Ok, the question might seem odd but it isn't for me.

1st trip in the US, and 1st trip in Vegas in a couple of days (omg !).

Want to rent a car for this stay in Vegas to ride around (Red Rock Canyon, Hoover Dam..).

I'm considering renting a car upon arriving in Vegas, 25 of august.

Pros :

- don't have to return to the airport the day after to pick up the car, so I'm winning time and money (cause I would have to take another cab to get to the airport).

- If I'm long hauled it's by myself (not a big deal )

Cons :

- I don't know the city
- I don't know how people drive there
- I don't know the way from the airport to the Venetian (ok, I looked on google map, so I know I have to take Swenson then paradise then LV bld, but I would have to search for them none the less ^^)
- I'll be exhausted after 10h30 of plane trip from Europe.

Many more cons than pro but the only one pro seems very important too.

If I rent a car upon arriving, next day I can wake up cool having already the car, just thinking at what I'm gonna do and not "I have to find a cab, not be scammed again like the day before (lol), pay a second ride".

So, what would you do ?

Risky to rent a car after a long plane trip (I'm arriving at 6:15 pm local time and it will be 3:15 am here in Europe), by night, and knowing nothing of the city and the way ppl drive ?

Thanks !

You don't have to rent at the airport. Some hotels (maybe even Venetian) have rental car counters there and there are other off airport locations around town. Check into that.

Thanks Demdau5.

That is true, but I'd like to rent via Priceline and they only have renting cars at the Airport

And since I'd like to rent a convertible, PL seem good to have good prices

Assuming you can't get the car at the Venetian, don't worry about finding it after you leave the rent-a-car pick up place from the airport - three rights out of the garage and you're on the strip, head north and you won't miss the V - it's not like it's subtle.

OTOH, call the V, ask for the rent-a-car desk and check rates - it may be cheaper than even priceline, as you dodge the fees tacked on by the airport authority. I rented a caddy from the TI for about $27 a day that would have been 2x that or more going from the airport pick up.

MM MD

Thanks for your reply.

Rent a car desk at the V cheaper than PL ?? I thought nothing could beat PL "name your own price" ! (I'm a bit confused)

Well I guess you'll have to take a cab to the rent-a-center. Don't overthink this. Usually daytime is downtime in Vegas anyhow at least for me.

Not sure to have understood (sorry, english isn't my mother language).

You mean it's safer to pick up the car and drive in Vegas during the day instead of the evening when I arrive ?

Avis is located at the V, but prices are high and all convertibles are sold out.

Checked the other Cies but convertibles prices are such that I'm confident I can have a better price with PL.

So, is it safe to rent a car upon arriving at the airport after the flight and whithout knowing anything of Vegas or would you wait till the day after by day ?

The airport went to a Soviet-style central rent-a-car facility a few years back, and if you rent there you will be dinged for 33-40% of the base rental in additional overcharges. However PL is still almost always the cheapest, and the convenience of being able to ride the free shuttle bus from the airport is a time-saver. The price PL quotes you immediately before you click on "Buy Your Rent-a-car Now" displays all taxes and fees. But shop around. I have recently been renting at off-airport locations through Costco.com and the difference is worth the cab fare to the location. I think you can still return to the airport without an additional charge.

If it were me i'd get it the next day. And the airport rent-a-center is close so it's not that big a deal.

The lowest effort solution is to rent "at the airport". A shuttle bus will take you to the rental site, so getting google directions from the airport does you no good. But, as others have said, the rental site is only 1 block from the Strip, so navigation will be easy. Returning is also easy via the freeway (I-15), there are plenty of signs telling you where the rental center is. Get a map at the rental desk anyway.

As for how people drive, mostly like idiots. But I don't know how they compare to Bangkok drivers.

Arriving at 6:15, you would probably get to the rental center by 7 pm, so there will be almost an hour of daylight left. Not that it matters much because the area of the Strip you'll be driving on mostly is so bright you can read a newspaper without a light.

Just try not to stare at all the bright lights too much while you're driving like all the other idiot drivers.

None of all the rental Cies are inside The airport ??

I have to take a shuttle to get to them ??

My suggestion would be to use a Priceline search that includes rental sites at and away from the airport with pickup the day after your arrival. Use the taxi ride from airport to hotel to assess the Vegas driving conditions. Pickup the car the next day when you are fresh, and then just drive around for a couple of hours until you're comfortable.

Driving tips: Constantly check your blind spots, don't change lanes until you're sure it's clear, the situation changes constantly! Don't exceed the speed limit even though everyone else is going 15mph over it. Be prepared to STOP! Buy a good mapbook or GPS, plan the route to your destination. Good luck!

Yes. No cars or rental counters exist at the airport. All are at the Clark County-operated central rental facility.

If you can survive Bangkok traffic and craziness you will 100% be able to make it in las vegas. And it seems like you can speak pretty good english.

In general you don't have to be scared of 'getting scammed' on by taxi cab drivers like you do in Bangkok. They all have meters and its not 'name your own price like bangkok'. The worst thing that could happen is you get long hauled and lose a couple bucks.

I would 100% rent a car if i were you for the full 3 days. Anybody w/ any interest to see red rock and/or hoover dam needs to get a car.

FYI we don't honk our horns in america warning people as we pass them =]

Right, and it's nothing to worry about. The bus ride takes 10 or 15 minutes, and there are plenty of buses. The good thing is that the rental center is easier to drive to and from than the airport is.

Hey thanks all !!

Ok, so I undestand it's better to wait for the day after my arrival to rent a car. Too bad, it would have been so convenient otherwise..

That is not possible : PL only has car at the Airport. You can't chose any other place to rent a car.

Yeah that makes sense, thanks !

Many thanks for the tips !

So boring !! Pfff !

Well, in my opinion having to take a bus from the airport to get to the rental area seems so unconvenient !

Nothing worse than driving in BK, I agree.

Is "Take me to the Venetian but don't take the tunnel. Take Swenson and Paradise please" the good magic formula not to be scammed (hope that doesn't sound tourist/fishy to give that path to get to the V ?) ?

3 days enough to see : Red Rock Canyon + Hover Dam + Outlets ? Was thinking about 4 ou 5 days rental... Too long ?

Good to know, thanks !!

Im not saying its impossible to get a better deal off-airport. But in general off-the-rack you're going to find the major chains prices on and off airport about the same (there are more taxes at the airport, but prices are higher off airport)

Anyway, if you rent via PL, that question does not matter anymore : you're renting @ the airport + prices are best you can find.

Just get your car when you arrive. You're wasting time, energy, and money making a separate trip to pick it up later. Although you'll be a bit tired from your flight, the drive to your hotel is short and easy. You'll be glad you have your car once you've rested from your long flight. Trust me on this. You don't want the hassle of going back to the rental counter later. The sooner you take care of all of your administrative tasks, the sooner you can enjoy your vacation!

Yep, you're really overthinking this. Just pick up the damn car when you get there, drive to the Venetian, enjoy your vacation.

And when he says you have to take a bus to get to the rental center, he means a shuttle that picks you up at the airport and drops you off there. It's not like you have to sit and wait for some city bus. It couldn't be simpler. You have to go off-site to pick up a rental car at pretty much any large airport.

Remember that you can turn right whenever unless it has a sign that you can not turn right on red. Don't forget that the traffic lights are on the other side of the road. That are two things that are different than in Europe, not sure about Bangkok of course.

Just grab the shuttle and than the rental car right after you arrive, it's super easy. And if you don't want to, just take a cab and don;t be afraid to be long hauled or whatever. Just grab the taxi and tell him he can drive you over the strip, it's your first time and it's an amazing sight. Worst that can happen anyway is that it will cost you like $10 extra which should't bother you at all anyway since you're in Vegas and it's ring to be expensive.

I've picked up rental cars in Vegas after flying in from Tokyo - not much different. The part where you feel tired is the shuttle ride to the rental center. And if there's a line at the counter.

Once I get the car, I always perk right up. As folks have said, it's extremely easy to get to the Strip, and then you just cruise up, take in the sights, and pull in when you get to your hotel. Traffic tends to slow down on the Strip in the evenings so just take it easy, you'll have no problems.

Get the car the evening you get there.

You CANNOT turn right "whenever". You have to treat it as a stop sign. You can turn right after stopping if it's clear and you have right-of-way.

Ok guys, so I rent a convertible for 7 days from the evening I arrive in LV.

My plane lands at 6:15pm and I will pick up the car at 7:30 (wanted to have time and not be in a hurry as I don't know the airport, the shuttle etc...)

More convenient finally to rent the car as soon as I arrive so that I don't have to think about it anymore and the day after I won't have to get back to the airport.

Had a very good price for the car !

Cheers all !