Hello, this is your tour guide.

Welcome to Vegas. Time to escape the mundane, boring daily life and have some fun. Or if you’re here for a conference - serious business time. Most likely you’re heading for pleasure.

Seriously, 1 in 5 leisure travelers in North America head to Las Vegas. And with major attractions like the Sphere, F1, professional sports teams - you have plenty of reasons.

Let’s make the travel experience a little smoother by showing you the variety of ways to get from Harry Reid International Airport to the strip. For the sake of simplicity we’re going to define the “center” of the strip as the intersection of Flamingo Road and Las Vegas Boulevard. Surrounded by Caesars Palace, Flamingo, Paris Las Vegas, and Bellagio.

While the airport is close to the strip, getting there is not as straightforward as it seems. In fact, Las Vegas Airport is the busiest airport in the world without an airport rail link. We at Vandvoyage know a metro from the airport to the Strip and beyond to historic downtown Las Vegas is needed. But until that happens check out your options below to get from LAS to the Strip.

Cheapest: RTC Transit CX (Centennial Express) Bus

Las Vegas is the furthest from being a transit friendly city but at least a bus system exists. The

RTC (Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada) operates several bus routes from McCarran International Airport. The bus routes operating from Las Vegas Airport to the strip are mainly targeted to locals and employees of the airport. That is, there is no dedicated bus or train from LAS to the strip. Of the buses, route CX is your direct route from Harry Reid Airport to the Strip. Stopping at Terminal 1 (Level Zero exit the building along the crosswalk and veer right to see the bus stop) and Terminal 3 (Level 2 across from exit door 44) the CX stops right at the center of the strip. Route CX also continues to downtown Las Vegas after the Strip.

Learn more about the RTC and see the route CX map here.

Fare is $4.00. Download the RTC app and purchase fares in advance.

Most Semi-Private: Shuttles

Many hotels along the Strip offer shuttle services. Check with the resort you’re staying at to confirm. Shuttle buses are located at Terminal 1 by exit doors 7 thru 13 and at Terminal 3 by the west end of Level Zero.

Learn more about the shuttle buses offered from Harry Reid Airport here.

Fares start at $30

Most Private: Taxi / Ride Share

Undoubtedly, the more expensive option from our list but the most private. In addition to taxis, Uber and Lyft offer private rideshare services from the airport. Travel time is approximately 10-15 minutes. If you arrive at rush hour expect to sit in traffic. Expect to pay about $15-25 for a ride.

Taxi rides are the same but make sure you know what zone of the stirp you are heading to beforehand.

Most Luxurious: Limousines

Stretch limos might seem like a thing of the past but in Vegas, it's a right of passage. Why not go all out and ride to the Strip in luxury. Limos are so popular that Harry Reid Airports even offers walk-up limo service. That is, there is no need to book in advance. Just approach one and go!

There are plenty of options to choose from. Limos are located at Terminal 1 by exit doors 7 thru 13 and at Terminal 3 by the west end of Level Zero.

There’s not an old saying, “When in Vegas, do as the Las Vegans do”.

Slowest: Walk

Forgot to hit 10,000 steps before heading out? Well, you’re in luck. You can walk from Harry Reid Airport to the strip. It’s doable but with major streets, poor pedestrian infrastructure, multiple road crossings - it's a difficult 3 mile hike. From the north end of Terminal 1 look for the sidewalk and make your way north along Wayne Newton Boulevard until it ends at Paradise Road. Continue walking along Paradise Road until you reach and turn left at Tropicana Avenue.

This is far from a pleasant walk so we suggest avoiding the  walk unless you’re adventurous and can carry your luggage. Be prepared to walk for at least one hour. Maybe avoid this option during the desert summer.

Note:

Prices are accurate as of November 2024.

Welcome to Washington, D.C.- America’s capital and a bustling metropolis in its own right. Whether you are visiting for political means or as a tourist Washington has lots of history and culture. But before you discover Washington take a look at all the ways you can travel from Baltimore/Washington Thurgood Marshall International Airport to downtown Washington. Before you head out take a moment to learn about all the methods to get from BWI to downtown Washington. Located in Baltimore, BWI is not exactly a “Washington” airport as the slash (/) in the name suggests. Nevertheless, getting from BWI to downtown Washington is a straightforward experience with plenty of options to fit your budget.

Note: Washington is served by three major passenger airports:

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA);

Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) and;

Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI)

DCA handles domestic and commuter flights (if you like to spot politicians this is the airport for you). IAD handles national and international flights. While BWI handles national and international with a focus on low cost carriers.

This article focuses on how to get from Baltimore/Washington International Airport to downtown.

Read this article about how to get from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport here.

Read this article about how to get from Washington Dulles International Airport here.

Cheapest: MARC Penn Line Train

Starting from BWI’s horseshoe shaped arrivals terminal (every concourse sticks out from here) head towards the lower level pick up & ground transportation zone. Specifically, the pick up zone for the shuttle to parking lots and the BWI train station. NOT the pick up zone for hotel shuttles. These shuttles are free and the shuttles run every 10-15 minutes 24/7. Read BWI’s Airport page for Shuttles for more information.

Ride the shuttle until you arrive at BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport Station. This busy intermodal station serves commuter (MARC) and intercity (Amtrak) trains. For the cheapest ride, purchase tickets for the MARC’s Penn Line service to Washington Union Station. Service is frequent (every 15 minutes at rush hour and hourly off peak). Travel time approximately 45-60 minutes depending on normal or express service to Washington Union Station**** - the major intermodal hub for Washington, D.C.

Read more about MARC Penn Line here.

Fare is $8.00.

Fastest: Amtrak Acela

Starting from BWI’s horseshoe shaped arrivals terminal (every concourse sticks out from here) head towards the lower level pick up & ground transportation zone. Specifically, the pick up zone for the shuttle to parking lots and the BWI train station. NOT the pick up zone for hotel shuttles. These shuttles are free and the shuttles run every 10-15 minutes 24/7. Read BWI’s Airport page for Shuttles for more information.

Ride the shuttle until you arrive at BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport Station. This busy intermodal station serves commuter (MARC) and intercity (Amtrak). With Amtrak you have multiple options (high-speed rail or local service) to choose from. Fares vary with dynamic pricing and class of travel but the breakdown is roughly as follows for each service:

• Northeast Regional (local):
  • Coach from $10
  • Business from $30
• Acela (high-speed rail):
  • Business from $30
  • First from $84

Travel time is approximately from 25 minutes with Acela or 30 minutes with Northeast Regional depending on normal or express service to Washington Union Station**** - the major intermodal hub for Washington, D.C.

Most Private: Taxi / Ride Share

Undoubtedly, the most expensive option from our list but the most private. In addition to taxis, Uber and Lyft offer private rideshare services from the airport. Travel time is approximately 46-60 minutes. If you arrive at rush hour expect to sit in traffic. Expect to pay about $90-120 for a ride. Keep in mind that Washington traffic (especially along the northeast interstate highway I-95 & I-295 corridor) can become notoriously congested so be prepared for sudden surge pricing.

Note:

Prices are accurate as of November 2024.

Welcome to Washington, D.C.- America’s capital and a bustling metropolis in its own right. Whether you are visiting for political means or as a tourist Washington has lots of history and culture. But before you discover Washington take a look at all the ways you can travel from Washington Dulles International Airport to downtown Washington. Take a moment to learn about all the methods to get from IAD to downtown Washington. Located 26 miles west of Washington, Dulles Airport is far from downtown D.C.

Note: Washington is served by three major passenger airports:

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA);

Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) and;

Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI)

DCA handles domestic and commuter flights (if you like to spot politicians this is the airport for you). IAD handles national and international flights. While BWI handles national and international with a focus on low cost carriers.

This article focuses on how to get from Washington Dulles International Airport to downtown.

Read this article about how to get from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport here.

Read this article about how to get from Baltimore/Washington International Airport here.

Cheapest: Washington Metro Silver Line Train

The much needed, recent extension of the Washington Metro’s Silver Line to Washington Dulles International Airport allows for a direct route from Dulles Airport to downtown Washington at  L’Enfant Plaza Station**** - the Metro’s major intermodal hub (every Washington Metro Line converges here except for the Red Line). You can also connect to the commuter rail line Virginia Railway Express. Located just south of the National Mall and walking distance to the Smithsonian and major museums. Travel time is approximately 1 hour.

Take the pedestrian tunnel from the Main Terminal towards the Dulles Metro Station (same direction as Parking Garage 1). Look for escalators and elevators with signs indicating where to access the tunnel from the grand Main Terminal.

If you’re going from Dulles International Airport to Reagan National Airport transfer from the Silver Line to the Yellow Line at L’Enfant Plaza Station to continue towards Dulles Airport.

Fare is $2.40 to take the Silver Line. Beware of peak fares during weekdays. You can purchase WMATA’s fare card - SmarTrip for $5.00 to explore the entire region.

Most Private: Taxi / Ride Share

Undoubtedly, the most expensive option from our list but the most private. In addition to taxis, Uber and Lyft offer private rideshare services from the airport. Travel time is approximately 45-60 minutes. If you arrive at rush hour expect to sit in traffic. Expect to pay about $60-80 for a ride. Keep in mind that Washington traffic can become notoriously congested so be prepared for sudden surge pricing.

For a more private experience consider the Washington Flyer Taxi Service. An on demand, 24 service from Washington Dulles International airport to downtown Washington.

Visit the Super Shuttle page for IAD to book and the official Dulles Airport website estimates a $65-73 cost to travel from IAD to downtown D.C. Keep in mind this is an estimate and heavy traffic will result in a higher fare.

Note:

Prices are accurate as of November 2024.