McCarran Rent A Car Center
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The McCarran Rent-A-Car Center at the Las Vegas airport is one the most modern facilities available. This is an offsite rental facility, as you will need to take a shuttle from the airport over to the rental car location. This is a very large facility, with all the major rental car counters that you would expect such as enterprise, Hertz, Alamo, and Budget car rental. There are also a few smaller independent companies there as well. I believe there are a total of 11 different rental car companies in the facility.
One of the best strategies to obtaining an impressive car rental rate is to book your rental online. You can also do this right from the rental facility waiting area as well. I've used this strategy for renting cars and hotel rooms while I've stood directly in front of their own rental counters.
The biggest cautionary tale with regards to car rentals in Las Vegas is the amount of hidden tax charges you will incur. Unfortunately, these taxes are not negotiable and include fees and surcharges for the county (Clark County) as well as other municipality facilities. I guess this is to be expected, as there are no free lunches available. There is a shuttle bus which runs every 10 to 15 minutes) the McCarran Airport. Keep in mind that it is customary to tip your rental car shuttle driver two dollars per bag.
Once you get to the car rental facility, you want to make sure to quickly get a minus in as possible. Keep in mind that during the busy time of year, you can wait an hour or so between arriving and finally leaving with your rental car. Make sure you have all of your documents ready, such as a driver’s license and major credit card.
When you're renting a car, make sure you check with your credit card company to make sure you don't pay for double coverage. LDW (loss damage waiver) & CDW (collision damage waiver) are expensive if you have to buy them from the rental car company. This along with renting separate GPS is part of how car rental companies have such large profit margins. Keep in mind that they do not make the majority of their money, from the actual physical car rental.
Most rental car companies will provide unlimited mileage as well, in case you want to take an extended page to other destinations surrounding the Las Vegas area. This is a great economical way to obtain transportation if you plan on visiting sites such as the Grand Canyon.
Believe or not, there are even slot machines located directly at the McCarran rental car center. More cities need to build rental car facility similar to this one. Understandably, they do a lot of volume and the only larger facility I have ever run into was in Orlando. Keep in mind however that in Orlando, each individual company has their own actual physical lot.
Depending on the car company you run from, you may be able to choose your own car directly in the lot. I personally felt like a kid in a candy store during my last rental with enterprise. I lucked out and got a great deal on an Infiniti M-45 rental car.
As Las Vegas is a 24-hour city, the facility is open as well all days of the week at all hours. Returning the car is just as easy as well. Once you park your car the rental car agent will scan your ticket. This is a much better deal in comparison to using taxis while you're in Vegas. If you have any major problems with your car, be sure to let them know so that they can fix it for the next driver. This is also the moment where you should notify them if there are any you need to perform your while to run with the rental agent. If there are any damages sustained to the car body, you will need to notify them immediately.
One last tip: make sure that you fill your gas tank up before you return your car. If you have to have them fill it, and it is not prepaid will be charged at least 7 dollars a gallon. This is another one of those profit centers, where they count on you not having enough time or laziness. I learned my lesson returning a car in Los Angeles where I was charged 80 dollars to have my car refilled by the rental car company.
