Las Vegas
The fastest gateway to Zion, Bryce Canyon and the Grand Canyon.
Flying and arriving
Las Vegas has one major international airport, Harry Reid International (LAS), a few kilometres from the Strip. From Amsterdam and Brussels you usually fly in with one connection, via a European or American hub; a nonstop service is not always available and varies by season, so compare the options for your travel dates. Expect a long travel day: with a connection you are easily fifteen hours or more en route.
Las Vegas is in the Pacific time zone, nine hours behind the Netherlands and Belgium in summer. You typically land in the afternoon or early evening local time, while for your body it is already deep into the night. Keep the arrival day deliberately empty: hotel, a bite to eat, early to bed. In summer the desert heat comes on top of that, so children and parents alike genuinely need that first quiet evening.
Picking up the RV
The rental depots are not at the airport itself but spread across the city and its suburbs, usually ten to thirty minutes away by road. Most rental companies run a shuttle from a hotel or a fixed pickup point, or you take a taxi or rideshare to the depot. Check when booking exactly how pickup works and whether you need to reserve a time slot — that is set out in the rental company's terms.
Almost all major rental companies apply the 24-hour rule: you may not collect the RV on the day your intercontinental flight lands, and some ask for proof of your hotel night. So book a hotel for the first night in Las Vegas as standard and plan the pickup for the following day. That also leaves room for the walkthrough at the depot, which can easily take an hour, and for the first shopping run before you drive out of the city.
The first night
Do not drive straight on to Zion on pickup day. A logical first night in the RV is within an hour of the city: an RV resort in Las Vegas itself, a campground at Lake Mead or Boulder City, or the campground in Valley of Fire State Park northeast of the city. That way you get to know the RV on a short drive, discover what you are still missing and hit the road to the parks fresh the next morning. Reserve that first site in advance — in high season everything fills up here too.
Supplies and gear
Las Vegas is the best place on this route to stock up properly: large supermarkets and big-box stores of the Walmart, Target or Costco type are in every suburb, often a short drive from the depots, and there are outdoor stores for camping chairs, coolers or a decent water container. What the RV does and does not include varies by rental company: a kitchen kit and bedding are often an optional package, camping chairs sometimes, firewood never — you buy that locally at the campground. Think above all of plenty of water, sun protection and a cooler for the road; inside the parks the shops are small and expensive.
Frequently asked questions
Can we pick up the RV on the day we arrive?
Usually not. Most rental companies apply a 24-hour rule after an intercontinental flight, and even without that rule it is unwise to steer an unfamiliar vehicle through traffic after a long travel day. Book the first night in a hotel and collect the RV the next day.
How far is it from Las Vegas to Zion?
Allow roughly two and a half to three hours of driving in the RV, without stops. That is very doable as a first real driving day, provided you already spent the previous night at a campground close to the city and are not leaving on pickup day itself.
Is Las Vegas also a good end point?
Yes. The national parks sprint is a loop, so you return the RV at the same place and avoid any one-way fee. Plan the last night in a hotel again: returns are usually required early in the morning and your flight home often leaves only in the afternoon or evening.
Routes that start here
- 10 daysUnited States
National parks sprint
Las Vegas → Zion → Bryce → Grand Canyon
Maximum wow per mile
Starts in Las Vegas (LAS)
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