ST Rentals

ST Rentals is a vehicle hire company on the seafront Strand in Sliema, renting scooters, motorbikes, quad bikes, cars and vans to visitors and residents. It began in 2014 with four scooters and now looks after a fleet of more than 200 vehicles. Beyond rentals, it sells guided quad tours, harbour and island boat trips and day excursions to Sicily, so a single booking office can cover your transport and a few days out.

Most vehicles are rented to drivers aged 21 and over, and a small selection of 50cc and 125cc scooters and 170cc quad bikes is insured for drivers from 18. That suits younger visitors who cannot hire elsewhere at 18. It is listed in our directory of car hire in Malta.

Scooters, motorbikes, quads, cars and vans

The fleet covers 50cc and 125cc scooters, Vespa scooters, larger motorcycles up to 750cc, 170cc to 450cc quad bikes, cars, vans and bicycles. The scooters and bikes are chosen for Maltese conditions: narrow old streets, heavy traffic in places and steep hills, where a machine with too little power for its weight struggles. Every rental vehicle comes with a full tank, and all of them run on unleaded 95 petrol except a seven-seater, which takes diesel.

Two helmets and a phone holder are included with each vehicle that needs them, and a helmet is a legal requirement in Malta. Optional extras cost a little more: a booster seat is €5 a day, a toddler seat €10 a day, a satnav €7 a day and an additional driver €10 a day. The minimum rental is one day, mileage is unlimited and the 18% tax is already in the price. Allow about half an hour at pick-up for the paperwork and a check of the vehicle, and test the machine before you leave the office.

Quad bike tours

For a guided ride, ST Rentals runs quad tours along rugged trails, valleys and coastal paths. A four-hour tour costs €110 per quad and runs from 10:00 to 14:00, while the eight-hour tour costs €160 per quad and runs from 10:00 to 18:00. Fuel, guides and helmets are included. Individuals can join the four-hour departure on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and private groups need at least three quads. Tours do not operate in August.

All drivers must be 21 or over and hold a valid category B driving licence. You should arrive an hour early for paperwork and quad checks, and a 50% deposit confirms the booking. There is also a €150 refundable deposit per quad, kept in case of an accident. Quad tours suit anyone who wants to see the less visited corners of the island, and our things to do in Malta page lists many sights to pair with a day out.

Boat trips and Sicily day tours

The same office sells tours and cruises: a traditional day harbour cruise, fishing trips, a two harbours cruise by night, powerboat rides, a Comino and Blue Lagoon cruise, a Gozo and Comino cruise, and hop-on hop-off tours of the north, the south, Gozo and Malta by night. If the Comino trip appeals, read our Blue Lagoon guide first, and our Gozo guide for what to see on the sister island.

In the cooler months, from October to April, there is also a day trip to Sicily. A high-speed catamaran leaves Malta at 06:30 and reaches Pozzallo at 08:15, and air-conditioned coaches with guides take you on to Syracuse and Mount Etna, with a stop to taste local specialities on the way. The return catamaran sails at 21:30 and docks in Malta at 23:15. The trip runs every Thursday and Sunday, and adults pay €151 and children aged 4 to under 14 pay €97, with younger children free. Local transport in Malta is €15 extra. A second tour, to Ragusa, Modica and Scicli, runs on Wednesdays in March and April, for €134 per adult and €92 per child. Tickets for the Sicily tours are bought at the booking office.

Deposits, insurance and licences

Every vehicle is comprehensively insured, with an excess that depends on the model: for example €450 for the common 50cc and 125cc Kymco scooters and for 170cc and 250cc quads, €550 for a Vespa Primavera and for the 450cc quad, and €600 for cars. An optional waiver reduces what you owe if the vehicle is damaged, and on cars it costs 15 euros a day and on vans 20 euros a day, while on scooters and motorbikes it starts from €120 for one day. Tyres, windscreens and the underside are not covered by the waiver.

For the security deposit the firm takes a credit card in the lead driver's name, which must be a Visa, Mastercard or Maestro and not a debit or prepaid card, or cash. Cash deposits are returned 24 hours after the vehicle comes back, and card blocks are released within 31 days. You need a driving licence for the right category: AM for 50cc, A1 for 125cc, A2 for bikes up to 35 kW, A for larger motorcycles and B for cars and quads. Licences in a non-Roman alphabet need an international driving permit, and licences from non-treaty countries need an official translation. UK drivers should check their category before they travel.

Rules of the road and rental conditions

Vehicles must stay on tarmac roads, and a €100 fine applies for off-road use. Locking the steering on a scooter or quad is also a rule, and forgetting costs a €100 penalty. Cars and vans returned with wet seats attract a €150 cleaning fee, and the fuel policy is to return the vehicle as full as you received it, with a €5 refuelling charge if not. Traffic fines are settled at the desk with a €5 administration charge. There are charges for entering the centre of Valletta, which our Valletta guide explains, and most public parking is marked with a white box.

Vehicles may go to Gozo, but they must be returned to the Malta offices because there is no booking office on Gozo, and crossing to other countries is not allowed. Breakdown help is provided by a third-party assistance service, and ST Rentals covers the towing cost unless the problem arises from client negligence, in which case a €50 charge applies. You can cancel up to 72 hours before the rental for a refund less €50, and later cancellations and no-shows are not refunded.

Offices, hours and getting there

The main booking office is at 64A Triq Ix-Xatt in Sliema, open every day from 09:00 to 16:30. A second office stands at 57A Triq George Borg Olivier in Balluta, in St Julian's, open daily from 10:00 to 16:30. Delivery and collection can be arranged between 10:00 and 18:00 for an extra charge that depends on the location. Pick-up starts at 09:00 and the latest return is 18:00, and booking online in advance gives the lowest daily rates, while walk-ins may pay more.

The Sliema office is on the Strand seafront, and our hotels in Sliema and St Julian's page lists places to stay close to the office. If you arrive by yacht, a scooter, motorbike or car also works for transfers between the airport and the marina, and our listing for Laguna Marina is one place to start. For flights, see our guide to flights from the UK. Check the Malta weather guide when choosing between a scooter and a car.

How to enquire

Tell the firm what you would like to rent or book, the dates, the number of riders or passengers and the licence category you hold. For a quad tour, say whether you are a group or an individual so the right departure can be arranged.

To get in touch, use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message on to ST Rentals.