Practical Information

Cost of Living

Day-time snacks & drinks

Big Mac Meal - €5

Sandwich – €1.2

Soft drink – €1

Beer – €1.5

Eating Out & Entertainment

Pasta/Pizza - €7 - €8

3-course set tourist menu - €10

3 course à la carte meal with wine at a good restaurant €25 – €50

Disco Entrance – Most are free but on certain days there may be a charge of about €5

Cinema Ticket – €7

Transport

Bus Fares - €0.50 - €1.2

Weekly Bus Pass: €14 each.

Student Night Taxi - €3 (taxi companies provide a group taxi service for students going in the same direction)

Taxi from St. Julian’s/Sliema to Valletta – €12

Airport transfers booked through EC (arrival & departure) are free. For more information and advice on what to do on arrival, visit the arrivals page.

Visas

See our section on visas

Shop Hours

From Monday to Saturday between 9am and 1pm and between 4pm and 7pm (However, some shops located in tourist locations such as Sliema and St. Julian’s remain open all day)

Supermarkets are open all day.

Shops are normally closed on Sundays and Public Holidays.

Health

Our school doctor visits students at the school or at the host family/hotel/residence. Students have to pay the doctor directly and claim a refund from their health insurance (whenever possible).

Hospitals are modern and supported by a regional network of health centres. It is advisable to take out a personal medical insurance policy. Visitors receiving special medical treatment should bring a medical prescription or a letter of introduction from their family doctor, in case they need to purchase particular medicines.

If you are an EU/EEA national you are entitled to receive medical care in Malta should you become ill or have an accident - you should present your European Health Insurance Card.

Water

Tap wateris safe to drink but you may prefer bottled water because although tap water is desalinated it may still have a slightly salty taste.

Vaccinations

Not required

Telephones and Mobile Phones

Country Dialing Code

+356

Useful Numbers

• Ambulance 196
• Emergency 112
• Police (+356)21221111
• Direct Enquiries 1182
• Flight Enquiries (+356)50043333
• Metrological Office (weather forecast) (+356)21284308

Telephone Cards

The simplest and cheapest way for students to call home is by telephone card. These can be bought for €5 – €13 from shops around Malta or the Maltacom Office in St. Julians which is open 24 hours a day. These cards can be used to make local and international phone calls from various telephone booths around the islands.

Internet phones can also be found in certain places. Coin-operated telephone boxes are not very common in Malta.

Mobile Phones

Malta is GSM compatible. Local sim cards can be bought from either Vodafone or Go Mobile providers.

Sim cards are Lm5/€12 and prepaid vouchers start from Lm5/€12.

Public Holidays

Please note that EC does not provide tuition on public holidays which fall on weekdays; however, with the exception of 15 August, lessons missed are made up during the rest of the week. All One-to-One lessons are made up. There is no refund for lessons missed.

Public holidays observed in Malta are:

1st January - New Year’s Day

10th February - St. Paul’s Shipwreck

19th March - St. Joseph

31st March - Freedom Day

March / April (date changes) - Good Friday

1st May - Labour Day

7th June - Sette Giugno

29th June - St Peter and St Paul (L-Imnarja)

15th August - The Assumption (Santa Marija)

8th September - Our Lady of Victories

21st September - Independence Day

8th December - Immaculate Conception

13th December - Republic Day

25th December - Christmas Day

Christmas Closing Dates 2008: The last day of school is 19 December 2008. Centres re-open on 5 January 2009.