Planning for a last-minute trip to Malta, I could see there were countless things for us to do there despite it being such a small country. There's the hotel pool/beaches, countryside/coastal walking, ancient ruins, bustling towns and pretty villages to explore.
We were aiming for a mix of relaxation and sightseeing, so were hoping to take in a bit of everything.
Valletta
The Packing
We flew with Air Malta who include a free checked bag each as standard, so we took our medium-sized suitcase to put in the hold. Coupled with one day bag for bits and bobs and a handbag to carry, we travelled very light.
I downloaded our Malta packing list and checked the likely weather forecasts, which promised mostly sunny days with warm temperatures, occasionally hot. Rain looked unlikely apart from a few showers on the day we arrived – I figured we wouldn't be outside much to worry that day. It was of course much cooler when leaving and returning to the UK.
So to travel in I wore:
- Smart jeans
- Camisole
- Short-sleeved t-shirt
- Fleece
- Light jacket
- Pashmina
- Trainers
- And carried my handbag
I packed:
- 1 pair of casual lightweight trousers
- 1 pair of cropped trousers
- 1 sundress
- 1 skirt
- 2 casual short-sleeved t-shirts
- 2 smarter short-sleeved t-shirts
- 1 evening top
- 1 smart cardigan
- 1 tunic/kaftan
- Swimwear
- 1 sarong/scarf
- 1 pair of light casual pumps
- 1 pair of smart comfy sandals
- Underwear & socks
- PJs
- 1 set of costume jewelry
- Sunglasses
- Sun hat
- A clutch bag
I ensured my choices all co-ordinated and everything went with everything else.
Peter wore:
- Convertible walking trousers with a belt
- Short-sleeved t-shirt
- Smart cotton sweater
- Light jacket
- Trainers
And packed:
- 1 pair of smart jeans
- 1 pair of tailored shorts + spare belt
- 3 casual short-sleeved t-shirts
- 2 smart long-sleeved shirts
- 1 smart short-sleeved shirt
- 1 fleece
- 1 pair of lightweight smart shoes
- Underwear & socks
- Swimwear
- Sunglasses
- Cap
- A backpack for day trips
Our packing for the two of us went in the one case with plenty of room to spare. It weighed in at 15kg (on the way back with the addition of our jackets it was 16kg – I'm surprised our coats are that heavy, maybe the scales were iffy!).
Most people checking in around us had at least one suitcase per person, sometimes more, and some had ‘large item' stickers put on them. Glad I won't have that much laundry to do when I get home!
Following a week of very varied activities (read more here about what we did), our packing choices were (almost) perfect; we didn't need our fleeces as it turned out as we had great weather, and I didn't wear my skirt. Halfway through the week I washed a few socks in the bathroom sink and dried them on the balcony.
View of the Maltese countryside from Mdina
The Malta we saw was extremely casual, even the smarter restaurants don't require you to dress up very much (unless you want to). The main thing is to consider your activities (do pack appropriate footwear if you're going to explore) and the weather. It was just pleasant in April but will be scorching hot in summer. There was often a chilly breeze which made it cold out of the sun, but it didn't seem like they get much rain – everywhere was very dry and dusty, even in springtime.
