We have some AA miles to use and we were looking at direct flights from DFW. We like to fly direct if possible rather than wasting full days traveling. We are beach people and love the Caribbean. I saw that AA offers direct flights to both St. Thomas and Aruba. We have never been to either… any opinions on the two places? Which has the best beaches/water?

We aren't into All Inclusives. We like to be beach bums and eat and drink at local restaurants/beach bars.

Virgin Islands are awesome but I agree that St Thomas is not great. Ferry service over to St. John is easy and way better than St Thomas. You can also ferry over to the BVI. Virgin Gorda is one of my favorite places.

+1 for St. John's over St Thomas. And it's certainly worth the ferry ride!

as stated, fly to St. Thomas and get to St. John. Most relaxing beach vacation my family takes. Going back for a 3rd trip with the kids in July.

Thanks for the advice so far. We actually had a similar trip planned a few years ago but had to cancel due to a hurricane that hit there. We had planned on going to St John then too.

From my small amount of research it looks like Aruba is very touristy too with lots of large resorts and casinos. Anyone have any input on Aruba?

St. John has been my favorite trip, Turks Caicos a close second. Highly recommend taking a catamaran to the BVIs and snorkeling. We haven't been back since we have young kids but plan to once they are fine hopping in a Jeep to beach hop!

I wouldn't say Aruba is overly touristy. I went back in July 2022 and had a great time. Baby Beach is very beautiful if you don't mind driving around the island. My gf said it was her favorite island trip between Turks, Aruba and St. Croix. Mine was Turks but not by much.

I will add my vote for St. John, with one slight variation. Because so much of it is US national park, the ladies in our party found food and drink options limited compared to St. Thomas. On St. Thomas, we stayed in a condo on Cowpet Bay. Beautiful location, and it was only a few minutes drive to the Red Hook area, which had lots of bars and restaurants. The ferry to St. John is right there also, and the ferry ride to St. John is short. I think if we were doing it again, we would stay where we stayed in St. Thomas, ferry over to St. John for the day, and then back to St. Thomas for the better dinner options.

Been to Aruba a couple of times, but not St. Thomas so hard to compare.

I like Aruba and have met several expatiates there who enjoy the lifestyle.

Climate in Aruba is different then I expected, it is basically a desert due to its location near the equator.

No need for a car, but I would rent a jeep for a day and take a tour around the island.

We stayed on Palm Beach and there are several restaurants within walking distance.

Passport required to go between USVI and BVIs?

Yes.

Another vote for St. John. We were on the fence about which USVI to visit last year. Everyone on this board recommended STJ and we weren't disappointed to say the least!

Check out the Rosewood property on Little Dix Bay. AA flies directly into Tortola from MIA and they will ferry you over.

https://www.rosewoodhotels.com/en/little-dix-bay-virgin-gorda

We ended up booking Aruba today. My wife was leaning that way so that's what we did. Thanks for all the help!

Aruba is a very safe island. We stayed in a VRBO at Eagle Beach and rented a car that we drove all over the island. It isn't tropical like some have already mentioned. The beaches and water though are beautiful.

My wife and I did Aruba in 2019. We stayed at and Airbnb at the north end of the island.stayed away from the resorts and went to the beaches up north. Very pretty. We'd venture to Oranjestaad for dinner and went to the south end for snorkeling. The beaches at the east side at impressive but not for swimming. Best low stress vacation I've ever had.
Had preflight lunch at a Colombian restaurant called Los Cafeteros. Excellent and filling.

The demographics are interesting there. There is a large Chinese population that seems to own most of the businesses outside of the tourist center.

Aruba's Eagle Beach is tough to beat. Plenty of AirBnBs or VRBOs that are beachfront. Look at Oceania Residences. Walkable to many resorts that are located on that end if you want to grab a bite or happy hour.

Super Food or Lin & Sons are the best groceries stores there. Don't go anywhere else.

The beach over by the Marriott and the Ritz are really nice as well and calm if you want a change of scenery or grab a piña colada at one of the resort bars.

There's another beach at the NW end of the island that has sea turtles.

A little dodgy but still safe are some ribs at Baby Back in Oranjestad.

Lima Bistro for some great Peruvian. Driftwood for great fish. The Krystal casino has some great burgers. Otherwise gamble at the Hyatt or the Ritz.

Zeerovers on the way to Baby beach and the natural arch is a must. Great fresh fried fish.

Happy to answer any questions, I've spent a bunch of time down in Aruba and Curacao.

Almost forgot, get you some Pastechis for breakfast or snack. Very good Gouda cheese and Dutch products as well.

Thank you for all the info! We are staying in a hotel/resort on Palm Beach. We had some airline/hotel points gifted to us so we are basically getting a free trip but the hotels were limited. But again… all free. We did the free breakfast option at the resort but will be eating out for all other meals. We plan to rent a jeep/car one of the days to tour the island.

Any small local dive bars that are a "must" on the island?

Zeerovers was a great locals favorite on the southwest side. Fresh fish from locals is unloaded from small fishing boats and cleaned then cooked in an open kitchen. You pick the fresh fish you want and then they cook it for you. The line can be long but moves quickly. It is very casual and was my favorite meal. It's also cheap compared to most of the other restaurants I went to.

I am looking at Oceanside Residences, what condo would be reccomended for two adults?

Are taxis readily available?

Oceania is right on eagle beach. Great location between hotel zone and Oranjestad. Taxis are generally available but I always rent a car.

What car rental agecy do you use?

Thank you

I've used Alamo