How to Get Around Las Vegas Without a Car [Ultimate Guide]
If you’re visiting Las Vegas without a car, you may be wondering how to get around town and still see and do everything you want. As a Las Vegas resident, I can assure you that visiting Las Vegas without a car is entirely doable. Let me tell you about all the ways to get around Vegas without a car.
Can you get around Vegas without a car?
The short answer is yes. You don’t need a car to get around Las Vegas. There are a multitude of transportation options available to you, including taxis, shuttles, the monorail, Lyft/Uber, buses, free trams, and more. You can get anywhere you need to go in Las Vegas without a car.
For being a big city, Las Vegas is actually pretty small. For visitors to the Las Vegas area, most of what you’ll want to do and see is either on the Strip or in downtown Las Vegas, and these two areas are only about 8 miles from the end of one to the end of the other.
In this article, I’m going to share with you the many options you have for transportation in Las Vegas and let you know the pros and cons (if any) for each.
Ok, let’s get started!
Walking the Las Vegas Strip
Can you walk the Las Vegas Strip? This is a question that first-time visitors to Las Vegas always ask. The simple answer is yes, the Strip is very pedestrian-friendly as long as you are in the main areas containing multiple casinos, hotels, shops, restaurants, and attractions.
The two most densely packed areas of entertainment can be found along Las Vegas Boulevard (the Strip) at the crossroads of Flamingo and again at Tropicana (see map below)
In these two areas, you can safely walk, and you’ll find many crosswalks and pedestrian bridges to get you back and forth across the street to see all the main attractions.
What a new visitor to Las Vegas needs to know is that the Strip itself is a 4.2-mile long road, and while there are several clusters of hotels and entertainment, there are also stretches of Las Vegas Boulevard where there is not a lot to do or see.
In some of these stretches, there are no crosswalks or walking bridges to get you across the street. Looking at a map can be very deceiving. The distances are much greater than they look, especially if it’s hot outside!
Don’t get me wrong, there are amazing hotels and casinos all along the Strip, and you should definitely walk and check out as many as possible, but you’re probably going to be happiest finding transportation to some of the farther-out locations.
The following are the best transportation choices for getting around Las Vegas.
Las Vegas Taxi Cab
For years this was pretty much the only way to get around Las Vegas without having your own car. If you’re in a hurry, not good with technology, or just don’t want to have to figure anything out, you can head to the nearest taxi stand.
The benefit here is that you can be in a car and on your way to your destination in seconds.
You can find taxis all up and down the Vegas Strip. It should be noted, however, that taxis in Las Vegas are not allowed to stop on the street. So you can’t just wave one down on the Strip. Instead, go to any hotel, casino, or attraction to find a line of taxis waiting to whisk you away.
The downside is that a taxi is just about the most expensive option, short of renting a limo and a private driver for the day.
Las Vegas Taxi Rates
There are several taxi cab companies in Las Vegas, and their fares may all be slightly different, but this will get you in the ballpark.
| Individual Taxi Rates, Fees & Taxes | Prices |
| Turning on the taxi meter | $3.50 |
| Every 1/12th of a mile (works out to be $2.76 per mile) | $0.23 |
| Waiting fee if waiting or in slow traffic ($0.23 every 25 sec) | $32.40 hr |
| Credit or Debit card fee | $3.00 |
| Excise tax added to total bill | 3% |
| Harry Reid Airport fee if ride starts at airport (formerly McCarran Airport) | $2.40 |
As you can imagine, these fees start to add up fast. I really hate sitting in the back of a taxi and watching the meter turn over, but if you’re in a hurry, it’s often the fastest way to get where you’re going.
So I would generally recommend avoiding taxis. However, there is one exception to this. Taking a taxi to and from Harry Reid Airport is worth it, in my opinion.
Especially when returning to the airport. In this case, you are on a time schedule, and it’s not worth missing your flight trying to save a few bucks by taking an alternate transportation method.
How much is a taxi from the airport to the Strip in Las Vegas?
When it comes to catching a taxi to and from the Las Vegas airport, the normal fares don’t apply. Las Vegas has instituted a zone system to determine taxi rates to and from hotels along the Strip in Las Vegas.
Taxi fare from the Las Vegas airport to a Strip hotel will run between $19 and $27, depending on what zone your hotel falls into.
Las Vegas Taxi Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| – Fast and convenient – No waiting for your ride – No ridesharing or other people involved | – Expensive |
RELATED: Complete Guide to Taxis and Taxi Fares in Las Vegas
Uber and Lyft in Las Vegas
After years of the taxi unions trying to keep them out, both Uber and Lyft have made it to the Las Vegas Valley. These two ridesharing companies, in my opinion, provide one of the best values when traveling around Las Vegas.
Using Uber or Lyft make it extremely convenient to get anywhere in Las Vegas you want to go.
Uber and Lyft charge comparable rates in general and are quick to pick you up in most locations throughout the Las Vegas Valley. You can schedule a pick-up at any casino, hotel, or mall, as well as many attractions. Just look for the designated rideshare pickup area.
Of course, you have to use a smartphone app to order the ride, and there is some pre-planning and wait time involved with that.
I’ve had a good experience with every Lyft or Uber ride I’ve taken in Las Vegas. The cars are clean, and I’ve always felt safe and secure.
Uber and Lyft Rates in Las Vegas
| Base Fares Las Vegas | Uber x | Lyft |
| Minimum Fare | $8.77 | $5.30 |
| Base Rate | $1.56 | $1.56 |
| Per Mile | .83 | $.83 |
| Per Minute | $0.22 | $0.22 |
| Cancellation Fee | $5.25 | $5 |
| Nevada Cost Recovery Fee | 3% | 3% |
The above fares are for the standard car service. Both companies have luxury upgrades and upgrades for vehicles that will hold more than four people for higher base rates.
Although the fares are comparable, the thing to know here is that when it gets especially busy in Las Vegas (weekends, large conventions, or events), both companies have what they call “prime time” (Lyft) or “surge pricing”(Uber) that increases the stated rates by various multipliers.
At these times, one or the other can be much more expensive than the other one.
It all gets very confusing, but there is a silver lining in that you can compare rates using the phone apps before booking your ride. During these busy times, it’s always a good idea to set up your ride on both apps to compare the price and then order the ride from the cheapest one.
I should note that there are a lot more Uber drivers in Las Vegas than Lyft drivers, although many people drive for both, and you generally won’t have trouble catching a ride.
Lyft and Uber Example Fare
This is a sample fare I computed using the fare estimators on the companies’ websites (Uber website & Lyft website) for a ride from the Bellagio Hotel and Casino on the Strip to the Fremont Street Experience in downtown Las Vegas (approx. 5.6 miles).
| Uber X | Lyft |
| $14.88 | $12 – $15 |
Las Vegas Uber & Lyft Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| – Quick and convenient – Very short wait for your ride – Can compare prices before ordering a ride | – Surge Pricing |
RELATED: How Much Does Uber and Lyft Cost In Las Vegas? (Explained)
Shuttle Buses in Las Vegas
There are two basic types of shuttle bus services in Las Vegas. One is a paid airport shuttle, and the second is a hotel shuttle bus.
Las Vegas Airport Shuttle
Many hotels in other cities have their own shuttles that run their guests back and forth to the local airport either for free or for a small fee. It doesn’t work that way if you’re staying at a hotel on the Las Vegas Strip. Hotels on the Strip aren’t allowed to have their own airport shuttles.
Las Vegas has paid airport shuttle services that will pick you up from the airport and take you to your hotel either on the Strip or in downtown Las Vegas. Here are some sample fare prices for three of the bigger ones.
| Shuttle Service phone # | To Strip Hotels One-Way / Round Trip | To Downtown Hotels One-Way / Round Trip |
| Bell Trans (800) 274-7433 | $15 / $30 | $15 / $30 |
| SuperShuttle (800) 258-3826 | $18.25/$36.50 | $18.25/$36.50 |
The way these shuttles work is they will try to put together groups of people going to the same basic area on the Strip or downtown. You’ll have to wait until everyone on your scheduled shuttle bus has arrived, and then you will have to make stops at different hotels to drop everyone off.
Keep in mind you may very well be the last one to get dropped off. Also, on the return trip, the shuttle company will want to pick you up several hours before your return flight. Yikes! I’d rather be sleeping in or spending a couple more hours enjoying Las Vegas than sitting at the airport several hours before my flight leaves.
If you’re traveling alone and you have a lot of extra time, and you want to save a couple of dollars, then take an airport shuttle. Otherwise, I recommend just grabbing a taxi or Uber and saving yourself hours of wasted time.
Las Vegas Airport Shuttle Bus Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| – Cheapest option for 1 traveler | – Lots of wasted time |
Off-Strip Hotels With Free Airport Shuttles
All that being said, there are quite a few off-Strip hotels that do offer an airport shuttle for their guests.
Here are a few highly-rated hotels with free airport shuttles.
- Palace Station Hotel and Casino
- Staybridge Suites Las Vegas
- Mardi Gras Hotel and Casino
- Hyatt Place Las Vegas
- Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas
- La Quinta Inn & Suites Airport South Las Vegas
- Hilton Garden Inn
- Homewood Suites by Hilton City Center
These are highly convenient if you don’t mind staying at an off-Strip hotel. Some of these hotels are not very far from the Strip and represent a good value if you’re on a budget. You can read my article about off-Strip hotels that don’t charge resort fees here to learn more.
Las Vegas Free Hotel Shuttles
Several of the bigger off-Strip hotels in town offer free shuttle services over to the Strip. The reason for this is that these shuttles are set up to run from one resort to another hotel-casino owned by the same company.
Still, if you’re staying at one of these hotels, you’ll probably want to visit these casinos on the Strip anyway, and from there, you’ll be able to check out and enjoy all the nearby properties and attractions.
Here are the hotels with free Strip shuttles. Note: These shuttles are generally just for hotel guests, and no luggage is allowed on board.
- Sam’s Town Hotel & Gambling Hall
- Gold Coast
- The Orleans
- M Resort
- Green Valley Ranch
- South Point Hotel
- Red Rock Casino
- Silverton Casino
- Hilton Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa
- Palace Station
- Hard Rock Hotel and Casino
- JW Marriott Las Vegas
Hotel Shuttles to the Strip – Pros and Cons
| Pros</ |