After some investigation I have found an answer!
Dollar have closed most of their Vegas hotel locations and some of those have been taken over by AvisBudget.

However, when I check Budget, they only have TI as a strip location.

I have found an alternative at a good price - AutoEurope operate out there and you can pick up and drop off at Paris hotel. Seems the best option so far.

Cheers

TC

The Dollar places in all the MGM/Mirage places were closed at the end of June. TI is now the only strip hotel with a Dollar outlet.

Try CH3000 for rentals from TI. I priced up a two week hire for November and it came out at £217. I found there was a lot of changes to the terms and conditions of the Dollar hires when I rented from them in May/June. They were very inflexible, where I had always had good service previously. Good luck, and let me know how you get on. I'm considering Advantage rented direct from either Gold Coast or Orleans. Haven't decided yet though.

Need to try carhire 3000 but my ears pricked up when I saw that about Gold Coast and Orleans...anyone used Advantage yet? We are due to arrive at the Rio first, so Gold Coast would be perfect. And to think of all the times we've bussed and walked it to MGM to pick a car up from the Orleans lol.

Yes TeeCee, the dollar locations at the MGM hotels were closed, TI not being and MGM hotel any more remains. I can't seem to get any strip location through Netflights though at all, so either we find another agency or pick up from the airport. We've always used Netflights, and I like their Platinum AI option, so I'm not sure how to get exactly the insurance etc I want from other agencies.

Please keep this thread updated - I'm very keen to hear what you all find/decide and of course how it turns out.

Will do. As we're staying at the Signature I don't really want to go all the way down to TI to pick up and drop off, hence the Autoeurope option from Paris looks a decent option (monorail) and the price is very reasonable too. I'll let you know when I finally book....will be in the next three weeks or so.

Cheers,

TC

The one out at the Gold Coast is looking ok for us. I just don't totally understand all the insurance parts, and there's no optional extras on the Advantage one. That said their price is certainly ok, I just liked my Netflights Dollar Platinum all inc deal where I got my first tank of petrol too. Shame that dollar have done that! TeeCee - I can't seem to even get Dollar at TI through Netflights anyway, did you? Maybe you were on Carhire 3000 or booking direct with Dollar.

So glad we don't have to pick up at the airport. Hate the thought of taxi-ing all the way down there!

Ok, I've just booked my car hire.
I decided to go with AutoEurope. I pick up and drop off at Paris Hotel. We've got a midsize car (Mazda6 or similar) as I don't like the Economy cars you usually get, they are normally rubbish cars! AutoEurope do a 'Gold Rate' option which includes all insurances, unlimited mileage and a full tank of gas and 3 additional drivers. Total cost was £148 for 3 full days hire. Without the tank of gas and extra drivers it is around £98. I checked gas price and it's around 3.31 in Vegas at the moment.
Total cost is a little more expensive than Netflights/Dollar used to be but not by much.

Cheers,

TC

We finally booked our car the other day. Ended up with Netflights/Dollar collect at airport. We'll just get the car on the Monday when we arrive (6ish) and drop off on the Friday at 6ish. I realised also that way we won't have to take time to go get the car in the morning, and also if we wake up during the night we can go to Walmart or something quite early! We'll return the car on the Friday which is also my birthday, then we might taxi over to Mandalay Bay for buffet and maybe drinks at Red Square. I'm now sort of wondering if Town Square might be handy from the Airport....any thoughts. We don't need to go anywhere special - a simple meal or decent buffet and a nice drink will be fine

Lesley

I was about to suggest Texas de Brazil at Town Square are you can get a coupon for a free meal on your birthday if you sign up to their website. Then I remembered that you are veggie!!!! Ooops!

What about Casa di Amore on Tropicana or have you abandoned the idea of going there? They will pick you up in their free limo, but I'm not sure if they would pick up from the car rental place. They might seeing as it is early evening.

luci

I'm not sure about Casa di Amore - I like the look of the Martinis more than the food menu Also thinking of somewhere south strip area that we can head to straight from the airport. Town Square idea is a good one, but not steak I should look at see what else is down there. I'm also wondering if we'll be able to get a bus back if we did that.

I really like the Mandalay Bay buffet, so we might just do that. Or Il Fornaio in NYNY, but we did that last year on my birthday so might be good to do something different. Also thinking about driving to Nora's at some point, although I'm also thinking we could take the cat bus there from the Rio since it's on Flamingo Road. Won't be at the Rio on my birthday though will be at Platinum and want to enjoy the strip from there.

Yes you can get a bus to and from Town Square.

luci

Luci - do you happen to know how late the buses run on that route? I can't think how far down it is, only been in the car. I would also have liked to go to the M resort, but if we did we'd like to have a drink - but it seems a bit far without the car. I know they have shuttles, but not very regular and their schedule states that it is for hotel guest. Anyone used the shuttles?

The Deuce and the SDX go to Town Square. The Deuce runs 24 hours, but I'm not sure about the SDX. Hopefully Pebbles will see this as she has a local bus timetable I think.

luci

Lesley, the SDX runs up to 12:30 am and then the Deuce extends it's route to SSTT until 09:00 am. (The Deuce only goes to Mandalay Bay/Four Seasons between midnight and 9:00 am.)

Let me know if you need more info.

The Deuce actually terminated on us at MB/FS around 7pm one night when we had to get off. We were lucky that a SDX pulled up at the same time so we were able to transfer to that to get to Town Square.

luci

luci wrote:

The Deuce actually terminated on us at MB/FS around 7pm one night when we had to get off. We were lucky that a SDX pulled up at the same time so we were able to transfer to that to get to Town Square.

That is now the standard daytime route for the Deuce. I can't see the advantage myself, but it seems to be what they have decided.

Thanks both. Currently at Platinum the weather is quite disappointing. Dry but very cloudy, and no sign of improvement any time soon on the forecast. Thinking of heading up to Fashion Show Mall and then Wynn champange brunch. Hope the sun comes out at some point in the next few days, not been in the sun much yet, been doing the manic shopping in the car.

Not sure if we'll bother with town square. Dollar had a shuttle to the strip, we had it to ourselves and got dropped at Mandalay Bay (had buffet). Went over to Red Square and Centrifuge to try to have a nice drink but both packed - and we wanted a seat to rest our feet. I guess that's weekends for you though. Carnival court very hard to get through too last night,

Hi Lesley,
Yeah I've been watching the weather reports, did look a bit disappointing to be honest. Hope it improves for you over the next couple of days............and more importantly, gets better for me in a couple of weeks!!

Thanks TeeCee, definitely not tanning weather yesterday. Went to the Wynn champange brunch ($90 for 2), food was really nice and they were very generous with the champagne. Like 4 glasses generous - topped us up regularly without us asking. There was a $10 charge for the champagne 'bump', so could get the buffet for about 35 each without I would think. Our next move was over to the slots, where we also got good drink service and I must have had 3 Cadillac Margaritas....too nice but by this time have had too much to drink. Headed back down via Carnaval Court, O'Sheas (live music), Bill's (blackjack). Back to Platinum. As we came out the Wynn the sun had finally come out. And I'm happy to say I've just looked out the curtains and it is blue sky Pity I have a bit of a sore head from the drinks yesterday....my own fault really

Another thing, as this thread is about car hire - the Dollar airport set up was a bit annoying. It's off airport so you have to get a shuttle, then wait in a queue, then go downstairs to be allocated a car. I didn't enjoy my first drive being in the dark either. Car was a nissan versa, very narrow and light feeling (kept slamming the boot by accident because it was so light. Felt a bit cheap. I had only booked the second level whatever it was, but we generally always got a dodge caliber on the cheapest level in the past from dollar -I would have been happier with a dodge.

Nissan Versa's are pretty decent cars. Do they not have them in the UK?