

The standard adult fare is €7.50 one way. Concessions bring that down: Gozo residents pay €2.25, seniors €3.00, and children aged 4–10 €3.00. Infants under 3 travel free. Note that the fast ferry is a catamaran and can feel the swell in strong wind.

Which ferry for which traveller

• Day-tripper staying in Valletta, Sliema or the Three Cities: take the fast ferry. It saves the long trip up to Ċirkewwa and drops you straight at Mġarr.
• Anyone bringing a car to explore Gozo properly: you must use the Ċirkewwa car ferry — the fast ferry takes no vehicles.
• Backpacker or budget traveller without a car: the car ferry is cheaper (€4.65 return vs €7.50 one way) if you can get to Ċirkewwa by bus; the fast ferry is faster and more convenient from the capital.
• Family: compare the two on cost — children are cheap on both, but the car ferry’s €1.15 child fare and free travel for resident seniors is hard to beat if you are already driving.

Avoiding the weekend and summer queue

The car ferry has one real weakness. Because there is no reservation system for vehicles — boarding is strictly first come, first served, and a pre-bought ticket does not guarantee you a place on any particular sailing — cars can pile up at busy times. On peak summer weekends in July and August, vehicle queues at Ċirkewwa can exceed 90 minutes, sometimes stretching to one or two hours.

Two ways round it: travel early in the day and avoid Friday-evening and weekend-morning peaks, or — if you don’t strictly need a car on Gozo — take the fast ferry instead, since foot passengers see minimal queuing even at peak times.

Booking, payment and getting to each terminal

For the car ferry, you don’t need to arrange anything before you leave Malta — just turn up at Ċirkewwa and board, then pay at Mġarr on the way back. There is no vehicle reservation to make. For the fast ferry, you sail from Lascaris Wharf in Valletta; check the current timetable for your date, as late sailings vary by season and day of the week.

FAQ

Do you pay to go to Gozo, or only coming back? Only coming back. On both ferries, payment is taken on the return leg from Gozo at Mġarr. You board in Malta without buying a ticket first, which is normal and expected.

Can you take a car on the fast ferry to Gozo? No. The Valletta fast ferry carries foot passengers only. If you want to bring a car, you must use the Ċirkewwa car ferry run by Gozo Channel.

How long does the Gozo ferry take? The Ċirkewwa car ferry crosses in about 25 minutes. The Valletta fast ferry takes about 45 minutes, because it covers a longer route.

Is the Gozo Channel ferry cheaper than the Valletta fast ferry? Yes, on the face of it. The car ferry is €4.65 for a foot-passenger return, while the fast ferry is €7.50 one way. Factor in how you’ll reach each terminal, though — the fast ferry leaves from central Valletta, while Ċirkewwa is at the far north of Malta.