Ravensfan1973 Posted April 11, 2023 #1 Share Posted April 11, 2023 Rented a car for the day for our November cruise on Adventure of Seas. I've been in Aruba once but like 17 years ago. Need a good itinerary to explore. We'd like to see the lighthouse and a good beach or two. What do you recommend for about 7 or 8 hours? TIA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare BoozinCroozin Posted April 14, 2023 #2 Share Posted April 14, 2023 We are renting a Jeep. Our plans are to snorkel Tres Trapi first, then to Arashi Beach. Depending on time and recommendation, we may head to the secret pool by the gold mill then down to Baby Beach and San Marco for the murals. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3smithboys Posted April 17, 2023 #3 Share Posted April 17, 2023 We decided that we might rent a car too and would like suggestions as well. Looking for the best sights for first timers to Aruba and good snorkeling spots! Any suggestions would be great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonsmom Posted April 17, 2023 #4 Share Posted April 17, 2023 Hi I also need an itinerary for driving as well. My understanding is that Arashi beach has great snorkeling Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare BoozinCroozin Posted April 18, 2023 #5 Share Posted April 18, 2023 13 hours ago, jonsmom said: Hi I also need an itinerary for driving as well. My understanding is that Arashi beach has great snorkeling From my research, the best snorkeling is Mangel Halto, Tres Trapi, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonsmom Posted April 18, 2023 #6 Share Posted April 18, 2023 6 hours ago, BoozinCroozin said: From my research, the best snorkeling is Mangel Halto, Tres Trapi, Thanks - added to list Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare jean87510 Posted April 20, 2023 #7 Share Posted April 20, 2023 Mangel halto has great snorkeling but you have to go past the rocks and battle some waves but you will be rewarded. Boca Catalina has pretty good snorkeling and much easier. Neither place has facilities. I have invested in using a sand brush instead of water to get sand off my feet before getting in car rental. We have a small cooler that we have had our room attendant put ice in and we have stocked with soda and water. We also make pit stops at grocery stores for things like pretzels and crackers. We have visited donkey sanctuary, Philips garden, ostrich farm. We also drove down to the natural bridge and the mines which is near ostrich farm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pjhootch Posted April 22, 2023 #8 Share Posted April 22, 2023 Where are you renting cars or jeeps from? Anyone have experience and recommendations? We have been to Aruba quite a few times and think renting a car or jeep next time is the best idea. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare BoozinCroozin Posted April 23, 2023 #9 Share Posted April 23, 2023 2 hours ago, pjhootch said: Where are you renting cars or jeeps from? Anyone have experience and recommendations? We have been to Aruba quite a few times and think renting a car or jeep next time is the best idea. Thanks We are going through Top Drive with a Freedom Jeep. $160-ish for the entire day with insurance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruisinqt Posted June 27, 2023 #10 Share Posted June 27, 2023 We were there today and went to our favorite places. We did the animal sanctuary, the butterfly farm, had lunch at P F Changs, then spent the rest of the day at Arashi beach sipping cocktails, swimming, and snorkeling. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbrinkm Posted November 11, 2023 #11 Share Posted November 11, 2023 What about parking? How easy is it to park at different locations around the island? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
udamom Posted November 28, 2023 #12 Share Posted November 28, 2023 Am in Aruba in Feb and trying to decide about renting a car also. we have a long port day 8am-9pm so would love to see a few different things on the island. Love to snorkel and see a few posts mentioning where the good places for that are. Commenting hoping this thread gets a little more action from people who have done the rental car thing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drvmywifecrzy Posted November 28, 2023 #13 Share Posted November 28, 2023 Any updates to this thread? Any successful rentals? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbrinkm Posted November 29, 2023 #14 Share Posted November 29, 2023 We're not there until March, so I cannot update the thread yet, but we also rented from Top Drive (minivan because there are 6 of us). I just wanted to let people know that there is a "beach package" you can add on to your reservation that includes chairs, a cooler and snorkel equipment for $20. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khm1 Posted December 28, 2023 #15 Share Posted December 28, 2023 I have rented a car in Aruba both on cruises and for land vacations. It is extremely easy. It is difficult to get lost since the island is so small. You can download offline map app called maps.me. I don’t understand how it works, but it does. You don’t need cell service to be able to see where you are and how to get around. You just need to download the appropriate map while you have WiFi. However, I usually buy an eSIM for my international travel which gives me reliable service wherever I go. Parking has never been an issue either. All the major beaches have plenty of public parking. Palm beach we park either in the Jolly Roger parking lot or in the parking lot across from the Hyatt. See map screenshot both areas circled in red. We never have gotten a parking ticket or had any problems whatsoever. In the center of Oranjestad, it is a little more tricky, but you can visit on foot there before you pick up or after you drop off. All of the companies have the same pickup and drop off spot. It is an easy walk from the pier. I have marked it in red. We have used Royal car rental in Aruba when we cruise. They have always worked well for us. For land vacations, we use Wheels2Go. I don’t think that they deliver to the cruise port though. Roads are well marked. There are a lot of roundabouts. Make sure you are familiar with how to navigate them. Drivers are generally courteous and gas is easy to get. i have a jeep rented through Royal for my upcoming cruise in March of ‘24. We are looking forward to a great day in Aruba! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
butterfly55 Posted December 30, 2023 #16 Share Posted December 30, 2023 On 12/28/2023 at 11:20 AM, khm1 said: I have rented a car in Aruba both on cruises and for land vacations. It is extremely easy. It is difficult to get lost since the island is so small. You can download offline map app called maps.me. I don’t understand how it works, but it does. You don’t need cell service to be able to see where you are and how to get around. You just need to download the appropriate map while you have WiFi. However, I usually buy an eSIM for my international travel which gives me reliable service wherever I go. Parking has never been an issue either. All the major beaches have plenty of public parking. Palm beach we park either in the Jolly Roger parking lot or in the parking lot across from the Hyatt. See map screenshot both areas circled in red. We never have gotten a parking ticket or had any problems whatsoever. In the center of Oranjestad, it is a little more tricky, but you can visit on foot there before you pick up or after you drop off. All of the companies have the same pickup and drop off spot. It is an easy walk from the pier. I have marked it in red. We have used Royal car rental in Aruba when we cruise. They have always worked well for us. For land vacations, we use Wheels2Go. I don’t think that they deliver to the cruise port though. Roads are well marked. There are a lot of roundabouts. Make sure you are familiar with how to navigate them. Drivers are generally courteous and gas is easy to get. i have a jeep rented through Royal for my upcoming cruise in March of ‘24. We are looking forward to a great day in Aruba! Great information khm 1. Thanks for your post. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MommaZ1964 Posted January 4 #17 Share Posted January 4 Does anyone know which rental companies have restrictions on going to the Natural pools? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now