Aruba Taxi Guide
How to Call or Book a Taxi in Aruba
No rideshare, no reliable booking app, and no online system worth using. Getting a taxi in Aruba is refreshingly old-school — but if you're used to Uber, the first time you need a ride can feel like a blank page. Here's exactly how to do it.
The first time you need a taxi in Aruba and realize you can't just open Uber, it feels weird. You're standing outside a restaurant, your phone is in your hand, and the thing you'd normally do — tap a button, watch a car come to you on a map — doesn't work here. No Uber, no Lyft , no rideshare of any kind. There is a local taxi app, but most visitors skip it and use the methods below instead.
But here's the thing: once you know how it works, getting a taxi in Aruba is actually easier than dealing with surge pricing and cancelled rides back home. There are several ways to do it, and at least one of them will work wherever you are on the island.
Find one where they queue
At the airport, cruise terminal, big hotels, and casinos — taxis line up and wait. If there's one sitting there, just walk up and get in. No calling, no waiting.
At timeshares and smaller hotels along Eagle Beach and the low-rise strip, many guests rent cars, so taxis don't queue there the way they do at the big resorts. If you're staying in that area and there's no taxi in sight, don't wait around — head to the nearest casino or call dispatch. It'll be faster.
The reliable spots:
- Queen Beatrix Airport — right outside arrivals, organized queue
- Cruise terminal — just past the terminal exit, but only while ships are deboarding. Once passengers have cleared, the taxis move on.
- Large resorts and casinos — most of the big hotels on the Palm Beach strip have taxis lined up outside, especially during the day. Casinos are another reliable bet, even at night — including standalone ones like the Alhambra.
- Renaissance in Oranjestad — the only big hotel downtown, with a taxi lane that usually has a few cars waiting. If you're in the Oranjestad area and need a taxi, this is the most reliable spot.
Ask your hotel
If there's no taxi waiting outside, walk up to the front desk or concierge and ask for one. They'll call dispatch and a car will come to you. At the big resorts it's usually 5–10 minutes. At smaller hotels and timeshares it can take longer — during high season, allow up to 30–40 minutes.
Pretty much every hotel on the island does this — from the big resorts on Palm Beach to the smaller hotels and timeshares on Eagle Beach. It's built into how hospitality works here. The front desk has dispatch numbers on speed dial. You don't need to know who to call or how the system works. Just ask, and they handle it.
If you're staying at a vacation rental or Airbnb, ask your host for a taxi contact. Most have a driver or dispatch service they recommend — and that recommendation is usually worth following.
Call a dispatch service
If you're not near a hotel or a taxi stand, you can call a dispatch service directly. These are the central operators that coordinate taxi pickups across the island.
The main dispatch numbers:
- Aruba Taxi Company: +297 587 1300
- Taxi Address Service Aruba: +297 587 5900
- 297 Taxi Services Aruba: +297 741 0504
Call, tell them where you are, and they'll send the nearest available driver. Wait times vary — during the day in tourist areas it's usually under 10 minutes. Late at night or from remote spots, it can take longer.
Save one of these numbers in your phone before you leave your hotel for the day. You probably won't need it — but the one time you do, you'll be glad it's there.
At restaurants, bars, and shops
You don't need to leave the restaurant to find a taxi. Ask your server, the host, or the bartender — they'll call dispatch for you. This is especially useful at night when you've had dinner and a few drinks. The restaurant handles it — it's part of the service.
This is how a lot of repeat visitors and locals do it. If you've had a good driver, ask if they take direct bookings or only work through dispatch. Some drivers are happy to share their WhatsApp number — and once you have it, you can message them directly next time: where you are, where you're going, when you need the pickup.
Not every driver does this, but the ones who do tend to appreciate it. You're not going through a dispatcher — you're just texting someone you've already ridden with. Some will even check in during your trip to see if you need rides on other days.
Some dispatch services also take WhatsApp messages — 297 Taxi Services Aruba (+297 741 0504) is one that does. Send your pickup location and destination, and they'll confirm a driver.
Can you hail a taxi on the street?
Not really. Taxis in Aruba work on a queue-and-dispatch system — drivers stay busy moving between hotels, the airport, and dispatch calls rather than cruising for street fares.
That said, if you're standing outside a restaurant or smaller hotel in a quieter area and an empty taxi happens to drive past, the driver may slow down and ask if you need a ride. It happens, but it's opportunistic — not something you can count on.
And one thing that confuses visitors: the roof light often appears to work backwards here. Light off typically means available. Light on usually means occupied. It's not officially documented and isn't always reliable — but it's the pattern most drivers follow, and it's the opposite of what you're used to.
Getting to the airport
Taxi drivers know when flights leave. On departure days — especially around the big hotels and timeshares — you'll see a line of taxis waiting at the times when most guests are heading to the airport. They run the airport drop, loop back, and do it again. You don't usually need to pre-book anything.
If you've been using a driver for your whole trip via WhatsApp, ask them to do the airport run. It's a nice way to end your trip with someone you know. If your flight leaves at an odd hour, they may not be able to make it work — ask early, be flexible, and don't take it personally if they can't swing it.
If you don't have a regular driver, just ask the front desk to call dispatch when you're ready to go — or walk to the taxi line outside your hotel.
The recommends arriving 3 hours before your flight — especially for US-bound departures, which go through pre-clearance. Some days are busier than others, but three hours is the safe bet regardless.
Pre-booking for tours and day trips
If you're planning a multi-hour taxi tour — exploring the island, visiting Baby Beach, doing a half-day sightseeing trip — booking ahead is the way to go.
The best way to set this up is through a driver you've already ridden with — ask via WhatsApp if they're available for a longer trip. You can also call one of the dispatch services and ask. Your hotel concierge can help too, though they'll usually suggest organized tours, which are a great option but a different experience than having your own driver.
The hourly rate is US$50 per hour for the car. Having a driver committed to the time means they can plan a route based on what you want to see, and you're not trying to negotiate a tour at a taxi stand on the spot.
What if I'm somewhere remote?
If you're heading to Baby Beach , a quiet snorkel spot, or somewhere off the beaten path with no hotel nearby — this is where a little planning goes a long way.
Arrange the return trip before your driver even takes you there. Not when they drop you off — before you go. Ask if they can come back to pick you up, agree on a time, and exchange WhatsApp numbers. If they say no, you still have time to figure out an alternative. If you wait until you're at Baby Beach without a plan, you're competing with everyone else who also didn't arrange a ride — and there are no taxis down there.
This is especially important for cruise passengers. A taxi will eventually show up if you call dispatch from a remote beach, but "eventually" and "my ship leaves at 4" don't mix well. Sort the return ride out first.
If you didn't plan ahead and need a pickup, call one of the dispatch numbers. Give them your location as specifically as you can — a beach name, a nearby landmark, a restaurant. From remote spots it can take 30 minutes to an hour for a driver to reach you, sometimes longer during busy season — but they'll try to get someone to you.
Know your fare before you call
Look up the exact government rate for your route. When the taxi arrives, you'll already know the number.
No Uber needed. No app to install. Just ask, and a taxi shows up. Flat fare, friendly driver. That's how it works here.