Las Vegas Travel Guide

Las Vegas travel guide,Sleep

Sleep

The vast majority of visitors to Las Vegas arrive on Friday or Saturday nights and stay for the weekend. As such, room rates can seem ridiculously cheap from Sunday-Thursday night but zoom upwards on weekends. Travelers can plan a trip to their advantage: by staying, say, Sunday through Thursday, one can not only save a bundle on hotel rates, but also take advantage of package deals that may include a show, meals, and gambling coupons -- occasionally worth more than the cost of the hotel room itself.

Be aware that many amenities that are included for free in other cities may be quite expensive in Las Vegas; most hotels charge for use of the fitness center with rates around $20 to $40 per visit, local calls are usually billed, and wireless internet is generally at least $12 per day. In Las Vegas parlance, the words "hotel" and "casino" are interchangeable.

On The Strip

• Aladdin, 3667 S Las Vegas Blvd, ☎ +1-702-785-5555 (toll free: +1-877-333-9474). Aladdin is currently open but undergoing renovation as it is transformed into the Planet Hollywood Casino.

• Bally's, 3645 Las Vegas Blvd South (toll free: +1-888-742-9248)

• Bellagio, 3600 S. Las Vegas Blvd, ☎ +1-702-693-7111. One of the most upscale hotels in Las Vegas, the Bellagio features an art gallery, a massive indoor flower garden, and the Cirque du Soleil show "O".

• Bill's Gamblin' Hall & Saloon, 3595 Las Vegas Blvd. South, ☎ +1-702-737-2100 (toll free: +1-866-BILLS-45). An excellent value hotel in the middle of the strip between Bally's and Flamingo, across from Ceasar's palace and Bellagio.

• Caesars Palace, 3570 Las Vegas Blvd South (toll free: +1-877-427-7243).

• Circus Circus, 2880 Las Vegas Blvd South (toll free: +1-877-224-7287). A cheaper and less upscale casino that caters to families. The Manor is in poor shape, the Tower rooms are somewhat better. Scheduled for demolition and rebuilding. $50-60.

• City Center (opens late 2009), 3780 Las Vegas Blvd. South, ☎ +1-702-590-5999 (toll free: +1-866-722-7171). The iconic 61-story, resort-casino will set a new global standard in hospitality with approximately 3,438 rooms and 564 suites. The resort-casino will deliver the unprecedented dining, entertainment, shopping and spa experiences for which MGM MIRAGE is renowned. It will feature a phenomenal new Cirque du Soleil production celebrating the legacy of Elvis Presley and approximately 300,000 square feet of ballroom, meeting space and prefunction area.

• Excalibur, 3850 Las Vegas Boulevard South, ☎ +1-800-697-1791. Named after the mythical sword of King Arthur, this family friendly hotel has a large pool a rides for kids.

• Flamingo, 3555 Las Vegas Blvd South, ☎ +1-702-733-3111 (toll free: +1-888-308-8899).

• Four Seasons, 3960 Las Vegas Blvd. South, ☎ +1-702-632-5000 (fax: +1-702-632-5195). Occupying the top four floors of Mandalay Bay's main building, the Four Seasons is one of the most exclusive and high-end accommodations in Las Vegas.

• Harrah's, 3475 S Las Vegas Blvd, ☎ +1-702-369-5000.

• Imperial Palace, 3535 Las Vegas Blvd South, ☎ +1-702-731-3311 (toll free: +1-800-634-6441).

• Luxor Resort and Casino, 3900 S. Las Vegas Blvd., ☎ +1-702-262-4100. An Egyptian-themed hotel with a massive pyramid that offers interesting room layouts. This hotel is a good option for those looking for a lower-priced but still upscale room on the Strip.

• Mandalay Bay, 3950 S. Las Vegas Blvd, ☎ +1-702-632-7777. Located at the far southern end of the Strip next to the Luxor.

• Mirage, 3400 S. Las Vegas Blvd., ☎ +1-702-791-7111 (toll free: +1-800-374-9000). An upscale hotel located near the middle of the Strip, the Mirage features a "volcano" that erupts every hour, a white tiger exhibit, a 200,000 gallon tropical aquarium, and a tropical rain forest. Room rates vary from $75 per night to upwards of $500 per night, depending on time of year and method of booking.

• MGM Grand, 3799 Las Vegas Boulevard South, ☎ +1-702-891-7777. checkin: 3PM; checkout: 11AM. Opened in 1933, this Hollywood themed resort has 5,044 guest rooms. The rooms are nicer than what you would find at most chain hotels, but don't expect the quiet or luxuries that are offered by the high-end casinos such as Bellagio or Wynn. Standard rooms start anywhere from $80 to $300 per night.

• Monte Carlo, 3770 Las Vegas Blvd South, ☎ +1-702-730-7777 (toll free: +1-888-529-4828). Modeled after the opulent Place du Casino in Monte Carlo.

• New Frontier, 3120 Las Vegas Blvd South, ☎ +1-702-794-8200 (toll free: +1-800-634-6966). Rates start at $45 per night.

• Paris, 3655 Las Vegas Boulevard South, ☎ +1-702-946-7000 (toll free: +1-877-796-2096),.

• Riviera, 2901 Las Vegas Blvd. South, ☎ +1-702-734-5110 (toll free: +1-800-634-3420). Rates start at $49 per night.

• Sahara, 2535 Las Vegas Blvd South, ☎ +1-702-737-2654 (toll free: +1-866-382-8884) One of the cheapest hotels located on the strip, also served by the monorail. Has a large casino floor, swimming pool, a buffet diner, several restaurants and a NASCAR exhibition. Rates from $41 per night.

• Stratosphere, 2000 Las Vegas Blvd South, ☎ +1-702-380-7777 (toll free: +1-800-998-6937). The 1,149-foot Stratosphere Tower is a Las Vegas landmark. Rates from $30 per night.

• Treasure Island, 3300 Las Vegas Blvd South, ☎ +1-702-894-7111 (toll free: +1-800-288-7206). Rates from $99 per night.

• Tropicana, 3801 Las Vegas Blvd South (toll free: +1-888-826-8767). Rates from $36 per night.

• The Signature at MGM Grand, 3799 Las Vegas Blvd South. A Luxury suite hotel behind the MGM Grand.

• The Venetian, 3355 Las Vegas Blvd South, ☎ +1-702-414-4100. A high-end hotel located near the center of the Strip and offering everything from the Grand Canal shops to the incredible Blue Man Group show.

• Wynn Las Vegas, 3131 Las Vegas Blvd South (directions), ☎ +1-702-770-7000. Built at a cost of $2.7 billion, this is the most expensive resort in the world, with the money plowed into (among other things) a private golf course, an artificial mountain with a 5-story waterfall and a million-gallon water tank for the nightly show. Rooms from $250.

Off The Strip

• AmeriSuites Las Vegas/Paradise Road, 4520 Paradise Road, ☎ +1-702-369-3366. Located in the heart of Las Vegas, adjacent to the Hard Rock Casino.

• Gold Coast Hotel & Casino, 4000 West Flamingo Road, ☎ +1-702-367-7111 (toll free: +1-888-402-6278). A full service hotel with a casino, eight restaurants, a seventy lane bowling alley, 711 hotel rooms. Free shuttle to the strip, free valet parking, fitness center. The hotel has views of the strip and great value.

• Hawthorn Suites (Las Vegas Strip), 5051 Duke Ellington Way.

• Las Vegas Hilton, 3000 Paradise Rd. (toll free: +1-888-732-7117). This 3000 room hotel/casino is situated just north of the Las Vegas Convention Center, a couple of blocks east of the strip. A monorail station is located next to the lobby.

• Hooters Casino Hotel, 115 East Tropicana Avenue, ☎ +1-702-739-9000. Located right behind the Tropicana and quick walk to the strip or monorail, this is a perfect hotel for the cheap traveler.

• The Palms Hotel, 4321 West Flamingo Road, ☎ +1-702-942-7777 (toll free: +1-866-942-7777). A bit off the strip this hotel offers gambling and also a great view of the strip from the Ghostbar.

• The Platinum Hotel, 211 East Flamingo Road (toll free: +1-877-211-9211). Boutique non-gaming hotel, all guest rooms are suites with kitchen and private balcony. Two blocks from The Strip, nearby Bellagio.

• Renaissance Las Vegas Hotel, 3400 Paradise Road, ☎ +1-702-784-5700 (toll free: +1-800-750-0980). Non-gaming, non-smoking hotel convenient to Las Vegas Convention Center, McCarran Airport, Monorail, and The Strip.

• Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino, 3700 West Flamingo Road, ☎ +1-702-777-7777 (toll free: +1-800-PLAY-RIO). Home to the world famous buffet, and some of the largest standard rooms in Las Vegas.

Downtown

• Binion's Gambling Hall and Hotel, 128 Fremont Street, ☎ +1-702-382-1600.

• El Cortez Hotel and Casino, 600 E. Fremont Street, ☎ (702)385-5200 (toll free: 1-800-634-6703). checkin: 3PM; checkout: 11A. 300 room Hotel on Fremont St, 2 restaurants and a chinese buffet. Recently Remodeled with a great rewards program! Great place to stay for cheap if you have a rental car, but as long as you walk to the Fremont St Exp, you should be fine. ~$35+.

• Fremont Hotel & Casino, 200 East Fremont Street (toll free: +1-800-634-6460). 32,000 square foot casino and 4.5 restaurants, plus right next to the Fremont Street Experience light show.

• Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino, 129 Fremont St, ☎ +1-702-385-7111.

• Main Street Station Hotel and Casino, 200 North Main Street (toll free: +1-800-713-8933). Hotel with Victorian theme, and the not-to-be-missed Garden Court Buffet.

• Plaza Hotel and Casino, 1 South Main Street, ☎ +1-702-386-2110.

• USA Hostels Las Vegas, 1322 Fremont Street, ☎ +1-702-385-1150. A definite budget option. A reasonably well kept hostel with very friendly staff. Free beer and BBQ at the weekend is not to be missed. Surrounding area is not overly safe. Walking alone at night is not recommended. The pizza parlour next door does a deal on a soda and a generous slice of pizza for around $3. Fremont Experience is roughly a 20 minute walk from the hostel.

Camping

• Arizona Charlie's Boulder Casino, Hotel and RV Park, 4445 Boulder Hwy, ☎ +1-702-951-9000 (toll free: +1-800-970-7280, fax: +1-702-951-9211). Easy access from interstate and reasonable prices; great for overnight stays passing through Vegas.

• Hitchin' Post RV Park and Motel, 3640 Las Vegas Blvd North, ☎ +1-702-644-1043 (toll free: 1-888-433-8402, fax: +1-702-644-8359) Sites are cramped but cheap. They take your name but don't take reservations if they are nearly full (beware!).

Las Vegas travel guide,Drink

Bars

In Las Vegas, free drinks are offered to all players, even those playing 5-cent slot machines. It is customary to tip the cocktail waitress at least $1 per drink (unless you like going thirsty).

• Cleopatra's Barge, (at Caesars Palace).
• Nefertiti's Lounge, (at the Luxor). They specialize in 36-inch Sphinx margaritas and glasses made in the shape of mummy cases (they make nice vases after the fact).
• Venus Lounge, (at the Venetian). Pricey but enjoyable for a couple of quick cocktails.
• Double Down Saloon, 4640 Paradise Road, 791-5775 A bit out of the way but plenty of atmosphere and out of the casinos if that's your thing.
• Nine Fine Irishmen, (in the New York, New York casino). This pub was actually constructed in Ireland and then shipped to Las Vegas. A great Irish band plays most nights starting around 9:00, the crowd is always energetic, and the Guinness and Bass flow easily. A pint runs about $6.
• The Bunkhouse, (Downtown) . Cheap downtown bar. Located one block from the USA Hostel. Friendly with travelers and frequented often by the staff and guests of the nearby hostel.

Nightclubs

Nightlife in Las Vegas is never hard to find, with a club or lounge in nearly every hotel and casino. Most clubs remain open until 4am, with various after-hour clubs available for the truly hard-core partiers. Drink prices can range anywhere from $4 - $8 for a domestic bottle of beer, $8 - $10 for well drinks, and $200 or more for a bottle of alcohol. Clubs are always busy on weekends, and may also be packed during weekdays at places that have Service Industry Night (SIN), usually Tuesday through Thursday when locals working in the service industry have their night off.

The top clubs will charge a cover of $15 or more. Exceptions include those who have reserved a table, ladies, and sometimes locals. Expect to wait in a line, depending on the night, anywhere from ten minutes up to a couple of hours. A general rule of thumb is to get there early (before 10pm), and while the club may be emptier the line will be shorter and you may avoid paying cover. Be aware that tables in Vegas often come with a bottle purchase; unless you keep buying bottles from the hostess they will ask you to vacate the table so that someone else can occupy the table. The dress code varies by club and bar. The general rule of thumb is most of the time women know what to wear when they are going out, and men should avoid wearing tennis shoes, tank tops, hats, t-shirts, and blue jeans.

• 3121, 3700 W Flamingo Rd (inside Rio Hotel), ☎ +1 702 777-7776. Originally Club Rio, the number one dance club for over nine years. The Rio recently announced a deal with Prince for him to play on Friday and Saturdays. With other headliners and Prince's new favorites during the rest of the week. The club is huge with over 30,000 sq feet of super clubbing of course in all purple. It is named after Prince's new album with the name coming from the number 3121 as an address at a Los Angeles home where the performer used to give private concerts. Another explanation is that the four digits add up to seven and have a spiritual significance. Either way the club is hot and the place to be if you like Prince, like the color purple, or like the funk.

• Coyote Ugly, (New York New York). Monday - Sunday: after 8pm All - $10.
• Empire Ballroom, 3765 S. Las Vegas Blvd., (on Las Vegas Blvd. behind the Walgreen's next to MGM Grand). Tuesday, Thursday Friday - Sunday, 10 p.m. - 6 a.m. General admission: $20.
• Foundation Room, 3950 S. Las Vegas Blvd., (in Mandalay Bay at the top of the hotel). Mondays only, from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. Locals: $10. non-locals: $30.
• ICE, 200 E. Harmon Ave., (on the corner or Harmon and Koval). Home of Spike TV's "The Club" the best in Electronic Music! Wednesday, Friday - Saturday, 10:30 p.m. until the party ends. General admission: $20.
• Ivan Kane's Forty Deuce, 3930 S. Las Vegas Blvd., (in Mandalay Bay right outside the shops). General Admission: $20 (Sun., Mon., Wed., Thurs.). Front of the line: $40 (Fri., Sat.).
• Mix, 3950 S. Las Vegas Blvd., (in Mandalay Bay at the top of the hotel). Beginning at 10 p.m., Sunday - Thursday, $20. Friday - Saturday, $25. Locals are free.
• RA, 3900 S. Las Vegas Blvd., (in the Luxor). Wednesday - Thursday: Men - $20, Women - $10. Friday - Saturday: Men - $30, Women - $20.
• Rum Jungle, 3950 S. Las Vegas Blvd., (in Mandalay Bay). General admission (Sunday - Thursday): $20. General admission (Friday - Saturday, Monday): $25.
• Studio 54, 3799 S. Las Vegas Blvd., (in the MGM Grand). Wednesday & Thursday: $30. Tuesday, Friday, & Saturday: $40.
• TAO Las Vegas, (Venetian). TAO Nightclub is a 10,000 square foot nightclub located in Tao at the Venetian. There is an outside terrace with Strip views, 3 bars, two main rooms playing a variety of hip hop, house and rock. Wednesday - Saturday, 10:30 p.m. until Close.
• Teatro Euro Bar, 3799 S. Las Vegas Blvd., (in the MGM Grand). Tuesday - Saturday, 9 p.m. - approximately 4 a.m.

Ultra Lounge

A ultra lounge is a mix between lounge and a night club.

• Ghostbar, (Palms). Located on the hotel's roof, features a section of floor that is made of thick glass with nothing beneath it -- the glass is the only thing between your feet and the ground 55 stories below.
• I-Bar, (Rio)
• Pure, (Caesars Palace) One of the most exclusive clubs in Vegas, be prepared for huge queues unless you are an attractive woman or a wealthy man. Inside there is a 14,000 square foot open air terrace, the Pussycat Doll Lounge and the ultra exclusive (and expensive!) VIP Red Room, frequented by many celebrities,
• Tabu, (MGM Grand)
• Voodoo Lounge (Rio)
• OPM, (Caesars Palace). Located in the Forum Mall, Caesars Palace, OPM is one of the worlds premier RnB clubs. Located above a restaurant, Budda statues, black decor and red mood lighting, gives it a slightly underground feel. Two rooms play RnB/Hip Hop and Dancehall. Regularly frequented by celebrities,
• Tangerine, (Treasure Island). has possibly one of the best views of the strip from inside a nightclub, overlooking a huge lake and pirate ship! As the name suggests the decor is orange and the clientle rich and/or beautiful,

Las Vegas travel guide,Eat

Large casinos will invariably offer a variety of dining options, ranging from the omni-present buffet to simple cafes to gourmet restaurants.

Buffets

The most famous buffets in Las Vegas are at the Rio, Bellagio, Paris and Aladdin, though the newly opened Wynn buffet is becoming more and more of a favorite with tourists and locals alike. The best buffets typically run about $30 a person for a weekend dinner. Lunch is your best value at most buffets when they are around half price, breakfasts are cheapest and often have a great spread too. Do not forget that tipping your buffet waiter 10-15% is customary. You can leave cash on the table at the end of your meal or tip the cashier at the counter on a credit card.

• The Buffet, 3131 Las Vegas Blvd South (Wynn), ☎ +1-702-770-7100. Short line, exotic food, especially good for sushi.

• The Buffet, 3600 Las Vegas Blvd South (Bellagio), ☎ +1-702-693-7111. The Bellagio has arguably the best buffet on the strip, with the dinner menu including pre-split crab legs, venison, Kobe beef, and wild boar. Lines can be long, especially on weekends. Prices vary by meal and day of week, with the breakfast buffet running about $15, while the weekend dinner buffet costs upwards of $30.

• Spice Market, 3400 South Las Vegas Blvd (Aladdin), ☎ +1-702-785-5555. All styles of food including good seafood. Line moves fast. Voted "Best Buffet in Las Vegas," by the Review Journal Best of Las Vegas.

• Village Seafood Buffet, 3700 W Flamingo Rd (Rio), ☎ +1-702-777-7777. Open from 4:00 PM until 10:00 PM Sunday through Thursday, and from 3:00 PM until 11:00 PM Friday and Saturday. This buffet is one of the better buffets in Las Vegas, with an extensive seafood collection (as well as other items). Lines can be long. Note that the Rio also offers the "Carnival Buffet", which is cheaper but does not offer seafood items. $34.99 per person (dinner only).

Restaurants

On the Strip

• Carnaval Court Bar and Grill (Harrah's).

• Craftsteak (MGM Grand), ☎ +1-702-891-7318. considered to be one of the best steak houses in America, avg $95/per person.

• Cypress Street Marketplace (Caesars Palace). Interesting and good for the family, it has every cuisine and is mostly cheap.

• Kahunaville (Treasure Island).

• Roman Court (Caesars Palace). Good food as well as good icy drinks.

• Shang-hai Lily (Mandalay Bay). Gourmet Chinese and an incredible fine dining experience.

• Tao (Venetian), ☎ +1-702-388-8338 (fax: +1-702-388-8308). Open Sunday - Thursday from 5:00 PM until 12:00 AM, and Friday - Saturday from 5:00 PM to 1:00 AM. A beautifully decorated Asian restaurant that doubles as a nightclub, this eatery offers very good food at moderately high prices. A dinner for two with drinks will cost between $60 and $100.

• Toby Keith's I Love This Bar and Grill (Harrah's).

• The Range Steakhouse (Harrah's).

Off the Strip

• Antonio's Italian Ristorante (Rio).

• Bahama Breeze, 375 Hughes Center Drive. Serves great tropical food. Large portions with a great atmosphere. Famous for their Jerk Chicken Pasta, Cinnamon Mashed Sweet Potatoes, and wide variety of hand-crafted tropical drinks such as the Bahamarita. This is a great place to get away and relax from the crowds on people on the strip.

• Buzio's Seafood Restaurant (Rio).

• Ellis Island Casino Restaurant (Located one block east of Bally's at the intersection of Flamingo and Koval). The $4.95 steak special is consistently voted the best deal in Las Vegas. It's not on the menu, so ask for it specifically. If steak is not your thing the restaurant has plenty of other selections at cheap prices. In addition, Ellis Island has barbecue every night from 4-10 pm. Ellis Island also brews its own beer, and serves them in the casino bar in 20 oz. glasses for a buck.

• ENVY, The Steakhouse, 3400 Paradise Road (Located in the Renaissance Las Vegas Hotel) ENVY is the proud winner of the 2005 Las Vegas Life Magazine Epicurean Award “Best New Restaurant – Off the Strip,” as well as the 2005 and 2006 Wine Spectator Award of Excellence. Inspired by Chef Richard Chamberlain, the distinctive ENVY menu includes premium quality, fresh ingredients from select purveyors around the country, featured in innovative dishes that redefine traditional steakhouse cuisine. Enjoy the highest quality Kobe filet, prime rib roast, Black Angus filet and prime bone-in rib eye. The walk-in wine cellar features 1,500 bottles of wine.

  Downtown

• Pasta Pirate, 12 East Ogden Ave (California Hotel & Casino), ☎ +1-702-385-1222. Closed Tuesdays. Delicious steaks, seafood, and pasta. A romantic darkened wharf decor with a view to the chef's flaming grill. The steak and lobster special is a really great value. All dinners include a glass of house wine. Call ahead for reservations to avoid a long wait.

Las Vegas travel guide

Get in

By car

Southern Californians crowd Interstate 15 every weekend going back and forth to Vegas. Expect this drive to be crowded and frustrating, unless you can come and go at off-peak hours. However, many find the 280-mile drive along the I-15 restful and scenic. Attractions along the I-15 include the towns of Barstow, California; Baker, California; the Mojave Desert; and small hotel-casinos at Primm, Nevada (at the California border) and Jean, Nevada. Those who traverse the I-15 should remember that they are crossing a desert, and should carry (and drink) ample amounts of water, especially on hot summer days where temperatures can reach 120 degrees F (48 degrees Celsius).

From east of Las Vegas, travellers typically drive on I-40 through Arizona, and then head north toward Vegas on US-93 in Kingman, AZ, before finally picking up I-15. This route will take you along Lake Mead and directly through the Hoover Dam area. Traffic at the Dam tends to be extremely congested and slow-going; usually the slowest part of an otherwise sparsely populated desert area.

By bus

Greyhound operates buses from Salt Lake City, Utah; Kingman, Arizona; and Los Angeles, California to Las Vegas.

By air

McCarran International Airport (IATA: LAS) [3] is served by many domestic and international air carriers. Discount air carriers serving LAS include US Airways/America West, JetBlue, and Southwest. As at most US airports, you can rent luggage carts for $3. MGM Grand properties (MGM Grand, and New York New York) and Harrah's Entertainment properties (Rio, Harrah's, Bally's, Paris, Caesars Palace, and Flamingo) offer check-in desks and luggage transfers at LAS. Getting from LAS to your hotel is accomplished by airport shuttle (Bell Trans, $3.50-$10); rent-a-car; taxi ($10-20); or limousine ($35). The taxi line is well organized, the city taxi dispatcher will direct you to a numbered space along the curb. You need not tip the taxi dispatcher. As in any city, you can be taken advantage of if the cab driver thinks you are naive or new to the city. Do not allow the cab driver to take you through the I-15 tunnel (an extra $10) or tell you the story about the "big accident" enroute to your hotel, if either of these happens take down the driver's hack license number and call the Nevada Taxi Commission.

By rail

Unfortunately, due to service cuts back in 1997, Amtrak does not have a route through Las Vegas anymore. There is a daily bus route from Needles, California to McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, with a stop in Laughlin, Nevada, is operated in concert with Amtrak's Southwest Chief [4]. Amtrak California's San Joaquins [5] route operates 2 buses daily to Las Vegas from Bakersfield, California as part of its service.

Get around

If travelling around the strip, walking is a reasonable option as hotel-casinos are found close to each other. In fact, in most cases, at least two hotels are connected to each other either by bridge or underground or in the case of Excalibur, Luxor and Malanday Bay, by a complimentary rail shuttle.

By public transit

The Las Vegas Monorail, +1 702 699-8200, runs on the east side of the strip with stops behind several of the hotels and at the Las Vegas Convention Center. It costs $5 one-way, $9 return and $15 for a one-day pass. Do the math before boarding, it could be cheaper for a small group to take a taxi. Because the monorail stops at the back entrance of the hotels, it takes a long time to wind through the maze of casinos, often taking 30 minutes to an hour to get from one point to another on the Strip - if you're in a hurry take a taxi. The monorail's carrying capacity of 4000 people per hour is woefully insufficient to handle the evening exodus from the larger conventions which have as many as 150,000 attendees. If you are visiting with a friend from Nevada and want to ride the monorail, consider asking them to buy your fare. By showing a Nevada State ID or Clark County Sheriffs Card (issued to all hotel employees) they qualify for the locals fare of $1, this can be purchased from the customer service booths located at each station.

The city bus line, Citizens Area Transit (CAT), +1 702 228-7433, operates 49 routes throughout the valley. Most routes operate 5:30AM-1:30AM everyday. Some routes operate 24 hours. The fare is $1.25 for adults and 60¢ for kids and seniors for all residential routes. The Deuce, the London-style double decker bus operating the route along Las Vegas Blvd, costs $2 for adults and $1 dollar for children and seniors, and the fare may be paid directly to the driver. If purcahsing a child or senior fare, be prepared to show some form of picture ID to prove your age to the driver. During the larger connventions (Such as CES, NAB, and MAGIC) the Duece also opperates on a special one way service from the Las Vegas Convention Center. This Service only opperates in the afternoon from the convention center to the Strip, the bus travels southbound and services all regular stops from Circus Circus onward. It is important to note that when using this service, tickets must be purchased in advance from the ticket vending machines (located in front of the north and south halls). In addition, 2 additional ticket vending machines are loacted on the strip, one at the Slots-of-fun/Circus Circus stop and one at the Showcase Mall/MGM Grand stop. It should be nother that when purchasing your fare, the busses do not give change. However, the ticket vending machines do give change, inaddition to accepting credit/debit cards. Also it should be noted that CAT buses no longer offer transfer slips that allow you to change buses without paying the fare again, this has been replaced by a residential day pass ($2.50 for adults and $1.25 for kids and seniors) that covers all routes except The Deuce, and an "all-access pass" for $5 that covers all routes on the system. If you try to use a residential pass on the Deuce it will cost 50¢ per ride. If you will be staying for a long period of time (at least 8 days for adults or 4 for children and seniors) and plan to buy an All access pass, a more economic option is to purchase a 30 day bus pass. These can be purchased from either of the two bus terminals (Both can be reached by riding the Deuce to Downtown terminal, or to the South Strip Terminal), or from any ticket vending machine. It is important to note however, that if you would like to purchase a child or senior fare pass, you will need to do so from the customer service agent at the terminals, inorder to purchase a reduced fare pass from the vending machines one must first insert a reduced Fare ID card before the option will appear. These passes are valid from the first use then for 30 day after and can be used on all routes. If the buses are crowded a good way to avoid waiting for the next bus is to walk one block east from the strip and use route number 108 - Paradise Road or walk one block west to Industrial Road and use route number 105 - Martin L King Blvd / Koval - which mirrors the strip route.

Unfortunately the Monorail and CAT bus are separate and a pass from one won't work on the other.

Taxi

One of the easiest ways to get around is by taxi. It is relatively cheap to go from hotel to hotel. The cab driver is required to turn on the meter and to take the shortest route to your destination. There is a surcharge for rides originating at the airport, but not for extra passengers. Taxi lines (queues) are typically found at the front of hotels. You would be unwise to attempt to hail one on the street, especially on the Strip as it is illegal for a cab to stop traffic to pick up or drop off a passenger. The best way to hail a cab outside of a cabstand is to use the following method: if you are wanting to go north on the strip, stand on the east side about 20 feet before a turn off. The cab you want to wave over will have the yellow lights off. Standing like this allows the cab to turn off the road and pick you up. It is customary to tip the hotel taxi dispatcher $1, and to pay the cab driver $1 for every 3 minutes you ride in the cab (on top of the the cost on the taxi meter), and about a $1 per piece of luggage.

By rental car

Renting a car at McCarran International Airport is fairly cheap and popular. The opening of the new rental car facility has increased the wait time to get your car. All the rental agencies are now located under a single roof and all use the same shuttle from the airport to the facility. There have been reports of an extra 30 min increase in the time it takes to pick up and/or drop off your vehicle, so please add this to any arrival and departure times so you won't be late for anything important. Expect to pay about 50% more for your car rental due to recent tax increases.

If you mostly plan to hang around one casino and your time in Vegas is short, you might want to fore go a rental car altogether and just take taxis. On the other hand, taxi fares add up quickly, and with car rental so cheap, anyone staying a few days or longer would be better suited with the flexibility of a car. Not to mention that some of the best sights are located outside of Las Vegas and virtually require driving to. There are numerous car rental offices on the Strip, and therefore it is very easy to rent a car from your hotel for a day trip. Remember to rent ahead of time as it can be busy during the weekends.

Driving on Las Vegas Boulevard (the "Strip") on Thursday or Friday nights or all day Saturday is an exercise in frustration: gridlock takes over and you can spend an hour or more just going a couple of miles. Do what the locals do and avoid driving long distances on the Strip altogether. Instead take I-15, which parallels the Strip, and get off at the exit nearest your hotel and park there.

Casinos have low cost self-parking (often free for guests) as well as valet parking. On Friday and Saturday nights the self-parking lots fill up fast; consider splurging on the valet to avoid cumbersome delays and endless circling around.