Frommer's Las Vegas 2004

GETTING AROUND 57
Flamingo, Venetian/Harrah’s, the Convention Center, a separate stop at the LV
Hilton, and the Sahara. There will be a spur that will connect Circus Circus and
the Stardust in 2006 and the Downtown link is scheduled for 2007. An extension
to the airport is in the works for after that.
So if you do get caught in some of the resulting construction traffic mess, just
remind yourself, it’s all for a good cause—and swear never to use a car again once
the monorail is up and humming.
BY CAR
We highly recommend that visitors rent a car. The Strip is too spread out for
walking (and Las Vegas is often too hot or too cold to make strolls pleasant),
Downtown is too far away for a cheap cab ride, and public transportation is
often ineffective in getting you from point A to point B. Plus, return visits call
for exploration in more remote parts of the city, and a car brings freedom (especially
if you want to do any side trips—bus tours are available, but a car lets you
explore at your own pace rather than according to a tour schedule).
You should note that places with addresses some 60 blocks east or west from
the Strip are actually less than a 10-minute drive—provided there is no traffic.
That said, if you plan to confine yourself to one part of the Strip or to Downtown,
your feet will suffice.
Having advocated renting a car, we should warn you that the growing population
means a proportionate increase in the number of cars. Traffic is getting
worse, and it’s harder and harder to get around town with any certain swiftness.
We’ve included a list of particular traffic danger zones in the “Chopper Tom’s
Traffic Tips” box below, but a general rule of thumb is to avoid driving on the
Strip whenever you can, and avoid driving at all during peak rush hours
(8–9:30am and 4:30–6pm), especially if you have to make a show curtain.
Parking is usually a pleasure, because all casino hotels offer free valet service.
That means that for a mere $1 to $2 tip, you can park right at the door, though
the valet usually fills up on busy nights. In those cases, you can use the gigantic
self-parking lot that all hotels have.
RENTING A CAR
National companies with outlets in Las Vegas include Alamo (& 877/227-8367;
www.goalamo.com), Avis (& 800/230-4898; www.avis.com), Budget (& 800/
527-0700; https://rent.drivebudget.com/Home.jsp), Dollar (& 800/800-3665;
www.dollar.com), Enterprise (& 800/736-8227; www.enterprise.com), Hertz
(& 800/654-3131; www.hertz.com), National (& 800/227-7368; www.national
car.com), Payless (& 800/729-5377; www.paylesscarrental.com), and Thrifty
(& 800/847-4389; www.thrifty.com).
Car-rental rates vary even more than airline fares. The price you pay will
depend on the size of the car, where and when you pick it up and drop it off,
the length of the rental period, where and how far you drive it, whether you purchase
insurance, and a host of other factors. A few key questions could save you
hundreds of dollars:
• Are weekend rates lower than weekday rates? Ask if the rate is the same for
pickup Friday morning, for instance, as it is for Thursday night.
• Is a weekly rate cheaper than the daily rate? Even if you need the car for only
4 days, it may be cheaper to keep it for 5.
• Does the agency assess a drop-off charge if you don’t return the car to the
same location where you picked it up? Is it cheaper to pick up the car at the
airport compared to a Downtown location?