Car Rental Las Vegas

Renting a car in Las Vegas can save you money!

Unless you plan on staying in one location, renting a car in Las Vegas can make your visit much more flexible, time-saving, stress free, and maybe even save you money!

A neat trick for saving money right off the bat is finding a better hotel deal a little off the beaten path or in another hotel rather than where the convention is being hosted.  With a rental car you can drive to where you want to go, enjoy all the high-priced frills without paying the high location price, and park for free.  Yes, unlike just about any other city in the world, in Las Vegas almost all

of the parking is free!  Every casino on the Strip offers free parking, though sometimes the lots can fill up.  Even downtown, there is free parking at many casinos.  Just be sure to get your parking ticket validated at the cashier’s box.  Often this is a “do it yourself” process,  there’s a box on the counter that you can stick your ticket in and it will stamp it.

Of course, where you stay can be all part of the “Vegas Experience,” so this will have to be a personal choice.

However, no matter where you stay, you have to realize that Las Vegas is a spread out city, not a confined resort.  Attractions are located throughout the Las Vegas Strip, downtown, Fremont Street Experience, Boulder Highway, and the outskirts, therefore, chances are what you want to see will be miles away from each other.

The price of a rental car for one weekend ranges from about $22 a day for economy and mid-size cars up to $100 for vans, SUVs and luxury cars.  Expedia has some of the best Las Vegas car rental deals.

Car Rental Office at Your Hotel

Many of the major Las Vegas hotels have an onsite car rental office. Note that it will be for only that particular car rental company. So if you have a preference, check our Car Rental Las Vegas Strip to see if you will be satisfied with the cars available at your Hotel.  Cost and convenience are the two big advantages of renting a car from your hotel rather than the airport.

Car Choice will Save You Money

Las Vegas may be luxurious, but if you do not need a luxury car or have the need to show off in a Ferrari (nothing wrong with this – see renting exotic ), then it is better to drop the sports car and focus on a smaller family car instead – it will not only cost you less, but will also help you save a lot of money on gas. You can get an economy class car for little over $20 per day, which is more than affordable if you travel to Las Vegas with your family and you are looking for a safe, comfortable and cost-effective ride.

Make A Reservation

One of the biggest mistakes tourists tend to make is that they do not make a reservation before arriving and they simply go to the nearest car rental facility, hoping to get lucky. This is not a good choice especially around major events or conventions, or around the holiday season when Las Vegas tourism explodes.

How to: Car Rental Las Vegas Airport

Before you go wandering off looking for the car rental counters at the airport – STOP!  Unless you stumble across the signs and board a bus, you won’t find them, because the Las Vegas airport has joined the modern trend of locating car rental facilities off site in another building.

The car rental counters at Las Vegas McCarran Airport are located in a huge dedicated rental car building  at 7135 Gilespie Street.  To keep it clear and simple, Las Vegas has named the  car rental location: McCarran Rent A Car Center, or Rent A Car Center for short.   Located  about three miles from the airport, free shuttle bus transportation will get you there in about 10 -12 minutes.

Rental Car Pick Up

Depending on your arrival terminal you will need to do one of the following:

For Terminal 1

From Baggage Claim, follow signs to Ground Transportation on Level 1. Exit thru either doors 10 or 11 and go to the center median. Board the McCarran Rent-A-Car center blue and white shuttles. You should not have to wait much more than 5 minutes.

For Terminal 2

From Baggage Claim, follow signs to Ground Transportation on Level 0. Exit thru any West doors 51-54 or East doors 55-58. Board the McCarran Rent-A-Car center blue and white shuttles. You should not have to wait much more than 5 minutes.

McCarran Rent A Car Center

All the major car rental companies have a counter here and usually ample cars available – except around New Year’s and during some of the major conventions like the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Week (November. 120,000 attendees) and International CES (140,000 attendees).  However, for all other times, in Vegas talk, play it safe and “increase your odds” and “go for the sure bet,” make a reservation first!  Here are a couple good options for making a Las Vegas car rental reservation: Expedia.  PayLess.

Unless you are a member of a premium car rental club, be prepared to wait in a long line.  Note that car rental rates vary just as airline fares and hotel rates.  Many factors contribute to this so, again – “your best bet” is to already have your car rental reservation before arriving in Las Vegas.

After completing your standard car rental paperwork, you should not have too much trouble finding your rental car from the directions provided by the counter person.  That does not go the same for finding you way out and about of the Rent A Car Center and towards your destination in the quickest fashion – even with a GPS!  In fact, it would be best to take a couple minutes to completely understand this before you even start your rental car.  There is no sense driving circles around the airport area eating up a lot of valuable “Vegas” party time.

Rental Car Return

Upon arriving at the McCarran Rent-A-Car Center, follow the signs to the Rental Car Return entrance off of Gilespie St. Follow the signs overhead leading to the specific car rental company. After returning your vehicle, proceed through the lobby and out the main entrance to the blue and white McCarran Rent-A-Car Center shuttles which depart about every 5 minutes.

Become Familiar With The Driving Directions

A common mistake people tend to make is relying too much on their GPS or missing a road trying to watch it. There is always a lot of traffic in and around the Las Vegas airport, and this can be very confusing if you are unfamiliar with the area. So sometime before you leave the parking garage, make sure have a basic understanding of your driving directions for your destination.

 Leaving Las Vegas airport – Important Car Rental tip!

Here is a priceless Vegas Street Scene tip that will help get you to your hotel while every one else is still stuck in  airport traffic or lost circling the airport like a plane looking for a place to land.  TIP: If your destination is Las Vegas Strip, Las Vegas Strip area, Downtown, Red Rock Canyon or Summerlin, then upon exiting the Rent A Car Center, enter Gilespie Street, BUT don’t follow the signs to The Las Vegas Strip, I-15 and I-215 which will lead you to a major traffic jam.  After you turn right (south) on Gilespie Street, get in the first left turn lane and make a U-turn heading back the other direction, or make the turn around as soon as you comfortably can – back to the north on Gilespie Street.

NEXT – Once you are heading north on Gilespie Street, one of the following options below will get you out of the airport area the quickest and on to your destination.  You will need to verify how to specifically get to your destination via GPS or one of our maps from each point indicated.

GOING To: Las Vegas Strip South & Central,  hotels east of the strip (Hard Rock, Terribles,) Convention Center, the University (UNLV) or Boulder Highway.

1.   Heading north on Gilespie Street, turn onto George Crockett Road following the signs leading, yes,  “to the airport” then going thru a tunnel.

2.   After the tunnel you will be on Swenson Street coming up to the intersection of Tropicana and now out of the airport congestion.

3.   You need to have directions to your destination from the intersection of Swenson Street and Tropicana.  Turning left on Tropicana will take you towards Las Vegas Strip South.  Going straight on Swensen and Crossing Tropicana will take you towards the Hard Rock, Terribles, University, Convention Center.   NOTE: You can also get to Central Las Vegas Strip – Turning left onto E. Harmon Ave. will go to Planet Hollywood on the Strip, turning left on Flamingo will go to BAlly’s, Bill’s Gamblin Hall, Bellagio, Caesar’s Palace.  Turning right on Tropicana will take you to Boulder Highway (Sam’s Town, East Side Cannery).

GOING (North) To: Las Vegas Strip North, Downtown or hotels west of the strip (Orleans)

1.  Heading north on Gilespie Street, cross over the bridge (I-215 is below).

2.  Turn left on Hidden Well Road.

3.  Take Hidden Well Road to I-215 westbound.

4.  You need to have directions to your destination via I-215 westbound.

 

GOING (Northwest) To : Red Rock Canyon and Summerlin.

1.  Heading north on Gilespie Street, cross over the bridge (I-215 is below).

2.  Turn left on Hidden Well Road.

3.  Take Hidden Well Road to I-15 northbound.

4.  You need to have directions to your destination via I-15 northbound.

 

Vegas Street Scene Tip #2:  DON’T FOLLOW VEGAS STREET SCENE TIP #1 if you are going to Henderson  or Las Vegas Boulevard South. 

If you are going to one of the above mentioned destinations, then here is what you do (and it is worth repeating DO NOT GO NORTH – u turn- on Gilespie Street!

GOING (South) To: Henderson

1.  Turn right on Gilespie Street from the Rent A Car Center exit.

2.  Turn left at the first traffic signal – Warm Springs Road.

3.  Take Warm Springs Road to I-215.

4.  You need to have directions to your destination via I-215.