If you spend your vacation in Sicily, a day trip to Malta is a good idea. Conversely, tours on the Sicilian Etna are also very popular with tourists to Malta. The "island hopping" has now been made more complicated by both sides tightened entry and quarantine regulations.

Tourists coming from Sicily are only allowed to enter Malta if the complete vaccination against Covid-19 can be proven. The last required vaccination dose must be 14 days ago. Malta also insists on EU vaccination certificates. Regardless of whether you arrive by air or by sea, that is Fill out the PLF form. The documents must be presented before boarding. In contrast to Ryanair and Virtu Ferries, Air Malta requires in addition, filling out a company-specific form, which must be presented at check-in or boarding.

In the direction of travel from Malta to Sicily, stricter regulations have recently come into force. The Sicilian regional government has issued a decree that also subjects vaccinated people who come from the neighboring country to the obligation to test. Rapid tests are carried out at the port and at the Catania and Trapani airports served from Malta. Participation should be compulsory. Furthermore is a Fill out the PLF form, which must be presented before boarding and upon entry. Unlike Ryanair, Air Malta requires one additional company form, which must be presented at check-in or boarding.

Day trips between Malta and Sicily and vice versa thus sink into disproportionate bureaucracy and due to the fact that Malta only allows fully vaccinated tourists to enter, many people are de facto excluded. In the foreseeable future, this could also have an impact on ferry traffic and ultra-short-haul flights between the two islands.

Virtu Ferries currently operates catamaran ferries between Valletta and Pozzallo. The return passage costs 39 euros for pedestrians who want to go on a day trip. A shuttle bus to Catania is offered for an extra charge of ten euros each way. Depending on the traffic, the transfer takes about 1,5 hours. By air, Air Malta and Ryanair operate the Luqa-Catania route. Air Malta also offers Palermo and Ryanair serves Trapani. Comiso is at least not regularly offered from the Republic of Malta. The airport often serves as an alternative location when the Etna volcano spits again.