Renting a Car in Aruba: Everything to Know!
Everything to know about renting a car in Aruba! Aruba is a GORGEOUS island with incredible white sand beaches and blue waters. And, I know, many people travel to Aruba for the resorts that sit along these incredible beaches.
However, if you are headed to Aruba, I encourage you to go out and see the rest of the island too! It has a really unique desert landscape and cool things to do like the natural pools on the opposite side of the island.
And, if you opt to do this, the most time-efficient way to explore the rest of the island is to rent a car and explore it yourself!
Here is everything you need to know about renting a car in Aruba including where to rent your car, the expected cost, price comparison to using tours vs car rental, logistics of renting a car in Aruba, what to expect when driving in Aruba and more!
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Why Renting a Car in Aruba is the Best Option
Again, Aruba is a beautiful island with really unique landscapes. However, these landscapes are spread out from the south tip in Arikok National Park to the rocky east coast and the beachy west coast.
So here is why renting a car is the easiest 👇🏻
Other Transportation Options
There IS a bus system on the island and it is going to be the cheapest way to get around. However, the routes are limited when it comes to Arubas countryside. The buses will take you to the highlights such as the best beaches, the capital of Oranjestad and things like the chapel.
However, the bus routes include only a few stops along the west coast (where the amazing natural pools are located!) and do not have a route inside Arikok National Park (you can get TO it, just not through it.)
Of course, you can get to nearly everywhere you want to go via taxi. But, taxis in Aruba are not super cheap. They have a set price per distance, so things like Baby Beach from the hotel zone may cost you $40-50 one way (closer distances will obviously
Efficiency
If you have a full week in Aruba you will have a little more time to see the island at a slower pace. However, if you are headed to Aruba on a shorter trip (like us!) you need to make the most of your days!
Most of the non-beach sites (Conchi Natural Pools, Arikok National Park, Bushiribana Ruins, Alto Vista Chapel, etc) are located either inland or on the east coast of Aruba. With a car you can easily hop from one site to the other and/or explore all of Arikok National Park.
However, if you are depending on a bus and/or taxi a) it will take much longer to see the sites by being dependent on a bus schedule or taxi arrival and b) you will have a really hard time seeing all of Arikok National Park. It is not walkable, so once you arrived to the park you would have a hard time exploring the caves, etc.
Therefore, if you REALLY want to explore the whole island of Aruba as you please, renting a car is the way to go!
We spent one day exploring the natural pools and Arikok National Park and another hopping from the other interesting sites like the ruins, the natural bridge, the lighthouse, etc and it was super easy and fun!
Everything To Know About Renting a Car in Aruba!
Okay, so renting a car is the way to go. Here are the logistics of renting a car including where to rent it, expected price, price compared to taking tours and taxis.
Where to Rent Your Car
There are several places to rent a car in Aruba. Where you rent depends on your priorities.
The easiest place to rent a car is at the airport; once you land you can walk to the company of your choice and grab your car.
A downfall to this, is that car rental prices are usually higher at the airport. Convenience usually pays.
Another option is to rent a car inland. If you want to save money, find a company that offers free shuttles from the airport. Otherwise, you will need to taxi to the pickup location and, again, taxis are not super affordable in Aruba.
Explore Aruba on Your Own!
Renting a car is really the best way to experience the best of what Aruba has to offer!
Expected Price for Renting a Car in Aruba
Renting an SUV such as a Ford Escape from the airport with terminal pickup (no shuttle required) is about $785 for a week. APPROXIMATELY. This can vary depending on time of year and how close to your trip you book.
The cheapest place to rent a car in Aruba will be with More4Less. They are a local rental company and you can get an SUV for $500-650 (not sure if there are additional fees to this at checkout.)
However, More4Less is located off the airport grounds. They DO offer free airport shuttle though. Another downfall is that they have less cars so they sell out quicker. If you go this route, be sure to book your car early!
Cars are going to be more affordable, but if you want to visit the Conchi Natural Pools, I do recommend having at least a small SUV as you will go down several un-paved roads.
Price Comparison to Exploring via Tours and Taxis
It can be a bit expensive to rent a car for a week in Aruba, right? However, lets compare prices to taking tours or using a taxi to visit some of the popular places on the island.
Taxis in Aruba have a set price, so good news is you don’t have to worry about the odometer running too long or being scammed. Bad news is, they are a little pricey. (Click here for full list of taxi rates.)
There are also LOADS of guided tours available on the island. So most of the fun things (like the natural pools) are available via guided tour. However, they are also a little pricey.
So, lets look at prices of some of the popular things to do and see how much more it would be for a couple to go the carless route and do more than lounge on the beach!
You can buy a $10 all day bus pass; I’ll mark (**) the locations you can get to via bus also.
| Activity Examples | Prices |
|---|---|
| Tour to Conchi Natural Pools, Arkikok National Park and Baby Beach | ~$90-100 ($180-200 for both) |
| Taxi to Eagle Beach from the Airport** | $28 ($56 RT) |
| Taxi to Natural Bridge | ~30 ($60 RT) |
| Tour to the Chapel, Lighthouse, & Aloe Vera Plant** | ~$45 ($90 for both) |
| Taxi to Aloe Vera Plant ** | ~$10 ($20 RT) |
| Taxi to Baby Beach (Can bus to San Nicolas and then taxi) | ~35 ($70 RT for long taxi; probably about $20-30 RT to taxi from San Nicolas) |
| Total for 2 People | ~$476 for 2 without bussing |
Reality of the Price Differences
Obviously this price could vary widely.
It depends on how many people you have (the more tour tickets you have to buy, etc.) It depends on what you want to do and see (how many tours you want to do.) It depends if you are willing to take the bus instead of taxi.
However, as you can see, the tours and the taxis can add up quickly. For not much more, you can rent a car which is a lot more convenient when you start to explore away from the popular beaches on the west coast.
Or, if you really want to do Aruba cheap you can opt to just do things that are walkable or buss-able. You will just be limited on how much of the island you can see.
Most Affordable Way to Rent a car and See Everything!
Here is how we saved a little money with renting a car in Aruba!
You WILL want to spend some days at the Aruba beaches. They are just incredible. On these days, you REALLY don’t need a car. Especially if you plan to stay either near Palm Beach or Eagle Beach areas where you can walk to the beach and restaurants.
Therefore, we spent 5 days in Aruba and spent one day exploring the Eagle Beach area, one day exploring the Palm Beach area (walkable or scooterable) and then opted to rent a car for the last two days.
We rented a car last minute at the airport (which I don’t recommend doing because it was more expensive) because we realized after two days at the beach we wanted to explore the rest of the island on our own.
We took a taxi to the airport, picked up our car, spent two days exploring the natural pools, Arikok National Park and seeing things like the lighthouse and natural bridge and then drove ourselves back to the airport before flying out.
This is a perfect way to plan it if you want to save money on a rental car! You can see a lot of the west coast by foot
Our 5 Day Aruba itinerary seeing the best beaches, hiking to the Conchi Natural Pools and more!
Driving in Aruba: What to Expect!
So renting a car in Aruba is the best way to explore the island. But what is it look like to drive in Aruba?
The biggest hangup for people to rent a car internationally is usually the fear of driving in another country; navigating unknown roads, signage, parking in crowded areas, etc.
However, Aruba is really easy to navigate and drive in!
Road Conditions
There is one MAIN highway that runs along the west coast from the northern tip to the southern tip. This road will get you to the airport, the capital and the best beaches including Baby Beach that is near San Nicolas on the southern tip.
From this highway there are a few highways that will take you from the west coast to the east. Most of these are nice and paved as well.
The roughest roads we came across was driving to the trailhead to hike to the Conchi Natural Pools. It was dirt road and a little rocky, but completely safe and navigable.
Arikok National Park is largely unpaved as well, but less rough than those going to the natural pool parking lot.
Traffic and Parking
While there will likely be a little traffic along the popular resort areas on the west coast, it is largely light and manageable elsewhere. This is especially true during the day when most people are beaching.
Ensure that your accommodations have parking if you plan to rent a car!
How is parking elsewhere? There will be parking lots near the major attractions including the popular beaches, by the attractions such as the caves in Arikok National Park, the trailhead to Conchi Natural Pools, the natural bridge and the California Lighthouse.
We found parking at every landmark we visited. However, we also had a pretty early start on the days we explored the east coast and Arikok National Park. Parking may be limited later in the day.
Other Things to Know About Renting a Car in Aruba!
Here is the rest of the information you need to know!
Do you need an international driver’s license? A US or Canadian license is enough to drive in Aruba. However, if your license is non-Roman Alphabet (Arabic, Japanese, etc) you need an IDP for translation purposes.
Which side of the road do you drive on? You drive on the right side of the road in Aruba.
Minimum age to rent? Usually 21 years old (sometimes 25, depending on the rental agency.)
Speedometers and speed limit signs are in kilometers.
Also, be prepared for roundabouts (more common than traffic lights) and drive safe!
Final Thoughts on Renting a Car in Aruba
Though the price of renting a car in Aruba can be a little steep, it is WORTH having one for at least PART of your Aruba trip so you can really see the whole island!
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