Using the Las Vegas Public Transportation System

Chapter 4:
Getting around the city

4.1: Getting from here to there
4.2: Walking: The casino crawl
4.3: Cabs are an option
4.4: Buses ...and the strip trolley
4.5: Monorails and trams
4.6: Rental cars can be a burden

"The Deuce" Double Decker (CAT) bus

4.4 Buses and the strip trolly

Strip Buses - (702) 228-7433

The Las Vegas Citizens Area Transit (or C.A.T. as it is known) operates many routes throughout the Las Vegas Valley. More than 150 thousand passengers ride the CAT daily making it one of the largest bus systems in the U.S. All CAT buses are equipped with a camera.

Las Vegas Citizens Area Transit (CAT) bus

The strip bus (No. 301 or 302) runs every 10 to 15 minutes (24 hours, 7 days a week) between downtown and the south strip. (Buses leave every 10 minutes 5:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. and every 15 minutes 12:30 a.m. to 5:30 a.m.) Fare is $2.00 for adults, $1.00 for seniors 62 and older, 60¢ children/youth 5 to 17, and free for those under 5. (You must have exact amount, since the drivers can not make change.)

The Route 301 (local) bus makes frequent stops up and down the strip at just about every hotel. Route 301 goes from Downtown through the Strip with service to the following strip hotels:

North Strip: Stratosphere, Sahara, Riviera, Circus Circus, Westward Ho, Stardust, New Frontier;
Center Strip: Treasure Island, Venetian, Harrah's, Mirage, Imperial Palace, Flamingo, Barbary Coast, Caesar's Palace, Bellagio, Bally's, Paris, Aladdin;
South Strip: Boardwalk, Monte Carlo, New York-New York, MGM Grand, Excalibur, Tropicana, Luxor, Mandalay Bay, Four Seasons.

The Route No. 302 is an Express bus that makes northbound stops ONLY at: the Tropicana Hotel, Flamingo Hotel, Sands Ave. (just north of the Venetian), Riviera Hotel, the Stratosphere Tower, Charleston Blvd. (just south of downtown) and Fremont Street (Downtown.)

The southbound Strip Express stops ONLY at: Fremont Street (Downtown), Charleston Blvd. (just south of downtown), the Stratosphere Tower, Circus Circus Hotel, Mirage Hotel, Bellagio Hotel and the Excalibur Hotel.

Some, but not all, of the CAT bus stops have shelters. For example, there are stops in front of the Flamingo (north bound), Caesars, and the Mirage fountains (both south bound) that do not. You have to look for the small signs with the numbers 301 and/or 302 on them.

If you're just going between two places on the Strip, you may want to take the trolley if it's around 7 to 9 a.m. and 4 to 6 p.m. because the CAT buses are usually packed with resort employees during these hours. (But be aware that the trolley is slow also since it stops at the rear of all hotels.)

CAT Customer Service can be contacted at (702) 228-7433 (CAT-RIDE) if you have any comments, suggestions or complaints.

London comes to Las Vegas

Las Vegas has a new two-level buses. (See photo above.) The double decker strip buses, nicknamed "The Deuce" by the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC), will eventually take over all the routes previously operated by the Citizen Area Transit (CAT).

The new fleet of 50 buses, each worth $580,000, were custom-made in London. The buses each carry 97 passengers with 53 seats on the upper deck and 27 on the lower deck with room for an additional 17 to stand. There are two positions for wheelchairs. The new transit vehicles run 24 hours-a-day on the Strip.

The Deuce bus, part of CAT system, will travel a 17-mile route along the Strip and into Downtown, making 73 stops. A day pass is $5 and one-ride is $2. The bus will mainly serve tourists. Tickets can be purchased on buses or at Deuce ticket vending machines located at each bus stop on the Las Vegas Strip.

Strip Trolley - (702) 382-1404

These green old-fashioned streetcar replicas run about every 15 to 20 minutes from 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. daily from the Stratosphere Hotel (on the north) to the Luxor Hotel (on the south.) The trolly stops at the "tour bus" area (rather than the front door) of each major hotel including the off strip Las Vegas Hilton.

The trolley does not go downtown. Since it stops at many hotels, it is agonizingly slow. We suggest you take the strip bus if you want a faster trip. It is, however, a good place to get in some people watching and cheap sight seeing. Fare is $1.75 and you must have the exact change. (Children under 5 are free.) See map here.