Las Vegas is served by McCarran International Airport, 5757 Wayne
Newton Blvd. (tel.
702/261-5211, TDD 702/261-3111; www.mccarran.com), just a few
minutes' drive from the southern end of the Strip, where the bulk of
casinos and hotels are concentrated. This big, modern airport--with a
relatively new $500 million expansion--is rather unique in that it
includes several casino areas with more than 1,000 slot machines.
Although these are reputed to offer lower paybacks than hotel casinos
(the airport has a captive audience and doesn't need to lure repeat
customers), it's hard to resist throwing in a few quarters while waiting
for the luggage to arrive. We actually know someone who hit a $250
jackpot there on his way out of town, thereby recouping most of his
gambling losses at the last possible moment. (He was surprised, too.)
Getting to your hotel from
the airport is a cinch. Bell Trans
(tel. 702/739-7990) runs 20-passenger minibuses daily between the
airport and all major Las Vegas hotels and motels all day
(7:30am-midnight). There are several other companies that run similar
ventures--just stand outside on the curb and one will be flagged down
for you. Buses from the airport leave about every 10 minutes. When you
want to check out of your hotel and head back to the airport, call at
least 2 hours in advance to be safe (though often you can just flag down
one of the buses outside any major hotel). The cost is $4 per person
each way to Strip and Convention Center-area hotels, $5.25 to Downtown
or other Off-Strip properties (anyplace north of the Sahara hotel and
west of I-15). Other similarly priced shuttles run 24 hours and can be
found in the same place.
Even less expensive are
Citizen's Area Transit (CAT) buses (tel. 702/CAT-RIDE). The
no. 108 bus departs from the airport and will take you to the
Stratosphere, where you can transfer to the 301, which stops close to
most Strip and Convention Center-area hotels. The no. 109 bus goes from
the airport to the Downtown Transportation Center at Casino Center
Boulevard and Stewart Avenue. The fare is $1.50, 50¢ for seniors and
children. Note: If you have heavy luggage, you should know
that you might have a long walk from the bus stop to the hotel entrance
(even if the bus stop is right in front of your hotel). Vans are able to
get right up to the entrance, so choose a van if you're lugging lots of
baggage.
All of the major
car-rental companies are represented in Las Vegas, if you choose to rent
a car while you are in town.
