Mayjo Car Hire Gozo Review: Airport Pick-Up to Drop-Off with Kids

Disclosure: Mayjo Car Hire provided our car free of charge as a collaboration. We paid for our own fuel. We chose what to write, and this review is based on our experience in May 2018, with current details checked in September 2026.

When you land at Malta airport with a five-year-old, a two-year-old and all their luggage, the last thing you want is a queue at a car hire desk followed by an hour’s drive to a ferry you’ve never used. We had neither. A man was waiting outside arrivals holding a sign with our name on it, and from that moment Gozo was someone else’s problem to get us to.

This is our Mayjo Car Hire Gozo review: the airport pick-up, the ferry, the office, the week with the car, and the drop-off, and what it would cost you now.

Mayjo Car Hire Gozo, in short

• Who they are: a family-run Gozo company, renting cars since 1964, based in Victoria.
• What made it easy: they met us at Malta airport and took us across on the ferry to their office in Gozo, and at the end they collected the car from our villa.
• The surprise: no block on our card, all insurance included, and a play corner for children in the office.
• What to check now: the €400 standard excess (it can be reduced to zero for a fee), baby seats (available on request), and the price of airport transfers, which are a separate service.

Airport pick-up and the ferry to Gozo

We landed at about 10:15 on a Ryanair flight from Barcelona. Mayjo’s driver was waiting outside arrivals with our name on a sign. It’s a small thing, but after an early flight with two children, being met like that felt like being picked up by family.

From the airport it was about 45 minutes by road to Ċirkewwa, in the north of Malta, then around 20–25 minutes on the Gozo Channel ferry to Mġarr. Our boys had never been on a ferry, so the crossing was the best bit of the day. From arrivals to Mayjo’s office in Victoria took about an hour and a half. The driver answered every question we had about the island on the way.

At the Mayjo office in Victoria

Paul, the owner, did the paperwork himself. Three things stood out:

• A corner with toys for children. I’ve rented a lot of cars and had never seen that. It kept the boys busy for the ten minutes the paperwork took.
• All insurance was included, so there was no upsell conversation at the desk.
• No money block on our card. Most rental companies hold a deposit, and we were genuinely surprised not to have one.

The rules were simple: return it with the same fuel, and there’s a charge only if you bring it back unreasonably dirty. On a beach island with two small boys, that second rule is worth taking seriously.

What’s different in 2026: Mayjo now lists a standard excess of €400, which can be reduced to zero for an extra fee, and asks for a small security deposit on a credit or debit card that varies by car and rental length. Check both when you book.

Five days driving in Gozo with kids

Gozo is only about 13 km long, and the car was what made the island work for us. Xlendi for breakfast, Ramla Bay at midday, the Citadel in the afternoon, and back to Dwejra for sunset, all in one day, with a nap in the back seat in between. Parking was easy almost everywhere in May.

We had no problems with the car all week.

Drop-off: collected from our villa

On our last morning Mayjo collected the car from our villa in Xagħra and took us back to Malta airport. We left our bags there and spent the afternoon in Valletta before our flight.

Their current terms: collecting the car or delivering it to your accommodation in Gozo or at Mġarr ferry terminal is free on longer rentals, and airport transfers are a separate, paid service. Ask for a quote for both together.

Car hire in Gozo or in Malta: which is better?

If you’re staying on Gozo, hire in Gozo. A car hired in Malta costs you the airport queue plus €15.70 for the car and driver on the Gozo Channel ferry (paid on the way back, as of September 2026), and you have to find Ċirkewwa yourself after a flight. A Gozo company that meets you at the airport and delivers to your villa removes the most stressful hour of the trip.

If you’re splitting your time between the islands, compare both options for your dates.

Our verdict on Mayjo Car Hire Gozo

For a family staying on Gozo, this is how we’d do it again. Being met at the airport, handled over the ferry, and having the car collected at the end took away the logistics that usually spoil the first and last days of a holiday. The office’s play corner and the lack of a card block were the details that stayed with us.

What to be aware of: our car was provided free, so we can’t tell you what we’d have paid in 2018. Get a written quote that includes the airport transfer, child seats and the excess waiver, so you’re comparing like with like.

More Malta and Gozo

• Gozo with kids: 7 best things to do, beaches and where to stay
• 5 days in Gozo with kids: our itinerary
• Baron Holiday Homes Gozo review: Ta Leli villa
• Blue Lagoon Comino with kids

Last checked: September 2026. We used Mayjo in May 2018. The excess, deposit, delivery and transfer terms come from Mayjo’s current website. The ferry fare is from Gozo Channel.

Mayjo Car Hire Gozo: your questions answered

Is Mayjo Car Hire good for families?

In our experience, yes. They met us at Malta airport, took us across on the ferry to their office in Victoria, had a play corner for children, and collected the car from our villa at the end. Baby seats are available on request.

Where is Mayjo Car Hire in Gozo?

Their head office is on Fortunato Mizzi Street in Victoria, Gozo’s capital. They also deliver and collect cars at accommodation in Gozo and at Mġarr ferry terminal.

Does Mayjo pick up from Malta airport?

Yes, as a separate paid service. Their driver met us outside arrivals with a name sign and took us by road and ferry to Gozo, which took about an hour and a half in total.

What is the excess with Mayjo Car Hire?

As of September 2026, Mayjo lists a standard excess of €400, which can be reduced to zero for an extra fee, plus a small security deposit on a credit or debit card that varies by car and rental length.

Should you hire a car in Malta or in Gozo?

If you are staying on Gozo, hire in Gozo. You avoid paying €15.70 for the car on the Gozo Channel ferry and driving to Ċirkewwa yourself after a flight, and local companies can deliver the car to your accommodation.