The Complete Las Vegas Car Rental Checklist, Tips & Tricks

Copyright © 2006 Karin Manning

There is a lot of money to be saved by taking the time to learn some tips and tricks for getting the best Las Vegas car rental for your money. Follow these simple car rental savings tricks and you will have more money to spend on your Las Vegas vacation.

Check with your credit card company to find out if it has free or discounted rates for the Loss/Damage Waiver coverage when you use that credit card for rental payment.

Make sure you have a valid driver's licence for driving around Las Vegas.

If preferable, ask for a car rental that has a trunk rather than a hatchback. The last thing you need is thieves being able to see all your personal belongings.

Call your existing car insurance company to find out what coverage you have under that policy when renting a car in Vegas. This way you will be able to decline some insurance coverage that Las Vegas car rental companies offer you and save on your hiring cost.

Always check a rental car when you first get into it. Point out any existing damage to the car before you pull out of the car space.

Make sure you are familiar with how that car operates. Locate things like the gas tank, wipers, lights, horn, direction signals, gear shift and make sure they are easy to operate and not faulty. Also make sure the car manual is in the car.

Make sure you have a good map and detailed directions.

Make sure you ask the car rental company the following 7 questions:

1. Are there any discounts available?

2. Do they charge an airport shuttle fee for customers who arrive by shuttle?

3. Do they give unlimited mileage and what are the conditions?

4. What are the booking requirements for the lowest rates?

5. Is there a surcharge for additional drivers?

6. Is there a limit to how far you can travel in the car?

7. Are there any drop off charges?

Las Vegas car rental charges can fluctuate as often as Las Vegas hotel room rates. They are usually their lowest two weeks before Christmas and at their highest throughout January.

If your visit coincides with a convention you may not be able to get a rental car at all.

If you are planning a Las Vegas vacation during a quieter time of year you may benefit by using trying out these various Las Vegas car rental techniques:

Book your car weeks in advance. From 2 weeks before your arrival phone a selection of Las Vegas car rental companies to see if they can offer you a better deal. If they can, cancel your original reservation and book at the new lower rate.

Don't book a car rental until you get to Las Vegas. You may find that you don't need a car very much at any rate because you will be spending most of your time on the Strip. You may end up only wanting a car for one or two days. If so, have a look at Las Vegas magazines, newspapers and coupon books for the best Las Vegas car rental discounts. Phone around for availability when you have found the best deals.

Check the in-flight magazines for Las Vegas car rental coupons. You can usually get information about coupons by calling toll-free numbers of airlines. Reserve a car rental for the first 24 hours only. Make sure you can pick up the car at the Las Vegas airport and that you can drop it off at one of the locations on the Strip without paying any additional charges.

While in Las Vegas, look at all the coupon offers for Las Vegas car rental and reserve a car for the last 24 hours in Las Vegas. Make sure you can pick up the car on the Strip and return it to the airport without penalty.
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