Gozo Channel Ferry: Tickets, Fares, Timetable & Crossing Guide

Quick Answers FAQ

Fares & Tickets

Standard day fares (return):

Foot passenger: €4.65 Car and driver: €15.70 Motorcycle and rider: €8.15 Children aged 4 to 12: €1.15 Children aged 3 and under: Free (ticket still required — see Travelling with Children below)

Night fares apply on departures from Mġarr between 20:00 and 06:00 from November to March:

Foot passenger: €3.50 Car and driver: €12.80 Motorcycle and rider: €6.15

Senior citizens (60+) and passengers with a disability card also qualify for discounted fares.

Where to Buy tickets

Foot passengers can buy return tickets at both the Ċirkewwa terminal and the Mġarr ticket booths. If the Ċirkewwa ticket office is closed when you arrive, you can still board — just buy your return ticket at Mġarr on the way back. The price is the same either way.

Tickets can be purchased in advance online and are valid for six months, so there’s no pressure to use them on a specific day. That said, since no seat reservation is involved, there’s rarely a reason to book ahead as a foot passenger — the ferry runs so frequently that waiting is seldom an issue.

Vehicle tickets must be purchased before boarding and cannot be bought on board.

Top Tip: The ticket office for foot passsengers at Ċirkewwa is not always staffed. If it’s closed, proceed to the boarding area, you’ll pay at Mġarr on your return.

Timetable & Frequency

The Gozo Channel Ferry runs approximately every 15 to 45 minutes, 24 hours a day.

The service does not close overnight, though the gap between sailings is at its longest between roughly 01:00 and 05:00.

For live departure information, the Gozo Channel website and their Facebook page post updates, particularly during disruptions. The live webcam feed at Ċirkewwa is also useful for checking queue length before you head to the terminal.

Getting to Ċirkewwa Terminal

By bus: The X1 runs directly from Malta International Airport to Ċirkewwa. Journey time is approximately 45 to 60 minutes. Other routes serving Ċirkewwa include the 41 and 42 from Valletta (around 60 to 75 minutes). Check the Tallinja website or app for current timetables.

By taxi or private transfer: A taxi from Malta International Airport to Ċirkewwa takes around 45 to 60 minutes depending on traffic. From Valletta, allow around 40 to 50 minutes. Several private transfer companies offer door-to-door service that includes the crossing and onward travel to your Gozo accommodation, worth considering if you have a lot of luggage or are travelling as a family.

By car: If you are driving to the terminal, there is a car park at Ċirkewwa. During peak times, Friday evenings, summer weekends, and the days around public holidays — the queue for the car ferry can be substantial. The live webcam at Ċirkewwa is the best way to gauge how long the wait is likely to be before you set off.

Top Tip: Friday evening is consistently the busiest sailing of the week, as visitors and Maltese residents head over to Gozo for the weekend. If you can travel on a Thursday or early Saturday morning instead, the difference is significant.

What to Expect on Board

The Gozo Channel Fleet currently consists of four vessels: Ta’ Pinu, Malita, Nikolaos and Gaudos. They vary slightly in size and layout, but all offer broadly the same facilities.

Inside, there is a seating area with tables and chairs, an onboard café serving hot drinks, snacks and light meals (though the café may not be staffed on late-night crossings — vending machines are available at all times), and clean toilets. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout.

The upper deck is open and one of the best spots on the crossing. If you are travelling from Ċirkewwa, position yourself on the starboard side (the right as you face Gozo) for views of Comino and Santa Marija Tower as you pass. It’s a 25-minute crossing, there is time to get a coffee and still catch the view.

Three of the four ferries are fitted with passenger lifts. The fourth has a chair lift. Priority boarding is available for passengers with reduced mobility, speak to staff at the terminal before boarding.

Vehicles are loaded on the lower car deck. Foot passengers board and disembark via a separate gangway. Dogs and other pets are permitted on the open deck but not in the indoor seating areas.

Travelling with Children

Children aged 3 and under travel free but still require a ticket. This cannot be collected at Ċirkewwa — parents or guardians must request the free infant ticket from the ticket booths at Mġarr, Gozo. The ticket must be scanned at embarkation, so factor this into your timing on the return crossing.

Children aged 4 to 12 pay €1.15. Again, children’s tickets are only available at Mġarr, not at Ċirkewwa.

Top Tip: If you are travelling with young children and returning from Gozo, allow a few extra minutes to collect children’s tickets at Mġarr before heading to the boarding queue. The booths are clearly signposted at the terminal.

Travelling with a Vehicle

The Gozo Channel Ferry is the only service that takes cars, motorcycles, campervans and larger vehicles. Both fast ferry services — the Gozo Highspeed from Valletta and the Sliema and Buġġiba service — are foot passengers only.

A few things worth knowing if you are taking a vehicle:

You cannot reserve a space on a specific sailing. Vehicles board on a first-come, first-served basis.

During peak periods, Friday evenings, summer weekends, and around public holidays, wait times for vehicles can run to several hours. The live webcam feed at Ċirkewwa is the most reliable way to check current queue length.

Oversized vehicles (campervans, motorhomes, vehicles over a certain height) should contact Gozo Channel in advance to confirm they can be accommodated.

Once on board, you will be directed to park by the ferry crew. Leave your car and head upstairs, it is illegal to stay in your vehicle during the crossing.

On arrival at Mġarr, vehicles disembark first. Follow the signs for the exit road, which takes you up through Għajnsielem and connects to the main road network across the island.

Bad Weather & Cancellations

The Gozo Channel Ferry is the most weather-resilient of the three Gozo ferry services. Full suspensions are rare, though there can be delays or reduced frequency in rough conditions.

During high winds or storms, check the Gozo Channel website or Facebook page for updates before travelling. The service occasionally suspends for short periods when conditions deteriorate significantly, particularly in winter.

If the ferry is suspended and you need to cross urgently, for a medical appointment, for example, contact Gozo Channel directly. Emergency crossings can be authorised in exceptional circumstances.

The Film Connection

If you have any interest in Gozo’s film history, the Channel Ferry crossing itself is worth paying attention to. As you pass Comino from Ċirkewwa, look to the right for Santa Marija Tower, a 17th-century watchtower that stood in for the Château d’If prison in the 2002 film adaptation of The Count of Monte Cristo. It is one of those moments where the island’s cinematic past surfaces unexpectedly, and it happens before you have even arrived.

Mġarr Harbour, where you disembark, has also featured in several productions, including The Madame Blanc Mysteries and Open Water 2: Adrift. Our guide to filming locations in Gozo has the full picture.

Useful Links

• Gozo Channel Ferry official website

• Gozo Channel Facebook page

• Malta Public Transport (Tallinja)

• Live Ċirkewwa webcam

For a full comparison of all three Gozo ferry services, including the Gozo Highspeed from Valletta and the Sliema and Buġġiba service, see our main guide to getting to Gozo.