After landing in Vegas, you and your friends/family want more flexibility to see the local sights, right?
No problem.
Though pick-up from other locations is feasible, stick with getting your car from McCarran Airport after you land. Trust us, the last thing you want to do is deal with cramming your luggage into a taxi when you could have had a rental waiting for you.
Once you've checked into your hotel, here's what you need to know:
Maps ? Buy a local map beforehand or snag one from the rental company?you don't think you'll need one until you're searching for an alternate route back to your hotel at 11 PM on a Friday and the Strip is backed-up over 90 minutes.
Gas ? See the roads that run parallel and straight through Las Vegas Boulevard (the Strip)? The further you take them, the better the gas prices look.
Mileage ? Generally speaking, you will not need a car with unlimited mileage. There are only so many places one can drive before hitting mind-numbing desert.
Best Times To Drive ? Depends on where you're going. Sure, the Strip is manageable at 9 A.M. on a Tuesday, but the highways are filled with rush hour traffic. The best times to drive around and outside of Vegas are usually weekdays between 11-3 P.M. and after 8 P.M. (except the Strip).
Parking ? Don't worry, every casino has free parking garages that fill up throughout the day.
Attractions ? Though a myriad of tours are available for reasonable prices, having a rental car allows you to see the sights of Vegas on your own schedule. Which is why we heartily recommend taking one day to do it all. Take I-515 South from Las Vegas and you'll end up at the Hoover Dam. Back in Vegas, take SR 159 down to Red Rock Canyon. Though it gets obscenely hot in the summer, the natural beauty of Red Rock is not to be missed. Finally, a trip to the Ethel M Chocolate Factory is in order. Located in Henderson, it was founded by Forrest Mars Sr., the man behind the Mars bar and M&Ms.
