West - Reno car rental question

I'm going to be in Reno for a few days. Most of what I am doing is in the central part of the city, so I don't really need a car. But the major reason for the trip is doing something in Carson City (and possibly checking out Virginia City) and I am reasonably sure I do need a car for that.

My question is whether I should rent the car at the airport or downtown. Usually downtown rentals are cheaper because they don't include additional airport fees. But sometimes it can be hard to find downtown rental places that are open on weekends. (I probably need the car just on Saturday.) Given how close downtown is to the airport, maybe that isn't the case in Reno?

Any advice? If it makes any difference, I think I'll be staying at the Silver Legacy.

There's a Hertz HLE in the lobby of the Silver Legacy. My recollection is that it is open until 2pm on Sundays. If the Hertz website weren't down yet again, I could confirm that.

Weekend rates in the winter for non-SUV/Minivans are really cheap, usually.

If you go to the Web site of the individual rental companies, and click on locations, you should get a list, with their hours. I looked, and Avis has a location at "Double Diamond" that is open on Saturdays and Sundays, though no all day. Some sites, such as Hotwire and Southwest, give you the option to request a location in the "city" or at the "airport" so should let you know if there are downtown locations open at the time you desire. How convenient that is to where you'll be, you'll have to research.

I gather this is a roundtrip rental. Some companies, such as Enterprise, don't normally do one-way rentals except from airport locations.

Downtown is very close to airport. You may want to rent a car for 24 hours on arrival at airport with downtown return or vice versa.

It looks like the only downtown car rental that is even feasible is Hertz at the Silver Legacy. While they close at 3, they offer late drop-off. But, since their price is significantly higher than other companies, just renting from the airport makes sense and gives me more flexibility.

Not only is the airport close to downtown, but the rental garage is incredibly convenient - right across the street from baggage claim. No shuttle, just about a 2 minute walk.

You can rent from Enterprise on Mill Street. It is a $6.50 taxi ride from the airport or about a 15-20 minute walk. Rates are much cheaper. I live in Prague but am from Lake Tahoe and when I am in Reno for a month or two, I always rent long term from these guys.

You can rent from Enterprise on Mill Street. It is a $6.50 taxi ride from the airport or about a 15-20 minute walk. Rates are much cheaper. I live in Prague but am from Lake Tahoe and when I am in Reno for a month or two, I always rent long term from these guys.

They're not open on the weekend according to their web site.

I've got a reservation from the airport, which is simpler.