Where To Gas up a Rental Car and How To Avoid Airport Fees?

What is your advice for buying gas prior to returning your rental car? If you don’t take the rental car companies offer to charge you to fill up the car upon return (try to return the car empty!). Is there a cheap place to buy gas on the way back to the airport? Is gas cheaper on the west side of town (try to overfill the car and then drive it back to the airport?) And on a related issue, is it a good play to try to avoid the rental car center altogether and use an off airport rental car company?

Sam's Club and Costco members will, of course, get the least expensive prices on gasoline in Las Vegas, generally 15 cents a gallon less than the next least expensive price. There are five Sam's and three Costcos scattered around town; the closest to the airport are the Sam's Club near Pecos and E. Tropicana and the Costco on Martlin Luther King just north of Alta.

We don't believe that filling up the average rental car within 10 miles of the rental car center at the airport will move the gas-gauge needle enough to be noticeable, so we'd recommend using GasBuddy.com to find the closest cheap gas to your location. Besides, the difference between $3.05 and $3.15 a gallon at the places near the airport listed on GasBuddy at the time of this writing is only a couple bucks to fill up an empty 20-gallon tank, so to us, it's not really worth stressing over.

By not renting a car at the airport, you’ll save the airport concession recovery fee of 10%. You also won’t have to pay the consumer facility fee of $4 per day. You’ll still have to pay Nevada sales tax for car rentals at 8.25%, the Clark County rental tax of 2%, and a state government surcharge of 10%. But even for only a two- or three-day rental, those fees can add up to $20-$30; for a weekly rental, more like $50-$60.

Luckily, it’s not difficult to rent a car in an off-airport location. You might pay more for the car (though you might not), and unless someone picks you up, you'll have to pay for transportation between the airport and hotel or rental-car agency. But you’ll definitely save on the airport taxes.

A number of Strip and downtown hotels have rental-car counters on the premises. Locals use any number of satellite locations for rental-car agencies. Just google your preferred agency and try to get as close to the airport as possible.

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Kurt Wiesenbach Sep-12-2019

Costco on MLK

Wouldn't the Costco in Henderson be closer to the airport? Especially if there's traffic? Although neither seem to be THAT close. I usually use the gas station on Paradise and Flamingo, across from Silver Sevens. And then head to the Hard Rock for a last couple hours of gambling and drinking before I have to go home.

Dave in Seattle. Sep-12-2019

Not the air port.

Las Vegas,downtown has a few casino/hotels that will rent you a  car. Much less hassle and handy. Just get there and drive away.At The Golden Nugget,the people were great and there was no lineup.
 Rookies that we were,we did not call ahead and it was fast and easy.

Carey Rohrig Sep-12-2019

Circle K

Use circle k on 9487 S LAS VEGAS BLVD, always one of the lowest fuel costs, also just a couple blocks from Fox rent a car

Dave in Seattle. Sep-12-2019

Please  use  UBER

..or do NOT drive. 'Vegas is a town that almost runs on alcohol.
If you are pulled over,it will be very bad. How do you do  this? Pick the least drunk in your party?
 Isn't there always a 'Tony Randall' in a group of party animals?
 A drunk or impaired driving citation can cost you as much as 20,000 DOLLARS,U.S.+ court costs (and lost wages) and lawyer fees. Add the bail bonds person that adds their fees,oh the impound fees (If it's your car). Let's add one more or even TWO: 
 Late rental car return and you just forgot to fill it up,just because you were having too much fun on your last hours in SIN CITY?. Just one more
 added penalty: You must show up in court in Clark County to either pay  the Court or spend the balance of your savings on the other fees involved.. Just a few more,here.
 You have to deal with an exquisite hangover during these  first few hours of this perfect nightmare.
 Oh,there is more? Yes,but I have  run out of space to add to this comment/suggestion.....

Roy Furukawa Sep-12-2019

Enterprise@GG

Funny this question came up and I just got a mailer from Golden Gate with an ad for Enterprise that you can rent at the front desk and get 10% off with your Club One card. I receive mailings from GG only because we had a blast doing an MRB coupon crawl through downtown using all the match plays, free slot plays and food discounts. Maybe discounts on in-hotel rental cars is another coupon people may want in the MRB?

Doug Bergman Sep-12-2019

off-airport rentals

I have had success saving money by renting in non-airport locations just about everywhere except Las Vegas.  Every time I check, the airport rental rates are so much lower that even the ~ 100% taxes keeps the cost similar or below what I would pay at an off-airport location without the taxes, and I don't need to hire the lyft to get there.

Brian Sep-12-2019

Hertz on the Strip

Hertz, which has about a dozen rental locations on the Strip, replaces the airport concession recovery fee with a hotel concession recovery fee. As an example, the fee at Bally's is a hair over 27% of the base rate.

Llew Sep-12-2019

Off-site not cheaper

As someone who rents a car every trip, I have checked out off-site rentals often.  Although it's true that you don't have to pay the extra airport fees, the base prices at the other places are so much higher that it comes out just about even.  Add to that the inconvenience of getting to and from the non-airport locations.  IMO, just not worth it. 
The exception would be if you want to rent for just a day or two of a longer stay; then renting locally might be wise.  Otherwise, the cost is about the same, in my experience.

gaattc2001 Sep-12-2019

Years ago, I rented a car at McCarran....

and while standing in line I had plenty of time to study the sign detailing all the extra charges and fees. I decided then and there that I would never rent a car in Las Vegas again unless absolutely necessary, and certainly not at the airport. So far, I haven't.

Michael Sep-12-2019

Perhaps, Dave. .

Some of us plan ahead and don't drink if we know we're driving.  This is a pretty common practice, you know.

Dave in Seattle. Sep-12-2019

Micheal. UBER.

Thanks for your comment.
  I have seen the stumblers walk on to the plane.Hit their seat and pass out.I have been nearly bad enough to deny boarding.
THAT was sobering wake up call.
12 hours at Mc Carran? Not fun.

Adam Cohen Sep-12-2019

One day only

I no longer rent from the airport in fact I do not rent much. What I do is sometimes take a day trip maybe Red Rock State Park  or one of the many places on the next poll.  So I will rent a car for 24 hours from one of the hotel rental places and return it there. That way I am not trying to drive in Vegas which I hate and kills the fun.

protravel Sep-12-2019

The Worst

As a professional driver for 25 years, I can sadly say that Las Vegas has the full collection of the most dangerous drivers in North America. That said, I miss renting a car for a week and having the cost equal taking a cab to and from the airport.

Question of the Day - 12 September 2019

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