John's Garage

John's Garage is one of Malta's longest-established transport firms, and for a UK visitor it covers most of what you might need on the ground: a pre-booked car waiting at the airport, a chauffeur for a day out, a classic car for a wedding or a hire car for a longer stay. The company is based at Triq Villambrosa in Ħamrun, close to the capital, and works around the clock.

It is listed on VisitMalta.co.uk with the island's car hire companies in Malta, though chauffeur-driven work is its core. The business trades as John's, or John's Malta, under the legal name JG Drive Services Ltd.

A family business since 1958

The company was founded in 1958 by John Farrugia, who started out driving neighbours to hospital in emergencies and supplying cars for weddings, baptisms and funerals. As demand grew he bought more cars and built up a large fleet, and later his sons took over the running of the business.

A new chapter began in 2024, when Dione and Andre Farrugia left their previous jobs to take on the company. They kept the John's Garage name, which carries decades of goodwill, and in May 2024 set up JG Drive Services as the legal company. The tagline is a personal touch to every ride. With support from the Malta Development Bank's SME Guarantee Scheme they invested in electric vehicles and improved the mechanical department, and they moved paper-based processes online, including secure online payment, free cancellation and round-the-clock customer service.

The business employs over 40 people. It was awarded Top Customer Service and Independent Transport Provider of the Year for 2024/25, and it has worked on large events, including around 200 transfers over two days for the 2019 UEFA meetings, and transfers during film productions made on the island. It has also driven heads of state, religious leaders and international musicians and sports stars.

Airport transfers

Malta International Airport is the island's only airport, about 10 km south-east of Valletta, and a pre-booked private transfer saves the queue for a taxi or a bus after a UK flight. A private transfer means a vehicle reserved only for your party. Your driver waits for you at arrivals at no extra cost, the dispatch team tracks flights day and night, and the driver waits up to 45 minutes after your scheduled landing, so a late or early flight does not matter. John's is also the contracted partner for all Emirates flights arriving in Malta.

Fixed prices shown on the site include €15 from the airport to Valletta, €16 to St Julian's, €26 to Buġibba and to Qawra, and €28 to Golden Bay. There are no booking fees and no charge for paying by debit or credit card. To book you need your hotel or accommodation details, your flight number with arrival or departure time, and the total number of passengers, including children and infants.

Booking both the arrival and departure transfers earns a discount. If you are choosing a base for the trip, our guides to hotels in Qawra and Buġibba and Golden Bay show where those destinations sit, and our flights to Malta and London Heathrow to Malta pages cover the journey out.

Chauffeur, executive and corporate service

With a chauffeur you simply say where you want to go and relax, avoiding unfamiliar traffic, the search for parking and the wait for a cab. When you are ready to leave, the car waits at the agreed time and place. The fleet includes cabs, executive saloons, minivans and seven, ten, fourteen and eighteen-seat vehicles, so the same company can move a couple or a coach-sized family party.

For executive and VIP travel, the company supplies delegations, destination management companies, meeting professionals, resorts and hotels, and private aviation clients. Cars include Rolls Royce, BMW and Mercedes models, with mobile chargers, towels, newspapers and Wi-Fi on board. Corporate transport is built around punctuality: the chauffeur holds a sign with the guest's name, helps with luggage, advises on journey time, offers bottled water and a phone charger, and notifies the hotel reception of your arrival time so you are greeted on arrival.

Executives and their support staff are set up with a customer profile, so particular requests are followed from the first reservation onward. The support centre works as an extension of your own business, which suits assistants who arrange travel for several people, and a coach or minibus can be arranged for larger delegations. Whether the passenger prefers a saloon, a luxury sedan, a minivan or a minibus, the same standards of punctuality and presentation apply, and the extra legroom makes the back seat a workable place to read or take a call.

Group transport covers business parties, families, organisations and educational groups, with vehicles chosen to match the number of passengers and the luggage they carry. Schools, clubs and conference organisers use this to move people between the airport, a venue and a hotel in one booking.

Drivers are neatly uniformed, speak clear English and are trained in driving, customer service and etiquette. For a work trip, our Malta relocation guide is useful reading if a visit is likely to turn into a longer stay.

Weddings, classic cars and tours

Weddings are a long-standing speciality. The collection includes Bentley, Daimler, Rolls Royce and Cadillac classic and vintage cars, used for brides, grooms and bridal parties. A florist such as Alistair Floral Design can complement the car, and the same fleet can also serve baptisms and other celebrations.

The same approach suits groups arriving from the UK for a family occasion: one booking can cover the transfer from the airport, the wedding day itself and the journey home. Cars can be matched to the style of the day, from a polished saloon to a vintage Bentley, and chauffeurs are used to the timing pressures of a ceremony and photographs.

Personalised tours let you spend a day in a luxury car or van with a chauffeur who offers local insight and tips, with an itinerary shaped to your preferences. Popular destinations for such a day include the walled city in our Mdina guide, the capital in our Valletta guide, the Blue Grotto and Gozo, covered in our Gozo guide. For time on the water, Adventure Cruises Malta is another option in the directory.

Car hire, leasing and the garage

The company also offers low-cost car hire at Malta International Airport and at other locations around the island, including Valletta, Sliema, St Julian's, St Paul's Bay and Mellieħa. Vehicle leasing is available to businesses and individuals for fleets of commercial and private vehicles, with full servicing, valeting and breakdown cover, and the option to swap the car when needed.

Sustainability is a stated priority, with investment in standard and luxury electric vehicles and a wish to add more zero-emission cars in the coming years. Leasing and hire customers can therefore ask about electric options as well as conventional cars.

The garage is an independent repair centre. It handles maintenance and repair, restoration, valeting, air-conditioning refill and service, and tyre repair and replacement, along with a rapid oil change completed in about 30 minutes with 16 safety checks. That in-house engineering is what keeps the chauffeur fleet running, and each driver takes a personal interest in the car in their care, which keeps the vehicles in mint condition.

Booking and getting in touch

Booking online takes only a few minutes, with no booking fees. Changes and cancellations are free of charge ahead of the transfer, with the cut-off time shown during booking. The office is staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and partners such as travel businesses can earn commission and receive reduced rates.

To start a booking or ask about hire, weddings or tours, use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message to John's Garage.