Asia > Maldives > Malé (MLE)
The Car or no Car advice for Malé can be broken down into three similar questions - do you need a car in Malé ; is it worth it (based on costs), and ultimately - should you rent one? (a balance of the two).🚆 🚌⛴️ Do we need to rent a car in Malé ?
These scores are based on the quality of public transport and other travel options. If these are good enough to see the main points of interest, then you don’t need to rent a car.
💰💶💳 Is it worth hiring a car in Malé ?
These scores reflect the practical factors that affect whether renting a car is convenient, good value, and stress-free.
Getting around Malé without a car 🚶♂️🛵
Malé is one of the smallest capital cities in the world by land area. You can walk across it in well under an hour, and most visitors will only need a few hours to see the key sights. These include the Grand Friday Mosque, the fish market, the waterfront, and the narrow, busy streets that give the city its distinctive energy.
There is no metro, tram, or rail system. Instead, movement relies on walking, scooters, taxis, and small buses. Taxis are inexpensive and widely available, although traffic congestion can still be heavy due to the sheer density of people.
Crucially, Malé is tightly integrated with nearby islands. Hulhumalé, where many hotels and the international airport are located, is connected by frequent ferries and a bridge. Public ferries and speedboats are the backbone of transport here 🚤.
Why car rental barely exists 🚫🚗
Car rental in Malé is extremely limited and, for most visitors, impractical. The island’s size, congestion, and lack of parking make driving unnecessary. More importantly, Malé is not where most tourists stay. Resorts are located on separate islands, each with their own internal transport, often using buggies or bicycles instead of cars.
Even if you wanted to explore beyond Malé, you would do so by boat or seaplane, not by road ✈️🌴. There is no road network connecting the islands in the way visitors might expect elsewhere.
Conclusion: should you rent a car in Malé?
In almost all cases, no. Walking, taxis, ferries, and boats are far more practical. Should you rent a car in Malé? Only if you are staying long-term or have a very specific local need. For visitors, the Maldives is a destination defined by water, not roads 🌊✨.
