One of the hardest things for first-time Vegas visitors to understand is the sheer size of the landscape. It seems simple on a map. Almost everything you need is positioned on one stretch of road. But Las Vegas travel does have its challenges.
Transport questions are probably some of the more frequent queries I receive. Specifically how do you get from the airport? What’s the best way to get Downtown? And how do you get up and down the Strip?
So hopefully I can answer some of these and more in this handy guide.
Geography
The simplest way to imagine Las Vegas is as one big stretch of road. The south has Harry Reid Airport and the Welcome to Las Vegas sign. While the north has Downtown. In simplistic terms, the Las Vegas Strip links these two positions.
Most regular visitors refer to the Las Vegas Strip in terms of south Strip, centre Strip and north Strip. And although it is possible to walk between them, it is not advised in the desert heat.
When thinking about Las Vegas hotels, Mandalay Bay is considered the most Southern. This is closely followed by Luxor and Excalibur.
Meanwhile, in the north, Circus Circus is the last spot before you head to the most northern hotel which is The Strat. After that you’re getting into Downtown territory.
To be truthful, it isn’t really advisable to walk any further than Circus Circus northbound or Mandalay Bay southbound by foot. These are less developed areas of the Strip and you can feel isolated, particularly in the evening.
Most visitors choose to concentrate their time either at a particular part of the Strip or Downtown. And then get transport in between.
Las Vegas Strip
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Las Vegas travel on the Strip can be misleading. It looks like the resorts are all next door to each other. And they are. But they also cover an enormous plot of land each. Meaning that even walking through your own hotel can take forever, never mind walking next door.
One of the first pieces of advice I give any visitor is this: Everything appears closer than it actually is.
I experienced it personally on my first visit, when I thought it would be a good idea to walk to the Las Vegas sign. Almost an hour later, dripping in sweat and feet pounding, I made it. And swore I’d never do it again.
This is also why the second piece of advice I always give out is to wear comfortable shoes. Always.
Of course, there are a lot of casinos that you can walk comfortably in between, but these tend to be more centre Strip. If travelling from north to south or vice versa, its best to use one of the Las Vegas travel options.
Downtown
Downtown Las Vegas is completely different to the Strip. Here, every casino is within comfortable walking distance. You can literally go door to door.
Once you’re Downtown, you don’t need any mode of transport other than your feet. The only issue is getting there and back.
For this, you will need to take a taxi, Uber, Lyft or one of the bus services. Some close by resorts such as The Strat offer free shuttle services to and from Downtown. But the most popular bus service that covers all of Las Vegas is the Deuce.
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Deuce Bus
The most comprehensive method of Las Vegas travel is the Deuce bus.
With a regular schedule running every 10-20 minutes, the Deuce bus operates 24 hours a day.
It starts from the South Strip Transit Terminal close to the airport and runs all the way to Downtown Vegas.
Along the way it stops at the famous Welcome to Las Vegas sign. It then stops at virtually every hotel and casino along the Strip with stops every quarter mile.
It carries on to the Fremont Street Experience in Downtown, the Las Vegas Premium Outlets South and then returns along the same route.
You can buy a 2-hour pass for $6, a 24-hour pass for $8 or a 3-day pass for $20. And once you have it, you can hop on and off as many times as you like.
The only criticism I ever hear about the Deuce is that it is slow. And that is because it makes so many stops. But for a cheap, convenient, and accessible option, you can’t go wrong.
Las Vegas Monorail
The Las Vegas Monorail is a paid service that takes you down the east of the Strip. This starts at the MGM Grand and goes to SAHARA with five stops in between.
Monorail route
- MGM Grand Station
- Ballys/Paris Station
- Flamingo/Caesars Palace Station
- Harrah’s/LINQ Station
- Las Vegas Convention Centre Station
- Westgate Station
- SAHARA Las Vegas Station
The monorail operates from 7am each day. On a Monday it finishes at midnight, but all other days this is later. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday it goes until 2am and Friday, Saturday, Sunday until 3am.
You can buy single ride tickets for $5 or daily passes ranging from one day at $13 to a 7-day pass for $56.
Las Vegas Tram
The Las Vegas Tram is a free service with three independent short routes that take you down the west of the Las Vegas Strip.
This first route starts at Mandalay Bay and takes you to Luxor and Excalibur and then back again.
The next route starts at Park MGM and takes you to Aria and Bellagio. The final route takes you from Mirage to Treasure Island.
In truth the Las Vegas Tram is a piecemeal service and often still requires a lot of walking to the tram stations.
It’s also not joined up in any way. For example, the Mandalay tram runs from 11.00am – 10.30pm. The Aria one from 8am – 4am. And the Mirage one 7am – 2am. Frequency of service differs too, but is never more than 15 mins wait.
However, on the plus side, the rides are quite cool and it is free.
Taxi/Rideshare
If you’d prefer a more private mode of transport for your Las Vegas travel, then every hotel has it’s own taxi stop. You don’t need to book these, just head for the pick-up/drop-off entry point and jump into one of the waiting cars.
Additionally, every hotel has a ride-share spot too for Uber and Lyft drivers. If you want to use the ride-share options, then just download the app and book it the usual way.
Just be aware that cars aren’t allowed to stop for pickup on the Strip. You will always have to go to a designated stop at a resort to get a ride.
Las Vegas Airport Transfers
Harry Reid Airport has set taxi fees for airport transfers to Strip hotels to ensure passengers get the best value.
These are based on different zones within the Strip and are summarised as follows:
Zone 1 – This includes Mandalay Bay, Luxor, Excalibur and MGM Grand. The flat rate is $19.
Zone 2 – This includes New York-New York, Park MGM, Aria, Cosmopolitan, Bellagio, Planet Hollywood, Paris and Ballys. The flat rate is $23.
Zone 3 – This includes Flamingo, Caesars Palace, Cromwell, LINQ, Harrah’s, Mirage, Venetian/Palazzo, Wynn/Encore, Treasure Island, Circus Circus and The Strat. The flat rate is $27.
Taxi’s do accept card payment but, again, don’t forget to tip. The airport also has a Rideshare stop for Uber and Lyft pickups too.
An airport shuttle bus service does operate from the airport to Strip hotels. But if I’m completely honest I wouldn’t recommend it. This costs $15 per person one way and can take up to 50 minutes. You also have to pre-book your slot beforehand.
Some Las Vegas hotels offer a free airport shuttle bus for guests, so check out your hotel for information.
Limo
If you want to add a little bit of extra glamour to your airport transfer then you can. A number of limousine companies operate in the area offering that extra-special welcome.
Many of these will also make a stop off at the Welcome to Las Vegas sign on the way. Or a liquor store to stock up on goodies for the room. And most involve complimentary water or even something stronger.
Personally I’ve never used one of these services for the airport, I always just jump in a taxi. However, I have booked a limousine experience on the Strip which was amazing. If you’d like to see more about this, you can watch my vlog.