After a convincing 4-0 aggregate victory over FC Lusitans in the first round of the Europa League qualifying stages, West Ham march on into Europe and are preparing for the next round against Birkirkara of Malta. As with our trip to Andorra, this article will look at flights, accommodation, travelling to the ground, things to do and places to eat and drink. Once again I recommend researching flights and hotels before booking but I hope to provide you with an idea of the best deals and places in Malta.
Flights/Travel
Getting to Malta isn’t going to be nearly as complicated as travelling to Andorra just by the fact that Malta actually has an international airport and the airport is a 15 minute drive from Birkirkara. The following flights assume you leave on the Wednesday 22nd July and return on Friday 24th July.
The cheapest option is a £277 flight from Heathrow at 7:20am which arrives in Malta at 2:50pm after a stop in Munich. The overall journey time will be six and a half hours. The return flight leaves Malta at 12:50pm and arrives back at Heathrow at 5:40pm; another long journey of five hours and 50 minutes. If you’re looking for a far quicker flight there, unfortunately, you’re going to have to splash out a little. With Malta being in peak summer times and a prime tourist destination, the quickest flight there costs £375. This flight leaves Heathrow at 10:50am and arrives in Malta at 3:00pm. Enough time for you to settle in and also leaves the evening free. The return flight is on the afternoon of Friday at 3:40pm and arrives back in London at 6:10pm.
Driving there would take 31 hours, with the route going through many famous footballing cities that we hope to visit in coming years such as Milan, Rome and Naples. Walking there would take roughly 348 hours or 14 and half days which would include four ferry rides.
Accommodation
Birkirkara is a 15 minute drive from the capital city of Malta, Valletta. Combined with Malta being a popular tourist destination this means there is a plethora of hotels to choose from. Again I’ve narrowed down three options. The closest to the stadium, the cheapest and the best rated. Let’s start with the best rated.
There are a number of high quality hotels in the area, but one of the best is the Hilton Malta. Located overlooking the Portomaso Marina, the hotel is a 15 minute drive from Birkirkara and buses leave just around the corner every 30 minutes. The hotel is a five star hotel and one night there costs £201.
Moving onto the cheapest accommodation and the option I have picked out here is very highly rated hostel called the Two Pillows. It is only officially rated 2 stars however has a TripAdvisor’s rating of 4.8/5. It is close to the coast but again is only a 15 minute drive to Birkirkara. The best thing about the hostel is that it only costs £18 a night. Unfortunately this is for a shared dorm however at this price it would be well worth it.
The closest hotel to the ground is called the Corinthia Hotel and Spa and is a five star hotel located an 11 minute walk away from the ground. The prices are very high at £194 but if you’re looking to quickly get away at the end of the match this is the place to stay.
Travelling to ground
Obviously how you travel to the ground depends on where you stay but there are a number of ways you can get there. Birkirkara is the most populous town on Malta, with a population of around 22000, so this means that the public transport systems are very well used. There are five bus stations near to the ground that you can use to get to the coast and capital city and back again during the day time. Most of the hotels have bus stations near to them as well. In terms of walking, say from the capital city to the ground, it is a fair way and would take over an hour to walk. However buses run every 30 minutes if you don’t fancy at six kilometre walk.
Things do to
Due to Birkirkara’s close proximity to the coast and to the capital city there are a variety of things to do. Actually in Birkirkara there isn’t a huge amount to do, perhaps a leisurely walk around the Villa Bologna which is an 18th century country house.
To find a few other things to do, you may have to travel to the coast. The east coast, near Birkirkara, boasts a number Marina’s which look very impressive. Manoel Island in the Marsamxett Harbour also looks intriguing. There is a duck sanctuary and 18th century fort on the island.
For the thrill seekers amongst us there are number of options including ‘Flyboard’, a new extreme sport which is becoming very popular. It allows you to ‘fly’ above the sea using two jets of water.
There are also yacht cruises and guided day tours or you may choose to soak up the sun on a nearby beach with daytime temperatures currently at 33 degrees Celsius. One thing is for sure, you won’t get bored here.
Places to eat and drink
We come to the most important section of the article for West Ham fans and that is the places to eat and drink before and after the match. The best rated place to eat on Tripadvisor is called Dayfresh which is a steakhouse. It is also only round the corner from the ground. The closest place to the ground to eat is the Pizza Factor which plainly sells Pizza’s but is very good value for money.
Unfortunately, Birkirkara appears to have a lack of pubs and clubs. The closest pub to the ground is called the Zmerc Pub which is described as a good sports pub and could serve well for pre-match drinks. The capital city has many pubs and clubs if you feel like celebrating after the match.
