• Travel

  • 🇧🇶 Bonaire: bunq Community Travel Tips

✈️ Heading to Bonaire? We've gathered some tips from the bunq community to make sure your trip is the smoothest it can be. 😎

Check them out below! 🌈 👇


Using your card

💳 Do I need cash in Bonaire, or can I use my card everywhere?

Cash is widely used, but cards are also accepted. It is advisable to bring some cash to make sure you can always pay.

💰 What currency do they use here?

The currency here is United States Dollar, Symbol is $ or USD.

🏧 Which ATM’s can I use for free?

The bunq community hasn't reported reported any free ATM's here yet. If you find one, help other bunqers by sharing it here!

💵 If I want cash, how much should I take out of an ATM?

50 USD should be enough for a few days, since you can use your card for nearly everything.

💳 Should I choose local currency or Euros when paying?

If you're asked to choose between local currency and Euros, always choose local currency.

That way bunq does the conversion for you, and you get to take advantage of the best rates with bunq ZeroFX.


Staying connected

📱 Can I roam, or should I get a local SIM?

Most EU mobile plans will charge you for roaming.

If you want to get a local SIM card, you can learn about your options here.


Useful things to know

💁‍♀️ How does tipping work?

It is common to leave a 10-15% tip.

🍺 How much does a 0.5L beer cost?

€2,40

🍽 How much does an average meal cost?

€13,50

🚨 What’s the emergency number?

911

🔌 What type of plug do they use?

This one! It’s the standard American plug.

🚗 What side of the road do they drive on?

They drive on the right side of the road here.

🗺 How do I navigate my way around?

Google Maps and Apple Maps don´t work here!

We recommend Rome2Rio as the best way to find out how to get anywhere. It even tells you the cost of each option. 🙌

👀 Any other good tips?

Do not miss the clear bottom kayak and snorkel tour when visiting Bonaire!


If you've been to Bonaire 🇧🇶 share your experience! The following would be really useful for other bunqers to know:

  • Which ATMs are free to use?
  • What card should I use and where?
  • Any other info you think may be useful.

Share your experience with us in the comments below! 🌈 👇

    2 months later

    Checked with the owner of our apartment and there are no free ATMs on the island. All charge upwards of $3 per withdrawal with non Caribbean cards, so best to withdraw all money you need in one go. 🙂

      21 days later

      Wasn't able to use my Travel Card or Maestro (even though the shop explicitly accepted Maestro) there, but I've been in contact with support and they assured me the issue is being looked into and will be fixed. Had to use my VISA Credit Card from another organization to make my purchases.

        a year later

        Ik kan helaas ook maar met moeite met de travelcard betalen (geeft iedere keer aan dat de pincode onjuist is...). Wel als tip: blijkbaar als het maximum aantal attempts is geweest, wordt de betaling alsnog geaccepteerd....

          @Martijn-Aquamarine-Turtle#205774 Did you use the primary PIN or by any chance the secondary/Dual-PIN?

            10 days later

            Eerst de dubbele code, maar die eraf gehaald en 1 rekening gekoppeld met primaire code. Hij lijkt dan wel bijna overal te werken. Kan dat kloppen?

              @Martijn-Aquamarine-Turtle#207028

              Dat kan inderdaad kloppen. Buiten Nederland wordt de pin vaak alleen gecontroleerd die aanwezig is op de chip. Aangezien een chip maar 1 pincode kan bevatten is dit de primaire pincode. Een secondaire/ pincode ofwel de DUAL-pin werkt alleen als de pincode online wordt gecheckt bij de bank.

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