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You can drive your own car or use
several other modes of transportation to get around Las Vegas.
(Photo by Steve Cheski)
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If you're staying at one of the many
megaresorts, you may be tempted to never leave the property and all its
amenities.
But there's so much to see and do in Las
Vegas, you should get out and do some exploring.
If you're staying downtown, everything is
within a few square blocks and an easy walk (but be sure to stay
safe).
If you're staying on or near the Strip, you
still can do some walking but be aware that because of the grand scale of
most Strip properties, it may take several blocks to walk to the hotel "next
door."
Transportation tip: The
Orleans and
Gold Coast hotels off the Strip provide a free shuttle service to
their sister property, the
Barbary Coast,
on the Center Strip. Some other off-Strip hotels offer free
transportation to various areas of the Strip.
If you plan on doing a lot of exploring,
you may want to
rent a car.
Free parking is abundant. Virtually every
major hotel offers free valet parking (it's customary to tip valets $2 when
they retrieve your car.)
Parking is not allowed on the Strip itself,
and several blocks of Fremont Street form a pedestrian mall, the Fremont
Street Experience, and are closed to vehicular traffic. Your best bet to
park on the Strip or downtown is in one of the hotel lots or parking
garages. Be sure to take note on where you leave your vehicle, or even
better, take advantage of valet parking whenever you can.
Parking tip: Most downtown hotels
require validation for free or reduced-rate parking in their lots and
garages. In most cases, you can have your ticket validated at the casino
cashier, also known as the cage.
But if you don't want to drive yourself,
public transportation also is plentiful.
Public bus transportation in Las Vegas is
operated by Citizens Area Transit (CAT). There are numerous bus routes
throughout the area and buses on the Strip run 24 hours a day, seven days a
week.
There is also a trolley that runs the
length of the Strip from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. For the latest information
and scheduling, call CAT-RIDE at 702-228-7433.
The $600 million Las Vegas Monorail's
four-mile route runs as far south as the MGM Grand Hotel, and as far north
as the Sahara Hotel. Hours are 7 a.m. to 2 a.m., seven days a week.
Vegas also offers a variety of taxi,
limousine and charter bus services. |
