As so much of Nevada is desert, you won’t find the huge expanse of interstates and routes that you’ll encounter in many other US states. Instead, the roads are quieter, and car hire essential to navigate between the major sights and attractions. This is a landscape on a grand scale - the placid and untroubled emptiness sprinkled with fascinating places to stop and stay.

The major driving difference here – and indeed across the whole of the USA – is that you’ll be driving on the right-hand side of the road in left-hand drive cars, overtaking on the left. Most rules of the road are similar to home – you can’t use a phone while driving, seatbelts are compulsory – with the occasional difference. For example, you can usually make right turns on intersections even when there is a red light, as long as the way is clear. Speed limits will be signposted, with a top speed of 70mph on the rural sections of interstates, 65mph on urban interstates, freeways and rural highways.

Las Vegas sits in the south-east corner of Nevada, served by the I-15 interstate, which leads north-east to Utah and Arizona, south-west to California. If you’re heading to Vegas, driving through it is something to be treasured, but traffic congestion can be a problem at peak times so plan ahead if you need to be somewhere at a specific time.

Reno and Carson City are two other popular Nevada destinations, and sit close to each other on the western edge of the state.

Reno sits on the I-8-, which snakes north-east and then east across Nevada, connecting you with Winnemucca, Battle Mountain and, finally, West Wendover before it heads into Utah. To get from Reno to Las Vegas, head east on the I-80 and then join Route 95, as it plunges south. You’ll pass through ghost towns, mines and the old gold town of Goldfield, once home of Wyatt Earp.

Nevada is a state that speaks to what makes America so incredible - the pioneer spirit and entrepreneurialism that once made the impossible, possible. Car hire in Nevada means you can wind your way through the mountains and past the rivers, into Vegas’ neon playground and beyond.

The City of Lights

Las Vegas is like a giant playground, twinkling in the desert. It’s not a subtle place, with homages to architecture from around the world alongside the vast hotels and casinos.

They know how to do things on a grand scale here - huge floors of one-armed bandits, poker tables and more with thousands of bedrooms above, sprawling buffets of shrimp, and attractions aplenty.

It’s a great city to eat in as well, with world-class chefs opening up flagship branches here. No matter what time of day, you won’t go hungry. You can also take in a show, a Cirque de Soleil performance or join the fun at an EDM party.

A desert rose

Outside of Vegas, there’s an abundance of joy and beauty to be found in the desert. At the Valley of Fire State Park, you’ll see teetering peaks of red sandstone formed by centuries of wind and erosion into seemingly impossible shapes.

Head to Atlatl Rock to see petroglyphs made by Native Americans, while the petrified trees and amazing vistas make this a must for photographing (and instagramming). There’s more of this ethereal natural beauty at Cathedral Gorge State Park, just north of Caliente. The campground here is always busy, with people travelling miles for the mix of spire-like rocks, dramatic cliffs and a canopy of stars in the clear night sky.

Big little city

‘The biggest little city in the world’ reads the famous neon arch in the heart of Reno, something that tells you a lot about Las Vegas’ smaller sibling.

If you’re visiting here, be sure to visit the Nevada Museum of Art which keeps getting bigger and better, the Historical Society Museum to explore Native American culture and neon signs, and Discovery which is a great museum for kids, with interactive exhibits aplenty.

A quick drive from town will take you to plenty of outdoor recreation areas, such as the rapids at Truckee River Whitewater Park, a magnet for kayakers. Nevada is nothing if not surprising.