LAS "tunnel"
 

Ever had a taxi driver "tunnel" you from McCarren to the strip? What were your thoughts?

No tunnel!
 

Taking the tunnel to the strip is always a scam. It may be faster to get from the airport to any of the strip hotels, north of say, Flamingo Rd (Caesars, Mirage, TI, etc), but it will almost never be cheaper. If there's a lot of traffic, the taxi driver can take Paradise Rd, Koval Ln, or Frank Sinatra Dr.

Tell the cab driver when they pull up where you want to go, and "no tunnel". Last time I was there, I forgot to tell the driver, and sure enough he took me through the tunnel to get to the Monte Carlo. :rolleyes: His tip was adjusted accordingly.

tunnel??

Depends on the time of day. Going from the airport on Paradise and then over ot LV Blvd on any of the east/west streets can be torture after 3:00pm. The tunnel option would be my choice of travel during afternoon rush hour or any Friday/Saturday night.

As for Frank Sinatra, unless you're aiming for the employee parking lots, it's not that useful.

There are 3 routes out of McCarren to the strip, downtown, Green Valley, etc. The 1st is the exit taking you right to Tropicana Blvd. and an easy route right to the strip. The other is the bypass which connects to I15 which is the preferred route if you are a resident of Summerlin or anywhere in the far north part of the valley. The 3rd will take your south through Green Valley to Henderson.

The bypass starts with a tunnel before it connects to the interstate and the taxi drivers love this route because it adds around $4-8 to the cabfare depending on what your destination is. I know this because I drove a Vegas taxi for 3 years. :D

This is the first time I've heard of a passage from the Airport to the Strip via a tunnel. Something to look foward to in my next trip as I always go with the Cab.

Here's a map of LAS. The tunnel is under the runways, to I-215. You can then circle around back to the strip. This is, as noted, the long way 'round.

Why would someone op for the longer route via the tunnel when there is an alternative shorter way to get to the strip? Or maybe they were tricked by the cab driver in trying to convince to the passenger that it is the shortest way?

This is a frequent topic on the FT Las Vegas board. Botton line, if you're headed anywhere on the strip, it is a rip off. Don't let the driver talk you into it. If he/she does it without asking, you're looking at a free trip.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?p=3472299
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=349177
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=283824
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=459161

I'm still glad that I opened this thread here because it is such an important subject that FFs should have knowledge about. The fact that this "longhauling" is against the law needs to be stressed also.

If a cabdriver takes the "tunnel" don't say anything and just demand a free ride at your destination or you will report him to the Nevada Taxicab Authority. Make sure to get his taxi number and his name from his taxi permit which is prominantly displayed on his dashboard. Believe me, the bellman at your destination hotel will help you with this, including the call.

Last time I was in Vegas I saw some sweet young things offering to show me their "tunnel", but I declined. :D

:D

is the best way from mid-strip (say caesar's) to downtown via the freeway? or is that a scam also?

The practice is called long hauling. Highly unethical and illegal. If caught, drives offer a refund of the difference between a long haul trip via the 215 Airport Tunnel Connector and a normal trip. The Taxicab Police (yes, there is such an agency) conducts stings in the Airport Tunnel.

Why does it cost more to go by way of the tunnel? When I was in Las Vegas last time it was clearly faster to go that way, at least to my destination, as it allowed me to bypass the incredibly clogged intersection of Tropicana and Las Vegas Blvd. But I was driving a rental car so I didn't have to think about taxi fares.

Ed