Hi Dave, just got back and it was freezing, according to varying sources they are having the worst winter in between 25-60 years, we actually had snow in Valletta yesterday and it was also snowing in Naxxar, Mosta, & Gozo, but we still had a fantastic time though, I will post a report a ta a later date when I have woken up a bit.

Sliema2

Hi Dave & Sliema2,

Still here 'til Monday. Weather really cold and we experienced some incredible weather in Mosta yesterday. I was driving through and it went black, started thundering and lightening and then it snowed, sleeted, and hailed!!!!!! It was about 4 or so inches deep and the locals were obviously excited. Some of the kids were snowballing though what was on the ground was more like hail than snow. I also heard a report that somewhere they had built a snowman!!!

Well I kid you not. I stopped the car for a while but folks were still driving like there was no tomorrow and the conditions which gave way to floods everywhere made driving frightening! Never did get to Marsaxlokk!

Trev

Hi Sliema2. Well Trev, you must be back by now have you brought the snow with you just hope you and Sliema2 both had a good time over there anyway. It would be nice to know what you both think of the prices in general as it has been a two year gap for me, but you two go a bit more often?

Dave

Hi Dave,

Returned late yesterday evening. I will try to give you some details now but will post about the hotel when I have time.

You asked about prices? I have to say that things have certainly changed since Malta joined trhe EU. The Maltese constantly moaned about how their basic living costs have gone up since joining, but their wages have stayed the same and I reckon that there was a lot disillusion about the EU. It was really strange because when I was last in Malta they were about to vote on the issue and folks there were generally in favour but most people I spoke to last week said they voted no. Hmmmm!

As far as we're concerned some things like spirits seemed a lot more expensive to buy in Malta than back here in the UK, but food items like pizza, pastizzi etc were still well priced. Wine is also quite cheap but it's only here that you pay through the nose for that anyway! Buses still good value but eating and drinking out seemed to cost more or less what you pay back home.

I think the days of the cheap eating, drinking and bring back 'cheap booze' (except wine) holidays in Malta are probably over. I guess you can't join the EU club and not pay for it and I wonder if the ordinary people of Malta would have joined if they'd known?

As you probably know I shall always want to go to Malta but if it does eventually cost a lot more to holiday there, how many people will choose other destinations like Bulgaria or Croatia where they can holiday much cheaper and still enjoy the Sun?

Trev

We were over there when they joined the EU and it was surprising to see the prices of bottles of spirits shoot up in price. It can now be cheaper to buy some bottles of spirits in the UK.

That said though you can still buy a pint of lager in many bars for 45 cents! I also think eating out is still far cheaper then eating out in the UK and that the food and service you receive in Malta is far better then what you would receive in the UK (frozen prepared dishes).

I have to say that for the Maltese it has its ups and downs to being members of the EU. They can now or will shortley be able to buy electrical goods far cheaper than that which they were used to. Flights also should be less of an expense. Inevitably prices will equal out to those similar to Spain but even so it will always be cheaper then the cost of living in the UK.

Hi Mark and Nicky,

When were you last in Malta? We had 3 coffees, a small bottle of pepsi, a couple of pasties, and a couple of toasties, and for that snack we paid Lm7.5, in a cafe on the front in Sliema. That equates to about £12.75, which is probably what we would pay for a similar order in the UK!

I do agree that the local beers do offer good value for money and as I said their own wine is also relatively cheap. Since I enjoy the taste of their red wine and hopleaf beer that keeps me happy! Also, as I said their traditional snack foods like pastizzi are also still good value and it seems to me that where they can keep prices down they are doing so. Imported things they probably now have no control over (possibly like the spirits) are really getting expensive and this has happened since joining the EU.

By the way what I have said does not mean that I am anti EU,- far from it,

Trev

Hello Trev,
We were there for the New Year which was cold and wet! We stay in Mellieha Heights and on average when dining out we have two starters two main courses and usually two bottles of wine (hic) and the meals have always been superb! The cost for this tends to be around 13Lm. I think it is still exellent value.

We are returning at the end of March and fingers crossed the weather will have improved. I like Sliema front although it is murder to park a car there these days and I have noted that it is more expensive to dine there then it is in Mellieha. Can't wait to be over there.
All the best.

Hi Mark & Nicky,

Thanks for your reply. You are probably right about it being more expensive in Sliema, though it never used to be. We really didn't need to dine out elsewhere because we were there on a HB basis so I guess we really couldn't compare prices as you were able to.

Weather should be better for you at the end of March. We've been there twice during the later part of March, and the weather was certainly much better than what we experienced last week!

Wish we were going again - hope you have a good time,

Trev