Malta is an independent republic located south of Sicily in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. It is an archipelago of three islands; Malta being the largest one followed by Gozo and Comino, covering a total area of 316 km2 with a population of 450,000. The capital city of the Maltese islands is Valletta. Malta is a full member of the European Union and the Eurozone. Maltese and English are the two official languages of the country, English being widely spoken throughout the country and Italian extensively spoken.
Malta International Airport is linked well with all major European and nearby cities through several airlines and flights. The airport is located just 8km away from Valletta with convenient means of transportation linking the two. This journey, by taxi, bus or Airport Shuttle Service, normally takes no longer than 45 minutes maximum. At current rates, a taxi from the airport to Valletta costs around €15, a single journey bus ticket costs €2 (day) or €3 (night) per person, and the Airport Shuttle Service, which can be pre-booked online, costs around €9 per person. More information about the bus service can be found online.
Those who plan to attend the IFAC 2017 World Congress, which is happening just after MED 2017, might like to note that on certain days there are convenient direct flights linking Malta to Toulouse.
Maps of Malta available here.
Additional travel information available here.