Car Rentals at Las Vegas Airport

Las Vegas Airport is a large international airport in the United States of America, serving the city of Las Vegas. It has been allocated the IATA code of LAS, and is commonly referred to as the McCarran International Airport. The airport offers its passengers a wide range of facilities that include the Las Vegas Airport car hire companies. Many passengers prefer to rent a car, and have private transport in the city. There are many car rental options and vehicles for hire from Las Vegas Airport, and competitive car hire rates are offered by most companies as well.

Las Vegas Airport has two terminal buildings that are connected by a free shuttle bus. Terminal 1 is the larger of the terminals, handling most flights, and is equipped with about 87 gates. Terminal 2 is the where many of the airport’s international fights arrive, as well as most charter flights, and this terminal has 8 gates. In the near future (mid-2012), Las Vegas Airport will have a new terminal that will be referred to as Terminal 3, for international flights and various other operations. The terminal will cover a total surface area of 1.9 million square foot, and will have 14 gates. Extensive facilities are found in all the terminals, however, the Las Vegas Airport Car Rental Centre is located at some distance from the passenger terminals.

Passengers arriving at the airport can reach the Car Rental Centre by shuttle bus, as it is located approximately three miles from the terminals. The shuttle buses are provided free of charge, and operate all hours, seven days a week. They are also available approximately every five minutes from outside the Exit Doors 10 and 11. The trip by shuttle bus is quick, but passengers are recommended to leave sufficient time for travelling to and from the Car Rental Centre. The Rental Car facility of Las Vegas Airport was opened in April, 2007, and is therefore a new addition to the airport. It is located at 7135 Gilespie Street, and is situated on 68 acres of land, or 280,000 square metres of land. There are parking spaces available for 5,000 rental cars. The Car Rental Centre cannot be accessed on foot from the Strip, only by motor vehicles via the Interstate-215. Taxicabs are also available at the airport Car Rental Centre.

The Las Vegas Airport car hire companies include Hertz, Budget, Avis, Europcar, Auto Europa, National, Alamo, Thrifty, Dollar and Enterprise. These are all internationally recognised companies, with thousands of rental locations around the word, however, Enterprise is only found in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Ireland and Germany. Hertz and Budget are companies that offer more specific car rentals from Las Vegas Airport, while all other companies only allow rentals per category. The collections from Hertz (Green Traveler Collection, Prestige Collection and Adrenaline Collection) contain a wide variety of interesting cars, including convertibles, eco-friendly models, larger SUVs and more elegant vehicles, while Budget’s Street Fleet vehicles are those that can chosen by their specific makes and models. Avis, Auto Europa, Thrifty and Dollar are well known at their rental locations for providing vehicles at reasonable rental rates, and for vehicles which are ideal for all occasions. National is most popular for business rentals and Alamo is famous for their services dedicated to leisure car renters. Customers of Europcar Las Vegas Airport should go to the National Car Hire counters in order to collect their vehicle.

To rent a car in Las Vegas you will need to be at least 21 years of age, be able to show a valid drivers license and should be the holder of an accepted major credit card. Although most companies allow persons between the ages of 21 and 24 to hire a vehicle, they may be charged higher rental rates, and may not be permitted to choose all vehicle categories. Certain car hire companies also have a minimum age requirement of 23. The renter will need a drivers license that has been issued in the United States of America, a Canadian-endorsed drivers license or a valid passport. Proof that the renter will be returning to his/her country of residence may also be required. At Las Vegas Airport, a hold will be placed on the credit card of the customer for the estimated rental charges. A debit card with the Mastercard or Visa logo may be used by persons 25 years of age or older for this purpose as well, but an additional $200.00 may be held, which will not be available for use.

From Las Vegas Airport, one way hires are permitted from the majority of car rental companies, however, cars may only be allowed in certain nearby states. Customers who wish to drive further, perhaps even out of the country to a Canadian city, will need to make special cross-border rental arrangements. One way hires may be more expensive than an ordinary rental. Disabled drivers can request the use of hand controls on certain automatic vehicles, and from Las Vegas Airport, hand control equipment is free of charge. It is used by persons with a lower limb disability, as it operates the brake and accelerator pedals of the vehicle. Child seats, booster seats and satellite navigation systems are commonly requested additional equipment items that could be essential for safe and easy driving in Las Vegas.

Vehicles hired from the Las Vegas Airport car rental companies come in all shapes and sizes and a vary considerably in price. Some of the smaller car models may be similar to the Kia Rio, Hyundai Accent, Ford Focus and Toyota Corolla, and some larger sedans may include the Nissan Altima, Nissan Maxima, Dodge Avenger, Ford Fusion, Chevrolet Impala and Chevrolet Cruze. Smaller cars are generally cheaper to rent, but still have some great features and room for four or five passengers. SUVs for hire include the Ford Escape, Ford Edge, Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevrolet Suburban and Lincoln Navigator, Minivans are similar to the Dodge Caravan and Pickups include the Chevrolet Silverado. There are also high-occupancy vehicles for hire, as the Ford Econoline seats up to twelve and the Chevrolet Express is available for up to fifteen passengers.

Driving a hire car in Las Vegas is quite simple, and often considered as the best way to travel. The roads of the city are well organised, and parking areas can quite easily be found. The Strip is the main artery of the city, and where many of the famous casinos are located. There are also many enormous shopping centres in the area. Car parks are available on the Strip, and others include those along Civic Centre Drive, Paradise Road and East Harmon Avenue. Always drive carefully, and follow the speed limits, which are 30mph/48kph in urban areas, 65mph or 105kph on open roads and 70mph/113kph on motorways and highways.

Rent a car online from your favourite Las Vegas Airport car hire company in order to receive the lowest car rental rates, and the car that is ideal for your holiday or business trip in the city. Information regarding the McCarran Airport Rent-A-Car Centre is available at 702-261-6001.