Transportation

Air Transportation 

Over the years, Las Vegas' McCarron Airport has continually grown; now, it is a large comfortable, modern airport with plenty of opportunities to shop, eat, and play slots (it is Las Vegas after all) while waiting for you departure.  Arrivals are convenient; about every airline carrier has multiple flights to Las Vegas daily.  At times, flight costs have soared, but sale fares to Vegas can also be found on a regular basis.   

Because of its size, keep in mind that you will have to walk from your arrival gate to a tram; then after the tram, maneuver through the main terminal to your ground transportation.  With crowds, this can be quite a feat.  

Ground Transportation

To and From Airport

Besides renting a car, generally speaking, there are three ways to get from McCarran Airport to your hotel:

1. Shuttles- There are about 5 separate companies that provide shuttle service to all the major hotels in Las Vegas.  The cost is about $6 per person each way.  This is the most economical way to travel.  Shuttles are usually waiting at the curb; you can pay at the booth or even inside the shuttle itself. Beware that this is not the most efficient way to get to where you are going.  It could take upwards of an hour for the driver to depart the airport (they want to fill the shuttle), and even though they try to group customers according to their destinations, you could end up 'visiting' 5-6 other hotels first.  Beware also that some shuttle air-conditioners are not what you might expect, and in some months (May – Sept) this will cause excessive perspiring.
   
2. Taxis are readily available in Las Vegas and so are the lines.  I've arrived at 2 am to see at least 200 people in the taxi line (misters cool you off in the summer months).
   
3. Several limousine companies operating from the airport can be easy and economical, depending on the number in your party.  Starting at $35/hr, limousines (sedans and stretch) can provide comfort, personal service, and time efficiency.

All around town

Like New York, Las Vegas has turned into a major pedestrian city; throngs of folks can be seen walking up and down the Strip on a regular basis (even in the summer heat).  Pedestrian bridges and overhead crosswalks are built to accommodate the masses as they make their way from the Mandalay Bay/Luxor area up to the Wynn.  Walking is also advantageous in that you can pop into many hotel/casinos just to look around and see some of Las Vegas' free tourist destinations (i.e., Bellagio fountains, Mirage's volcano, Treasure Island's pirate show, the Lion Exhibition at MGM Grand).   

Taxis are available from the taxi stands in front of any hotel.  The lines can be quite long at certain times of the day (at hotel checkout times the wait can be extreme).   Once it a taxi, your experience can be quite variable; it depends on where you're going, from where, time of day, and quite frankly, the knowledge of your driver.  In the evening, the Strip can become a traffic nightmare.  Some drivers know how to take shortcuts and get you to your destination efficiently.   

Several hotels have free peoplemovers which help transport people between hotels; the most popular ones being the train that connects the Mandalay Bay to the Luxor, and then to the Excalibur.  Another one connects Mirage to the Treasure Island.   

For larger groups who want to travel together for a show or party experience, limousine services are numerous in Las Vegas and it's relatively easy to charter something to get you anywhere you might want to go at anytime you want to get there with no wait.

Las Vegas built a monorail several years ago that service quite a large area of the most tourist areas.  Generally, speaking the monorail connects the MGM Grand at the south end, to the Sahara Hotel at the north end, on the East Side of Las Vegas Blvd.  The cost is $5 per person per ride ($9 for roundtrip), or $9 for an all day pass.  For more info go to www.lvmonorail.com.