How to Get Around Vegas Without a Car (And Save a Fortune)
7 min read
You do not need a car in Vegas. Between resort fees and parking fees, a rental can cost more than the gambling. I went 21 days on the Strip without one and barely noticed.
Here is the honest breakdown of every way to move around town, ranked by when it actually makes sense.
1. Walking is the default. Respect the distances.
Most of your trip you will walk. The catch is that the Strip is over four miles end to end and the heat is real, so do not plan to walk the whole thing in July at noon.
Neighbor hotels are an easy stroll. The full length is not. Use the indoor connections between casinos to stay air conditioned and skip the crosswalk waits.
2. The Deuce bus is the cheap workhorse.
The Deuce is the double-decker bus running the Strip and down to Fremont. A 24 hour pass is around $8 and a 3 day pass is around $20. That is unbeatable value.
The downside is it is slow in Strip traffic and gets packed at night. Great for budget travelers and the downtown run, less great when you are in a hurry.
3. The Monorail is fast but has real gaps.
The Monorail runs on the east side behind the big hotels, from the MGM Grand up to the SAHARA, and it beats traffic completely. A single ride is about $6, day passes around $15.
The problem is it only covers the east side and the stations are a long walk through the casinos to reach. It does not touch the airport or the west side at all. Useful for specific routes, not a full solution.
4. The free hotel trams are criminally underused.
Three free trams connect clusters of hotels. Mandalay Bay to Luxor to Excalibur. Park MGM to the Bellagio area. Mirage area to Treasure Island.
They are free, air conditioned, and fast. If your route lines up with one, take it every time over walking the sidewalk in summer.
6. Taxis make sense in one specific situation.
Taxis sit at every hotel lobby door, so there is no garage hike and no surge. For a quick ride right when you walk out, they can beat waiting on a surging Uber.
They are metered, so insist on no longhauling from the airport, which means refusing the tunnel route that runs up the fare. For short lobby-to-lobby hops, taxis are underrated.
8. When to just walk it.
If your destination is within two or three hotels, walk. By the time you order a ride, hike to the garage, and wait, you would already be there on foot.
Walking also lets you cut through casinos for the free spectacle. Save the rides for long hauls, the airport, downtown, and brutal heat or late nights.
Frequently asked
Is the Las Vegas Monorail worth it?
Only if your hotels line up with its east-side route. It is fast and skips traffic, but it misses the west side and the airport and the stations are a long walk inside the casinos. For the right route it is great, otherwise skip it.
What is the cheapest way to get around Las Vegas?
The Deuce bus with a multi-day pass, combined with the free hotel trams and walking. You can cover the whole Strip and downtown for about $20 over three days.
How do I avoid rideshare surge pricing?
Avoid ordering right after shows or games let out and right after 11pm on weekends. Wait 15 to 20 minutes for surge to drop, or walk to a quieter hotel and order from there.
