The ABC Islands (Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao) are a group of Caribbean islands roughly 25–70 km off the northern coast of Venezuela. All three belong to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, but each holds a different political status: Aruba is a constituent country, Curaçao is also a constituent country, and Bonaire is a special municipality of the Netherlands proper. Visiting all three adds three to the country count. On top of that, Aruba’s capital Oranjestad has the only passenger rail line in the Dutch Caribbean—a streetcar. I made a one-night trip to the ABC Islands to combine country-counting with rail coverage.
Route Planning
Getting to all three islands requires inter-island flights. An airline called Z Air operates a through-flight from Curaçao to Aruba via Bonaire in the evening. Z Air is a small regional carrier based in Bonaire, flying Saab 340B turboprops (34 seats).
Building the itinerary around this flight, the route mostly decides itself. Fly from New York to Curaçao International Airport (CUR), then take the evening Z Air flight through Bonaire to Aruba. Stay one night in Aruba, ride the streetcar the next morning, and fly home. The reverse route (Aruba in, Curaçao out) would mean arriving on the same day as the tram attempt, with no way to predict the travel time to the tram stop or whether it would be running. Arriving the night before and having the full morning was the safer option.
I used a JetBlue direct flight for the New York–Curaçao leg. In-flight Wi-Fi is free on all JetBlue flights, so the six-hour flight was workable. The return was on United Airlines from Aruba to Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). Aruba’s airport has US preclearance, so you arrive as a domestic passenger.
Itinerary
Curaçao
Arrived at CUR at 14:41. Immigration took about ten minutes. Got a passport stamp. Curaçao: counted.
About four hours until the Z Air departure. The restaurant options inside the restricted area were limited, so I ate at Panda Express before going through security.
After clearing exit immigration, I headed to the security checkpoint. Several flights seemed to overlap, and the line took about twenty minutes.
I then went to the VIP Lounge, accessible with Priority Pass, but it was full. A KLM flight to the Netherlands was about to depart on a wide-body, and its business class passengers had priority. I got in once KLM boarding started. The lounge itself is not large, but the food selection was decent.
Z Air Flight 683
Left Curaçao on Z Air Flight 683 at 18:30. A bus took us from the gate to the apron, and we boarded via stairs. Most of the passengers were tourists. The flight runs CUR → BON → AUA as a single service: it lands at Flamingo International Airport (BON) in Bonaire, picks up and drops off passengers, then continues to Aruba on the same aircraft. No assigned seats—open seating.
I stayed on the plane in Bonaire. I didn’t go through immigration, but I confirmed the Flamingo International Airport terminal through the window. Counting Bonaire as reached.
It was a night flight, so there was nothing to see outside. CUR to BON took about 30 minutes, BON to AUA about 45. Arrived at Queen Beatrix International Airport (AUA) in Aruba at 20:15. Took a taxi to a hotel in downtown Oranjestad. USD is accepted everywhere.
The Tram That Didn’t Run
The next morning, I walked from the hotel to the Welcome Plaza tram stop. About twenty minutes. The old town has cobblestone streets with almost no car traffic—easy walking.
The Oranjestad Streetcar (Tram van Oranjestad) opened in 2012 and runs a single-track loop from Welcome Plaza near the cruise terminal through downtown to Plaza Nicky. Nine stops total. Free to ride. It’s essentially a tourist line for cruise ship passengers, and the schedule shifts depending on cruise arrivals and the day of the week. The official website notes that “hours are subject to change depending on the season; check with the information desk outside the Cruise Ship Terminal.” Typical operating hours are Monday through Saturday, roughly 10:00–17:00. No service on Sundays.
I arrived at the stop, but nothing was moving. I asked a streetcar staff member nearby. He said the tram wouldn’t start until the afternoon because it was Friday—they run evening service on Fridays, so the start gets pushed back. “Weather’s bad too, wait a bit,” he added. A brief squall came and went while I waited. The tram never moved. My return flight was at 14:50, and factoring in security and preclearance, I needed to be at the airport before noon. I couldn’t wait any longer. I gave up.
I took an Arubus public bus from Oranjestad Bus Terminal to the airport. Almost everyone on the bus was local. The fare is $2.60. You can pay in USD, but change comes back in Aruban florins (AWG).
Departing Aruba and US Preclearance
Queen Beatrix International Airport (AUA) separates US-bound and non-US-bound passengers at check-in. The US Check-In Terminal is to the right of the arrivals hall; all other international flights check in on the left side.
The US-bound process works like this. Check in at the US Check-In Terminal, then clear Aruban exit immigration. Next is the security checkpoint, which is shared between US-bound and non-US-bound passengers. Past security, there was a Panda Express, so I ate there. Then on to preclearance, where you go through US immigration.
Preclearance was smooth. Note that during the Gateway 2030 airport expansion, entry to the US Check-In Terminal is managed in time slots starting three hours before departure. Arrive early.
United Airlines Flight 1039 to EWR. About four hours. After landing, I exited the airport through the domestic arrivals flow.
Next Time
The tram remains unridden. As a tourist line, its schedule isn’t fixed until the day of. Monday through Thursday likely offers the best chance, with service starting around 10:00. Fridays can see a delayed start due to evening operations. Sundays are off. Next time, the day of the week and on-site confirmation will be critical.
Three ABC Islands countries: counted. The tram will have to wait. Though honestly, I’m not sure I’d come back just for this tram alone.