Heading to Vegas for the weekend in a couple weeks and wanted to get some input. In the past, I greatly preferred renting a car, as parking WAS free, cabs were high priced, and I liked to grind at many different venues, some on-strip & some off.

With Uber in Vegas now, I am more apt to just use that to go everywhere. But I wanted some input before deciding.

Factors:
-Staying at Harrah's for 3 nights with fiancée. I get free parking with my TR tier level.
-Rental would be about $50-55 plus gas used. Total, not daily. Wow, car rental is cheap in Vegas these days.
-Rental would still require the pain in the arse double shuttle (unless I took Uber to the rental location, I suppose)
-Visiting downtown once for sure, maybe going to Red Rock but not certain, everything else would be on the strip.
-We will be together about 60-70% of the time and I'll be playing poker the other 30-40%.

What's your play here?


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Me and my wife go twice a year and always rent a car but we have free parking at both Ceasars and MGM props. Our trips are a week long. If we were going only for three/four days we might not rent.
We like going to that Mexican place at SouthPoint for lunch a few times during the week so a car is handy. We also drive to Calico canyon for some easy hiking sometime during the week, this helps to break up the trip and it's nice out there.

I’ve rented a couple of times. Uber / Lyft all the way for me now.

Renting –
- Google Maps does not do a good job of leading you to Casino parking.
- Driving around a city I don’t know is stressful – I’m on vacation and just don’t need that
- Picking up a car is 30 - 45 minutes of screwing around

Uber / Lyft –
- Never waited more than 5 minutes
- Pick up at the airport is no problem
- Half the cost of a cab
- Drivers were pleasant
- Lyft was offering $50 sign up - $5 per ride discount

If you don’t go to Redrock, Uber / Lyft is a no-brainer.

Don't over think it just use Uber/Lyft 10x easier for 3 days. PS Red rock may have a shuttle.

If you get into an accident with your rental car, driving an unfamiliar city with the worst drivers in the country, you're screwed. If you get into an accident in an Uber/Lyft, while riding in an unfamiliar city with the worst drivers in the country, you'll get a very nice settlement. Hopefully neither happen.

I live downtown and an Uber/Lyft to the Airport, no surge, is about $12. I can get to the Encore Poker room for $7, and anywhere on the strip for <$10. The biggest caveat when going somewhere on the strip is that you're more than likely going to be dropped off in a better location for entering the casino.

I rarely drive my own car if I have to go on the strip, or to play poker.

Ok you guys convinced me. Uber/Lyft sounds like the way to go for this trip. Thanks for the help. Didn't realize the fares were so low on the ride shares. Very nice.


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WAT? There's a good Mexican place at South Point?

They have a lunch special that includes a Margarita for under $10. Its called Baja Miguels. It's not fancy, but we like it for lunch. They also have $5 blackjack that pays 3/2. Only open Wed-Sunday.

Thanks. I found their menu, looks good. Wish I could stay there more often but their room prices are kind of spendy.

Staying 14 days in mid to late May. I was in the tank on this, but ultimately decided to get a rental since I enjoy a rip once in a while and having drive-thru burgers and whatnot. Additionally, renting cars in Vegas is cheap and I am used to paid parking, so nbd.

Lyft and uber drivers will take you to a drive thru

One thing to consider....when renting or having your own car- add cost of tipping the car valets. several in-n-outs at $3-5 can add a twenty-forty-spot to your calculus very easily. I almost always drive my own there, and pick her up on the flight in from Sacramento. On that night, I like the car out front for me when its time to go to McCarran. So....you tend to pay for that privilege.

Its pretty solid for how cheap it is, used to go there quite a bit never a bad meal.

Granted this was 3+ years ago but I'm sure its still good

Uber / Lyft for sure! Went to Red Rock from Excalibur with a friend and paid $18 one way so $9 per person (this included a $5 discount). What a joke!



You might also want to check my website http://uberinlasvegas.com/ so you know where you need to go when you ordering an Uber or Lyft, most hotels have a special Uber/Lyft pickup spot.

Enjoy your stay and go to Red Rock, it's great (especially the buffet hehe)!

No way am I ever renting a car in Vegas again with Lyft and Uber basically being free.


At best renting would be break even financially but no waiting on line to get the car, dealing with bs upsells, wasting time getting in an out of lots,getting raped if I want to change the dates of my rental etc

It looks like the fare from the strip to Red Rock was $20.50. That puts it $41 round trip. And that's spending the whole day at Red Rock. If you divide your day into 2 different venues (pretty typical for me), that can easily get to the $50-$75 per day range. Renting seems like a better deal. Especially if you add maybe going to an off-strip dining location.

A bunch of rental car places have outlets in hotels on the strip. If you want to do a bunch of driving on one day you can likely get a car for just the day. For normal casino hopping I'd rather use uber/cabs. Back before uber I'd be reluctant to go to not too far off strip places like Pinball Hall of Fame but now with uber you can call a car pretty quickly and easily.

^^this^^ for sure.

Uber and Lyft are great for quick one way rides, but if you're doing any amount of driving, rental is the way to go. You can get decent cars from $13/day. 95% of credit cards also offer rental insurance as a standard benefit, as well as your own comprehensive/collision insurance covering you in a rental.

long trips = rental
short hops = uber or lyft

Traffic, valet and parking all suck, especially when its 100 degrees outside. Add in a possible DUI if you drink and Uber is a no brainer.

Correct. Per Ben on Veep, Uber is for lazy millennials who couldn't be bothered to learn how to drive drunk.

On-strip parking garage fees tip the balance even further towards uber.

It works fine & not renting a car is the easy/cheap choice.
Disclaimer: I like walking, and rarely tourist far off-strip, I'd rather be degen-ing. Pinball hall of fame is worth it, tho.

If you're not looking to venture far off strip, I'd say uber is best.

Locals who advocate Uber/Lyft should be aware that Uber/Lyft will make more and more people be like you, choosing to tourist on-Strip and skip the off-Strip places.

To be frank, I have no skin in the game. My last 3 trips were 100% on-Strip. And it totally coincided with not having a car.

I forgot that key piece of info, so I schlepped all the way out there for nothing.

Do you guys Tip the drivers? I keep hearing not to tip them because uber does not condone tipping for their drivers, but i feel cheap if i dont tip...