Mini roundtrip LV in Feb

[Funq]

Hi all,

Me and a colleague will be attending a conference in LV in February and we figured it would be a good idea to start off with a small trip before the conference. Due to money and time constraints we are limited to a 4 day trip.

We are currently looking at several options and some advice would be much appreciated (coming from the Netherlands, I am a bit lost as to what sources to consult).

Our options are:
1. Fly to LV and do a round trip. Probably eastwards towards Zion, Bryce and grand Canyon.

2. Fly to Phoenix and go north. Again with Bryce and Grand Canyon.

3. Fly to Salt Lake City and drive south.

Clearly we planned this with the big tourist attractions in mind, but any suggestion for "off the beaten track" sightseeing might make it all the more memorable.

Thanks for reading and any tips you all might have!

Ruud

[Southwest Dave]

Hi Ruud Welcome to the R.T.A. forums,

My choice would be your first one, heading N.E. to Zion and Bryce and then down through Page to the Grand canyon and back to Vegas via the Hoover dam and a chance to drive part of the original route '66 from Crookton to Kingman before the Dam.
You will be on the go a lot but it will allow you time to get an overview of each of these fantastic places.

Another option would be to do Day trips from Vegas.

[Funq]

First of all I completely forgot to thank you for your reply Dave. Very much appreciated.

We will be renting a car in Vegas and go for option one!

So I only have one small practical question. Online booking of a rental car can be confusing. Especially if you're not into cars at all. Moreover, most rental cars are Dodges or Chevrolets, which you won't really find here on continental Europe. So I'd just be guessing. So basically any hint/tip on car rental would help a lot.

Again, thanks for reading.

Ruud

[AZBuck]

Welkom!

Don't worry about the make or model of the car presented on the rental web site. They are for illustrative purposes only in any event. If you look at the fine print you will always see the words 'or similar'. Exactly what make/model of car you get will depend on which cars are on the lot when you arrive. So instead pay attention to the size and general type of the vehicle. I find that I am usually quite comfortable in a 'mid-sized' or 'intermediate' sedan. These are also usually the best value as well, being only slightly more expensive than the cheapest, smallest cars available. They will easily accommodate two adults and luggage and are fairly easy on gas and enjoyable to drive. One thing about renting a car in America that is different from Europe is that almost all American rental cars have automatic transmissions.

AZBuck

[heathanderson]

Hi Funq,

I am looking at doing a very similar trip in June so would very much like to see how you found it, ie good places to visit those that were not worth the effort etc. Don't know what sort of accomodation you guys are looking at but i am thinking of campping so any of your recomendations would be appreciated.

thanks

[Southwest Dave]

Hi Heathanderson, welcome to R.T.A.

If you are looking to visit National parks and camp without resort type facilities then I would camp inside the parks, wonderful surroundings right in the heart of it.
Visit the NPS website and click on the map and select a park, you will find the info you need. You would have to book up at the earliest possible time to reserve a spot though.

If you post a bit more info we may be able to help you "fine tune" your trip.
How long have you got ? What are your interests?

Have a look around the forums and Road trip planning pages and if you have more questions or an outline itinerary you could post up let us know.

[heathanderson]

Hi Heathanderson, welcome to R.T.A.

If you post a bit more info we may be able to help you "fine tune" your trip.
How long have you got ? What are your interests?

Thanks Southwest Dave,

I am only going to have about 5 or 6 days to spend in the area. I enjoy camping and the outdoors, so the things I am most interested in are the national parks and sights like the Grand Canyon, Bryce canyon, Antelope Canyon. Because I am flying in from Australia I won't have my normal range of camping gear (probably just a small tent and sleeping bag) so I want to camp in places where it is fairly civilised.

[Southwest Dave]

Hi,

With 6 days you should be O.K to do a nice loop from Vegas by heading North on I-15 through St George to Zion > Bryce > Page [Antelope canyon]> Grand canyon [South rim] and back to Vegas across the Hoover Dam. You could choose to visit the North rim of the Canyon from Zion which has less visitors but less facilities and is popular for being more remote.

The NP's campsites are civilised in the main designated areas as such, having shower/loo blocks and there will be many other campers [the reason to book early] so there will be lots of activity and camp fires around you. However if you want swimming pool, gym or bar [or all three] you will be out of luck. You will need some form of a light as there is no lighting or electric hook ups.