Do I need a rental car for a 5 days in Vegas?

[fluff]

If I'm there for 2-3 days, I'd get a car, because the cab fare back and forth is almost the same as a compact rental.

For 5 days it's going to start to be more expensive. If you're planning on staying on the strip most of the time you have very convenient travel options anyway (monorail, trolley etc). If you do plan an out of town trip, get a rental for just that day.

Also, expedia.com has had consistently lower prices for the exact same flight/hotel combo than travelocity.com in the past for me.

[Toro]

My last trip to LV with my brother this question came up. I thought we should have rented and my brother said add up all the taxi fares we paid and it turned out to be considerably cheaper than what it would have cost to rent a car.

[joeboe2001]

You are much better off winning one at the slots.

[lozen]

Its so cheap to rent a neon there and cab fares are ridiculous. Depends on what you plan on doing? If its just to and from the airport and maybe a trip to the clearence outlets just cab it. If you decide to rent the lines can be long if you do not a express membership

[sternroolz]

Keep this in mind: normal trip downtown is $25-30 via cab depending on traffic. To Bellagio/Mirage area of the strip is quite a ways from NYNY as well. If you can get a compact for $10-15 a day, I think its worth it.

[wonderwes]

You can get a rental online for $20 a day. Its not that much. Depends how many places you go around Vegas.

[RollaJ]

Walking Sucks, Cabs are Expensive, Rental may Suck too. The only time I had a car in vegas was about 10 years ago when I went with my mom, and she rented a car (We stayed at Palace Station so we sort of had to).
Renting may be a bit cheaper, but from what I remember some of the parking lots are really far from where you want to be in the casino. At least when you take a cab they drop you off right in front, and there are so many, that they are always there waiting for you when you want to go somewhere.
......AND of course you cant get hammered if you plan to drive, might ruin a night or two

[pheasant tail (no 18)]

[ QUOTE ]
I thought we should have rented and my brother said add up all the taxi fares we paid and it turned out to be considerably cheaper than what it would have cost to rent a car.

[/ QUOTE ]
Way cheaper. I much prefer having wheels. Vegas is a good place to hop around, if you have to spend $15 each way just to check something out, you are less likely to do so.

I got a great deal w/ one of the online travel sites that added up to like $60 extra for car for 5 days. The cabs to and from the airport alone would be close to $40 and that line you have to wait in for a cab can be intense when you want a drink in the casinos now.

[sternroolz]

[ QUOTE ]
Walking Sucks, Cabs are Expensive, Rental may Suck too. The only time I had a car in vegas was about 10 years ago when I went with my mom, and she rented a car (We stayed at Palace Station so we sort of had to).
Renting may be a bit cheaper, but from what I remember some of the parking lots are really far from where you want to be in the casino. At least when you take a cab they drop you off right in front, and there are so many, that they are always there waiting for you when you want to go somewhere.


[/ QUOTE ]

It's called valet. Valet in Vegas = free. Tip the valet $1. If you tip the valet $2, they will almost always hold the door open for you and close it for you.

[MicroBob]

If I go back again I might strongly consider renting.

About $12 or so to get from one side of the strip to the other via cab.

About $8-$10 just to get from Treasure Isl or Bellagio to the Rio.




If (ummm....make that WHEN) I get super-sloshed somewhere and don't want to drive back I assume I can just leave my car with the valet-parking and pick it up the next day or whatever, right?


Even doing it THAT way...driving there and then cabbing back, is going to be cheaper than cabbing it both ways IF you have plans on doing this once or twice.


Walking is okay...but it really is kind of a pain sometimes.
The walk from even the Bellagio to the Wynn is an example.
It's short enough where I just can't justify cabbing it.
But it's long enough that in 100+ degree Vegas summer heat it's a bit inconvenient.
If I had a rental then driving from one front-door to another would be a no-brainer.


And if you want to go from Wynn or Paris to Mandalay or MGM then you HAVE to have some sort of transportation.
The mono-rail stuff wasn't quite doing it for me.
And the cab fares DO add-up.

$25/day for a rental would probably be worth it imo.