USA Hire car question

JenIttels

Hi.

Me and OH are staying in Las vegas for a week in November and I would like to know whether it's best to book a hire car in advance (in the uk) or to wait until we get there and do it on the spot.

We don't know how much we'll actually need the car (3 days maybe) which is why i'm tempted to leave it for now but the hire car websites claim that they offer a discount for internet booking when compared to just showing up.

My oh has looked into it more than me and reckons we can get a car for a week for around $200.

I've also heard that if you book the economical/compact class of car then ypu'll probably get a free upgrade as these types of car are rarely acutally kept in the airport by the car hire company.

Cheers all.

kittykat100

When you get to the airport in Vegas as you come through you will find Hertz, Avis, Dollar etc. You can also hire cars from the hotels and there is a place on the strip that you can hire Ferraris and Lambourghinis! but they are a tad expensive lol
We spent around £500 to hire a car for a week but we had a big 4 x4.
Here is a tip for you... use the valet carparking, (its free but just tip a couple of bucks!) great value!
Hope you have a fabulous time, we are looking to go again in the next 6 months, let me know if you get a good bargain.!

Kittyx

JenIttels

Actually we were looking at hiring a ferrari for a day to get married in but we may have to bow out (especially as you only get a max mileage of 75miles for 24 hours) as we seem to be spending far too much money already!

I believe you can pay $10 for a 'hummer experience' somewhere on the strip where you can race around in a Hummer on a little race track for a few mins!

kittykat100

Ohhh i didn't see this when we went that sounds fun!
Where are you getting married?
OH and myself are looking at getting married in Vegas when we are both divorced lol!
It is such a fabulous place... I really love Vegas and when i win the lottery i will buy a penthouse over the looking the strip! ... in my dreams... sigh!

othermanmi

Many of the hotels have car companies right in the building. We stayed in the wonderful Mandalay Bay in June and rented our car at our leisure without all the queues at the airport. We went with Dollar and it wasn't a Ferarri but I'm sure they could organise it.

We had a Dodge Caravan with GPS/DVD all luxuries and it was only $194 for a week, with no mileage limits. We travelled up to Mammoth Lakes for the snow!

Burtie_2

You ought to do a compare at https://www.travelsupermarket.com

Personally, I'd think it's better to book in advance. For USA you'll need/should-take Suplementary Liability insurance (as well as CDW etc) - their are so many "options" that are never included if you book direct with the rental companies.

Airnet.co.uk and HolidayAutos also (used to) offer free/cheap upgrades to include second driver and a full tank of petrol.

JenIttels

kittykat100 wrote:

Ohhh i didn't see this when we went that sounds fun!
Where are you getting married?
OH and myself are looking at getting married in Vegas when we are both divorced lol!
It is such a fabulous place... I really love Vegas and when i win the lottery i will buy a penthouse over the looking the strip! ... in my dreams... sigh!

We haven't decided on a location yet. The ferrari was going to be for a drive thru wedding (we were embracing the tackiness!) but I think we've put that idea to bed now.

We're looking at outdoor venues but our ideal one would be the grand canyon helicopter type wedding (way way out of our price range).

choosing a location has been fun!

JenIttels

othermanmi wrote:

Many of the hotels have car companies right in the building. We stayed in the wonderful Mandalay Bay in June and rented our car at our leisure without all the queues at the airport. We went with Dollar and it wasn't a Ferarri but I'm sure they could organise it.

We had a Dodge Caravan with GPS/DVD all luxuries and it was only $194 for a week, with no mileage limits. We travelled up to Mammoth Lakes for the snow!

That sounds like a bit of a bargain. Will have to investigate.

fatboyonadiet

http://www.dreamcarrentals.com/cars-fordmustang.php $48.50 a day, can't be bad! Just got back from Vegas and would not recommend a car, don't need it. You can get the shuttle from the airport for $7 and the Deuce bus runs all day up and down the strip, $2 a trip or $5 for an all day pass, think the monorail is $15 for an all day pass but only covers south end.

Some tips on this thread: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=191210 but it is long and does include LA as well.

I booked via Hertz for LA and went via Quidco, got an extra £8 cashback, got an upgrade to a Nissan 350Z Coupe as well! I had booked a pretty standard car as well.

Burtie_2

It depends upon what you want to do in Vegas - I wouldn't go there without a car - many hotels aren't on "the strip" and even if they are, it's a big strip (you try walking Mandalay Bay to The Stratosphere)!

There's an Outlet centre at Primm (40miles south), Hoover Dam, Death Valley etc all really requiring a car.

And Vegas is very "car friendly" - parking at Casinos is free (unless you use the valet option).

waster_2

I'd definitely recommend a car in Vegas. The strip is a night time thing. During the day you'll want to get out and about. As well as the attractions/sightseeing mentioned above I'd also say Red Rock Canyon and Mount Charleston are worth a visit.

As also said the Strip is very long and all the hotels etc (except at Freemont Street) offer free and valet parking.

I've always found that shopping around and hiring before you go will save £££. Usually the rates quoted by the rental companies stateside exclude all those extras that you really need. That is because it is geared to the home US market where the renters own US car insurance will normally cover when driving a rental car. You would need all the CDW/LDW (now also think about SCDW/SLDW so that you do not get exposed to large excess). SLI, etc. that US drivers would not need. Note you will also be offered PII/PAI or similar. This is the same as your travel insurance and should normally be declined. Additionally you can normally get a free extra driver and a tank of fuel if you look properly.

Enjoy.