You have to pay to use public bathrooms in Aruba. Keep lots of dollar bills handy!
Here are the 13 things I learned both before and after I visited Aruba. I wish I knew all of these things about Aruba first!
1. Aruba Currency – Cash is king When you Visit Aruba!
Though Aruba has its own currency system, the US dollar is accepted everywhere. So, no need to get money changed over. I expected that I would need some cash, but have gotten relatively comfortable knowing that credit cards are widely accepted in most countries now.
It is even safer to use credit cards as any fraudulent charges will be refunded and many offer zero foreign transaction fees.
2. Taxis are Expensive in Aruba!
I had asked someone who travels to Aruba regularly about the cost of a taxi and they said it was “relatively inexpensive”. I guess cost is truly relative.
I didn’t think that a $31 + tip is inexpensive. Interestingly, taxi rates are determined by how many stories a hotel has. Yep. The signs are clearly posted at the Aruba airport. Plus they do not take credit cards. Welp, there went about fifty per cent of the cash I had brought with me to Aruba.
Fun fact: Drivers must be born in Aruba to be a taxi driver.
3. Don’t rent a car in Aruba.
When we arrived and found out how much taxis cost in Aruba, we were frustrated and my husband thought it might be a good idea to rent a car and go exploring on the island.
However, we took an off-road safari one day and the ride to and from the tour departure site, gave us a good idea of what we could expect to see driving around Aruba so we decided against renting a car.
Fun fact: We didn’t see any traffic lights in Aruba. They just use roundabouts!
4. Buy duty-free or you will pay dearly for booze
When you arrive at the airport, buy your booze at the duty-free store. When we visited Costa Rica years ago, before the tourist boom, we were surprised at how inexpensive alcohol is.
But, that’s not the case in Aruba. Both resorts and restaurants are pricey! At our resort, drinks were approximately $15 each. Ouch! We saw many of the seasoned travelers bring their coolers down, no doubt with booze in it. Smart.
5. Stores are closed on Sundays in Aruba
I get it, everyone needs a day to rest, so in Aruba, they close the downtown stores. It is one of the reasons we decided against renting a car when we visited the island.
The colourful buildings and myriad of cuisines did beckon us, but the best day to explore on our short trip would have been Sunday. So, know in advance, things are pretty shut down in downtown Oranjestad Aruba on Sundays.
6. SPF 30 sunscreen isn’t strong enough!
Usually the day before a trip, I hit up Target and get the carry-on essentials – makeup remover, lotion, shave cream and sunscreen. Have you noticed that all the carry-on varieties of sunscreen are SPF 30?
Well, Aruba is VERY close to the equator and SPF 30 sunscreen just won’t do the trick. My husband got a bit of sun poisoning even though he lathered up each and every day every part of his body.
Why do hotels give you body wash, shampoo, conditioner, shower caps, and sewing kit but NOT sunscreen? Oh, that’s right, you can go pay a ridiculous price for it in the gift shop.
7. Off-road tours – What the Extra Cash is For?
We took an off-road (UTV tour) in Aruba. It was the best thing we did when we were on the island! They mysteriously said “bring extra cash” but never were clear on what exactly it was for.
Turns out, if you are doing an off-road tour there is no windshield in the UTV and sunglasses won’t do the trick for keeping dirt out of your eyes. So, they will want to sell you goggles for 10 bucks a pop.
Do yourself a favour and buy some on your own so you can save your cash. Some of the other guests also bought lunch (we pigged out at our breakfast buffet) so were able to avoid the food truck lunch and I recommend you do the same if possible.
8. Water is Okay to Drink.
In fact, the water is more than okay. The filtration system in Aruba is fantastic and you don’t have to worry one bit about getting sick. We drank water right out of the tap from our hotel and it tasted terrific. So don’t waste money buying bottled water when you go to Aruba.
Fun fact: everyone in Aruba speaks four languages: English, Papiamento, Dutch and Spanish!
9. Listen to a timeshare pitch and get a free meal
If you thought time shares died in the 90s, like me, you would be wrong. At least in Aruba. We were offered a meal voucher if we were willing to listen to a 90-minute presentation on a timeshare.
I don’t know why anyone would buy into one these days. It is so risky. But if you are wanting a fancy meal and don’t mind giving up 1.5 hours of your vacation it might be worth it.
10. Public restrooms aren’t free in Aruba
Yeah – that’s kind of a bummer. It will cost a buck to use a public restroom. Plan to explore the island on your own? Make sure you have lots of dollar bills – not just for strip clubs anymore!
11. You clear customs in Aruba, not when you are back in the US!
“I can’t wait for my island vacation to be over!” said no one ever. The end of any vacation is almost always a sad time. On the bright side, you can look forward to the fact that when you are back on US soil, you are ready to go, since you clear customs and immigration in Aruba upon departure.
And, we had plenty of time. We left our hotel four hours before our flight and made it to the airport in record time. I’m not saying cut it close, but getting through security and customs was a breeze, and there was no air conditioning in the Aruba airport, so that was a pretty miserable couple of hours. So, pick your poison.
12. Check to see if there is construction scheduled at your hotel before booking
While some Caribbean islands have only gained popularity in the last handful of years, such as the Dominican Republic, Aruba is a seasoned veteran, with many visitors returning year after year.
While I loved that the island is breezy and doesn’t have the mosquito problem I encountered in the newly discovered DR, it does mean that some properties are in need of updating.
So, reach out to the hotel and find out if there will be construction during your stay as that would be a bummer to spend all that money to go and not enjoy your vacation.
13. Tipping in Aruba: Tipping policies are intentionally vague
Despite all the reading I did on tipping, I could never find out a definitive answer on tipping in Aruba. I read a lot of posts that said that gratuity was auto-added on but it wasn’t except for at breakfast where they tacked on a $9 service charge for the breakfast buffet.
Then they suggested a 20 per cent tip which made no sense as all our server did is bring us a pot of coffee. We ended up tipping about 15 per cent.
14. Things you should Avoid in Aruba
Aruba’s breezy climate + tasty cuisine make it a terrific vacation destination. Armed with the tips in this article you can avoid some first-time visitors’ mistakes and have a great time on this tropical island.
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Well written. Great tips. I am just dismayed at how expensive Aruba has become. Btw, Americans are the only country where tipping is a thing. Don’t worry about it. No one would even think about tips except Americans just keep the tap flowing. That is one stressor that I don’t look forward to if I ever go to the USA again!!