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While this is one of the highest quality national parks near Las Vegas, the densest concentration of Joshua trees isn’t located here, but in Mojave National Preserve. It’s a great alternative just an hour from Las Vegas, and we’ve written an extensive guide about it.
This indicates that you can walk to numerous hotels and activities or catch one of the conveyances serving Las Vegas. There are also trams present at Las Vegas’ major hotels and the swift and practical Las Vegas monorail.
In this article, I’ll share all the ways to get around in Las Vegas as well as transportation to and from the airport. By the end of this guide, you’ll be an expert in Las Vegas’ public transportation system!
Be sure to check out my useful chart for the Las Vegas trams and monorail system.
Public transportation in Las Vegas – The best way to get around Las Vegas
Public transportation in Las Vegas is quite adequate, so you shouldn’t have any issues navigating around. If you’re wondering how to get around Vegas without a personal vehicle, don`t worry.
Below are various transportation selections accessible, like the Las Vegas monorail, shuttles, trams, and taxis. There are also several Las Vegas bus pass possibilities accessible, which you can examine more about below .
Las Vegas shuttles
You can find shuttles from the Las Vegas airport to the Strip and complimentary shuttle buses at several hotels.
Shuttle from Las Vegas airport to the Strip
Upon arriving at the McCarran Airport in Las Vegas, visitors will need a means to reach their hotel destination. Thankfully, there are several transportation options available.
Initially, travelers can utilize the transportation services that go between the airport and popular locales in Las Vegas like the airport shuttle buses to the Las Vegas Strip and downtown area. There are presently three options for shuttles available: the Airline Shuttle,Bell Trans Shuttle, and Super Shuttle. These shuttle buses operate continuously throughout the day and night, however the duration of the trip is longer compared to privately arranged transportation (30-50 minutes versus 10-15 minutes).
I`ve compared pricing for all three below. It`s good etiquette to tip shuttle drivers, generally $2-3 is suitable.
|
Operating Hours |
Fare to Strip |
Fare to Downtown |
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
24/7 |
$9, one way |
$10, one way |
|
|
24/7 |
$15, one-way |
$15, one-way |
|
|
24/7 |
$11, one-way |
$11, one-way |
|
|
SHUTTLE TRANSPORTATION FROM LAS VEGAS AIRPORT TO THE STRIP |
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Those seeking private transportation from the airport to the Las Vegas Strip have the option to book a ride here: https://www.civitatis.com/en/las-vegas/transfers/?aid=2545. Unlike shuttle buses, private transfers can go straight to the desired hotel in a timelier manner.
Free shuttle in Las Vegas
Once hotel check-in is complete, it`s time to explore Sin City. The Downtown Loop provides free shuttle transport throughout the Las Vegas Strip and to surrounding attractions like the Arts District and Fremont Street.
It operates from 11 am – 6 pm Monday-Thursday and 3 pm – 10 pm Friday-Saturday. In total, the free downtown shuttle service has 12 stops:
- Bonneville Transit Station
- Symphony Park
- Las Vegas North Premium Outlet
- City Hall
- Fremont Street Experience
- Circa Resort
- Mob Museum
- Fremont East Entertainment District
- Pawn Plaza
- Arts District North
- The STRAT
- Arts District South
Hotel shuttles
- The Oasis at Grace Bay – some of the suites at this 5-star hotel have a stocked kitchen, although there is also an on-site restaurant and bar
Most popular transportation services in Las Vegas
- Alexis Park Las Vegas Resort
- El Cortez Hotel & Casino
- Gold Coast
- Green Valley Ranch
- Hampton Inn & Suites Las Vegas Airport
- Hampton Inn Tropicana Las Vegas Hotel
- Hilton Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa
- Homewood Suites by Hilton
- JW Marriott Las Vegas
- M Resort
- Mardi Gras Hotel & Casino
- Palace Station
- Sam’s Town Hotel & Gambling Hall
- Ramada Las Vegas
- Red Rock Casino
- Residence Inn Las Vegas Henderson/Green Valley
- Silver Sevens Hotel & Casino
- Silverton Casino
- South Point Hotel
- Tahiti Resort & Club
- The Orleans
- The Plaza Hotel & Casino
Monorail in Las Vegas
Another convenient Las Vegas transportation alternative is the Las Vegas Monorail. The monorail spans the length of the Las Vegas Strip from MGM Grand to Sahara Las Vegas.
The Vegas monorail stops at seven major hotels and attractions:
- MGM Grand
- Paris Hotel
- Caesars Palace
- The LINQ Hotel & Casino
- Las Vegas Convention Center
- Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino
- Sahara Las Vegas
This represents one of the speediest Las Vegas public transportation options since the monorail arrives every 4-8 minutes. It operates from 7 am-2 am Tuesday-Thursday; 7 am-3 am Friday-Sunday; and 7 am-midnight on Monday.
You can verify the Las Vegas monorail costs below and get your pass here.
|
Time Span |
Cost |
|---|---|
|
Single ride |
$5 |
|
1 day |
$12 |
|
2 days |
$23 |
|
3 days |
$29 |
|
4 days |
$36 |
|
5 days |
$43 |
|
7 days |
$56 |
|
PRICES FOR THE LAS VEGAS MONORAIL |
|
Las Vegas monorail map
You can see all the stops for the Las Vegas monorail highlighted on this map.
Trams
Yet another transportation alternative is one of the Las Vegas trams. There are three Las Vegas tram routes on the Strip, and they’re great for rapidly getting from one attraction to another. Plus, they’re free!
While they only go to their corresponding sister casinos, they’re major Vegas hotels, so they’re still convenient.
Aria Express (Bellagio-CityCenter-Monte Carlo Tram)
The Aria Express is a Las Vegas tramway connecting the ARIA, Bellagio, Vdara, Cosmopolitan, and Park MGM resorts. It operates from 8 am to 9 pm Monday through Thursday and from 8 am to 2 am Friday through Sunday.
Mandalay Bay Tram (Mandalay Bay-Luxor-Excalibur)
The shuttle connecting Mandalay Bay Resort to Luxor and Excalibur hotels operates from 10 am until midnight daily, with vehicles arriving every 5 minutes or so.
Mirage – Treasure Island Tram
The Mirage – Treasure Island tram circulates back and forth between the two hotels. It arrives every 8 minutes and operates from 9 am – 1 am Sunday-Thursday and 9 am – 2 am Friday-Saturday.
Las Vegas tram map
You can observe all the routes used by the Las Vegas tram on this map.
Taxis in Las Vegas
While taking public transportation in the form of a taxi within Las Vegas wouldn’t be my initial recommendation, most hotels in Vegas have a 24-hour taxi waiting area. Aside from these designated spots, taxis aren`t permitted to stop along the Strip. That said, you can schedule Las Vegas taxi transportation service to/from your lodging or to/from the airport. It’ll cost roughly $20-$25 plus a customary $2-$3 gratuity to take a taxi to the airport from the Strip.
Uber/Lyft
Similarly, most famous Las Vegas Strip hotels have a designated area for picking up and dropping off Uber and Lyft vehicles. I feel this can be more convenient than hailing a traditional Las Vegas taxi, and generally costs less money. It is approximately $15 for an Uber or Lyft ride to the Las Vegas Airport
Rental car
If you truly want to get around Las Vegas and the surrounding areas, consider renting a vehicle. We have a complete guide to renting an automobile in Las Vegas, but I’ll tell you here that we consistently use DiscoverCars if we want to drive during our travels.
With DiscoverCars, you can pick up your rental at the airport and opt to return it either to that location or an alternate drop-off point.
The following contains a button link to rent a car in Las Vegas: “
You could even rent an RV in Las Vegas and stay at one of the Las Vegas RV locations. This is a good option if you’re just passing through the city or planning on taking a longer road outing .
Bus passes in Las Vegas
Another choice is to obtain a Las Vegas bus pass. There are several buses in Vegas, with the two most popular being the Deuce and SDX. In this section, I’ll share more details about these buses and a few other bus routes on the Las Vegas Strip and downtown. First, here is a comparison chart of the different bus routes, hours, and prices.
|
Operating hours |
Stops |
Price |
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
24/7 |
– Most major Strip hotels |
• $6 (2 hrs) |
|
|
9 am – midnight, daily |
• The STRAT |
$6 (2 hrs) |
|
|
5:30 am – midnight, daily |
– Tropicana Hotel |
• $2 (single ride) |
|
|
10 am-6 pm, daily |
• Golden Nugget |
• $45 (1 day) – Live tour guide integrated |
|
|
BUS PASSES FOR LAS VEGAS |
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Deuce
Las Vegas’ Deuce bus comes every 15 minutes or so and stops at most major Strip hotels. It operates all day and night and makes over 25 stops, including the Fremont Street Experience, Arts District, Fashion Show Mall, Welcome to Las Vegas sign, and the Las Vegas Premium Outlets South. A one-day pass is $8 while a 3-day pass is $20.
SDX
The SDX bus in Las Vegas is the Strip & Downtown Express. As an express route, it has fewer stops than the Deuce bus and runs every 12-15 minutes. Tickets cost the same and the SDX operates daily from 9 am until midnight.
CX Centennial Express
As the WAX bus service in Las Vegas is no longer operating, I recommend taking the CX Centennial Express. The CX Las Vegas bus provides direct transportation to and from the airport and downtown. It runs from 5:30 am to midnight daily. A single ride costs $2 and a day pass costs $5. Multi-day passes are also available.
Hop-On/Hop-Off (Big Bus)
Finally, the Hop-On/Hop-Off Bus makes 9 stops and arrives every 20-30 minutes. It provides good value because passengers can take the bus when it suits them and benefit from an online tour guide as well. Tickets can be reserved ahead of time here.
Walking
You may wonder if Las Vegas is suitable to explore on foot. While walking is indeed possible, some factors must be considered. Depending on the time of your visit, the extremely high temperatures that can be experienced in Las Vegas as outlined in this article about the city`s weather may preclude walking as a viable option. Additionally, venturing out at night along the outskirts of the Strip could present some safety concerns.
While there are great self-guided explorations around the city, I suggest this small group tour of The Strip and this evening downtown walking tour. If you plan on doing many tours and activities during your stay, you should purchase a CityPass. This pass will help you save money on all those experiences while gaining access to exclusive offerings. We outline Las Vegas attraction passes, although my top pick is the All-Inclusive Pass
FAQs – Transportation in Las Vegas
To wrap up, here are some regularly asked questions about getting around in Las Vegas.
What are some common transportation options available in Las Vegas?
The best means of getting around Las Vegas is via bus or monorail. These two options also represent the most affordable forms of Las Vegas transportation to access different parts of the Strip and downtown.
How can one explore Las Vegas without a private vehicle?
The community transportation in Las Vegas is quite adequate, so you can move surrounding without a car. Numerous major hotels have trams or shuttles, moreover there are the Las Vegas monorail and bus routes.
That aforementioned, if you design on touring some attractions neighboring Las Vegas, accede a rental car or guided tour with transportation.
How to get from Las Vegas airport to a hotel?
If you’re arriving at the McCarran Airport, you can reach your lodging by shuttle, taxi, or private transfer.
Is renting a car in Las Vegas necessary?
No, but a rental car would be needed to explore beyond the Strip and downtown area.
Is Las Vegas walkable?
Yes, although you should consider factors like the climate, your fitness level, and which attractions you want to see. It will likely be simpler to obtain a Las Vegas bus pass or take the monorail.
Which hotels are serviced by the Las Vegas monorail?
The Las Vegas monorail makes seven stops:
- MGM Grand
- Paris Hotel
- Caesars Palace
- The LINQ Hotel & Casino
- Las Vegas Convention Center
- Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino
- Sahara Las Vegas
That comprises all necessary details regarding Las Vegas’ transportation system! With any luck, you feel more assured regarding navigating Las Vegas. Be certain to reference the maps above and, if you have any inquiries, provide a comment underneath. Travel safely!
