Rental car in Vegas during New Years Eve?

Question

I am going to vegas at the end of this year to celebrate my birthday and new years eve. I reserved a rental car and I am getting some mixed feelings about driving in vegas. I know there will be alot of traffic and I don't want to spend my whole time waiting for traffic. I mainly want to stay on the strip and go downtown (I will be there for 4 days) and alos go to some indoor skydiving place. I know there is public transportation but I think that I will be to cold to walk from casino to casino. Any suggestions please let me know so that I can plan a little better. Thanks for any comments

Answer 1

I wouldn't recommend renting a car in Vegas especially not around New Year's eve, unless you are planning an out of town tour.
There are lots of ways to get around Las Vegas besides renting a car or even taking a taxi.
Here are some tips
http://www.lasvegas-how-to.com/get-around.html

Answer 2

Honestly, unless you're straying far from the Strip or Downtown areas, save the money on the car rental and cancel it. Use that money on taxis instead - or if you have no time contraints - take the Deuce or the Monorail! Traffic on the Strip is heinous on a normal weekend, and forget it if there's any kind of special event going on - especially NYE. (Don't forget - they close off the Strip to all traffic to make it into like a block party pedestrian mall kind of thing at a certain point on NYE, so unless you know the back roads, you are going nowhere!) There are some other ways to go casino to casino also - there's the short hop footbridges between like NYNY and MGM Grand and NYNY and Excalibur - and then you can tram it between Excalibur and Mandalay Bay. There's also a tram between TI and the Mirage too.

You need to think about your personal preferences. If you have the patience of a saint, then keep the rental car reservation. If you think you'll have road rage tendencies after a few minutes - nix it. (Remember: pedestrians ALWAYS have the right of way - no matter if the light is green on your side!) Nobody else can really make this decision for you - you need to weigh it out yourself.

Good luck!

Answer 3

Paradise runs all the way up to the Stratosphere, that's the best route if that's where you're staying. It's difficult to tell you the best route to an unknown destination. Las Vegas Blvd. gets closed to automobiles sometime before midnight, I forget exactly what time. From the airport you have to take a shuttle bus to the rent a center for rental cars. You should sign up for the "priority member" whatever they call it for the company you're renting from so you can bypass what will certainly be a long line of confused tourists who take too long to rent a car. New Years Eve is the most crowded night in Las Vegas all year. Waiting for a taxi at the taxi stand at McCarran could take longer than riding the shuttle bus to the rent a center. It's going to be total insanity and not much fun.

Answer 4

If you're primarily going to stay on The Strip and downtown, then I wouldn't bother with a car. By the time that you get it out of the parking garage, drive through traffic, and find more parking, it will be much faster and cheaper to walk or take public transportation. There is a trolley that goes along The Strip and to downtown for only $2.50. You can also buy a day pass or night pass for $4.25 (see www.striptrolley.com). The airport is close enough to the main hotels that you can take a cab at reasonable cost.

If you want to get away from the casinos, you'll need a car. However, you can rent one just for the day instead of paying to keep it parked most of the time. There are car rental desks at the major hotels.

Answer 5

I suggest keeping the car even though you will be spending some time stuck in gridlocked traffic on the strip. New Year's Eve is huge and traffic goes no where. However, the strip will be closed to traffic after dark so that people can take to the streets and party. Once the parties start and you're in full swing, you won't notice the cold, trust me. Have fun park your car and enjoy!

Answer 6

You will be better off walking, especially right around any holiday. On New Years, they shut down all the roads around/on the strip anyway. Me and my boyfriend stayed down on the strip for Valentines Day and were stuck in traffic just getting to the hotel for over an hour. If you have to drive, I'd recommend a cab. The drivers know back ways and the best way to get you to where you wanna go. But the strip is hell to drive on anytime during the day.

Answer 7

As the others have already stated. EX-ney the car. On NYE the close off the strip and unless you know of ways to get around better then a taxi driver forget the bus.

By all means try to visit Fremont. Free bands Thurs., Friday and Saturday nights. But if your planning on visiting Fremont on NYE you have to purchase a ticket.

Below are two links for Fremont.

NYE tickets http://www.vegasexperience.com/NYE2008.cfm

EVENTS http://www.vegasexperience.com/calendar_year.cfm

Answer 8

I lived in Vegas for nine years. It is cold that time of year. However... forget the rental. There are taxis and shuttle buses everywhere. Also, traffic near the Strip on New Years is a nightmare.

Answer 9

Nix the car rental. Lots of taxis and public transpotation. You will be able to see a whole lot more. Now if you want to go see Hoover Dam rent a car for 1 day. Play a quarter for me. Happy Birthday.

Answer 10

I live here. & Yes it will be cold. Last Jan we didn't get over 43 durring the day. At night we hit 15-20 or so. Every night my horses water will freeze. I would keep the car!!!!!!