THE EARNEST TRAVELER
Few big destinations are as easy to reach as Las Vegas — the airport is practically on the Strip, flights are plentiful and often cheap, and once you're here you may not need a car at all. Here's how to arrive and get around.
The Airport Is Right There
Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) sits minutes from the south Strip — one of the closest major airports to its tourist core in the country. It's a huge hub with cheap flights from all over, and you're at your hotel by rideshare, taxi, or shuttle in 10–20 minutes. Many visitors fly in and never rent a car.
Getting Around the Strip
The Strip is 4.2 miles long and deceptively huge, so mix your modes: walk the short hops, ride the monorail (east side of the Strip), the free hotel trams (Mandalay–Excalibur; Bellagio–Park MGM), the Deuce double-decker bus (Strip and Downtown), or grab a rideshare for longer or late-night trips. Wear real shoes.
When You Need a Car
You only really need a car for day trips — Hoover Dam, Red Rock, Valley of Fire, Grand Canyon West. If you're staying on the Strip and skipping the desert, a car is often just a parking-fee headache. Rent for the days you'll drive, or take a guided tour instead.
When to Go
The best weather is spring (March–May) and fall (September–November) — warm days, cool nights, and the pools still open. Summer is brutally hot (100–110°F+); winter is mild and cheaper, but pools may close and nights get chilly. Weekends and big events spike prices — midweek is calmer and cheaper.
The Strip is 4.2 miles long, and the resorts are enormous inside — two "next-door" casinos can be a 20-to-30-minute walk apart. Wear real shoes, use the monorail, free hotel trams, the Deuce bus, or rideshare for longer hops, and don't try to walk it end to end in the summer heat.
Feet, sun, power, and cover for the drive and the desert.