Home -> Survival Guide

Getting Around

It’s four a.m. and you’ve just run through a baker’s dozen of Makers Marks at the Venetian’s Venus Lounge. Thankfully, your gofer waits just outside in a black 1964 Lincoln Continental, the rear suicide door wide open to a couple of ring-a-ding chicks and a full bottle of the sweet stuff…

Wake up, Charley. The Sultan of Brunei you’re not, so you'd better come up with a back-up plan. There are a few easy ways to get around Las Vegas:

Taxi

Cabs are everywhere, though sometimes flagging one on the Strip can be a real drag. Better yet, hop in a line at any hotel and let the man with the whistle do the work -- just remember to tip. As long as you’re hopping from hotel to hotel, you shouldn’t run into much trouble with price-gouging, but remember that driving down the Strip in evening traffic is typically the slowest way from place to place.

Rental Car

Unless you plan to get away from the Strip, there’s no real reason to rent a car, other than convenience or to keep up appearances. If you decide to brave the traffic on Las Vegas Boulevard, a number of well-insured finks on the Strip are willing to rent you anything from a street legal golf cart to a Porsche Boxster by the hour. Expensive? Sure. But, if you’re making a mint at the tables, it might just be worth it.

Monorail

Securing Vegas's reputation as Disneyland’s alter ego, this retro-space age transportation is available between the Mandalay Bay and the Excalibur, Bally’s and the MGM, Monte Carlo and the Bellagio, and Mirage and Treasure Island. Though the entrances are sometimes hidden, the rides are free and the cars are climate controlled. Pack a flask for the ride and enjoy the view.

Hoof it

Whether facing a Vegas sunrise on your way back home from a rough night or trolling for carp, a walk on the Strip is as much a great opportunity to people watch as it is a way to get around. Make sure your shoes are comfortable, and set out between the Bellagio and the Venetian for the best of Las Vegas Boulevard.