Getting Around Las Vegas: Best Transportation Options

Las Vegas is no doubt one of the best destinations to visit for anyone who wants to do some serious gambling. And, going beyond this, Vegas has plenty else to offer besides just casinos since there are shows, landmarks, clubs and a ton of other things to do. 

Of course Las Vegas isn’t a small village where everything is within walking distance so you’ll need to have transportation methods for getting around the city. With this being the case, here is a guide for getting around Las Vegas and how to plan your transportation options.

The most immediate decision you’ll be faced with when arriving in Las Vegas is whether or not you should rent a car. The great thing about car rental places these days is that you can just rent one at, or near, the airport. Having a rental car will give you the freedom to cruise to places other than those on The Strip and it will be cheaper if you plan on going a lot of different places.

Another great thing about renting a car in Las Vegas is that many casinos have free valet parking so you can pull right up to the door of a casino and have everything taken care of. Even if you’re going to someplace that doesn’t have valet parking, there are plenty of parking garages in Las Vegas so you can pay to park there. This is also a downside though because the parking garages cost money and aren’t always as close to the Las Vegas hotspots as you’d like them to be.

For those who don’t want to deal with the hassle or responsibility of renting a car there are always plenty of cabs driving around Las Vegas. Cabs are great because there’s no paperwork to deal with and you don’t even have to know your way around the city to get to casinos and other places. Having a knowledgeable cabbie is a major advantage over renting a car when you don’t know the city! Plus, if you plan on going to any bars or nightclubs a sober cabbie is much better than driving yourself.

The disadvantage of cabs is that they are expensive – especially if you plan on going to several spots in Las Vegas. Just getting from the airport to the south part of The Strip will cost you about $15 and going to the north end will run over $20 not including the tip. Of course you can cut down on the costs of a cab by traveling with a group of people which is what many visitors do when in Vegas.

If you don’t know the city, but want to go cheaper than a cab then taking a bus is always a great option. Those looking to get from the airport to their hotel will only have to pay around $10 to ride an airport shuttle bus. The bad thing about airport shuttle buses though is that they are very slow to fill up and a person can waste an hour waiting for them to get going.

Those spending a lot of time on The Strip can always take “The Deuce” which is a double-decker bus that goes up and down Vegas’ world-famous street. It normally costs just $3 to ride The Deuce and this bus goes all the way from the south end of The Strip to the north end with stops every quarter mile. Those who don’t mind waiting a little while will love using The Deuce to get around The Strip. 

There is a much greater distance between casinos than what most people realize before visiting Las Vegas so it can be tough walking to each one. That’s why there’s the Las Vegas Monorail which is a quick and easy way for people to travel from the north and south Strip casinos with ease. The monorail starts at the MGM Grand on the south end and runs all the way up to the Sahara Hotel & Casino on the north side.

But keep in mind that, if you’re only going to be making a couple of trips from the south to north end (or vice versa), then The Deuce is a better choice. However, if you plan on making this trip several times then all-day or three-day monorail passes are very affordable options to use.

As mentioned before, Las Vegas is a big city with its features and attractions spread out over many blocks. So walking from place to place can be very tiresome and time consuming for people who want to visit multiple places. But if you’re someone who doesn’t plan on touring the city and will be staying close to the hotel most of the time then walking can be a great way to get around. In the end, it just depends on how much money you have and where all you want to go.