Frommer's Las Vegas 2004

62
CHAPTER 4 . GETTING TO KNOW LAS VEGAS
Tips Safety Alert
The area northeast of Harmon and Koval has had increased gang activity
of late and should be avoided or at least approached with caution.
the airport to the Strip will run you $10 to $15, from the airport to Downtown
$15 to $20, and between the Strip and Downtown about $10 to $12. You can
often save money by sharing a cab with someone going to the same destination
(up to five people can ride for the same fare).
If you want to call a taxi, any of the following companies can provide one:
Desert Cab Company (& 702/386-9102), Whittlesea Blue Cab (& 702/
384-6111), and Yellow/Checker Cab/Star Company (& 702/873-2000).
BY PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
The no. 301 bus operated by Citizens Area Transit (& 702/CAT-RIDE) plies
a route between the Downtown Transportation Center (at Casino Center Blvd.
and Stewart Ave.) and a few miles beyond the southern end of the Strip. The fare
is $2 for adults, 60¢ for seniors 62 and older and children 5 to 17, and free for
those under 5. CAT buses run 24 hours a day and are wheelchair-accessible.
Exact change is required, but dollar bills are accepted.
Or you can hop aboard a classic streetcar replica run by Las Vegas Strip Trolley
(& 702/382-1404). These old-fashioned, dark-green vehicles have interior
oak paneling and are comfortably air-conditioned. Like the buses, they run
northward from Hacienda Avenue, stopping at all major hotels en route to the
Sahara, and then loop back from the Las Vegas Hilton. They do not, however,
go to the Stratosphere Casino Hotel & Tower or Downtown. Trolleys run about
every 15 minutes daily between 9:30am and 2am. The fare is $1.65 (free for
children under age 5), and exact change is required.
There are also a number of free transportation services, courtesy of the casinos.
A free monorail connects Mandalay Bay with Luxor and Excalibur, another connects
Bellagio with the Monte Carlo (though it’s out of commission for all of 2004
due to renovations), still another runs between the MGM and Bally’s (currently
closed because of work on the Las Vegas monorail and scheduled to reopen in winter
2004), and a free tram shuttles between The Mirage and Treasure Island. Given
how far apart even neighboring hotels can be, thanks to their size, and how they
seem even farther apart on really hot days, these are blessed additions—and the
more tourists who take them, the less traffic there might be on the Strip.
FAST FACTS: Las Vegas
American Express There are about a dozen offices in town, but the closest
one to the Strip is located inside the MGM Grand Hotel at 3799 Las
Vegas Blvd. S. (corner of Tropicana; & 702/739-8474).
Area Codes The area code for Las Vegas is 702.
Babysitters Contact Around the Clock Child Care (& 800/798-6768 or
702/365-1040). In business since 1987, this reputable company clears its sitters
with the health department, the sheriff, and the FBI, and carefully
screens references. Charges are $46 for 4 hours for one or two children,