Getting Around Las Vegas:
With the excitement of seeing The Las Vegas Strip from your plane while landing, many visitors often rush to the taxi stands without really knowing what the best way to get to their hotel is. Tourists also often overlook researching how to get around the Las Vegas Strip from their hotel only to find themselves walking 3-4 miles more per day than they need to.
You really need to take advantage of the cheap buses, and handy monorail, in addition to taxis if you are visiting Las Vegas for a couple of days. It is also extremely helpful to know how to get to Downtown Las Vegas from your hotel as visiting Old Vegas is one of the best things to do while in town. We hope that the tips below help to clear up any confusion on the best ways to get around in Las Vegas.
Getting To The Strip From The Las Vegas Airport:
Because of the Las Vegas Airport’s very close proximity to The Strip, it can be very easy to get to your hotel after you land.
•Taxi: A taxi from the Airport to the Las Vegas Strip will take around 10 minutes (20-30 minutes in rush hour) and the cost $12-17. There are also limousines of many sizes available at the Airport. You can also try either Uber or Lyft.
•The Wax Bus: Westcliff Airport Express takes 12 Minutes from the Airport to The Las Vegas Strip. This bus only has one stop on The Strip at New York New York before heading Downtown on the freeway. Leaves once an hour.
•Airport Shuttle Bus: If you have a large group or a ton of luggage you may want to consider riding one of the airport shuttle buses. You will share your journey with 6 to 20 other people so depending on where they are getting dropped off along the way it may take a lot of extra stops before you reach your hotel. Assume it will be about $7 per person to get to the Strip but will take around 30 minutes.
•Other Bus Combos: You can also ride either Bus 109 or Bus 108 from the Airport one stop to the South to the Bus Transfer Station where you catch the SDX Express Bus up The Strip. This option isn’t ideal as although it leaves everything 15 minutes with the backtracking and transfer your journey will take 45 minutes from the Airport
Getting To Downtown Las Vegas From The Airport:
Downtown Las Vegas is a bit further away from the Airport than The Strip so figuring out what transportation method is best for you ahead of time is important.
•Taxi: A taxi from the Airport to the Las Vegas Strip will take around 20 minutes (60 minutes in rush hour) and the cost $25.
•The Wax Bus: Westcliff Airport Express only takes 29 minutes to get from the Airport to Downtown Las Vegas. After stopping at the New York New York on The Strip the bus takes the freeway up to the Outlet Mall, then the Bonneville Transit Station before getting to the heart of Downtown after only 7 stops. Leaves once an hour
•Airport Shuttle Bus: If you have a large group or a ton of luggage you may want to consider riding one of the airport shuttle buses. You will share your journey with 6 to 20 other people so depending on where they are getting dropped off along the way it may take a lot of extra stops before you reach your hotel. Assume it will be about $9 per person to get Downtown but will take around 60 minutes.
•Other Bus Options: The SDX Express bus takes 39 minutes to get from the Southern Bus Transfer Center to the Bonneville Transfer Center. You also have to ride either Bus 108 or 109 one stop to get to the Southern Bus Transfer Center on the frontend and on the backend have to walk the final 4 block to Fremont Street. Bus 109 by itself also isn’t a great option as it will take you 45 minutes from the Airport to reach the Bonneville Transit Station which is a 4-block walk to Fremont Street.
How To Get Downtown From The Strip:
Visiting Downtown Las Vegas from The Strip is something that every visitor needs to do but the options for getting there are a little limited.
•The SDX Express Bus: The Strip & Downtown Express Bus is usually the quickest and easiest option to get around the Las Vegas Strip. From the Welcome To Las Vegas Sign it takes 18 minutes to up to the Fashion Center Mall by the Wynn with 3 stops in between (Mandalay Bay, Excalibur, and Bellagio). With a total of 11 stops, you can even get between the sign and Downtown in 39 minutes.
Cost: 2 hours $6; 24 Hours $8; 3 Days $20. Hours: 9am-Midnight; buses leave every 12 minutes.
•Taxi: A taxi from the Airport to Downtown Las Vegas will take around 20 minutes (60 minutes in rush hour) and cost around $25.
Getting Around The Las Vegas Strip:
The SDX Express Bus: The Strip & Downtown Express Bus is usually the quickest and easiest option to get around the Las Vegas Strip. From the Welcome To Las Vegas Sign it takes 18 minutes to up to the Fashion Center Mall by the Wynn with 3 stops in between (Mandalay Bay, Excalibur, and Bellagio). With a total of 11 stops, you can even get between the sign and Downtown in 39 minutes.
Cost: 2 hours $6; 24 Hours $8; 3 Days $20. Hours: 9am-Midnight; buses leave every 12 minutes.
The Deuce Bus: Running the entire length of the Strip, make sure to utilize the very cheap and easy to use Deuce Bus. You’ll do enough walking inside the casinos that there is no reason to add extra miles outside in the Vegas heat. This bus is a couple minutes slower to get down the Strip than the Express Bus as it stops at almost every casino but gives you more flexibility.
Cost: Covered by the same bus ticket as the SDX. Hours: 24 Hours; every 15 minutes.
Las Vegas Monorail: The air-conditioned Las Vegas Monorail runs from the MGM to the Linq with stops in between in just 5 minutes and continues to the Convention Center and SLS (formerly the Sahara). Trains leave every 7-8 minutes. With the monorail being expanded South to Mandalay Bay in the South and possible to Downtown in the North it is increasingly becoming a better option to get around the strip.
Hours: Monday 7am-Midnight; Tuesday-Thursday 7am-2am; Friday-Sunday 7am-3am. Cost: One Ride $5; 24-hour pass $13; 2-day pass $23; 3-day pass $29. Website: Here.
Taxi: While the traffic in Las Vegas can be extremely slow for cars, catching a taxi to get from one end of the Strip to the other can be a very good option, especially if you are traveling in a large group.
Walking On Foot: If you stick to walking along Las Vegas Boulevard without entering any of the casinos you can cover the 3.4 miles between the Welcome Sign to the Fashion Show Mall in around 1 hour and 20 minutes. Especially with the desert heat and everything to see along the way this direct route isn’t very common without stopping.
