Getting Around Sin City: Las Vegas Transit and Transportation Options

Glitter, glamour and gold-but how do you get from place to place? Las Vegas is easy to get around if you use a little money and a little ingenuity. The first thing that a visitor to this desert Mecca will notice is that, unlike most tourist destinations, there are no hotel-sponsored shuttles from the airport to your hotel. Your first decision will be taxi or shuttle. Gray Lines runs shuttle buses from the airport. We were staying at the Paris Hotel and Casino, which is about mid-point on the strip. This was something we learned last trip because it is a bit inconvenient to get around if you are in a hotel that is on either end of the strip. Gray Lines charged us $5.50. After boarding the bus, we had to wait about 40 minutes before we got under way. The bus was over-sold and we had to sit three to one seat so no one had to get off. If you have two or more in your party, the taxi is a better value since it costs about the same. When we left, we took a taxi and it was much more pleasant and timely. Next, beware of the desert air! It makes everything look closer than it is. You may see where you want to go and decide to walk; it is always farther than it looks. Many times you will get to your hotel before check-in time. It is common for people to drag their luggage around with them until the time for check-in. This is totally unnecessary. The bell station will accept your luggage, give you a claim ticket, and hold it for you until check-in. Take advantage of this benefit as it will make your first few hours in Vegas a lot more fun, which is, I expect, why you are there. After getting to the hotel, keep in mind that many of the hotel properties are owned by the same corporations and they may have shuttles that are free to take you from place to place. The Paris is owned by Harrah's Entertainment, and so are Bally's, The Flamingo and The Rio. There is a free shuttle that will take you to these other casinos.

Another option is the Monorail. It is a little pricey and the entrances are somewhat hard to find, but it is a very quick way to get around. Our-two person twenty-four hour ticket cost us $30.00 but was well worth the savings on our feet. The stops on the strip are at the MGM Grand, Bally's, Flamingo, and Harrah's. After Harrah's the monorail goes off of the strip to the Convention Center, Las Vegas Hilton, and, finally, the Sahara. It doesn't go everywhere, so make sure you get the brochure from your hotel.

At the South end of the strip, there is a free monorail that will take you from the Mirage to Treasure Island. It runs from 9 a.m. to midnight and arrives about every 15 minutes; the ride lasts about 4 minutes.

There is also a tram that runs from the Mandalay Bay to the Excalibur. It runs in 24 hours a day and leaves every 3 to 7 minutes.

The old bus system has been replaced with a new system of double-deckers called The Duece. This bus system was initiated Thursday, Oct. 27 2005. To get a schedule, you can go online to http://www.rtcsouthernnevada.com/deuce/. It is a convenient and economical way around the strip.

All in all, Sin City is a delight. Just remember: Ask and it shall be answered. Las Vegas is still a tourist friendly town and they do want you to be happy. Happy people spend more money.