transportation from airport to MSS

Hi all, I have found the best place to find out any information is the great people on these forums. That said, friends of mine are going to Vegas for the first time. Being newbies, I want to try to save them some money. They need to get from the airport to Main Street Station. We always rent a car, so aren't sure what would be the most economical way. I would imagine a taxi would be quite expensive, but are there shuttle buses to and from downtown?
I appreciate all your help in any questions I have. There sure is a wealth of information here. I also enjoy the trip reports, and get my vegas "fix" that way!
Thanks!

Airport Shuttles are available but another option (if you want something a lot more inexpensive) are the Buses that run between the Airport and Downtown LV. For more information on this, check out: https://www.rtcsnv.com/ridethestrip/airport.html. I think single fares might also be possible if you don't want to make use of the other options such as a 24 hour pass or 3 day pass.

Someone else here should have more information on this.

RecVPPlayer

RVVP gives good advice.

A taxi from the airport to MSS on the proper surface streets (Paradise to Main), with typical traffic and a $2-$4 tip, costs $27-$29. Considering the convenience after an airline flight with bags, I view that as a good deal for two or more people.

For solo travelers, the bus can be great and surprisingly quick to downtown, just $2 per person. The two lines, called WAX and CX, each run every hour or so. Just realize that CX only leaves from the smaller Terminal 3, which means that Terminal 1 passengers first need to rely on the pokey, intra-airport shuttle to catch that bus.

Another place for more information about this is on this LVA website. Go to the "Shuttles & Car Rentals" link at the top of the page (or the "Transportation" link) and from there go to the "Airport (to/from)" section or go directly to: https://www.lasvegasadvisor.com/referenceguide-transportationdetail.cfm?transportid=54 for Shuttles information.

But I think that the most economical (at least money wise) option (this is what the original poster asked for) would be to take the Buses that I mentioned in my previous post in this thread.

Since I haven't been on any of these buses (there are three of them -- The Westcliff Airport Express [WAX], the Centennial Express {CX} and the Strip & Downtown Express [SDX]), although I don't know this for sure, with some of these buses, you might have to walk a few blocks to get to MSS (I don't know which -- if any drop people off directly at MSS).

I also don't know what if any luggage restrictions these buses might have. Hopefully someone here has that kind of information to add.

RecVPPlayer

A bus? For their first ever Las Vegas arrival? Noooooooooooooooo!

Schlep bags a block or two to the hotel? Noooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Taxi or shuttle for sure. This is a special occasion!

An airport shuttle will be around $7 or $8 per person plus tip (1-2 dollars per bag), drops them off at the hotel entrance. They are all the same (Bell Trans, Showtime, etc.) with kiosks outside the baggage carrousel.

As for the shuttle, people can purchase round trip tickets for it, but I've been reading that they can be notoriously bad on the return part (unless someone else knows otherwise).

RecVPPlayer

The fare for the private shuttles to downtown is about $9 per person one way before tip. Since they typically make 2-3 stops before hitting downtown, they're really no quicker than the bus. SDX doesn't serve the airport. And yes, MSS is 3-4 blocks from the downtown bus stops used by CX and WAX.

Really, for 2 or more Vegas newbies with baggage, even frugal ones, taxi is the best arrival option.

And so the original poster should make sure to tell the Vegas Newbies that if they are to take the taxi, to make sure that they are not "Long Hauled" and to have the driver not take the Tunnel to the Freeway and instead to take Tropicana (I think) to Paradise to Main Street to get to Main Street Station Casino.

RecVPPlayer

Right. I don't recommend shuttle for return to the airport. Their pickup times are inconsistent. Just buy a one way ticket from airport, use taxi for return.

On a positive note regarding shuttle ride to hotel, they'd get a bit of hotel sight-seeing along the way as folks are being dropped off at the different ones.

Right. I don't recommend shuttle for return to the airport. Their pickup times are inconsistent. Just buy a one way ticket from airport, use taxi for return.

On a positive note regarding shuttle ride to hotel, they'd get a bit of hotel sight-seeing along the way as folks are being dropped off at the different ones.