Driving the open roads of the Western United States was a dream come true for me. Part of what made this an unforgettable trip was the car rental at Las Vegas Airport.
If you’re thinking about taking a West Coast USA road trip, keep reading, because here you’ll find my top tips to rent a car in Las Vegas.
Ultimate guide to car rentals at Las Vegas Airport
Although there are a lot of interesting things to do in Las Vegas, if you want to explore the many surrounding areas, I recommend you hire a rental car in Las Vegas.
Of course, if you don’t want to drive, you still can enjoy the fabulous hotels in Las Vegas since the city has a good public transportation system. You can also visit the Grand Canyon without driving thanks to the many Grand Canyon tours from Las Vegas.
However, if you prefer to explore the surroundings of the city on your own, find a cheap car rental in Las Vegas, Nevada. I’m sure you won’t regret it!
To help you out, I’ll tell you how to rent a car in Las Vegas in this guide.
- How to rent a car in Las Vegas
- Where to rent a car in Las Vegas
- Cheap car rental in Las Vegas, Nevada
- How much does it cost to rent a car in Las Vegas?
- Best road trips from Las Vegas
- What type of car to rent in Las Vegas
- Tips for renting a car in Las Vegas
How to rent a car in Las Vegas
Tourists flock to Sin City all year round, so if you want a cheap car rental in Las Vegas, book it in advance.
We booked ours with Rentalcars. As we explained in our guide on how to get cheap rental cars, this online search engine offers car rentals in Las Vegas for 15-20% less than traditional rental companies.
How to rent a car in Las Vegas
Put simply, when you go through Rentalcars for a Las Vegas car rental, you’ll spend just a fraction of what you’d pay with Avis, Hertz, Budget, Alamo, and other companies.
The Rentalcars platform is quite intuitive and helps you find the cheapest rental car in Las Vegas. All you have to do is select the days, times, and the pick-up and drop-off locations.
Moreover, the search engine has several filters so you can find all-inclusive rental cars in Las Vegas that suit your preferences. Rentalcars will show you all the available options, as well as the rental company that offers each option.
If you want to check that you’re getting the best price from Rentalcars, you can compare the cost by going to the rental company’s website. In our experience, Rentalcars always offers the best deal.
Where to rent a car in Las Vegas
If you arrive in the city by plane, the most convenient thing to do is pick up a car rental at Las Vegas airport.
Keep in mind that some rental companies are about 10 minutes outside the main airport terminal, but there is a free Airport Shuttle you can take.
Another possibility is renting a car at a Las Vegas hotel or from one of the companies that rents cars on the Las Vegas Strip. However, it was easiest for us to pick up a cheap car rental at the McCarran airport.
This is usually the best option in terms of convenience and price. Keep reading for more tips for finding the cheapest rental cars in Las Vegas.
Cheap car rental in Las Vegas, Nevada
As I mentioned, the Rentalcars platform ensures you get the best deals compared to renting the car directly with the most popular rental cars companies and other local agencies. However, their insurance policy isn’t the cheapest, and it’s not the official insurance of the rental car company.
Cheap car rental in Las Vegas, Nevada
Without official rental car insurance, you’ll have to pay for any damages to the vehicle while you’re renting it. With the insurance from Rentalcars, you can file a claim so they can reimburse you for any expenses covered in the policy. That said, it’s much cheaper and easier to purchase insurance directly through the rental company.
To rent a car in Las Vegas, complete your order on Rentalcars without purchasing insurance. Then, when you pick up your rental from the company, they’ll ask if you want to add any insurance. This is when I recommend opting for the comprehensive insurance policy.
If you’re traveling from outside the country, I also recommend getting the best travel insurance for the USA in case you incur any medical expenses during your trip.
When looking for where to rent a car in Las Vegas, there are a few other things to consider. Besides booking in advance, choose the full-full fuel policy in which you receive the car with a full tank of gas, and you return it with a full tank.
In addition, purchase only the miles that you plan on traveling, and decide on a time to return the vehicle. Remember that returning the car to a different location than the pick-up spot usually costs extra.
Finally, if the primary driver is over 25 and has a license that’s over three years old, it’s much easier to find cheap rental cars in Las Vegas.
How much does it cost to rent a car in Las Vegas?
The price of a car rental in Las Vegas depends on the vehicle you choose, how many days you rent it for, and the insurance you purchase.
These factors can increase the price:
- Your chosen fuel policy (Tank-free or Full-full)
- Adding a second driver
- Choosing a different drop-off location from the pick-up place (One-Way Fee or OWF)
Before booking your rental, be sure to plan your entire trip so you can avoid unexpected fees.
How much does it cost to rent a car in Las Vegas?
We reserved our rental car in Las Vegas for 10 days, and with Rentalcars, it cost $465.
When we picked up the car at the rental company, we chose the full insurance policy for $245.
Also, they applied the One-Way rate ($55) since we were going to return the vehicle at a different drop-off location to make the most of our trip.
The total price for our car rental in Las Vegas, Nevada was $765 for 10 days.
Best road trips from Las Vegas
Las Vegas is the perfect place to start a West Coast USA road trip. So, it’s no surprise that, in addition to the luxury car rentals in Las Vegas, the city is one of the most popular places to rent cheap RVs in the USA.
There are many great national parks near Las Vegas, so you’ll never get bored. If you need some Vegas Road trip ideas, here are the most popular routes to take with a rental car from Las Vegas.
Rent a car in Las Vegas to visit the Grand Canyon
Renting a car in Las Vegas means you must visit the Grand Canyon. While the trip may be longer or shorter depending on which area of the canyon you visit, the West Rim is just 2 hours (125 miles) from the city, so you can’t miss it. Plus, it’s where you’ll find the famous Skywalk.
Rent a car in Las Vegas to visit the Grand Canyon
If you’re short on time, you can even do a Grand Canyon helicopter tour. Without a doubt, it’s one of the most popular things to do, so you must rent a car in Las Vegas and go to the Grand Canyon.
We’ve even written a guide on the best road trip to Grand Canyon from Las Vegas so you can explore all the different options.
Rent a cheap car in Las Vegas to visit Antelope Canyon & Horseshoe Bend
Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend are about 280 miles from the city. With a cheap car rental from Las Vegas, you can see these two natural wonders on the same day.
Rent a cheap car in Las Vegas to visit Antelope Canyon & Horseshoe Bend
To plan the best trip, I recommend visiting Antelope Canyon in the middle of the day and then watching the sunset at Horseshoe Bend.
It takes about 4.5 hours to get there, so I recommend spending the night in Page. You can read our guide on where to stay in Page so you can sleep soundly and then continue your route.
Monument Valley Road Trip from Las Vegas
Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend are halfway between Las Vegas and Monument Valley. Therefore, I suggest adding this incredible place to your itinerary if you plan on having a rental car in Las Vegas, Nevada for more than two days.
Monument Valley Road Trip from Las Vegas
Alternatively, you could combine Monument Valley with some other phenomenal places along the West Coast, although this will lengthen your journey. Check out my 10-day West Coast USA itinerary for some more ideas.
Explore Death Valley with a rental car from Las Vegas
Death Valley is another excellent option if you’re looking for routes to take in a rental car from Las Vegas. It takes just two hours to get there, and it’s one of the most unique places on Earth.
Explore Death Valley with a rental car from Las Vegas
If you decide to visit Death Valley National Park, be aware that there is only one gas station there, and it’s quite pricey. It’s best to come here with a full tank of gas.
Hire a car in Las Vegas to visit Bryce Canyon
One of the best things you can do if you’re going to drive a rental car in Las Vegas is visiting Bryce Canyon. This national park is 260 miles from the city, so it takes about four hours to get there. However, the landscapes you’ll see along the way are otherworldly and totally worth the drive.
Hire a car in Las Vegas to visit Bryce Canyon
Also, there are several hotels in Bryce Canyon, so if you’re going to rent a car in Las Vegas, you might want to combine a visit to this national park with the next place I’ll describe below.
Road trip from Las Vegas to Zion Canyon
Visiting Zion Canyon is another great option. This popular hiking spot is just an hour’s drive from Bryce Canyon and three hours from Las Vegas.
Road trip from Las Vegas to Zion Canyon
We chose to visit both national parks on the same day, although if you have more time, you can stay in Zion overnight.
Either way, this place is a must-see while hiring a rental car in Las Vegas.
What car to rent in Las Vegas
When planning our West Coast trip, we decided to look at cars for rent in Las Vegas. Since our trip was 10 days long, we reserved a vehicle large enough to fit our camping equipment and luggage. We went for a Chevrolet Malibu and, honestly, it was quite affordable and cozy for the 2,485 miles we covered on our first 10-day West Coast USA road trip.
However, when we go back to the city, we’ll rent a 4×4 car in Las Vegas since we want to visit the more inaccessible parts of Death Valley.
Regardless, the Rentalcars search engine has plenty of cheap Las Vegas car rentals for any type of trip. Also, if you’re thinking about renting an RV in Las Vegas, we have another guide full of different choices and tips.
What car to rent in Las Vegas
On another note, be aware that when you pick up your rental car in Las Vegas, it might not be the exact one you reserved on the website. This sometimes happens during peak season because lots of tourists are renting similar vehicles. If that happens to you, the rental company will give you another rental of equal or higher quality for the same price.
Tips for renting a car in Las Vegas
To sum up, here are some other tips for renting a car in Las Vegas:
- Plan ahead and reserve your rental car in Las Vegas in advance. Lots of tourists visit this city throughout the year, so the rental company may run out of your preferred type of vehicle. Also, if you book last minute, the price may be higher.
- Use Rentalcars to find the cheapest rental car in Las Vegas, but don’t purchase insurance from them. Instead, buy a policy when you pick up the vehicle. Keep in mind that if you get comprehensive insurance, you can drop-off the vehicle without waiting for a representative.
- Return the car at the specified time and location and adhere to the fuel policy you selected to avoid extra fees.
- Don’t forget your passport and driver’s license. If you’re traveling from outside the US, you will need an international driver’s license to rent a car in Las Vegas if your driver license is printed in a non-Roman Alphabet (Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Cyrillic etc.).
- To pick up a car rental in Las Vegas, you’ll need a credit card for the security deposit. Debit cards aren’t usually accepted. Rental car companies typically ask for a deposit between $100-$500, but you’ll get the full amount back if you return the vehicle without damages.
- Most car rental companies in Las Vegas only rent to people over 21 years old and with a driver’s license that’s at least a year old. If you don’t meet these requirements, check with the company beforehand to ensure you won’t have issues picking up your vehicle.
Advantages of hiring a rental car in Las Vegas
Unlike other U.S. cities, Las Vegas’ tourist areas are well-connected via monorail, as you can see in this map of Las Vegas. However, the highlights of Las Vegas, in my opinion, are the places you can explore outside of the city.
While there are many day trips from Las Vegas that you can take without driving, it’s best to have a rental vehicle so you can go at your own pace. Also, you won’t have to deal with parking fees since most hotels offer free parking.
Remember that the city is in the middle of a desert, so temperatures can reach 120ºF. You’ll appreciate a car rental in Las Vegas when you can drive comfortably rather than walk outside or ride the bus!
Yet, the best thing about traveling in an all-inclusive rental car in Las Vegas is that you can take any route you want, whenever you want.
I hope you enjoyed these tips on renting a car in Las Vegas! If you have any more questions, leave a comment, and I’ll be happy to help.
Safe travels!
