Transportation Tips

These old-fashioned, dark-green vehicles have interior oak paneling and are comfortably air-conditioned. Like the buses, they run northward from Hacienda Avenue, stopping at all major hotels en route to the Sahara, and then loop back from the Las Vegas Hilton. They do not, however, go to the Stratosphere Casino Hotel & Tower or Downtown. Trolleys run about every 15 minutes daily between 9:30am and 1:30am. The fare is $2 for a single one-way ride or $5 (free for children under age 5) for an all-day pass, and exact change is required. (striptrolley.com)

Since cabs line up in front of all major hotels, an easy way to get around town is by taxi. Cabs charge $3.20 at the meter drop and 25¢ for each additional 1/8 mile, plus an additional $1.20 fee for being picked up at the airport and time-based penalties if you get stuck in a traffic-jam. A taxi from the airport to the Strip will run you $12 to $20, from the airport to Downtown $15 to $20, and between the Strip and Downtown about $10 to $15. You can often save money by sharing a cab with someone going to the same destination (up to five people can ride for the same fare). All this implies that you have gotten a driver who is honest; many cabbies take you the long way around, which sometimes means the shortest physical distance between two points -- right down the Strip -- but longest time on the clock and, thus, meter. Either way, you could end up paying a fare that . . . let's just say a new pair of shoes would have been a much more fun way to spend that jackpot. Your only recourse is

Coming from California involves desert driving, you must take certain precautions. It's a good idea to check your tires, water, and oil before leaving. Take at least 5 gallons of water in a clean container that can be used for either drinking or the radiator. Pay attention to road signs that suggest when to turn off your car's air conditioner. And don't push your luck with gas it may be 35 miles or more between stations. If your car overheats, do not remove the radiator cap until the engine has cooled, and then remove it very slowly. Add water to within an inch of the top of the radiator.

Some locals complain about Citizens Area Transit (CAT) bus service in certain neighborhoods. But the Strip routes are frequent and well serviced, running around the clock from the South Strip Transfer Terminal to the Downtown Transportation Center in the north. The 301 runs every 10 minutes during busy hours, and there's also a limited-stop express bus (no. 302) every 15 minutes. Other routes go for $1.25, but the 301 and 302 are the CAT's gravy trains and cost $2. Exact change, please.

After decades of abandoned plans and false starts, a commuter monorail serving the Strip is finally a reality! This 4-mile system is a larger, faster, and more modern version of the Disney hand-me-down that used to run between the MGM and Bally's. The Las Vegas Monorail now has seven stations sprinkled from the MGM to the Sahara, with a one-way fare running $5 per person.

Parking -- Free valet parking is one of the great pleasures of Las Vegas and well worth the $1 or $2 tip (given when the car is returned) to save walking a city block from the far reaches of a hotel parking lot, particularly when the temperature is over 100°F (38°C). Another summer plus: The valet will turn on your air-conditioning so that you don't have to get into an oven on wheels.

If driving, you cannot carry alcohol in your car
unless it is safely locked up in the boot.

If you are planning to drive into town then AVOID THE STRIP (its always busy). Buy a map and learn Industrial Blvd and Frank Sinatra Dr. to the West of the Strip and Paradise Blvd. to the east. The mentioned roads will shorten north/south travel time by alot. For east/west travel, Desert Inn Dr. goes under the strip and completely takes away the problems with roads like Sahara and Flamingo.

Las Vegas is one of the cheapest places in the country to rent a car. You can enjoy a rental car from about $20 a day, if you take two or more cab rides a day it will pay for itself.

If this is your first Las Vegas trip then you will most likely be staying on the Strip. You probably wont need a rental car since there are so many things to do and see within walking distance.