Aruba Travel Tips
Taxis or Rental Car in Aruba? How to Decide for Your Trip
This is one of the most common questions in every Aruba travel forum — 'Should I rent a car or just take taxis?' The answer depends on what kind of trip you're planning. Here's an honest look at both options.
The short version: just rent. An airport taxi round-trip for two adults already costs more than what an airport-pickup rental runs for the first day or two — and that's before you've gone anywhere else. The only honest holdout is travelers who don't want to drive on this island at all. For everyone else, the math doesn't argue anymore.
Why renting is the default
Start with the airport. A round-trip taxi to a Palm Beach hotel like the Ritz-Carlton runs US$82 in taxi fares before you've gone to a single restaurant. A basic rental car from the airport starts around US$40/day. That one airport taxi run already covers two days of a rental car.
It only gets worse for any real day out. A round-trip taxi from Palm Beach to Baby Beach — the iconic full-day beach trip on the island — runs US$142. The same day in a basic rental car runs from US$40, plus US5 in gas. You spent less than half — and you can stop at Zeerover for fresh fish on the way without paying a driver to wait. You still have the rental car for tomorrow.
Some places a taxi genuinely can't take you. Arikok National Park's off-road sections — some of those roads are more like suggestions between boulders. The Natural Pool sits at the end of one of them. You need a Jeep rental, ideally with someone who knows the trail. A Jeep rental can be found from US$100/day. If a Jeep isn't your thing, a guided ATV or UTV tour is another way to see Arikok — tours run about 4 hours, start around US$90–120 per person through GetYourGuide , and most pick you up at your hotel.
Other places a taxi can take you, but the math falls apart fast. A sunset dinner at Faro Blanco Restaurant at the lighthouse — Costa Linda Beach Resort to the California Lighthouse and back runs US$58. That's not even the worst part. No driver is waiting through dinner — you'll pay US$1/minute for them to sit, or scramble to call another taxi from a parking lot at dusk. Dos Playa, a long lunch in Savaneta — same problem. With a rental car, you arrive when you want and leave when you're done.
Heads-up on what you're signing up for: the traffic is real, parking on Palm Beach and in Oranjestad can eat into your day, and rental car insurance in Aruba has its own quirks worth reading carefully. None of that changes the math — but go in with eyes open.
For the full south-side day trip, see our guide on how to get to Baby Beach .
What the numbers actually look like
A relaxed beach day by taxi: Palm Beach Hotel to Eagle Beach and back US$32, dinner in Oranjestad and back US$48. Split between two people, that's US$40 each.
The same day with a rental car: From US$40 for the whole car, plus a few dollars in gas. You're done paying.
An adventure day: Jeep for the day (average US$150+), gas (US$20). Total: US$170+ all-in. You drive through Arikok, stop at three beaches, have lunch in Savaneta, watch the sunset at Faro Blanco. No taxi can do that day at any price.
Used to be "use both"
Here's what a lot of returning visitors had figured out: for years, you didn't have to choose. Taxis for the airport transfer and your beach-and-dinner days. Rental car for the adventure day. Convenience when it matters, freedom when it counts.
Then the 2026 fare hike priced taxis out of every category except the literal don't-want-to-drive one. Beach days, dinner runs, even the airport pickup — the math now lines up against taxis on each of them. The "use both" answer is now just "rent."
Pre-booking online is almost always cheaper than walking up to the counter. Check Priceline to compare rates and reserve before you fly.
The short version
Rent. Basic round-trip taxi combinations cost more than a rental day. Pick the car up at the airport, drop it back when you leave.
One honest exception: if you genuinely don't want to drive here — traffic, local rules, insurance dance — taxis still work. They're safe, fixed-fare, and the drivers know everything. Just know what you're choosing.
Drinking night? Take one taxi. The rental waits in the lot.
Know your fare before you go
Look up the exact taxi rate for any route in Aruba. Takes a few seconds — and you'll know exactly what to expect.
Jeep for the adventure day. Small rental car for the rest. Use the fare finder for the night you take a taxi. Spend what you saved on fresh fish at Zeerover. That's the move.