Driving in a foreign country can be a little bit scary. Are you planning to go to Aruba and are you wondering what it’s like to drive around on your own? I’ll give the answer to that in this article.
Let me start by saying that Aruba is totally fine if it comes to driving yourself. There is no need to worry about driving yourself since the traffic is pretty moderate and the traffic laws are quite similar to other countries. I’ll go more into depth below.
Is my driver’s license valid in Aruba?
Do you have a driver’s license that has been issued by a member country of the Geneva Convention? In that case, your driving license is valid.
Disclaimer: Laws can change over time and we are not responsible of giving you the up-to-date information. Not sure? Double-check the laws on the official government websites.
Is my American driver’s license valid in Aruba?
Yes, the USA is part of the Geneva Convention so your driver’s license is valid in Aruba.
Is my Canadian diver’s license valid in Aruba?
Yes, Canada is part of the Geneva Convention so your driver’s license is valid in Aruba.
Is my British / UK driving licence valid in Aruba?
Yes, the UK is part of the Geneva Convention so your driving licence is valid in Aruba.
The speed limit in Aruba
The speed limit will be showed on a round sign with a red border. Are there no speed limit signs? In that case you’ll have to follow these rules;
- Urban area: the speed limit in urban area’s is 30 km/h. This is about 19 mph, but your rental car will have a km/h speedometer.
- Out of town: the speed limit out of town is 60 km/h (37 mph), and on the bigger roads it’s 80km/h (50 mph).
As far as I know, there are no fixed speed cameras in Aruba. The police do check your speed by handheld devices such as laser guns and radar. Make sure you do not travel over the speed limit, since this may cost you a speeding ticket.
Who has the right of way
In Oranjestad, you’ll find that many roads are a one-way road. Does the road have more than two lanes? Always keep right and only use the left lane when overtaking somebody else.
Do you come across an intersection without traffic lights or signs? The car from the right has the right of way. When turning onto the left at an intersection, the opposing and upcoming traffic has the right of way.
You’ll also find loads of roundabouts in Aruba. Aruba has made many of these in the past years since they slow traffic down and they bring the number of serious accidents down. Are you approaching a roundabout? Traffic approaching a roundabout has to yield to traffic that is already on the roundabout. You’ll have to wait for an opening to enter the circle. Also, make sure to keep going on the roundabout and don’t stop for other traffic that wants to get onto the roundabout. They’ll have to wait for you.
You’ll find traffic lights on the bigger intersections. Most of this is similar to other parts of the world. You’ll have to stop for a red traffic light, amber means you’ll have to stop when possible and green means you’re good to go. A warning for Americans: Unlike the US, you cannot turn right on a red light!
Drivers in vehicles have priority over non-motorized vehicles such as bicycles and pedestrians. Are you riding a bicycle yourself? Be aware of traffic, since most of the island’s traffic is not used to bicycles. Try to avoid riding a bicycle during the night, since there are loads of roads without street lights.
Need directions? Check the Fofoti trees
Are you going around and have you lost track of where you are? A simple and cool trick is to check the Fofoti trees. They always point to the west, which is the general direction of the hotels and resorts.
Parking your car in Aruba
There are loads of places to park on the island. Keep in mind that in some places parking is prohibited. Parking is prohibited along yellow lines, on a bridge, and along a continuous line in the middle of the road. It’s also prohibited to block driveways, pedestrian crossings or an intersection.
Aruba recently introduced parking meters in Oranjestad. Right now, you’ll have to pay for parking between 7:00 am and 7:00 pm but this might change in the future. The hourly rate for paid parking is 2 florins which is about $1.11 at the time of writing this article.
You’ll have 15 minutes to remove your vehicle after you quit paying for your parking. After that, you may risk a ticket of 75 florins. After 3 hours your vehicle might be towed away, leaving you with towing costs as well.
Off-road riding in Aruba
Are you planning to go to the North of the island? Aruba’s North coast is only accessible by rough dirt roads. I would recommend using an off-road car when you plan to go to those spots.
Keep in mind that most car rentals will now allow you to go off-road! Insurance companies will not cover damage to your rental car in case of anything happening.
Also keep in mind that you cannot use your vehicle in Aruba’s sand dunes, such as near the California lighthouse. You are also not allowed to ride on the beach.
Gas stations in Aruba
Getting gas on the island may be a little bit different from what you are used to. Most gas stations ar services, which means there will be an attendant to fill up your car. Some gas stations have self-service lanes if you prefer to fill your car up yourself.
Do you come across a self-service gas station? You’ll probably have to go in to pay first before you are able to use the gas pump.
Gas stations in Aruba only offer you one type of benzene, which is the most commonly used type of gas.
Gas prices are the same all over the island since this is being regulated by the Government. The price and amount will be shown in liters. One gallon equals 3.78 liters.
Is it safe to drive a car in Aruba?
Driving in Aruba is relatively safe and many tourists drive their rental car themselves. There are some conditions that may pose an extra risk.
Did it rain and are you driving on a wet road? Rain isn’t very common in Aruba, so oil and dust can pile up on the road. The oil and dust will become extremely slippery when it gets in contact with the rain. It can be as slippery as driving in a snowstorm. Please keep this in mind in case you drive on wet roads!
Keep your full focus on the road since there might be iguanas, dogs or goats crossing the road in front of you. They won’t wait for you, trust me!
Do you somehow end up in a traffic accident? Do not move your vehicle and call the police by dialing 100. You’ll also have to contact your insurance company or rental company to get stuff sorted out.
Road signs in Aruba
Most road signs in Aruba are international. However, Aruba uses European road signs so they might be unfamiliar for Americans and Canadians. I made a list with some road signs that might be new to those who come from North America.
Triangle signs with a red border warn you for something. In this case it warns you for a slippery road up ahead.
This sign tells you to give priority to traffic on the crossing road.
You are driving on a priority road, and drivers on crossing roads have to give priority to you. Do you see 3 diagonal stripes through this sign? This means that the priority road will be over behind that sign.
Round signs with a red border forbid you something. A round sign with a red border and the number 50 tells you that you cannot go any faster than 50 km/h (speed limit). The sign above tells you that it’s not allowed to enter with a car.
The sign above tells you that you cannot enter the road. It’s a one-way road, going the opposite way.
This sign marks a roundabout. As said before, traffic on the roundabout has the priority. Do you want to enter the roundabout? Wait until you see a spot to get in.
This sign tells you that parking is not allowed. In fact, it’s not even allowed to stop behind this sign. Do you see this sign with only 1 diagonal stripe? You cannot park, but you are allowed to stop to let somebody hop in or out.
Summary: Can you drive yourself in Aruba?
I think that driving in Aruba is perfectly fine for 9 out of 10 tourists. The traffic on the island is pretty moderate and driving around isn’t that hard. Remember that most rental companies do not allow you to go off-road and become familiar with the European road signs if you don’t know them.
I wish you a very pleasant stay in Aruba and hope you’ll enjoy it to the fullest. Good luck!