Las Vegas - Travelling to Vegas solo and without a car

How easy is it to get around Vegas using public transport? is it safe and do many tourists do it? I would be mostly on the Strip but have a few appointments elsewhere in Vegas outside the tourist areas.

How easy is it to get around Vegas using public transport? is it safe and do many tourists do it? I would be mostly on the Strip but have a few appointments elsewhere in Vegas.

It's safe but I wouldn't call it easy. You should check out the bus system that's online and see if it meets your needs. Just allow a lot of time to get from point A to point B.

Just had a look at the online trip planner, it does take a long time compared to the bus system in NYC or DC.

How to people treat solo travellers at restaurants and shows?

Las Vegas has inadequate public transportation. Luckily the Strip is quite walkable. Also there are free trains between some hotels like Excalibur-Luxor-Mandalay Bay as well as Bellagio-City Center. The paid monorail system can stop far from where you want to go, like the Bally's-Paris stop is at a far corner of Bally's and you have to walk a football field to get to Paris. Plus they neither go to downtown nor the airport.

There is a double decker Deuce bus which runs up and down the strip for $2 each way.

Anything farther you might want a rental car. It's usually inexpensive and free parking is plentiful in Las Vegas.

Taxis are OK but can be pricey.

Have fun.

Unfortunatley I do not have a driving licese so my only options are buses or taxis.

For hotels, I'm thinking the Madarin would be the best option as there is no casino so wo'nt have too many drunks or stag/hen parties bothering me.

There is a double decker Deuce bus which runs up and down the strip for $2 each way.


$2 for the Deuce??? must be some secret locals deal.

Strip & Downtown Express (SDX) and
Deuce on the Strip

Single Ride NA 2-Hour $5 24-Hour $7 3-Day $20




The 24hr ticket for $7 is probably the best deal - also allows you on all the cross-town residential routes and you can even get to and from the airport with 1 change to get to The Strip

Unfortunatley I do not have a driving licese so my only options are buses or taxis.

For hotels, I'm thinking the Madarin would be the best option as there is no casino so wo'nt have too many drunks or stag/hen parties bothering me.

Staying at the MO, and worried about public transport? :rolleyes:

If you can afford to stay at the MO, chances are you won't find the (plentiful) taxis in Las Vegas to be very expensive. Unless you are planning on heading out to Red Rock, most of your (local) taxi rides will be $8 to $15. Also, as mentioned, many things are quite walkable on the strip. It's not quick, but it's convenient to walk, and always entertaining.

According to the travel planner I have to take the WAS and 105 which is about an hour. Not sure if a taxi would be faster?

According to the travel planner I have to take the WAS and 105 which is about an hour. Not sure if a taxi would be faster?
The only way a taxi wouldn't be faster is if you got in and said "follow that bus". A taxi will take 15 mins otherwise.

I haven't done it myself but I think the easiest way to get from the Airport to The Strip by public transit is to take the 109 to the South Strip Transfer Terminal and then the Strip and Downtown Express which runs most of the length of The Strip but has fewer stops than the Deuce (there are some shared stops where you can transfer between the two) . Its about 45mins travel time in total to Bellagio

If you can post where you are going, more concrete solutions might be given to you. Even if you don't want to post the exact address, can you give the general area.

As far as dining alone and shows alone, there shouldn't be any problem. In shows there are often singeton seats so they will be happy to fill them. With dining, there usually isn't an issue either, although you may still need reservations for popular times.

(1) There are times (especially when a special event is in progress), that taxi waiting lines at the hotels can be "huge"--30 or 40 people.
(2) Now that the strip has the SDX and Deuce buses, negotiating the strip is not too bad. [One of the biggest delay makers for the strip (besides traffic) was caused by fare collection when boarding the bus (Deuce); the SDX (which is essentially an express bus) has NO fare collection--you MUST be in possession of a ticket before boarding, an on-board agent periodically checks tickets.]
Some notes:
(1) Pre SDX, I remember being on a Deuce bus going southbound, from Downtown, at the Fremont St. stop, it took over 30 minutes boarding pax.:td:
(2) On 1/10/12, the day the Consumer Electronics Show opened, I used CAT buses to go from the airport to Caesars Palace: I took a 108 Northbound and transferred to a 202 Westbound (along Flamingo), the time (including waiting) was under 30 minutes.
(3) Some of the free trains, like Bellagio to City Center, are located very far off the strip--and require lots of walking to reach the train.

is it safe and do many tourists do it?If anything, TOO many tourists do it. I always see a line at the strip bus stops. I've never watched to see how packed the busses are, or if people frequently have to wait for a second or third bus to arrive before getting on.

I've travelled to Vegas solo many times. Never any issue @ shows/dining solo. If I went to a nice place, I got excellent service. If I went to the cafe in Harrah's, I got the same crappy service everyone else got :D If you're ok with it, nobody else will have a problem with it.

As far as the strip being walkable, that depends entirely on the individual. The distances between hotels are much greater than you'd expect just by looking at the map. It also depends on the time of year. You probably won't want to walk the entire strip in the middle of summer.

I've never rented a car while in Vegas. As a fat American, I walked or took the monorail anywhere I needed to go on the strip. Maybe walk from Encore/Palazzo to take the monorail from Harrahs down to MGM, rest/gamble at MGM for a while, then move on back down the strip and duck in a casino whenever I wanted another break.

(1) There are times (especially when a special event is in progress), that taxi waiting lines at the hotels can be "huge"--30 or 40 people.


If anything, TOO many tourists do it. I always see a line at the strip bus stops. I've never watched to see how packed the busses are, or if people frequently have to wait for a second or third bus to arrive before getting on.

Thanks for the detailed replies. I guess the best option would be to see how long the taxi queues are at my hotel and if they are long to try to take a bus.

Sorry, I somehow missed that earlier comment on taxi lines, so I should clarify. When I've seen lines for the busses, they've generally been like 10-15 people. But they are at typically every stop on the strip, so I figure that adds up.

The taxi lines I've seen have typically been much longer, like nrr said.

Some hotels handle inbound traffic at one entrance and outbound at another, so if there's no line at all, you're either lucky or at the wrong place. Either way, you should head back into the casino. :p

Thanks for the detailed replies. I guess the best option would be to see how long the taxi queues are at my hotel and if they are long to try to take a bus.

Don't let a long taxi queue scare you too much. At the larger hotels the taxis come along one after the other in quick succession (usually), and the line moves much faster than you might think. Once you're in the taxi, the trip is quick relative to the bus.

How easy is it to get around Vegas using public transport? is it safe and do many tourists do it? I would be mostly on the Strip but have a few appointments elsewhere in Vegas outside the tourist areas.

The Las Vegas Strip is best seen afoot.

Seeing the whole Strip at night is best seen by cab or open top bus.

Getting to Downtown is alright via bus during the day only.

Venturing outside of the strip I always fancy a rental car with GPS.

Just had a look at the online trip planner, it does take a long time compared to the bus system in NYC or DC.

How to people treat solo travellers at restaurants and shows?

From my experience with shows, I get better seating because there is always one of me, and I give a nice smile to the lady at the front!

For restaurants, you'll be fine if you are used to eating alone. Although a nice glass of wine is better shared over good conversation with a friend... most of the higher end restaurants have a nice bar area for the single eaters who want to enjoy a nice dish of ganache.

Staying at the MO, and worried about public transport? :rolleyes:

If you can afford to stay at the MO, chances are you won't find the (plentiful) taxis in Las Vegas to be very expensive. Unless you are planning on heading out to Red Rock, most of your (local) taxi rides will be $8 to $15. Also, as mentioned, many things are quite walkable on the strip. It's not quick, but it's convenient to walk, and always entertaining.

Ya....

If you are staying at the MO, I agree - a private driver might be best for you... :)

hehehe

The only way a taxi wouldn't be faster is if you got in and said "follow that bus". A taxi will take 15 mins otherwise.

I haven't done it myself but I think the easiest way to get from the Airport to The Strip by public transit is to take the 109 to the South Strip Transfer Terminal and then the Strip and Downtown Express which runs most of the length of The Strip but has fewer stops than the Deuce (there are some shared stops where you can transfer between the two) . Its about 45mins travel time in total to Bellagio

Two great options for getting to the strip from the airport - a shuttle for $6 which is located right outside of the baggage area, or splitting the cost of a private car or limo which is only around $20-40.

OR, certain hotels have a pick up service - you can call ahead and find out.