grandmere

We are staying at the Wyndham, and I'm wondering how to easily get from there to Oranjestad for dining, shopping, etc.? We were not planning on renting a car; is this a mistake? Tnx!

Kristen

It is no problem getting from Palm Beach into town using public transportation. There are bus stops in front of the hotels on Palm Beach. The buses come regularly and it only costs a dollar or two. I understand cabs are expensive but we never took one since the bus got us where we needed to go.

Have fun!

gabeck

The buses run frequently during the day and it is $1.50 per person, while a taxi fare is $7.00. It is much cheaper to take the bus. At night the buses do not come by as often and you may have to wait.

cdt

Everything's easy in Aruba!

We took taxis and buses and also rented a car for three days (out of seven).

It was nice to have our own vehicle to explore the island - Baby Beach, Natural Bridge, California Lighthouse etc. Next time we'll rent a 4WD (due to ground clearance more than traction).

The buses are a lot less expensive than taxis and very clean and safe.

juliet

I agree... everything's easy in Aruba. It's just one long road with beaches on one side.

But not renting a jeep is a mistake. The highlight of our trips has been to rent a jeep and head off to the other desert side of the island. Try to find the rock bridge, the caves, etc... it's a fantastic adventure because there are no road signes... only dirt paths with arrows painted on rocks!

caribtraveler

Depends..if you plan to leave your hotel grounds to eat out and shop A LOT, then you should rent a car or a jeep (preferably a jeep if you plan to go to the desert-like part of the island..which is a must)...more cost effective...and aruba is EASY to get around.
we didn't rent because we did an all-inclusive. we went out to eat a couple of times and went shopping once. took a taxi those times which was fine (don't remember the cost of the taxi but it wasn't much). and we used a jeep tour company for a 1 day excursion of the island.
so bottom line, if you are the type who doesn't like to stay at your resort much, renting a car/jeep would be best.

jj6450

we were at the Marriott. We called down to them and they set us up with a cheap car, $35 for 24 hours. You can rent them when you get there and decide what you are going to do. If you head to the other side of the island, natural bridge etc. do it when the cruise ships are not in. We went on their off day and no one was there. We heard from others that buses of people are there usually.