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Las Vegas is in the southern part of the state of Nevada, about 80km (50mi) east of the California border and 50km (30mi) west of the Arizona border. The city is divided into two main parts: a compact downtown centred on Fremont St, nicknamed Glitter Gulch, near the intersection of Highway 95 and Interstate 15; and the Strip, a corridor of hotels and casinos lining Las Vegas Blvd, parallel to but east of Interstate 15, a few kilometres south of downtown.
The casinos are divided between downtown's Fremont St and the Strip; most hotels are on or near the Strip. McCarran International Airport is located east of the southern end of the Strip, about 10km (6.5mi) from downtown. The Greyhound bus station is downtown and is located next to the Plaza Hotel and Casino.
Getting There
The classic way to pull into Vegas is in a car (preferably a Red Shark of a car) or on a Greyhound bus. If you travel by rail, you'll end up on a bus anyway, as trains only reach as far as California and Arizona. If you're coming from elswhere in the US, Canada or Europe, you can usually fly direct into McCarran International Airport.
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bus
Greyhound runs bus services between Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, and Phoenix, Arizona. The station is in downtown Las Vegas. Green Tortoise offers a low-budget, communal bus experience between Las Vegas and major cities on the West Coast.
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car
One of the best and most picturesque ways to get to Las Vegas is by car. Highways traverse the desert and converge on Las Vegas from the major cities of the southwest.
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train
There is no train service to Las Vegas, but you can travel to Kingman, Arizona (170km/105mi); Needles, California (185km/115mi); and Barstow, California (250km/155mi) by train and connect to Las Vegas by Greyhound's Thruway bus.
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plane
Las Vegas is served by McCarran International Airport (LAS), where travellers from other US cities, Canada and Europe have the best connections. Departure tax is included in ticket prices. McCarran International Airport is located at the southern end of the Strip, about 8km (5mi) south of downtown. Several companies run shuttle buses between the airport and the city. Taxis are also available, and city buses run along the Strip into downtown.
Getting Around
Vegas' compact centre and devotion to the customer make getting around a breeze. It's easy to navigate your way around either on foot (if you can stand the desert heat) or in a car. Taxis are waiting for your lightest gesture; you can also jump on the cheap and efficient buses or on one of the trolleys (air-conditioned!) that chug up and down the Strip.
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bus
The local bus company Citizens Area Transit (CAT) offers an excellent and inexpensive service. Buses chug along the Strip, downtown and between the two 24 hours a day. . Many off-Strip casino hotels offer limited free shuttle bus services to/from the Strip.
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car
Las Vegas is a traffic-choked city to drive around (orientation around the grid is not as easy as ABC), but if you want to get out of town you'll need your own wheels. You can rent a car at one of the many agencies in town or at the airport. Free self-parking and valet services (tip US$2.00 ) are available almost everywhere on the Strip and at downtown casino hotels.
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walking
The Strip and downtown are easy to navigate on foot, especially since getting around really only means getting between three or four casino-hotels in a day anyway... If you do plan to walk around, remember, this is the desert - it gets hot!
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tram
Free private trams connect TI (Treasure Island) and the Mirage; and Excalibur, Luxor and Mandalay Bay. The tram between the Bellagio and Monte Carlo is under reconstruction as at 2006.
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taxi
If you don't want to do any more walking than you absolutely have to, you'll get by just fine in Las Vegas. You don't even have to dirty your stilettos on the sidewalk: just wave down a taxi from the entrance of your hotel.
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monorail
A pricey private monorail system zippily links only some properties along the Strip's resort corridor, from the MGM Grand to the Sahara, detouring to the Hilton and convention centre.
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Disabled Travellers
Las Vegas is an extremely accommodating place for people with reduced mobility. Nearly every casino in town is on the ground floor and most hotels and area restaurants have taken the steps to make their establishments wheelchair accessible. The same goes for public restrooms. Where stairs exist, so does an elevator or a ramp. Automatic doors and shaved curbs are standard. Most public transport and some hotel pools are lift-equipped. By law, all taxi companies must have a wheelchair-accessible van. Wheelchair seating is widely available and assisted listening devices are available at most showrooms. Guide dogs may be brought into restaurants, hotels and businesses. For more information, contact the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority's ADA coordinator on 702 892 7575 (voice relay 800 326 6888, TTY 800 326 6868).
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Disclaimer: We've tried to make the information on this web site as accurate as possible, but it is provided 'as is' and we accept no responsibility for any loss, injury or inconvenience sustained by anyone resulting from this information. You should verify critical information (like visas, health and safety, customs and transportation) with the relevant authorities before you travel.
