Should we rent a car in Aruba?
February 8, 2010 11:35 AM Subscribe
Should we rent a car in Aruba?
My girlfriend and I are headed to Aruba for a long weekend, flying in Friday afternoon and flying out Monday afternoon – roughly a total of 72 hours with a full day Saturday and a full day Sunday. We are staying around Eagle Beach and our main focus will be to sit on a beach somewhere to relax and read. However, we might also want to see another part of the island– maybe for dinner, to see another beach, or go snorkeling? Is it worth it to get a rental car? I don’t want to get one and have it sit there if we spend all of our time at a beach right near our hotel. Then again, maybe we won’t like Eagle Beach and want to head to a different one?
Any other tips for Aruba are welcome as well!
My girlfriend and I are headed to Aruba for a long weekend, flying in Friday afternoon and flying out Monday afternoon – roughly a total of 72 hours with a full day Saturday and a full day Sunday. We are staying around Eagle Beach and our main focus will be to sit on a beach somewhere to relax and read. However, we might also want to see another part of the island– maybe for dinner, to see another beach, or go snorkeling? Is it worth it to get a rental car? I don’t want to get one and have it sit there if we spend all of our time at a beach right near our hotel. Then again, maybe we won’t like Eagle Beach and want to head to a different one?
Any other tips for Aruba are welcome as well!
My wife and I took a vacation to Aruba, bear in mind this is about a decade out of date (though I'd find it unlikely that all that much had changed).
As I understand it it is very easy to rent a car in Aruba. But they also have an excellent bus service and it is quite easy to rent a taxi. This is what we did and had no problem getting anywhere, and I don't recall the cost being an issue. The taxis were not metered but had fixed rates, so you could tell a driver where you were going and find out how much the trip would be. Our resort was very helpful advising us about transportation.
One issue is busses/taxis might not be great for the most out-of-the-way destinations - when we were there we had a very unusual (for the locale) spate of bad weather that made such trips not very tempting, and we were mainly about the resort/all-inclusive type endless cabana drinks type stay that particular vacation.
posted by nanojath at 12:05 PM on February 8, 2010
As I understand it it is very easy to rent a car in Aruba. But they also have an excellent bus service and it is quite easy to rent a taxi. This is what we did and had no problem getting anywhere, and I don't recall the cost being an issue. The taxis were not metered but had fixed rates, so you could tell a driver where you were going and find out how much the trip would be. Our resort was very helpful advising us about transportation.
One issue is busses/taxis might not be great for the most out-of-the-way destinations - when we were there we had a very unusual (for the locale) spate of bad weather that made such trips not very tempting, and we were mainly about the resort/all-inclusive type endless cabana drinks type stay that particular vacation.
posted by nanojath at 12:05 PM on February 8, 2010
I was in Aruba in August and it was very nice having a rental car. You don't have to have one if money is a problem but it makes getting around much easier than waiting for the bus. I think we payed 35 a day for a honda fit that was in great condition.
If your only there for a few days, it might not be worth it if you are going to be spending time on the beach. We stayed at the Aruba Pheonix and all the big shops were about 1/4 to 1/2 mile walk which was easy.
If you need any tips or any recommendations on restaurants pm me. Taxis are regulated and cost about 10-15 bucks each way.
We took a half day 4wd trip around the island, a snorkeling trip, and we hiked the biggest mountain on the island (only took about an hour or two).
posted by nuke3ae at 12:29 PM on February 8, 2010
If your only there for a few days, it might not be worth it if you are going to be spending time on the beach. We stayed at the Aruba Pheonix and all the big shops were about 1/4 to 1/2 mile walk which was easy.
If you need any tips or any recommendations on restaurants pm me. Taxis are regulated and cost about 10-15 bucks each way.
We took a half day 4wd trip around the island, a snorkeling trip, and we hiked the biggest mountain on the island (only took about an hour or two).
posted by nuke3ae at 12:29 PM on February 8, 2010
We spent a week in Aruba for our honeymoon and rented a car for 2 days. We didn't *need* it, but it was nice to have the ability to run a couple errands and go to some restaurants far from our resort without worrying about transportation. That said, you could just as easily get by using the taxi services with no problem.
posted by tastybrains at 1:04 PM on February 8, 2010
posted by tastybrains at 1:04 PM on February 8, 2010
Are you staying at a resort with a beachfront and umbrellas? If you are, for a trip of that duration, I'm going to go against the tide and say there is no reason to bother getting a car. Eagle Beach is a very nice beach. If you want to go snorkeling, spend the money you would have spent on the car on a half-day snorkel cruise that leaves right from the water by the Hyatt. You can definitely walk to a little convenience store, many restaurants, and a Dunkin Donuts, from the hotels in that area.
Personally, I was actually kind of glad not to have a car in Aruba, because it kept me from feeling guilty that I didn't drive all over and see all parts of the island, and resulted in an amazing relaxing vacation.
posted by ch1x0r at 4:58 PM on February 8, 2010
Personally, I was actually kind of glad not to have a car in Aruba, because it kept me from feeling guilty that I didn't drive all over and see all parts of the island, and resulted in an amazing relaxing vacation.
posted by ch1x0r at 4:58 PM on February 8, 2010
I would get a car. However. BEWARE. If you park in Oranjestad (I parked on Arendstraat) your car's license plates may be removed by the vendors who re-sell Aruba license plates. It's a well-known scam in Aruba.
If your plates are stolen don't drive the car; call the rental agency and they'll fix you right up.
Go to Bachelor Beach on the south end of the island. Stop at the roadside stands. Enjoy.
posted by jet_silver at 8:05 PM on February 8, 2010 [1 favorite]
If your plates are stolen don't drive the car; call the rental agency and they'll fix you right up.
Go to Bachelor Beach on the south end of the island. Stop at the roadside stands. Enjoy.
posted by jet_silver at 8:05 PM on February 8, 2010 [1 favorite]
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One of the most fun things we did was drive to the Natural Pool, which was extraordinary. We were lucky that we were there on a day that we were the only ones there most of the time. It's a bumpy, exhilarating drive to where the pool is located, and a nice, somewhat challenging hike down to the pool itself because of the rocks, but well worth it. Bring your own snacks / lunch drinks - there's nothing for miles around.
posted by HeyAllie at 11:45 AM on February 8, 2010