Each transportation method has strengths and weaknesses for Las Vegas. Our table below breaks them down for you. You also need to know these key tips for navigating Vegas.

Las Vegas blocks can be 1/4 mile long along Las Vegas Boulevard (the Strip) which makes walking across the street a bigger task than you would think. Non-handicapped mobility scooter use has grown rapidly in Vegas.

Rush hour on the Strip can start earlier than 3:30pm and extend past 8:00pm. The Strip is less busy from 5:00am to 9:00am because most shuttles don’t operate that early and the clubs have emptied.

Here are 5 key points about using taxis in Las Vegas. Overall, Vegas cabs are on a par with most major U.S. cities in terms of pricing, cab line waits, cabbie honesty etc. This is not necessarily praise.

• Don’t wave down a cab. Call for one or wait in line at a cab stand at the casinos. The 16 cab companies in Las Vegas have areas where they can and cannot pick up passengers.
• Tell them not to “Long Haul” you. From McCarran, if you go through the tunnel, you are probably being “Long Hauled” unless there is some major tie-up on the faster routes.

An advantage of a limo pick up is that they can help with luggage earlier than a cabbie can. Also, since a limo is assigned to you ahead of time, there is no cab line wait. You may have to find your misspelled name on a piece of cardboard held just below the head of the person standing in front of your limo driver.

Unlike cabs, limo costs can vary significantly. For a sedan airport pickup, the web-advertised prices start out as low as $33 up to $69. However, each company has different fees such as a fuel surcharge, or a luggage handling fee, etc. Even the standard limo 20% tip can vary with 1 company at 25% for tip plus fees.

This 30 seater costs $4.25 from 8 am until 5 pm and $4.25 from 5 pm until midnight—day passes are $6.50. Have exact change, luggage is not allowed.

Children who look like they could be under 5 ride for free. If your 5 year old has a mustache and is 240 lbs., they may not believe you.

Trolleys usually run about every 20 minutes. There are 3 route segments:

• Downtown (transfer at Stratosphere)
• Strip
• South (transfer at Mandalay Bay)

The Trolley swings by the convention center and hits the Stratosphere, Fashion Show Mall and major casinos down to Mandalay Bay. For Downtown, you transfer at the Stratosphere.

If you want to go South of the Strip to South Point and Las Vegas Outlet Center, you transfer at Mandalay Bay. They will probably stop at Town Square when it opens.

The Trolley has a pretty good route, especially for the Convention Center, and is a very reasonable way to get around. It is more like a bus that has a Trolley design so it will sometimes get hung up in traffic like any other bus or taxi.

The 24/7 Deuce and the CAT (Citizen’s Area Transport) are part of the same bus system in Vegas which also includes MAX and Silver STAR bus lines. The Deuce is a double-decker with a low ceiling on the second story—be sure to bend down unless your forehead easily bends steel. CAT and Deuce cost $5 for an all-day pass—have exact change. You can transfer from one to the other.

Strip visitors can now only take the Deuce Strip bus; the Deuce LVCC no longer runs. The Deuce Strip starts near the Las Vegas Outlet Stores and now serves them directly unlike before when you had to transfer.

The Deuce Strip goes up Las Vegas Boulevard (the Strip) hitting all the big casinos. It continues north to Downtown. Downtown casinos are all pretty close to each other so you should not have a problem hitting most of them in a day.

Las Vegas has high taxes that can add up to 47% to the cost of renting. The trick of renting at the hotel instead of the airport often does not work any more as far as getting noticeable savings. Here are 2 web quotes for economy cars with the taxes and fees broken out separately.

Note: Prices will change through the year

Note: Daily Rate no insurance

When the Strip backs up, walking can be the fastest way to get somewhere. If you are a Volksmarcher or a jogger, you may enjoy this exercise.

To avoid blisters, a thin nylon socklet used under a regular cotton crew sock works well. You may also need to drink up to a gallon of water a day under Las Vegas heat. Las Vegas enforces Jaywalking rules on the Strip unlike many cities and this also helps save lives.

If you are not into walking but don’t want to use the other transportation means, an increasingly popular alternative is a mobility scooter formerly relegated to handicapped and elderly. A big model can cruise over 7 miles per hour (MPH). The smaller wheelchair size models can get up to about 4.5 MPH.

Typical rents are $40 a day, $75 for 2 days, $110 for 3 days with a weekly rate of $20 per day for 4-7 days. Avis can combine car and mobility scooter rentals although most hotels can arrange for scooters as well. Although there may be a stigma for healthy, young users of mobility scooters, it should fade with growing usage.

• MGM
• Bally’s/Paris
• Flamingo
• Harrah’s
• Convention Center
• Hilton
• Sahara

Trains run about every 6 minutes and the entire trip can finish in 15 minutes. It starts at 7 am and runs until 2 am or 3 am on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. A one-day pass is $9. You can get discounts and specials from the retro blue uniformed girls who promote the Monorail at the casinos where it makes stops.

If you are near one of the stations or staying at the Wynn (Wynn has an 8 am to 8 pm, on the hour Monorail shuttle) and want to hit one of the casinos on the short list, it is a reasonable choice especially if traffic has backed up on the Strip. It is a poor solution that requires walking to augment its far east Strip position if you want to hit all or most of the Vegas casinos.

Some of the casinos have free service using busses that can be as small as 14 seaters at Green Valley to full blown busses such as at the Palms and Sam’s Town. Most shuttles are about 20 seaters and first come first served. Have room key in case they check. These schedules can change so always confirm with the Bell Desk before making plans.

The major hubs are Fashion Show Mall, the Rio, Bill’s and Mandalay Bay. There are 4 hotels that use Fashion Show, 3 that use Rio, 3 have Bill’s as their key hub and 4 that use Mandalay Bay. Here is an overview of the shuttles.