Las Vegas is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, with most of those visitors arriving by airplane, not by car. Luckily for those millions of yearly visitors, Las Vegas has many convenient and well-designed public transportation options to choose from. Despite the large distances that the average Las Vegas tourist travels, it is one of the easiest major cities to get around without a car.
The Las Vegas Monorail finally opened to the public in 2004 after several months of malfunctions and delays. A single ride ticket can be purchased for $3. Families or groups may prefer the Shareable Family Pack of 10 tickets for $20. The best values are the all-day passes, which let visitors travel the Las Vegas Monorail as many times as they want for only $10 for a 24-hour pass and $25 for a 72-hour pass. Hours of operation are 7:00 A.M. to 2:00 A.M. daily.
The
Las Vegas Strip
Trolley travels right on the famous Las
Vegas
Strip from 9:30 A.M. to 1:30 A.M. each day. A trolley car
arrives
at each of the stations approximately every 15 minutes. A
one-way
ticket costs $2 and all-day passes can be purchased for $5 per day.
Private parties can also charter the Las Vegas Strip Trolley
for
their own special occasions. Call (702) 382-1404 for more
information (phone number is the LV Trolley's, not an affiliation of
this site).
The Las Vegas Bus System is another convenient and inexpensive way for visitors to get around Sin City. the CAT (Citizens Area Transit) bus system operates busses 24 hours a day along the Las Vegas Strip and 5:30 A.M. - 1:30 A.M. in most other areas. Frequent day trips are also made to the Downtown Transit Center near Main Street Station, Fashion Show Mall, and most other major Las Vegas shopping locations. One-way bus fares on the Strip are $2, residential areas are only $1.25. More info: Las Vegas Bus System
The newest addition to the Strip are the new Las Vegas double decker busses, which operate 24 hours every day, 7 days a week. These offer passengers an excellent view from which to ride down the spectacular Las Vegas Strip (and a stop Downtown). All-day passes for the new "The Deuce" double-decker busses are only $5.
The standard Las Vegas taxi fare is $3 for the first mile, $1.80 each additional mile + $0.35/min. while stopped in traffic. An additional airport charge of $1.20 is added on each trip into or out of McCarran International Airport by all of the major cab companies (ABC, Ace, Checker, Desert, etc.). The estimated fare from the airport to Downtown is about $15-17 (plus tips). South Strip is the closest area to McCarran and can usually be reached by cab for about $8.50-10 (plus tips). Everywhere in between can be roughly estimated using those guidelines.
The 3 Las Vegas hotel trams offer quick and convenient transportation between several of the related Strip resort properties. The longest-running of the Strip trams is the one between Mirage and Treasure Island, which runs daily between 7:00 A.M. - 2:00 A.M. In 2003, the Mandalay Resort Group opened its own 24-hour monorail connecting Excalibur, Luxor, and Mandalay Bay. A lesser-known, but also older and established, tram runs between Bellagio and Monte Carlo 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For visitors willing and able to walk the gaps in between, it is possible to use these 3 Las Vegas hotel trams to cover most of the Strip without spending a dime.
Las Vegas shuttles are another excellent transportation option, especially for those needing rides to and from McCarran International Airport. Several of the major Las Vegas shuttle companies have their own ticket booths and shuttle stations at the airport. Rates vary based on the distance of your hotel destination. Many of the shuttle companies offer charter rates to private groups, providing easy transportation for wedding parties or business groups.
* All prices, hours, and other terms subject to change at any time without notice. All information is correct as of November, 2005. Please contact the appropriate Las Vegas public transportation utility for updates before planning your trip.