My So and I are going to Vegas with another couple for 4 nights in early April. This will be my third trip to Vegas, but I have a couple of questions.
We’re staying at the Mirage. We have not arranged anything to get us to the hotel from the airport. There will be 4 of us, with luggage, so a cab (car at least, maybe a van) may not work. Someone once said it was the same price to take a limo. Is this true? If so how do I arrange one? How much is a cab?
And my second question is, we were thinking about maybe renting a car for a day to go see the Grand Canyon. My question is, how long of a drive would it be, from Vegas to the GC? If it is anything over 2.5 hours we probably won’t bother. Does anyone know how far it is?
Airport Transportation:
Is there shuttle service to The Mirage?
Several companies offer shuttle service to and from McCarran International Airport (approximately $5.00 per person one-way). Signs are posted on the transportation level at the airport outside baggage claim which will direct you to the shuttle area. Return shuttles run from The Mirage to the airport from 6:00 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. Reservations are recommended for airport returns after 6:00 p.m. Our Bell Desk can assist you with the arrangements. Taxi service to the airport costs approximately $12 to $15 one-way.
Grand Canyon? Roughly 150 miles as the crow flies; unfortunately, you’re not a crow, so you’ll have to drive down to I-40 and back up. I believe it’s a five hour drive (at least)
It might be worth looking into seeing if it’d be faster to get to the northern rim. It’s cooler (which doesn’t matter as much as April as it would later), has far fewer tourists, and has lots of other interesting differences like flora and fauna due to altitude (not to mention the view is different).
When you get through baggage claim, there will be the opportunity to buy a shuttle ticket from various vendors for different hotels. It’s really cheap - cheaper still (per trip) to buy it round-trip (don’t lose the return ticket and don’t forget to tip).
The drives are ex-NASCAR, I believe, and the ride can be - shall we say - thrilling.
There’s tours from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon if you want that’ll save you the car rental let you lie back in comfort. Lots of blue hair in my experience. The North Rim is very nice and, yes, has lots less people. Probably a shorter trip. We stayed, last time, in Sedona and the trip to the North Side was loooooonnng.
The shuttles don’t go * directly * to the Mirage.They make numerous stops-depends on the hotels they’re servicing.
I’d think with 4 people and luggage a limo would be a better choice (you may need 2 cabs depends on how much luggage,luggage cannot be placed inside the cab per taxi regs.)
Limos park in the same area as cabs,and some drivers used to hold cards with their fares printed on them.Just ask the security guys in the taxi line,that’s what they’re there for,to expedite the loading of fares out of the airport.
Grand Canyon is a major excursion from Vegas due to the lack of freeway into the canyon.Maybe a tourbus?
Many of the newer Vegas cabs are those mini-van style cabs (although a bit smaller than a standard mini-van). They should hold 4 people, but if you’ve got TONS of luggage, it might not all fit in.
l’d suggest 2 cabs - the shuttles are a pain (multiple stops) and the Mirage is very close to the airport (don’t have to go onto Vegas Blvd. to get there), so the fare shouldn’t be too much, even x2.
One further hint - sometimes there’s a long wait for a cab at the airport. As you’re collecting the baggage, you may want to send one of your party out to get in the taxi line.
Re: Grand Canyon
Belrix is a little off. The North Rim is very beautiful, and though distance wise it may be shorter, it is definitely a longer drive. I’ve done both from LV, and the North Rim took much longer. It’s a nice drive, though, and you do go right through Zion Canyon natl. park… If you have a limited amount of time, then the south rim would be the way to go. But it is a good 5 hours or so drive (one way).
However, if you do end up with a car and would like to see a not-well-known-but-very-scenic place, take a (short) drive to see Red Rocks. It is about a 20 minute drive from the strip. From the Mirage, head “north” to Charleston. Then take Charleston west. It will take you right to the park. There is a nice loop road you can take through the park.
No, limos are always more expensive than cabs. At many places in Vegas, such as outside any of the major hotels, you can be waiting for a cab and the concierge guys will say ‘Gee, there’s just no cabs tonight, but that guy over there driving the limo, he’ll take you and it doesn’t cost much more’. But it does. It’s a scam. Ignore them. There are billions of cabs in Vegas and you can always get one (or even two) if you need one. Cabs from the airport are also VERY plentiful and they arrive fast. It’s true that a long line tends to form, but it moves quick.
Don’t hire a car and drive to the Canyon. It’s a pain of a drive and you’ll use up all your time driving there and back across what is fairly featureless landscape.
Take one of the bus / plane / helicopter tours instead - it’s the trip of a lifetime. A bus collects you from your hotel early in the morning, takes you to the tour depot, then another takes you to Henderson airfield from where a light aircraft takes you to the Canyon itself. Then you go from the rim to the bottom in a helicopter (in about 1 minute, which is a thrill!) and then a riverboat takes you a little way up the river itself. Then you chopper back up to the top, and go on a bus sight-seeing tour along the rim culminating in a good lunch. Then it’s back to the Canyon light aricraft base, back to Henderson, and a bus or coach takes you back to your hotel. You can be back by 4pm in the afternoon, time for some rest, then freshen up and out on the town! Unmissable, and very reasonably priced.
Currently, there is a lot of construction at the dam, as well as the security check point that will slow down getting to Arizona. Red Rock is nice, but hardly a comparison to TGC. Head north to Valley of Fire, Brice Canyon or Zion.
Of course, if you just came to Reno and Tahoe, you would be better off entirely! Better value, less crowds and Tahoe in April is unbelievable! You can snow ski on Monday, water ski on Tuesday and party round the clock!
Okay GC is looking out, maybe if we’re lucky in the casino’s we can take a helitour.
My next question, what’s a good peeler place to go to? When I was there in 96’ it Was “Deja Vous”. I was pretty amazed, it was $20 cover but you could bring your own alcohol (what a great city!). I went to Glitter Gulch as well, and wasn’t too impressed.
Is that still the best? I’m looking for something a little “higer-class” than your average sawdust on the floor, class C rippers.
I can personally highly recommend the helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon. My fiancee and I took one past Hoover Dam, down into the canyon, where we landed, got out, and had a champagne brunch. On the way back we passed huge extinct volcanoes before buzzing the strip. It was $250 per person.
If you don’t include all the extras like landing for brunch, it will be a lot cheaper.
I can’t recommend a good strip club, but definitely consider Crazy Girls at the Riveria. It’s IIRC a 9 girl topless show with dirty humor, dancing, and lipsyncing.
The Crazy Horse (or Crazy Horse II I think its officially called) is the Strip Club to go to. Went there for my bachelor party. A bit pricey, but tons of gorgeous women. I am pretty sure it is the club seen in both Ocean’s Eleven and Go, but I could be wrong about that.
Take a cab to the hotel. I’d estimate that 20 percent of the cabs at the airport are minivans and they’ll hold all the luggage you could bring for 4 days. I’ve never done the Grand Canyon trip but most of the tourist magazines have discount coupons for bus or helicoptor trips.
BTW, the airport is ridiculously close to the strip. In fact, if it wasn’t where it is, there would probably be two more mega-casinos across from Luxor and Mandalay Bay. Strip map (airport is on bottom right)
Better value, less crowds and Tahoe in April is unbelievable! You can snow ski on Monday, water ski on Tuesday and party round the clock!