Below are quick tips for visitors traveling to the Caribbean island of Aruba. Topics include passports, customs, airport security, taxis and buses, car and jeep rentals, rules of the road, iguanas, parking, shopping, credit cards and agriculture and industry.

Passports Required for Travel to Aruba from the U.S.
Visitors now need passports to travel to Aruba from the U.S. For more information on the new U.S. passport initiative, please visit the U.S. Department of State.

For information on the application process for U.S. passports, click here.

Airline Seat Assignments
Incoming flights follow the western side of the island and depart into the headwinds. Request a window seat on the left side of the plane to view the island coming and going.

Customs In-Bound - Aruba
As passengers arrive at the Aruba airport and prepare to go through local customs, move to the line with families, couples or individuals who look like they are on vacation. Officials appear to process leisure travelers more quickly and spend more time with those who indicate business is the purpose of their stay. Customs does move fairly fast, but you may still not want to get caught in line behind the person with the laptop.

Customs Out-Bound - U.S. Security and Customs and Aruba Customs
Check-in with the airline at the airport’s main terminal and check your bags, if desired. Then pass through at least one Aruba customs’ checkpoint. Next, walk by the duty free shops and/or wait in line in front of the duty free stores before passing through the first U.S. security checkpoint. This process is similar to the security at most U.S. airports.

Once through, pick up your luggage at the conveyor belt and proceed to U.S. customs. After that step is completed, return your luggage to another conveyor belt and go through the second and final U.S. security checkpoint. From here, walk to the gate area and wait for your plane to begin boarding. The Aruba and U.S. customs processes are now complete. Once in the U.S. travelers will only need to collect their baggage and head to their final destination.

While no one has confirmed why this dual customs process exists, there’s an obvious advantage to the Aruba hotel industry. By requiring departing passengers to arrive early to meet international flight requirements, it allows a full afternoon for hotel staff to prepare rooms for arriving guests.

Taxis and Buses
Cars can be rented at the airport, as well as at hotels. If this is your first visit, take a taxi to your hotel. Fixed fares are set by the government and are quite reasonable. With someone else behind the wheel, it will provide the opportunity to get the lay of the land during your 20-minute journey to the low- or high-rise hotels. Taxi drivers are Arubans who are very proud of their island. Their vehicles are very clean.

For those guests planning to spend most of their time on the beach there may not be a reason to rent an automobile. In the high-rise hotel area, there are a growing number of restaurants within easy walking distance.

Buses run on a regular schedule from the hotels to various beaches and downtown. They accept U.S. dollars and are extremely affordable; the drivers are friendly and accommodating. Each covered bus stop (that’s important when it’s sunny) has a map of the routes and a sign on the front of each bus corresponds to the route number.

The main bus terminal is downtown and with comfortable shoes, everything is within easy walking distance. The bus also stops at many of the different beaches, if exploring is what’s on the agenda.

First time riders will notice a reoccurring whistle. This occurs when passengers press a button to indicate they would like to exit at the next stop. Hotel personnel use the buses, so just follow their lead.