Car Rental in Las Vegas – The Best Tips for Maximum Savings

Petr Novk

For cheap car rental in Las Vegas, I recommend visiting the McCarran Rent-A-Car Center near the airport. The non-stop facility is 3 mi from the airport and houses all the major rental car companies. Free blue and white vans run from the airport to the centre at regular intervals, stopping at the airport public transport stop.

Car Rental in Las Vegas – The Best Tips for Maximum Savings

  1. Tricks for Getting the Best Price for Car Rental in Las Vegas

    Several factors contribute to the cost of car rental in Las Vegas.

    🗓️ When Is the Best Time to Make a Car Reservation

    From my own experience, I recommend booking your car 1-2 months in advance of pick up. This is when car rental is usually the cheapest.

    For example, the comparison site RentalCars gives users the option to cancel an existing reservation at any time and without any fees. This makes it possible to rent a car and cancel the reservation at any time if the itinerary changes. In addition, RentalCars offers users a guarantee of the lowest car rental price.

    ⏳ Current Demand Affects the Price

    Rental prices are influenced by the demand for cars, which is highest during the summer months, when the Las Vegas area traditionally sees the most tourists. In the short term, prices are higher around national holidays when Americans come to Las Vegas to relax.

    When booking a car, always keep in mind that the rental period is a multiple of 24 hours. For example, if you picked up your car at 9am but returned it at 10am, you would be charged for one hour’s rental for the whole next day. This practice applies in all car rental companies.

    🗺️ Car Rental Location

    The relatively high competition from car rental companies at McCarran Airport is pushing prices down, so this location is worth preferring over, for example, rental companies on the Strip.

    Airport car rentals have the added advantage of eliminating the cost of traveling downtown on the first day and back on the last day of your rental. So it may be worth choosing them even if the car will be slightly more expensive there.

    🏎️ Class of Rental Car

    The cheapest cars on offer usually fall into the Economy class, with the downside of limited luggage space and less passenger comfort. For longer road trips, cars in the Intermediate and Large classes are better suited, and are usually only 10% more expensive.

    The SUV class is about a quarter more expensive compared to the cheapest cars. Large cars with a high chassis provide the best comfort, which you’ll appreciate on long road trips when you’re inside for several hours a day. Ford Mustang and other convertibles are classified by car rental companies as premium class, which tends to be at least 100% more expensive than the cheapest cars.

    The table below shows the approximate prices of the cheapest car rentals in Las Vegas. The prices are for 24 hours and I actually found them, for a car rented within three months of writing this article.

    Economy Large SUV Convertible
    Economy Car Rental Car Rental Medium or Large Size SUV Car Rental Convertible Rental
    from $47 from $37 from $54 from $59
    🔁 Update Price 🔁 Update Price 🔁 Update Price 🔁 Update Price

    🔞 Age of Drivers

    Drivers aged between 21 and 24 years old must pay an additional fee when renting a car due to the higher risk of damage to the vehicle. Each car rental company sets the fee differently, expect to pay $16.00 to $37 per day of car rental.

    Younger drivers aged 18 to 20 will either not rent a car at all or will be charged an even higher fee.

    ☂️ Insurance Included

    Collision (CDW) and liability (SLP) insurance is already included in the rental car price in Las Vegas. The advantage for the driver is the zero deductible, where they pay nothing in case of damage. Always read the terms and conditions carefully before signing a car rental contract, especially the section on exclusions.

    🛰️ Additional Charges for Accessories

    You can add more or less useful accessories and services to your rental car. The most important is a second and possibly even a third driver, who you can take turns with on long journeys. Car rental companies in Nevada charge $11.00 up to $13.75 per day, and it is quite common to cap the fee at $65 for the entire rental period.

    Should damage occur to the car while it is being driven by a person not named in the contract, the insurance is not valid. The full amount of the damage would then be recovered from the person who caused it.

    When travelling with younger children, it is worth considering buying a child seat or booster seat; rental companies offer both in different sizes.

    On the other hand, it is unnecessary to pay for mobile internet, which you can always have access to thanks to Airalo‘s eSIM. Also dispensable is GPS navigation, which can be replaced by the Google Maps app on your phone.

  2. A No-Obligation Car Rental Price Calculator in Las Vegas

    Never book a car with the first Las Vegas rental company you come across. It most likely won’t be the cheapest. Always compare prices from several car rental companies, e.g. RentalCars.com does this automatically. In addition, it guarantees customers the lowest price for their rental car.

    You can make a no-obligation rental price calculation using the form below. It compares the prices of all major car rental companies in Las Vegas.

  3. Cheap Car Rental Brands in Las Vegas

    ◻️ Car Rentals at Las Vegas Airport

    The rental offices at Harry Reid International Airport (formerly known as McCarran) are located in a separate building in the desert, about 3 mi south from the terminal. Car rentals are open 24 hours a day, and a free shuttle will take you from the terminal to them.

    On arrival at Terminal 1, pass through the baggage claim and proceed to the 1st floor, the shuttle bus platform is located near doors 10 and 11. At Terminal 3, the platform is on the ground floor, and to exit the airport, go through doors 51-54 in the western part of the building and doors 55-58 in the eastern part.

    Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National, Payless, Sixt, and Thrifty all have locations at the airport.

    ◻️ Car Rentals on the Las Vegas Strip

    The rental agencies on the Strip are smaller and usually part of hotels. Avis and Enterprise have the largest presence in downtown Las Vegas, but you may also find a few Sixt, Dollar or Hertz rental counters.

    Car rental Rating
    Alamo Rent a Car Alamo Rent a Car 8.7/10
    Avis Car Rental Avis Car Rental 8.2/10
    Budget Car Rental Budget Car Rental 8.1/10
    Dollar Car Rental Dollar Car Rental 8.3/10
    Enterprise Rent-A-Car Enterprise Rent-A-Car 8.6/10
    Hertz Rent a Car Hertz Rent a Car 8.3/10
    National Car Rental National Car Rental 8.6/10
    SIXT Rent A Car SIXT Rent A Car 8.3/10
    Thrifty Car Rental Thrifty Car Rental 8.3/10
  4. Tips for the Best Road Trips Around Las Vegas

    1️⃣ Red Rock Canyon

    Red Canyon National Preserve is just 20 mi and a 25-minute drive west of downtown Las Vegas. As the name suggests, Red Canyon is characterized by deep red rock formations that tower over the surrounding desert.

    If you like outdoor activities, you’ll find a great place to go here. More than 30 hiking trails of varying difficulty crisscross the preserve, and there are also bike trails with beautiful views. If you prefer views from behind your car window, you can take the 13 mi long Red Rock Canyon Scenic Drive. There is a fee to enter the road and advance reservations are required, so think about it early.

    2️⃣ Hoover Dam

    Located right on the Nevada/Arizona border about 37 mi driving southeast of Las Vegas, it is one of the most interesting structures of the 20th century. Hoover Dam was completed in 1935 and can hold as much water as flows through the Colorado River in 2 years.

    You can see the dam from the outside for free, but I recommend pulling a few dollars out of your wallet and taking a guided tour of their bowels. You’ll learn interesting tidbits about the history of the structure as well as one chilling fact about the first and last worker who died during construction.

    3️⃣ Grand Canyon National Park

    The Grand Canyon National Park is located 252 mi east of Las Vegas, and takes approximately four and a half hours one way.

    If you have enough time, I recommend not to rush and stop at other national parks on the way. Within driving distance of the Grand Canyon are Zion, Capitol Reef and Canyonlands.

    4️⃣ Death Valley National Park

    Death Valley National Park is a place of extremes. It is the hottest, driest, and lowest national park in the USA, located about 131 mi km west of Las Vegas, a two and a quarter hour drive.

    Especially during the summer months, the park experiences extreme conditions, with temperatures reaching up to 122°F. Pack plenty of water in your backpack and visit Badwater Basin, with an elevation of –282 ft the lowest point in North America.

    5️⃣ Joshua Tree National Park

    If you’re planning a road trip of the west coast, you probably won’t miss the 261 mi long road connecting Las Vegas to Los Angeles. Part of it can be done on the legendary Route 66.

    During the trip, I recommend to drive about 62 mi and visit Joshua Tree National Park. The park mixes two desert ecosystems – Mojave and Colorado – and is characterized by shortleaf yuccas. The trees resembling overgrown succulents gave the national park its name and for me personally they are one of the symbols of the western USA.

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