Las Vegas is a one-of-a-kind city with many places to visit and things to do; in fact, I would dare to say that it’s so unique that it goes to truly absurd extents. If you think it over, it makes no sense, it’s one of the US entertainment capitols and yet, it’s located in the middle of nowhere. It has huge resorts and some of the most luxurious buildings in the world, and yet, the city has no natural resources other than the revenue it can get from the many entertainment options.
Heck this place is so absurd that it doesn’t care that it’s located in the middle of a desert, it still has one of the most complex and beautiful fountains shows in the world (which proves the city’s commitment to showmanship… and speaks poorly on how they conserve water).
So, yea, Vegas is a perplexing oasis of entertainment in the Mojave Desert. But sadly, not a lot of travelers ever manage to know the full extent of Sin City’s wonderful oddness.
After all, it’s easy to be enraptured by the casinos and resorts, and this means that people tend to miss out on many of the amazing and fun things to do here.
So, in this post, we´ll be talking about some of these amazing things and how to use a rental car to get to all of them.
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1. Resisting the alure of the casinos
So, gambling is, of course, this city’s main activity, and, understandably, you may want to experience the sensory-overloading, adrenaline-pumping and wallet-annihilating activity that is betting it all on red at the roulette, but this is precisely the main reason you’re missing out on Vegas!
You see, most casinos are designed to make you stay in a single building until you got nothing but bitter remorse and an empty wallet, which basically destroys any traveling potential to really get to know the city and its marvels. So, the first thing you have to do is to forget about the gambling and concentrate on really exploring this weird neon-lit oasis of the Mojave.
Here’s where the rental car comes in handy. By having a vehicle, you not only have an easier time exploring but you´ll also force yourself to go out, thus resisting the casino’s insidious charm. Hey, the casinos may be thrilling, but driving a convertible through The Strip at night is also an experience to behold, (and it won´t drain your wallet as much).
2. Getting a rental car
Now renting a car can at times seem a bit complicated, but in reality, it’s not that hard, especially in a city as touristic as Las Vegas, you just have to know the basics, and here they are!
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2.1 Using rental car Brokers
Just as with flights and hotels, it’s best to book your rental car in advance as you´ll always be subjected to availability and higher prices if you just show up at the counter in the airport without consulting beforehand.
Luckily just as with hotels and flights, there are broker websites that do the searching for you and get you the lowest prices. In addition to this, these broker websites aid you during the reservation process and can even make it for you or help you change it if the need arises. Click here to find one such website.
2.2 Parking in Las Vegas
Now with renting a car comes the issue of finding good parking spots, which can be a nightmare in cities like New York or Chicago, but luckily Las Vegas is surprisingly parking-friendly. Most resorts, for example, provide their guests with free parking.
While this is slowly changing for some resort chains, there are still a lot of famous resorts that offer free parking such as The Venetian. There are few on-street parking options in most of the city, but the garages are almost as numerous as the casinos, so trust me, you won’t have any issue finding spaces.
For self-parking, the first hour tends to be free and the max fee for 24 hours tends to hang around $15 which is not that expensive all things considered.
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2.3 Las Vegas traffic law and car rental requirements
If you’re going to be driving a rental car in Las Vegas you best know a little bit about the traffic law and some of the requirements that most car rental companies will ask you. This seems unimportant at times but trust me, they’re crucial bits of info that can make or unmake your whole trip, so pay attention.
2.4 Requirements for renting a car:
1) A valid driver’s license
2) An embossed credit card
3) A full-coverage insurance
4) Being over 25
As long as you have all of those requirements in check, you shouldn’t have any issue at the counter.
Tip: if you commit an infraction, it will be charged at that credit card so drive safely!
2.5 Speeding limits in Nevada
And speaking of infractions… lets quickly review the speed limits in Nevada.
Outside cities the speed limit on highways is 70-75 mph. On Highways inside the city, the limit is more consistent at 65 mph. In other urban areas, the speed limit ranges from 25 to 35 mph.
Remember that U-turns are legal in Las Vegas as long as they can be done safely and unless they’re specifically prohibited.
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3 Amazing things to see in Las Vegas
And now the moment we’ve all been waiting for: the places that will make this trip worth it, so let’s dig in!
3.1 Dig This Las Vegas
While gambling is a thrilling activity, and Vegas was pretty much built on gambling, it doesn’t mean that it’s the only thrill you can get in the city, there are multiple fun and interesting activities that are in no way related to gambling and that will still get poker chips a run for their money when it comes to excitement.
If you ever enjoyed playing with your toys in a sandbox as a kid, I´m absolutely sure that you´ll LOVE this one, because it’s the same concept, except the sandbox will be a lot of abandoned desert sand, and the toys will be multi-ton construction machinery that you get to operate by yourself.
So basically, you’re thought to use an excavator or a bulldozer and you get to play all day with it. And for a little more, you get to utterly destroy a car with the excavator in an “Aggression session”
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3.2 Sin City Smash
Now that we’re talking about aggression, how about a room where you can release all your apocalyptic rage in a single feat of destruction.
Well here in Las Vegas you get to go to Sin City Smash, this is a whole new concept of entertainment where you get to utterly destroy a room full of stuff with a sledgehammer or another similar implement!
You can even choose some themed rooms to destroy such as a simulated office or a simulated casino!
3.3 The natural wonders of Las Vegas
Sin City is often associated with neon lights and fancy casinos, but what many people tend to ignore is that this place is pretty close to some amazing desert landscapes that are truly worth visiting. So, remember to reserve a rental car in Las Vegas, as you´ll be needing it to get to some of those places!
3.3.1 Valley of Fire
As dessert landscapes go, this is one of the most striking, featuring amazing rock formations, unbelievable color, ancient pictographs and some of the most beautiful scenic drives you can find in the US.
3.3.3 Death Valley National Park
Don’t let the name scare you, this is just the driest, deadest place on America and it once registered the highest temperatures on Earth! And thus it has some pretty mind-blowing landscapes and some locations look so alien that they were used in Star Wars Episode IV (there is a tour that will take you to those places).
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And there you have it, next time you visit this strange and beautiful oasis in the Mojave, make sure not to get lost on the gambling, there are many amazing things to see and do, and you’re only a car away from discovering them all!
