Las Vegas - Cabs or cars

Taking Mrs. ITRADE for her virgin voyage to La$ Vega$ this coming week. Its going to be a short trip owing to work commitments. Got a great room at the Mirage.

The Mrs. is favoring simply taking a cab to/from the airport and then walking everywhere within range of the Strip and perhaps taking a cab or two for sightseeing - seeing the old part of Vegas (Golden Spike territory) just for kicks.

Ive proposed a rental car - can get the 4 days from Priceline for under $80.

Anyone have thoughts on the tradeoffs between the cab versus waiting for the rental counters, the gas purchase (prepay is a ripoff), and the added transfers? FYI, I don't have status with any of the rental companies as I have not bothered...

If all you will do is walk and dine around the immediate area then taxi would be best. However, after a couple of days she will finish the immediate area. If she likes to shop there is premium outlet shopping on Grand Central Parkway off the 15 freeway about 10 mins from the strip. This would be best with a car.

Car, her legs will be tired from walking after a few days.

I agree with the first responder and the Mrs' plan. You really won't need the car for all 4 days, especially on a first trip. Heck, you might find you won't need it at all :)

I'd let her do what she wants. Then, after a couple of days, you can smile when she complains about her tired legs. Or maybe it works out fine. Parking your car can be a real pain, especially when it's very hot!

Just make sure the cab doesn't tunnel you.

Cars have no place in Vegas. After going for over 30 Years. I have only driven
or rented a few times. Enjoy the time off and dont drive. Cabs are quick and cheap. And maybe instead of the Cab at the Airport. Ask for the Towncar and Limo line. Cab is usually about $ 25.00 with the Airport Fee. The Town Car is usually a flat $ 35.00 and no nasty hot cab line to wait in. Try it.

If Mrs. ITRADE enjoys walking, I would do what she says. I personally have never rented a car as I like to walk alot, and I also like the convenience of hopping in a taxi to get to a restaurant in the evening. I don't like to worry about maps, detours, traffic jams, etc. And remember as soon as you end up in a traffic jam you will be reminded that you have no clue as to how to drive (or at least my wife always reminds me).

Also you may want to go somewhere on the strip that seems a bit too far to walk, but not worth the hassle of getting your car, so you'll hop in a taxi after all. On any vacation I only rent a car if it's necessary to get from the airport to my hotel, taxis aren't easily accessible, or having a car will enhance the experience (scenic drives, etc.). For me, Las Vegas doesn't meet those criteria.

If you plan to walk, just remember that the temperatures are normally over 100 and sometimes as high as 120 this time of year. Drink lots of water.

In my opinion, valet parking is very easy in Vegas and it is free at nearly all hotels. Just tip the valet parker a buck or two.

A car is not necessary - take a cab as needed, though the cost can add up over a week.

Certainly there are lots of places to walk to on the Strip, but you will get sore legs and feet (bring your best walking shoes) after a couple days of walking miles in the heat. For sightseeing, buy a 24 hr pass on the Deuce (public bus) for $7 and get on and off as you please. I would recommend taking the bus to the furtherest point you wish to see on the Strip and then walk back, ducking into casinos along the way to stay cool and hydrated.

We always get a car, but visit many of the local places off strip. If both of you enjoy indulging in alcohol, dont bother with the car as you dont need a DUI on vacation.

Nah, the heat is not that bad. Was 110 last Thursday. Then it was 100 over the weekend. It was exceptionally cool :D.

My rule of thumb has been if I expect more than 2 cab rides a day, then a rental car is cheaper. Though, rental prices have gone up quite a bit lately, so that rule may need adjustment.

For a first time visit, I would say don't bother with a rental car. I think your wife is right that you'll mostly be walking to do your sightseeing, and you can use the bus to skip over some parts of the strip.

You can, of course, just rent a car for day or two. I believe the Mirage has an onsite rental car agency, so you can pick up a car at the casino itself if you want one.

Lots of IF/THEN statements jumbled up in this decision.

If you're staying center strip, cabs can be a good alternative. Heck, you can almost cab to the hotel, walk the whole trip or take the monorail, and cab back to the airport. Paris, Bellagio and Caesars are all perfectly situated for this; Mirage is also very nicely set. Bally's and Bill's are the value choices. (OK, Flamingo and Harrah's too.)

If you wish to use the monorail it's much better to stay at a hotel on the monorail side - Harrah's, Flamingo, Bill's, Bally's, Paris.

If you do rent a car, then try to stay at a hotel where the parking lot is an easy walk. Again, Mirage isn't bad; neither is Bellagio. Paris is a little tougher; Venetian a bit more of a walk; Planet Hollywood is king of the looooooong walk to the parking lot. Of course you can always valet park but then you might have to wait as long as 15 minutes and you're spending money on tips. Again, Bill's is a great value choice as its parking is very close.

If you wish to do any sightseeing or shopping away from the approximately 1.5-mile main strip area, rent a car. This would include things like the Atomic Testing Museum, the factory outlet shopping, doing things downtown, checking out Green Valley Ranch or Red Rock, etc.

(For a quick trip downtown and back the Duece bus is $2 and a good value vs. a cab.)

Cabs are quick and cheap.

In Las Vegas?:confused:

I say plan out your destinations and see if there's really a need for a car. When I was there last Oct. the rental process took 40 minutes, while this March the cab line was long but moved quickly. We usually stay mid-strip and walk about. Cabs are quick and easy in my experience of 25+ trips, but a rental car may come out cheaper if there were specials. If you don't mind public transport, then the Deuce bus is frequent and goes up and down the strip to Fremont too. But if you're doing outdoor/nature stuff, then a car is handy.

There's so much to see on the strip for a first-timer though: shark reef @ MB, white lions and tigers @ Mirage, lion habitat @ MGM, the shops at Caesar's, the Bellagio museum, conservatory and fountains, the TI Sirens/outdoor pirate show, catch an indoor show (-one of the CdSs), have a fabulous dinner (- L'Atelier de JB is fantastic!), boat ride @ Venetian, get a view of Vegas from above @ Stratosphere or Paris ET or Rio Voodoo Lounge, and trying her luck on the tables :D...that I think just cabbing it here and there is fine.

Have fun!

Wow, such passion about cabs vs car rental...

Been to Vegas about a half dozen times now; once with a friend from LA driving us around, once without a car, the rest with a rental. Personally, I prefer having a rental car but my reasons might not align with your first trip to Vegas. [And I typically never rent a car during vacations, except for Vegas and a trip through Tuscany & Provence.]

As a first timer, you'll probably want to spend most of your relatively limited time visiting the strip hotels and Freemont. There's a lot to see along the strip but the blocks are really long. Walking end to end from Stratosphere/Saraha/CC to Mandalay Bay is pretty ridiculous IMO. While seeing everything along the strip might be interesting for a first timer, I'm generally wanting to be more selective & go from A to B. We also like going to off strip hotels, off strip restaurants, In N Out, Las Vegas sign, Outlet Malls, etc which might not be on a first timers list.
Some offstrip hotels have free shuttles but of course you're at the mercy of their schedule. I've taken the bus to Freemont and it's pretty easy.

All hotels have free parking and we generally don't have a problem finding a spot (though we usually go during December offseason).

Traffic on the strip and some of the big "back" streets can be crazy. Unless you're willing to learn some of the better back routes, driving might be frustrating. Even figuring out which way to the parkades of the larger hotels is occasionally confusing.

We've rented from Dollar and Simply Wheelz. If you sign up for Dollar's free loyalty program and book ahead of time online, you can skip the main counter line which has allowed us to bypass line-ups of over a dozen people. We also skipped ahead by booking online with Simply Wheelz. Usually, we book a compact which has been fine for even 4 of us, though with luggage, it gets a bit tight. Our best deal has been about ~$10/day but the taxes and surcharges are pretty pricey. Getting to and from the Car Rental Facility is pretty easy IMO and there's a gas station along the way back.

If both of you enjoy indulging in alcohol, dont bother with the car as you dont need a DUI on vacation.

The best advise of all....and a very good reason to just cab it. If you find that special spot do you really want to stop at one drink? Leave the driving (and the responsibility that comes with it) to someone else.

Jay71 is right on. We have been 3 times. The first time we went for 7 days and did not rent a car. Big mistake. After 3-4 days, if your not careful, lotsa money can get spent in the casinos! That said, a 4 day trip is about right to experience Freemont and the strip by walking and public trans.

The great thing about Vegas is location! At least for those of us on the east coast who never get to experience the high desert. Vegas is so centrally located with a car rental to lotsa good stuff. We now plan 7-14 day Vegas trips and only spend the last 3-6 nights in Vegas itself. Last year we did the Mojave Preserve, Route 66, Grand Canyon/Flagstaff and Death Valley. If she likes walking and outdoors stuff, I cannot tell you how neat the preserve (Kelso Dunes especially) and death valley are, and only 2 hours drive or less from Vegas. Oatman, AZ is also close by and it's a classic old west style town with Burros walking the streets. Even closer is Red Rock Canyon or the Valley of Fire. And all the great parks of Utah are less than a day's drive as well.

Anyway, long story short, for a first time on a 4 day trip, I wouldn't bother with a car. But if you can go longer next time, there's nowhere cheaper you can fly to, rent a car at, and see so much outside of town.

In an "ideal" situation, the big plus with cabs is that you walk out of the hotel and there is NO line and you immediately get in one and are on your way.;)
In the "real" world, there are times, particularly in the early evening (when people are going to shows, restaurants etc.), where there are long lines and cabs trickle in at a snails pace--the wait can be as much as an hour.:td:
Personally, I'm in favor of walking (and avoiding the traffic jams on Las Vegas Blvd) over cabs or renting a car.

Make sure your SO understands how big everything is in Vegas. You may just be walking to the casino next door, but it can be over a half-mile going from door to door for some casinos!

I personally will not recommend renting a car in Las Vegas. Take a cab or shuttle from the airport to your hotel and then get a 24 hour pass on the deuce and that will take care of your sightseeing transportation for the day.
www.lasvegas-how-to.com (http://www.lasvegas-how-to.com/get-around.php)

If you can get a car for $80, its kind of a no brainer. Back and forth to the airport practically pays for it. Everyplace has free parking (free valet too). So get the car and also take a cab when appropriate. Just cuz you have a car doesn't mean you can't walk or cab it.

I'm a big fan of the car. I am headed to LV Thursday - Saturday, and I got one from Avis for $63 All In. Like people have said, cabs will eat up $15 each way to a strip hotel and if you cab anywhere else, it easily eats up more.

Cabs suck on the strip because of the lines at the hotels, and because they typically head right out on to the strip, at least initially. In a car, you can sneak into the garage in most instances without ever touching the strip (learn Koval, Industrial and Frank Sinatra Way).

Cars are also especially helpful if you want the freedom to head over to Hard Rock, Palms, etc...

I won't drive to certain hotels though, especially on weekend. Particularly bad is the Planet Hollywood garage, and the MGM garage (a walk from the garage once you find a spot can be 15 mins to the casino).

The other factor, as people have stated, is your booze consumption. If you drink, ignore everything I just said and get a cab.

I almost always get a car as they are cheap and parking is always free. There are plenty of nice places to go to away from the strip and too far for the taxis.

MisterNice

In Las Vegas?:confused:

Here in Orange County CA a short cab ride can be $ 30.00
In Vegas my avaerage is about $ 15.00. $ 25.00 if you add airport fees
and getting tunneled.

I actually wound up doing the car and I think it was fine. Drove the wifey to see the old part of Vegas (Golden Spike etc.), drove to the "refreshment" store on the corner of W Sahara and the "Strip", drove to In-N-Out, and drove to New York New York with the wifey in her new pair of 4" heels which she didnt want to walk 1.2 miles in....

Hate it when she winds up being taller than me.

Anyhow, the 3 day rental came to $78.00 from Alamo...

In-n-Out is a good reason to get a car. I'm talking about burgers ;).

You can't drink if you rent a car. 'nuff said.

Anyhow, the 3 day rental came to $78.00 from Alamo...

Holding a 6 day res for $150 all in @ McCarren.

Thinking of a day trip to Mesquite (13USD for 18 holes @ Oasis Canyons) and Valley of Fire State Park.