Malta HOHO- a big NO-NO!

I highly recommend setting up a private tour in Malta so that you don't miss this spectacular port. We made the mistake of not planning for this one (We did private tours everywhere else on our Med cruise, which were awesome). We bought tickets for the City Sightseeing HOHO bus when we arrived in port and it was a madhouse. Pushy cruise ship tourists fighting to get on the bus, misinformation everywhere, and hot, sweaty misery. The lady who sold us the tickets told us the route we wanted (blue route) was 1 hour and 30 minutes, but it was actually supposed to be 3 hours. It lasted about 4. We had planned to hop off at Golden Beach for a while, but when we passed a couple of stops with passengers begging to get on but being turned away because there was no room, we thought better of it and kept our seats for the entire tour. So in reality, it is more of a "hop-on" bus, since everyone was pretty much afraid to "hop- off" for fear of missing the ship. The commentary was not very informative and our driver was stopped for speeding. In addition, the first part of this rout was not very scenic and there was a ton of traffic. Maybe the red route would have been better.

We met another couple on board the ship who did a private tour and loved it. I recommend finding someone to do this... the coastal parts of the island were beautiful and, if I had it to do over, I would have cabbed it to St. Julian and sunbathed on rocks, done water sports, and had lunch by the water. Also, If you want to see the set of the movie Popeye, you really can't do it from this HOHO. We had a little one who was interested...

Oh dear, doesn't sound like a fun or relaxing day at all. :(

Unfortunately, this mirrors similar experiences of mine on the HOHO buses in Rome and Barcelona. I don't use them or recommend them any longer for just these reasons...

It's too bad too, because Malta's local bus system works fairly well and you could have gotten to the beach, or to visit Mdina, quite easily on one of these.

The OP describes many HoHo's around the world. While some folks love HoHos, DW and moi usually look for other means. A big problem with HoHos in many places (including Malta) is not usually crowds, but the huge waste of time for those that choose to Hop Off and On and multiple places...and then have to wait (sometimes a long time) for the next bus.

Hank

Given the wide availability of ordinary public buses in Malta, they offer an alternative to both HOHOs and private tours. The main terminus is around half a mile from the cruise berths.

Stuart

The OP describes many HoHo's around the world. While some folks love HoHos, DW and moi usually look for other means. A big problem with HoHos in many places (including Malta) is not usually crowds, but the huge waste of time for those that choose to Hop Off and On and multiple places...and then have to wait (sometimes a long time) for the next bus.

 

Hank

I went on one HOHO on a cruise - in Tallinn and although it was pleasant, we saw the outskirts, we did just sit on for about 20 minutes and hopped off, never to find the route again anyway.

I actually think they suit passengers who are land based and are not thinking about sail away time. In my opinion Cruisers are better looking for other ways around the ports.

FWIW, we are huge DIYers. I'd hate to convey the opinion that all HOHOs are a waste of time/money. Although we do not routinely utilize this touring option, we had a great expereince in Vienna ithe the HOHO system.

We did the HOHO Malta North Route in July 2016. We thoroughly enjoyed our experience. We spent the time we wanted in Mdina, shopped at the Glass factory, and then enjoyed the ride back home, taking in the sites.

It was a steal at 10 Euros pp. Well worth it in our eyes.

Heather

The mixed ho-ho experiences on this thread fit in with our own experiences. We're great fans of them in some parts of the world eg Boston MA, London or Lisbon. Great for an overview but not so great for transportation from A to B, especially in cities where public transportation is excellent.

But in other places, for a variety of reasons especially constraints on routing, poor frequency and excessive demand, they're a waste of time eg Florence, Rome, Bath (UK) & Tallinn.

It's always worth checking ho-ho reviews as part of port research.

JB :)

Hi Heather what company did you use? I thought it was €20, not €10. Thanks

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We had a very good experience on the Malta HOHO bus. It also included a boat tour of the harbour.

We enjoyed it so much we returned on an independent land trip and spent a week on the island.