Ever taken the monorail in Vegas? If not, I don't blame you. It's really only accessible from one side of the Strip, and I'm using the word "accessible" loosely. It's a looooong walk to the back of any casino that has a monorail station. It's basically an entire long block off the Strip, only you walk it through the hotel.
You should take the bus! Especially if you're a single traveler in Vegas, and tired of paying $10, $20, or even $35 at a time for a cab (cabs are more economical when you're splitting the fare among a group of people). The bus is extremely convenient and efficient in Vegas. Here's the website:
http://www.rtcsouthernnevada.com/transit/
I don't know about iPhones, but if you have an Android phone, the maps app also gives you all the information you need. Bus stops are indicated on the map, and when you click on them, they tell you what bus stops there, and what time the next bus is. And here's the deal: in Vegas, the bus ALWAYS comes when it's supposed to! They're amazingly on time. The Android maps app will also give you directions using the buses.
You can get all the information you need from the website or from Google maps, but here's an overview:
You've all seen the Deuce bus on the Strip. This is a double-decker bus (bonus: go upstairs, sit up front, and it's basically a free sightseeing tour of the Strip!) that runs up and down the Strip, and to and from downtown. South of Flamingo, it makes a million stops, and if you're trying to get from MGM to downtown, it could take an hour. From farther up the Strip, you can make downtown in about 20 minutes. It makes frequent stops on the Strip, so you're always a quick walk from a bus stop, and it'll drop you at almost any hotel on the Strip. It finishes up at Fremont Street. Going back from downtown to the Strip, you can get it on the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Fremont Street, by the Heart Attack Grill.
There's another double-decker bus on the Strip. It's called the Strip/Downtown Express (SDX). This is basically an Express Deuce bus, which makes much fewer stops. You can get back and forth from the Strip (even the lower Strip) to downtown in about a half an hour. It also makes a stop near the Hilton and the Convention Center if you're going there. The bus stop downtown to pick up the SDX to go back to the Strip is on Convention Center Drive and Fremont Street, alongside Binion's.
The cost for both the Deuce and the SDX is $5 one-way, or $8 for a 24-hour pass (that's 24 hours from first use, so it can cover 2 calendar days, depending on when you're riding). You can also get a 3-day pass for $20, and if you're staying for a while in Vegas like I do for 3 weeks every May, you can get a monthly for $65. They take cash (exact change) onboard, but do yourself a favor and use the Ticket Vending Machines (cash, MC, or Visa -- no Amex) at the bus stops and get your ticket before you board (you can only get the monthly at neighborhood outlets, or you can order one through the mail from their website in advance of your trip; that's what I do).
There are many local bus routes as well, but basically all you need to know is that every east-west major cross street (Tropicana, Flamingo, Sahara, etc.) has a bus line with a stop at the Strip.
There's also a new Airport Express bus, but it only runs once an hour. I have not yet used it, but the 108 and 109 routes (Paradise Road route and Maryland Parkway route) also service the airport and downtown, so you can save yourself big bucks by getting one of these buses if you're staying downtown and going to and from the airport. They stop at the "zero" level on Terminal 1 -- basically you look for the escalator DOWN from the baggage claim, and go outside to where the limos are parked.
Check it out! You'll be glad you did. If you have any questions about the bus service, routes, or where bus stops are located, post 'em here and I'll do my best to answer them!
You should take the bus! Especially if you're a single traveler in Vegas, and tired of paying $10, $20, or even $35 at a time for a cab (cabs are more economical when you're splitting the fare among a group of people). The bus is extremely convenient and efficient in Vegas. Here's the website:
http://www.rtcsouthernnevada.com/transit/
I don't know about iPhones, but if you have an Android phone, the maps app also gives you all the information you need. Bus stops are indicated on the map, and when you click on them, they tell you what bus stops there, and what time the next bus is. And here's the deal: in Vegas, the bus ALWAYS comes when it's supposed to! They're amazingly on time. The Android maps app will also give you directions using the buses.
You can get all the information you need from the website or from Google maps, but here's an overview:
You've all seen the Deuce bus on the Strip. This is a double-decker bus (bonus: go upstairs, sit up front, and it's basically a free sightseeing tour of the Strip!) that runs up and down the Strip, and to and from downtown. South of Flamingo, it makes a million stops, and if you're trying to get from MGM to downtown, it could take an hour. From farther up the Strip, you can make downtown in about 20 minutes. It makes frequent stops on the Strip, so you're always a quick walk from a bus stop, and it'll drop you at almost any hotel on the Strip. It finishes up at Fremont Street. Going back from downtown to the Strip, you can get it on the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Fremont Street, by the Heart Attack Grill.
There's another double-decker bus on the Strip. It's called the Strip/Downtown Express (SDX). This is basically an Express Deuce bus, which makes much fewer stops. You can get back and forth from the Strip (even the lower Strip) to downtown in about a half an hour. It also makes a stop near the Hilton and the Convention Center if you're going there. The bus stop downtown to pick up the SDX to go back to the Strip is on Convention Center Drive and Fremont Street, alongside Binion's.
The cost for both the Deuce and the SDX is $5 one-way, or $8 for a 24-hour pass (that's 24 hours from first use, so it can cover 2 calendar days, depending on when you're riding). You can also get a 3-day pass for $20, and if you're staying for a while in Vegas like I do for 3 weeks every May, you can get a monthly for $65. They take cash (exact change) onboard, but do yourself a favor and use the Ticket Vending Machines (cash, MC, or Visa -- no Amex) at the bus stops and get your ticket before you board (you can only get the monthly at neighborhood outlets, or you can order one through the mail from their website in advance of your trip; that's what I do).
There are many local bus routes as well, but basically all you need to know is that every east-west major cross street (Tropicana, Flamingo, Sahara, etc.) has a bus line with a stop at the Strip.
There's also a new Airport Express bus, but it only runs once an hour. I have not yet used it, but the 108 and 109 routes (Paradise Road route and Maryland Parkway route) also service the airport and downtown, so you can save yourself big bucks by getting one of these buses if you're staying downtown and going to and from the airport. They stop at the "zero" level on Terminal 1 -- basically you look for the escalator DOWN from the baggage claim, and go outside to where the limos are parked.
Check it out! You'll be glad you did. If you have any questions about the bus service, routes, or where bus stops are located, post 'em here and I'll do my best to answer them!
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