Las Vegas. The Jewel of the Desert. Sin City. No matter what you call it, Las Vegas is worth seeing. It’s a fascinating city full of gaming, spectacle, and a variety of outdoor activities. Renting a car in Las Vegas is a great way to see the city. Parking is easy and mostly free. Las Vegas is easy to navigate since it is laid out in a north/south and east/west grid, with the Strip serving as the main north/south artery.

If you just plan on visiting Las Vegas to gamble and drink while staying on the Strip, don’t bother with a car rental. If you want to see more of the Strip (which is long), get away from the Strip (which is a good idea), or take trips to see things like Lake Mead and the Hoover Dam (which is spectacular), then it is a good idea to get a rental car.

Getting a car rental discount in Las Vegas is not difficult. It is important to do your research up-front, before you leave for your trip. Shopping around will give you an idea of the discounts that are available. There are so many variables, though, it pays to do thorough research.

Prices can vary depending on when you go, how long you say, if you stay over a weekend or not, where you are staying, what airline you are flying, where you pick up your car, where you return your car, how far you are going, and more.

All the big car rental companies have offices in Las Vegas, some in the airport, and some near the airport. Allstate, Dollar, Hertz, National and Sav-Mor all have desks in the terminal. Nearby, on Paradise Road, between Flamingo Road and the airport, you will find locations for Airport Rent-a-Car, Alamo, Budget, Enterprise, Thrifty Car Rental, and U.S. Rent a Car. Choosing a company not at the airport itself will save you the eight percent airport fee, and may give you additional discounts on the base price.

The number one rule of getting a car rental discount is compare, compare, compare. Often, different companies will offer the same car for very different rates. This will depend on what they have available, the season you are renting your car in, and more. There are so many different companies vying for your business, you can often play one against the other to get matching prices or better.

If you belong to any groups or associations like AAA, AARP, NAACP, and more, ask the car rental company about any discounts the provide to groups, companies and associations. That can often save you several dollars per day.

Whatever car rental company you get your discount from, drive safe, get the car back on time, fill the tank before you return the car, and have a great time in Las Vegas.

Matt Ream is the travel editor at http://globalcars4hire.com. His work is read in articles around the world. Learn more about Las Vegas Car Rental Discounts by visiting http://globalcars4hire.com.

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It won’t take much effort to find car rental disaster stories. Just a few online searches and you will see them. In fact, research will show that some rental companies have a worse reputation than others. Online searches will bring up stories of people charged for insurance they didn’t want or charged for damage they didn’t cause, of cars not be serviced when they are due and even a bumper falling a car as it was being driven down the road.

While it is impossible to avoid a bad experience completely, taking a few precautions will keep the chance of having your very own car rental horror story to a minimum.

First Objective: Successfully book your car hire
This should be easy, but instead for many it is a confusing search of prices, car types and fine print. These steps should help ease the confusion.

Book well in advance
Make sure to book well in advance, car rental prices tend to go up the closer you get to the pick up date, not down. Prices work on a simple supply and demand system; they go up as availability goes down. If you are travelling to Europe and require an automatic car you will need to book months in advance in order to secure one, especially in Italy where they are particularly rare. If you are travelling during the holidays, Christmas and Easter in particular, making a reservation around three months ahead is ideal. This way you will have the best chance of getting a car at a normal price. After this point the prices just start to go up. Most car rental companies sell out for the holidays, resulting in many travellers panicking in the last couple of weeks before a major holiday as they struggle to secure a car. Those that are lucky enough to find a car will be forced to pay very high prices, three or four times a normal rate. Don’t be one of these people. The summer is also another peak period to prepare for. Many locations have low or no availability during the summer so if you are booking last minute you may have trouble finding a good price and the car type you want.

Make a car rental reservation
To get started make a list of the basics: where and when you want to pick up the car and where and when you want to bring it back, what size car you need and do you want an automatic or manual gear box. These details are especially important if you are contacting various rental companies by email to get quotes. Make sure you provide them to avoid unnecessary emailing. Also do a little research on the various rental companies and avoid the worst offenders even if they are offering the cheapest price. No rental company is perfect so you will just have to narrow down your options.

Next you will want to research prices. When you do this make sure you are taking the full offer into account. Do the rates offered include taxes, location fees, mandatory insurances, break down cover and unlimited mileage? You will discover that most of the rates offered for car rentals in Europe are inclusive of all mandatory charges. But make sure you know this for certain, because if they are not included in the rate offered and they will be added when you pick up your car, making for an unpleasant surprise. If you are unsure about anything email the rental company, sometimes this is better than the telephone as you will get a response in writing. Which might solve any problems that may occur down the line. The rental company will have a hard time arguing written correspondence but they could deny any thing they said on the phone.

Once you are satisfied with a price make your reservation. If you book online you should get a confirmation voucher within a certain time period, this can range from instantly to a couple of days. If you do not receive your confirmation voucher within a couple of days don’t hesitate to email the rental company. Maybe there is some kind of problem confirming your reservation or your voucher was sent but it was blocked by your email spam guard and it is necessary to find another way of getting your booking information to you.

Second Objective: Pick up your car without a hitch
It is important to have your wits about you on arrival at the rental desk, you may be tired and have the urge to breeze through the paper work, grab your keys and go. But it is best to resist this urge at all costs, you won’t regret it. When you speak to the rental desk clerk you will be asked if you want any optional insurances, such as a Super Damage Waiver. The SDW reduces your liability to zero or an amount much less than you would be charged in the event of damage to the car. To take this extra insurance is a personal choice, however it is not usually mandatory and it is one of the major ways car rental companies make money. If you are only renting for a couple of days then the expense of this insurance may make it worth getting for your own peace of mind, but for longer rentals think carefully. The cost of the SDW may end up being close to the excess liability amount so do really get much benefit from it.

Read your contract carefully
The most important thing you need to do at the rental desk is to read your rental contract and receipt very carefully, this is where many people get stung. What happens is that extra insurances get charged to your credit card even if you specifically say you do not want them. This seems to be a common “mistake” made by rental clerks. Make sure you are also clear about the fuel policy, most rental companies require you to bring the car back with a full tank or else they charge you an inflated rate for fuel. Before you sign anything ensure that every charge and policy you are unsure of is explained to you. Don’t be afraid to ask about everything, it is your wallet that ends up worse off if there are errors. Once the rental company has your signature there is little you can do to get refunded for any charges you were unaware of.

Third Objective: Drive away and enjoy your trip
Once you find your car in the parking lot it is very important to give it a good going over. If you see any dents, dirt or scratches make sure that the rental company takes note of them before you drive away. Otherwise you could be blamed and end up being charged the full excess amount, which is usually in the hundreds of dollars. If you want to be really cautious check the oil and make sure that it is not due to be changed.

Fourth Objective: Return the Car
In most cases you will need to return you car rental with a full tank of fuel. There is usually a gas(petrol) station near to the car rental drop off location. It is best to use the closest possible option and to fill the car as much as possible so it cannot be claimed that the tank isn’t quite a full. Return the car keys and agree any extra charges with the rental company.

Quick Summary
- Plan what you need
- Do some research
- Make sure you understand the rate and terms
- Book well in advance
- Check your contract and receipt carefully before you sign
- Check you car carefully for any damage before you drive away
- Return the car with a full tank (make sure you are clear on this policy at the rental desk)

For more great travel tips, reviews and hotels head to this Hotels and Travel Guides

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Have you ever rented a car? Are you needing a to rent a car for holiday or business purposes? Do you know who to contact and what you need? How do you know that you are getting the best possible price/ the purpose of this article is to inform you of the ins and outs of the car rental agency? We will also answer some of the most frequently asked questions about rental and car rental agencies.

I have never rented a car before, what do I need to do? You need to ring up several car rental agencies and ask what they require. Most require that your are at least 18 and have a major credit card. You don’t necessarily have to pay with the card but you need one many times for insurance purposes.

What does a car rental agency actually do? The car rental agency will take you reservation and hold the care for you once you confirm. The car rental agency will also draw up the rental contract and arrange for the insurance should you choose to purchase it.

Are there any other things that car rental agencies do? Yes, they provide 24 hour assistance should you have a problem with your car. Should you unfortunately have an accident with your rental car then your car rental agency is one of the first places you contact after the police. Most of the major companies have 24 hour emergency contact numbers available to give you assistance in matters like this.

How do I find a good car rental agency? There are tons of places available. The phonebook and the internet are 2 excellent sources. It’s up to you to get in touch with them.

If you are in need of a car rental then you need a car rental agency. They will help you through the rental process and get you on the road as soon as possible.

For more information on Car Rentals visit http://www.allcarrentals.info.

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