Frommer's Las Vegas 2004

46
CHAPTER 3 . FOR INTERNATIONAL VISITORS
Impressions
A few centuries from now archaeologists, studying the ruins of our civilization,
will no doubt determine that Las Vegas was an important religious
center, boasting dozens of massive temples to which pilgrims from
afar brought bountiful offerings.
—Andres Martinez, 24/7: Living It Up While
Doubling Down in the New Las Vegas
IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS
CLEARANCE Visitors arriving by
air, no matter what the port of entry,
should cultivate patience and resignation
before setting foot on U.S. soil.
Getting through immigration control
can take as long as 2 hours on some
days, especially on summer weekends,
so be sure to carry this guidebook
or something else to read. This is
especially true in the aftermath of
the September 11, 2001, terrorist
attacks, when security clearances have
been considerably beefed up at U.S.
airports.
People traveling by air from Canada,
Bermuda, and certain countries in the
Caribbean can sometimes clear Customs
and Immigration at the point of
departure, which is much quicker.
3 Getting Around the United States
BY PLANE Some large airlines (for
example, Northwest and Delta) offer
travelers on their transatlantic or
transpacific flights special discount
tickets under the name Visit USA,
allowing mostly one-way travel from
one U.S. destination to another at
very low prices. These discount tickets
are not on sale in the United States
and must be purchased abroad in conjunction
with your international
ticket. This system is the best, easiest,
and fastest way to see the United
States at low cost. You should obtain
information well in advance from
your travel agent or the office of the
airline concerned, since the conditions
attached to these discount tickets can
be changed without advance notice.
BY CAR Though you don’t necessarily
have to rent a car while in Las
Vegas, the most cost-effective, convenient,
and comfortable way to travel
around the United States is by car.
The interstate highway system connects
cities and towns all over the
country; in addition to these highspeed,
limited-access roadways, there’s
an extensive network of federal, state,
and local highways and roads. Some
of the national car-rental companies
include Alamo (& 800/462-5266;
www.alamo.com), Avis (& 800/230-
4898; www.avis.com), Budget (& 800/
527-0700; www.budget.com), Dollar
(& 800/800-3665; www.dollar.com),
Hertz (& 800/654-3131; www.hertz.
com), National (& 800/227-7368;
www.nationalcar.com), and Thrifty
(& 800/847-4389; www.thrifty.com).
If you plan to rent a car in the United
States, you probably won’t need the
services of an additional automobile
organization. If you’re planning to buy
or borrow a car, automobile-association
membership is recommended. AAA,
the American Automobile Association
(& 800/222-4357), is the country’s
largest auto club and supplies
its members with maps, insurance,
and, most important, emergency road
service. The cost of joining runs from
$63 for singles to $87 for two members,
but if you’re a member of a foreign auto
club with reciprocal arrangements, you
can enjoy free AAA service in America.