We will be doing the ';outskirts'; of Las Vegas for 2 days, then staying on the strip fro the remaining 3 days. My original thought was to rent a car for 5 days. But do I need a car for the last three days? How far is the airport from thestrip? I understand there is a monorail, and trolley? Are they efficient modes of transportation to get the downtown area, and any other things I may want to do?
What is the cost for parking?
Should I return my rental car??
Parking is free at every casino I%26#39;m familiar with. Some people swear by having a rental car in Vegas, others see no need. Obviously you will want the car for a trip to Hoover Dam or something like that. But for staying on the Strip and downtown, you really don%26#39;t need it as you can always take the Deuce bus, monorail etc. Still, some people prefer to drive themselves. If you are planning on doing any drinking, you probably want to forego the rental car.
Should I return my rental car??
We did the rental car last time and kept it for 5 days even though we were using it for only 2. We valeted it at TI for 3 days prior to going to visit GVR and to the airport. What you should do is take into account any taxis to and from the airport and if you drop car off early take into account that also. We found that it was almost equal just to keep the car and this also allowed us to go somewhere with the car if we felt like it.
At the risk of sounding like bridge :)
We can%26#39;t tell you what would be best for you....if I was in your place, I would keep the car the full 5 days (BUT THAT IS WHAT I WOULD DO) I like being able to go where I want and when I want to go different places...I%26#39;ve never had a problem parking on or off the strip, and the public parking garages are free and easily accesible to the casinos.
It depends on what rate you are paying for the car I suppose, in our case the daily rate was the same as a taxi to the airport or a days monorail or deuce pass for the two of us. I%26#39;d rather have a car of my own than have to wait in the cold for a bus or monorail if it%26#39;s going to cost the same anyway. Then again we won%26#39;t be drinking.
Does anyone remember the cost of a cab to/from airport? and How much is the monorail? DOes anyone know how to get those 15 dollar a day cars? The cheapest I have found is 29 dollars.
Tamaruny....I rent a car every single time I go!! You could return it if you want......but like Ducky I%26#39;d just keep it. My own personal choice....I like being able to go where I want when I want.
To get cheaper prices....I always use Priceline or Hotwire and do the ';make your own bid'; thing. I just did Hotwire for my trip in 2 days last week and got a compact for $14/day...and normally I can get them for around $10-$15/day up to a midsize using either of those services. They will give you reputable companies when you bid...for Priceline I normally end up with Avis...and Hotwire just put me with Dollar.
You can also go to each rental company website, sign up for free memebership and e-mail offers and check those and specials.
Parking on the strip....valet is easy and free...just be sure to tip when you pick up the car! Also self parking is free and easy at most places. Downtown you can use valet at GN or other hotels....again, be sure to tip.
Tamaruny,
When is your rental? I am picking up a car this Friday from Dollar using rate code RCUD3 (found it on their website) and for a ';Lock Low and Go'; car it%26#39;s $12.35 per day. ';Lock Low and Go'; is defined as intermediate or full size, their preference, but at a price slightly less than an intermediate.
Anyway, the rate varies according to how busy the city is, and it may drop as your date approaches. My reservation dropped $8.20 per day in the two weeks since I reserved it! Fortunately Dollar%26#39;s web site lets you modify an existing reservation to get the new rate.
Also....
Others have posted on here recently that a cab from airport to MGM is around $12 or so....depending on where you are staying on the strip, you can adjust your price from there if you want to see what that would cost.
The Deuce is cheap, but may take you a long time to get where you want to go.
For Monorail information....go here.....
http://www.lvmonorail.com/
Something to think about - if you return your car early to the airport facility, I think you%26#39;ll have to take shuttle bus from the car rental place back to the airport, then take a cab from the airport to where ever you are staying. I could be wrong, I was only there once for pick up and drop off, but I don%26#39;t recall seeing a taxi stand, only the shuttle bus pick up.
So, if you drop your car off early, you%26#39;ll be spending extra time going back to the airport, standing in the taxi queue then going to your hotel. Not sure where you%26#39;re staying, but the price quoted by CO is for MGM so if you%26#39;re staying further way than that, then add a few dollars to this amount. You need a cab back to the airport after your stay is complete, so there is another cab fare.
IMO the Duece (bus) is SLOW and not worth it. I%26#39;ve gone to Vegas with a car and without. Sometimes we never leave the immediate area where we%26#39;re staying. If I%26#39;m going anywhere beyond a quick walk from mid-strip (I stay at Bally%26#39;s or Paris) then I%26#39;d prefer to have the car, or I take a taxi. Downtown on the Duece took an hour - I tried it twice once with my husband and again with friends who were too cheap to get a cab and wanted to do the 24 hour pass. NEVER AGAIN.
With the car you have the freedom of going where you want, when you want. I recommend you keep the car since it is your first trip. If you don%26#39;t, I%26#39;d take a taxi to get around or maybe the monorail depending on where you%26#39;re going and skip the Deuce.
Price for my rental - usually between $15-17 per day. I just reserved another one for my April trip. I rent the compact through Dollar and signed up for the Dollar express where you can bypass the counter. I got to pick any car out of the designated row on my last trip and we picked a PT Cruiser Convertible which was an upgrade for no additional cost.
Have a great time no matter what you decide.
I didn%26#39;t feel like I needed a car, personally, I rented it the first day so we could do a little exploring. If you are on the MGM/Luxor/ NYNY side of the strip you are really close.. maybe 5 minutes on a good day. On the other side of the strip 15 max without traffic. Your taxi ride from airport should be anywhere from 13-30 dollars depending on where you are staying and traffic.
I would just plan my first day when I had the car around the activities I wanted to do that needed a car. We went to Rosemary%26#39;s and went to Las Vegas Motor Speedway our first full day with car then we returned it and didn%26#39;t miss it. You could go to downtown within your first 2 days?
I find the monorail (daily tickets for 9 dollars when I went) too far to be used frequently unless you are at a property with a station. I haven%26#39;t tried the deuce, but heard it%26#39;s better if you are staying far North or South so you can get on while it%26#39;s not crowded. You can%26#39;t get to Downtown from the monorail. You can get to Downtown taking public transportation- but that doesn%26#39;t seem too appealing due to time for me.
Parking is free and even valet with a tip.
For me a car rental is a no-no mostly because both my boyfriend and I like to drink when in Vegas. It is nice to have it for a day or two, but also I wouldn%26#39;t get it because I am under 25 and we have an added fee. Our one day of rental car was like 65 dollars.
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