My husband and I will be heading to Aruba in a few weeks. We've been back and forth on whether to rent a jeep or not....mainly because I'm pregnant (2nd trimester) and wouldn't want to ride on those bumpy off-roads to looks for adventures.

We're planning to relax by the pool/beach during the day, and head out to dinner and shopping in town in the evenings. I've been told cabs are plentiful and would cost about $8-$10 per trip from our hotel (Marriott) to town.

Would you suggest we still rent a car? It may be nice to venture out one day on our own to sightsee, but not sure how much I can really see or do with my pregnancy.

Thanks in advance!!

It really depends on how much you want to get out on your own to see the island. we have not rented a car there==stayed at the hotel during the day and went into town for dinner at night, as you said, and did not need a car for that. Cabs are plentiful at the hotels, and cost around $10 to go "downtown", and less for restaurants closer to the hotel zone. IF you want to go out to explore one day, you could always rent one for the day. There are also organized activities, tours, etc (for example, we went horseback riding) and they pick you up at the hotel.

Renting a car is a great idea on Aruba, but note that I say CAR. The jeeps are fine, but Aruba is hot, windy and HUMID. A car with air conditioning makes all the difference when you're riding arouond Orangestadt or, more probably, trying to figure out how to get back to Orangestadt after driving across the island.

The road maps are what you might call casually labelled in places, but Aruba is such a great place that you can ride all over the island and never feel exposed, so to speak.

Some great rides: to the top of the island and the California lighthouse for sunsets; the south end of the island and Baby Beach (great snorkelling, and another place that's fun to find), and Charlie's bar, the tourist joint nearby. Malmot beach north of the high rises is also a great snorkelling spot.

Aruba with a car is a gas.

We didn't, and we wished we had. We wanted to go downtown every night for dinner and the taxi fares added up.

~Amelie

Thanks everyone - we've decided to rent a car (with AC!) for the second half of our trip. We're figuring it won't be needed with what we want to do for our first few days of lounging by the beach/pool!