Not sure if I should carry coins for public transport in Aruba or if card payments are common. Advice?
Aruba buses? Exactly AWG 2.50 in florin. They don’t take any payment apps or card. No metro here, either. Cash only on all public transport in Aruba. I always kept AWG 50 in coins - ended up sharing rides and it avoided awkward change stops. Once I used a charter shuttle with my Mastercard linked to the app, but that's the only time I didn’t need cash.
Used local buses almost every day - they took only cash fare. No POS, no tickets via apps. Bus transport in Aruba is cash-dependent. I sometimes paid in USD equivalent but the change was poor - so florin bills are best. I also used a shuttle service once with prepaid credit card payment in-app. But for public transport, don’t count on card acceptance.
I took the Aruba Arubus system daily between Oranjestad and Eagle Beach - exact AWG 2.50 fare, cash only. Tap-to-pay isn’t available. While some shuttle services offer in-app payment, the regular buses don’t. Carry AWG coins/bills for everyday transit in Aruba. I budgeted AWG 100 weekly and reloaded at Scotiabank ATM. You won’t find payment terminals on buses, so keep pesos ready for smooth commutes.
Aruba’s public bus system, Arubus, is cash-only - AWG 2.50 per ride. No smartcard or app payments on buses or minibuses. Public transport in Aruba still remains a cash-only setup. I kept coins and small bills handy for fare, along with some in my pocket just in case. Card payment isn’t accepted at bus stops or terminals, so come prepared with small currency.