Las Vegas: By Bus

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By Bus

Greyhound provides regular Las Vegas service; the bus terminal is downtown. Visit its Web site for fare and schedule information. Cash, traveler's checks, and credit cards are accepted, but reservations are not. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. The most frequently plowed route out of Las Vegas is the one to Los Angeles, with departures a few times a day; the trip takes five to seven hours, depending on stops. The fare is about $45 one-way. Arriving at the bus station 30 to 45 minutes before your bus departs nearly always ensures you a seat. On Sunday evening and Monday morning, arriving an hour or more before departure is recommended.

The county-operated Citizens Area Transit (CAT) runs local buses throughout the city and to most corners of sprawling Las Vegas Valley. The overall quality of bus service along the main thoroughfares is good. Nonlocals typically only ride CAT buses up and down the Strip, between Mandalay Bay and the Stratosphere. Some continue on to the Downtown Transportation Center. If you're heading to outlying areas, you may need to change buses downtown. Mornings and afternoons the buses are frequently crowded, with standing-room only. The fare for CAT buses on the Strip is $2 (exact change required; $1 bills are accepted); $5 24-hour passes are also available. The buses stop on the street in front of all the major hotels every 10 minutes (in a perfect world) between 5:30 AM and 1:30 AM and every 15 minutes between 1:30 AM and 5:30 AM. Because traffic is quite heavy along the Strip, however, delays are frequent. Other routes serve the Meadows and Boulevard shopping malls and Sam's Town Hotel and Casino, on Boulder Highway. The operating hours for most buses, other than those along the Strip, are 5 AM-1:30 AM daily; the fare is $1.25 and must be paid with exact change or with tokens, which are available at the Downtown Transportation Center.

The Las Vegas Strip Trolleys are a bit more charming with their old-fashioned appearance, and they deliver you right to the door of most major casinos on the Strip and downtown. Bear in mind, however, that providing door-to-door delivery makes them a little slower, as they have to fight the knots of cabs, limos, airport shuttles, and private vehicles that collect at every casino at any hour of the day. From 9:30 AM to 1:30 AM, the Trolleys travel every 15 to 20 minutes among Strip hotels, with stops at the Fashion Show Mall (service is every 30 minutes or so along the southern end of the Strip and downtown). Look for the Trolley signs. The exact fare of $2.50 is required when you board, and all-day passes cost $6.50.

Bus Information

Downtown Transportation Center (702/228-7433). Greyhound (800/231-2222. www.greyhound.com). Citizens Area Transit (702/228-7433 or 800/228-3911. www.rtcsouthernnevada.com/cat/). Las Vegas Strip Trolley (702/382-1404).