Getting Around Las Vegas: Airport, Transit and Driving

Getting around Las Vegas is easiest if you match the tool to the trip. Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) sits about 2 miles from Las Vegas Boulevard, so a taxi or rideshare to a Strip hotel is short, and the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC) runs the buses, including the Deuce, that serve the Strip. You only truly need a car if you plan to leave the Strip and downtown corridors.

In Las Vegas the airport is close, the Strip is longer than it looks, and nobody can wave down a taxi on the street.

How do you get from Harry Reid airport into the city?

From Harry Reid International Airport you can take a taxi, a rideshare, a hotel or limo shuttle, an RTC bus, or the Vegas Loop, and rental cars are a free shuttle ride away. Which one wins depends on your terminal and your hotel.

The airport has two terminals. Terminal 1 handles Allegiant, American, Delta, Southwest and Sun Country. Terminal 3 handles most other carriers, including Alaska, Avelo, Frontier, JetBlue and United. Check the airport's airlines page for your airline, because the two terminals are not interchangeable.

• Taxi: Taxi stands are outside baggage claim at both terminals. The Nevada Taxicab Authority publishes the fare structure on taxi.nv.gov: typically a flag drop of about $5.50, a per-distance charge, a separate airport pickup fee of about $2.40, and flat zone fares for trips between the airport and Strip areas. Check the site for current numbers.
• Rideshare: Per the airport, Uber and Lyft pickup is on Level 2 of the parking garage at Terminal 1 and on the Valet level (Level V) of the garage at Terminal 3. Follow the rideshare signs rather than the taxi signs.
• Inter-terminal shuttle: If you land at one terminal and your pickup is at the other, the airport runs a courtesy shuttle between them, typically every 20 to 30 minutes.
• Vegas Loop: The Boring Company lists Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 among its stations on its Vegas Loop page. It is a tunnel-based ride that connects to the Las Vegas Convention Center campus and several Strip resorts, with fares listed on the site and tickets bought online.
• Rental cars: The major rental companies, including Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National, Payless, Sixt and Thrifty, operate from the Harry Reid Rent-A-Car Center at 7135 Gilespie Street, about 3 miles south of the airport. Courtesy shuttles run there; at Terminal 1 the stop is outside doors 10 and 11 on Level 1, and at Terminal 3 the stops are at both ends of Level Zero. Other agencies use a separate off-site pickup area, so check your booking.

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority notes that most hotels are within about a 15-minute drive of the airport.

Can you hail a taxi on the street in Las Vegas?

No. According to Visit Las Vegas, you cannot hail a taxi on the street here. Taxis pick up at a physical address, usually the taxi line near a hotel's valet or main entrance.

This catches visitors out on Las Vegas Boulevard. If you are standing on a sidewalk between resorts, walk into the nearest casino and find the taxi line, or open a rideshare app. Plan on a few extra minutes to walk to the pickup point, and note that major resorts usually have separate rideshare pickup areas, often in the garage.

How does the RTC bus system work?

The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC) runs the public buses across the Las Vegas valley, and its Strip routes are the Deuce and the SDX. Per Visit Las Vegas, the Deuce stops at just about every resort on the Strip, which makes it the cheapest practical way down Las Vegas Boulevard.

Strip fares and residential fares differ. The RTC's fares and passes page typically lists these prices for the Strip and downtown routes, the Deuce and the SDX:

• A 2-hour pass is typically $6.
• A 24-hour pass is typically $8.
• A 3-day pass is typically $20.

Residential routes, the buses that serve neighborhoods away from the Strip, cost less. A residential single ride is typically $2, a 2-hour pass typically $3 and a 24-hour pass typically $5. The RTC says residential passes are valid on the Deuce and SDX only if you show a local ID, so visitors should buy the Strip pass.

The RTC's fares are for its own buses: passes do not cover the Las Vegas Monorail. Children five and younger typically ride free with an adult, and reduced fares are available to riders with a qualifying reduced-fare ID. Fares change, so check the official page for current prices and where to buy before you go.

What the buses do not do well

The Deuce is a surface bus in Strip traffic, so it is slow on busy nights. It does not take you to Red Rock Canyon, Hoover Dam or most of the places beyond the valley. Allow far more time than you would in a car, and use the monorail for the stretch it covers.

Is the Las Vegas Monorail worth it?

The Las Vegas Monorail is a 3.9-mile elevated line with seven stations on the east side of the Strip, and it is worth it when you are going between the north and south ends or to the Convention Center. It avoids traffic entirely, and trains typically arrive every 4 to 8 minutes.

The stations, north to south, are SAHARA Las Vegas, Westgate, Boingo Station at the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), Harrah's and The LINQ, Flamingo and Caesars Palace, Horseshoe/Paris, and MGM Grand. Note that stations are set behind the resorts, so budget a walk through each casino.

Per the Las Vegas Monorail site, hours are typically Monday 7 am to midnight, Tuesday to Thursday 7 am to 2 am, and Friday to Sunday 7 am to 3 am. Typical fares for a paper ticket are $6.25 for one ride, $15.50 for one day and $33 for three days, with slightly lower prices for online eTickets. Nevada residents can ride for a reduced fare with a Nevada ID, typically $1 per ride within the posted limits.

How far is it to walk the Strip?

Walking the Strip from The STRAT to Mandalay Bay is about 4.5 miles, or roughly 10,000 steps, according to Visit Las Vegas. The giant resorts make distances look shorter than they are.

The practical rule: walk short hops, ride long ones. Visit Las Vegas points to two MGM trams that cover a few gaps. One links Bellagio, Aria and Park MGM. The other starts near Excalibur at the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Tropicana Avenue and serves Luxor and Mandalay Bay. Hours are set by the resorts, so check each resort's official site.

Two local walking tips: the east side of the boulevard is typically shaded earlier in the day, and many west-side stretches get shade in the late afternoon. If you are heading from Caesars Palace toward the High Roller, Visit Las Vegas suggests cutting through the Venetian's parking garage and following the monorail tracks. Carry water, since the desert air is very dry.

On the downtown side, the Fremont Street Experience is a pedestrian mall that, per its official site, is open 24 hours. Visit Las Vegas also lists a free Downtown Loop shuttle for the Arts District and Fremont area, so check its current hours before relying on it.

When do you need a car in Las Vegas?

You need a car in Las Vegas if you are staying off the Strip, visiting Red Rock Canyon, Hoover Dam or other day trips, or running a lot of errands. If you are staying on the Strip and sticking to it, you can skip the car.

The Bureau of Land Management puts Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area 17 miles west of the Las Vegas Strip, about 30 minutes by car, and Hoover Dam is farther out to the southeast. Those trips need wheels or a tour. Neighborhoods such as Summerlin, Henderson and Spring Valley are also much easier by car.

One extra reason to think twice: parking. Many major Strip resorts charge for parking and add event-day pricing, and rates change, so read each resort's own parking page before booking. A rental car you barely use is an expensive way to park.

Where is parking hard in Las Vegas?

Parking is hardest on the Strip around big events, at Fremont Street downtown, and near the stadium and arena on game days. Plan the car-free option for those.

• Fremont Street: The Fremont Street Parking Garage entrance is at 4th Street and Carson Street. The garage has a 7-foot maximum clearance, which excludes tall vans and rooftop cargo boxes, and a 15-minute grace period after entry before fees start. Rates are on the official Fremont Street Experience site.
• Allegiant Stadium: The stadium at 3333 Al Davis Way sells single-event parking in advance through SpotHero, and paying on arrival depends on availability, so buy ahead. Lots typically open four hours before a Raiders kickoff, and rideshare uses Lot N on Dean Martin Drive. The walk from the Strip over Hacienda Bridge takes about 10 to 15 minutes. The bridge is closed to vehicles on event days. See the stadium's transportation page.
• T-Mobile Arena: The arena at 3780 S Las Vegas Blvd sells reserved parking in advance, up to a few hours before an event, not on site that night. Rideshare drop-off is at the New York-New York garage. The monorail and walking from New York-New York, Aria, Park MGM and Excalibur are the alternatives. See the arena's directions page.

To see how the Strip fits into the wider map, browse The Strip and Downtown Las Vegas area pages.

How we chose

We covered every transport option an arriving visitor can actually use, and we checked each against its own official source: the airport, the RTC, the Nevada Taxicab Authority, the monorail, the Vegas Loop and the venues. Fares and hours are phrased as typical, because agencies change them. Where an official page would not load for us, we left out the detail or told you to check.

The quick plan, in seven steps

1. Check your airline's terminal on the airport site, then follow rideshare or taxi signs.
2. For a Strip hotel, a taxi or rideshare is short; the Deuce is the budget option.
3. Never try to hail a taxi from the sidewalk; go to a hotel taxi line.
4. Use the monorail for long north-south hops, and walk the short ones.
5. Rent a car only for Red Rock Canyon, Hoover Dam or off-Strip stays.
6. Pay for parking only where you must; check the resort's own page.
7. On event days, go car-free to Allegiant Stadium or T-Mobile Arena.

Last verified: November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How far is the Las Vegas airport from the Strip?

Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) is about 2 miles from Las Vegas Boulevard, according to Visit Las Vegas. Most hotels are within about a 15-minute drive.

Can you get around Las Vegas without a car?

Yes, if you stay on the Strip and downtown. The Las Vegas Monorail, the RTC Deuce bus, rideshare and taxis cover most visitor trips. You need a car for Red Rock Canyon, Hoover Dam and most day trips.

How much does the Deuce bus cost in Las Vegas?

The RTC typically lists Deuce passes at $6 for 2 hours, $8 for 24 hours and $20 for 3 days. Fares change, so check the RTC fares page before you ride.

Can you hail a taxi on the street in Las Vegas?

No. Visit Las Vegas says taxis must pick up at a physical address, usually a hotel taxi line near the valet or main entrance. Use a taxi stand or a rideshare app instead.

Where do you get Uber and Lyft at Harry Reid airport?

Rideshare pickup is on Level 2 of the parking garage at Terminal 1 and on the Valet level (Level V) of the garage at Terminal 3, per the airport. Follow the rideshare signs.

How long does it take to walk the Las Vegas Strip?

Walking from The STRAT to Mandalay Bay is about 4.5 miles, or roughly 10,000 steps, per Visit Las Vegas. Most people ride the monorail or Deuce for the longer stretches.