Fast Facts

Area Codes -- To call Aruba from the U.S., dial 011 (the international access code), then 297 (Aruba's country code), then 58 (the area code) and the five-digit local number. When in Aruba, dial only the five-digit local number.

Banks -- Banks are open Monday to Friday from 8am to noon and 1:30 to 3:45pm. Oranjestad and Noord, the town inland from Palm Beach, have many branches.

Business Hours -- Stores open from 8am to 6pm (Mon-Sat); some close noon to 2pm. Shops in malls and shopping centers are open 9:30am to 6pm. When cruise ships are in port, some stores in Oranjestad open on Sunday and holidays. Office hours are 9am to 5pm (Mon-Fri).

Currency -- The coin of the realm is the Aruban florin (AFl), but U.S. dollars are universally accepted.

Electricity -- Like the U.S. and Canada, Aruba uses 110 volts AC (60 cycles).

Embassies & Consulates -- The Royal Netherlands Embassy, Washington, D.C. (tel. 202/244-5300; www.netherlands-embassy.org), is responsible for Aruba. Other embassies that may be useful are: The Embassy of Canada, 501 Pennsylvania Ave., Washington, DC 20001 (tel. 202/682-1740; www.canadianembassy.org); The British Embassy, 3100 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20008 (tel. 800/443-8882; www.britainusa.com); and The Embassy of Australia, 1601 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20036 (tel. 202/797-3000; www.australianvisasdc.com).

Emergencies -- As in the United States, dial tel. 911 for police, medical, and fire emergencies.

Hospitals -- Horacio Oduber Hospital, L. G. Smith Boulevard, near Eagle Beach (tel. 297/587-4300) is modern and well-equipped, with 280 beds.

Internet Access -- Many hotels have either dataports or Wi-Fi in rooms and/or the lobby. In downtown Oranjestad, Internet Planet (tel. 297/588-2499), in the Renaissance Mall, offers business services and Internet access from 8:30am to 9:30pm (Mon-Sat) and 10am to 2pm (Sun).

Language -- Official languages are Dutch and Papiamento, a local tongue that combines European, African, and indigenous American languages; but practically everybody speaks English. Spanish is also widely spoken.

Mail -- Aruba created its own postage stamps in 1986. The post office (tel. 297/582-1900) is located at J.E. Irausquinplein 9 in Oranjestad. Postcard stamps to the U.S. are 1.25 AFl (71¢).

Medical Emergencies -- Dial tel. 911, contact your hotel's reception desk, or go to the Horacio Oduber Hospital, L. G. Smith Boulevard, near Eagle Beach (tel. 297/587-4300).

Police -- Police respond to emergency calls to tel. 911. The main station (tel. 297/582-4000) is at Wilhelminastraat 33, Oranjestad.

Safety -- Aruba is one of the Caribbean's safest destinations. Don't leave your valuables unattended on the beach or in an unlocked car, though. All hotels have safes, most of which will fit a laptop. Place electronics as well as airline tickets, jewelry, and passports inside.

Smoking -- Many restaurants have smoking sections which are usually at the bar or outside. Generally, in hotel lobbies, smoking is restricted to inside the casino or in bar areas. Hotels have smoking and nonsmoking rooms.

Taxes & Service Charges -- The government of Aruba charges an 11% room tax as well as 5% to 7% for service. Some also charge a daily energy surcharge of $4 to $8 per person per day. Restaurants often add service charges of 10% to 12%. A new 3% sales tax that was implemented in 2007 may be added to purchases, or it may be absorbed into the ticket price of merchandise.

Telephone -- AT&T and Cingular customers can dial tel. 916/843-4685 to reach an operator or call tel. 800-8000 from special phones at the cruise docks and at the airport; from other phones, dial tel. 121 to place a collect or AT&T calling card call. International calls and local cellphone calls from hotels are exorbitantly expensive -- you'll pay $1.50 to $2 a minute, even if you're dialing an 800 number. MCI merged with Verizon in 2007, but still has an access number in Aruba: tel. 800-8888. Sprint/Nextel's access number for Aruba is tel. 011-817/698-4119. To make a local call from a pay phone, purchase a phone card in $5, $9, and $18 denominations from a hotel desk, gas station, or convenience store. Cellphones can be rented at the airport by the day for local and international calling. The two main carriers are Digicell and Setarnet. Rates are $8 per day for the first 5 days and $5 for each subsequent day. Additional charges for outgoing and incoming calls apply.

Time -- Aruba is on Atlantic Standard Time year-round. For most of the year, the island is 1 hour ahead of Eastern Standard Time. When the United States is on daylight saving time, the time in New York and Aruba is the same.

Water -- The water, which comes from the world's second-largest desalination plant, is pure and absolutely safe to drink. Bottled water is widely available.