Airport shuttle and bus question

I will be arriving in Vegas Saturday night @ 8:15 PM for the Super Bowl. Staying 2 days at the Gold Coast and 2 days at the Orleans. I need to catch a shuttle at the airport and take it to the Gold Coast. Do I need to make a reservation or are shuttles always available at the airport? Is there any shuttle you would recommend? Also, what buses go downtown from the strip? I'm want to check out downtown during this trip and was looking for something that runs 24 hours between the strip and downtown. Any help would be appreciated.

When you get to the airport. You go to where it says taxis/shuttles and there are different companies you can choose from. You can buy either a one way ticket or a round trip ticket.

The duece bus on this strip will take you downtown. There is also a Gold line bus that stops at certain hotels that will take you downtown as well.

A reservation is not needed. We have always used Bell Tran and have no complaints. We used a shuttle FROM the airport to the hotel and a cab from the hotel TO the airport. I don't llike being on the shuttle's time schedule going home.

It's a lot less hassle than taking a cab from the airport and arguing abouut the tunnel, etc.

Joy

Never stayed at the Gold Coast before. Do all the bars offer VP? Are the pay tables decent? TIA

I use the CLs shuttle on the rare occasion I don't rent a car. They have been golden, especially when compared to the hell Grey Line put me thru on three occasions.

I agree with teach8. I had no problem taking the shuttle from the airport to my hotel. Going from the hotel can be a different story. The last time I did that they arrived late to pick me up and made alot of stops along the way. I told the driver multiple times I was affraid of missing my flight due to the long lines at security. When I arrived there were very long lines at the check-in counter. I decided to check-in at curbside. In my haste I forgot to tip the skycap. I said to myself I'll probably have a problem with my luggage now. I did! Waited for my luggage at the carrasol (sp) and it never arrived. I filed a claim and it was delivered about 4 or 5 days later and I tipped the driver.

The casino bar near slot club booth has 9/6 JoB.

I agree with the others. Taking the shuttles at the airport to your hotel is easy and reliable.

Taking the shuttle from your hotel back to the airport is another story. Many horror stories, not very reliable or non existant. My recommendation: DO NOT PAY FOR A ROUND TRIP ON THE SHUTTLE! Even though you pay a couple of bucks more you aren't locked into one company. I have had problems with Bell Trans getting me back to the airport, enough so that I will not take bell trans shuttles. More than once I gave enough time (like 3 and a half hours) to get me from the hotel downtown to the airport and more than once I have barely gotten there to get through ticketing and security to make my flight. They keep giving the same excuses for the late shuttles (not enough drivers, shuttle problems, busy, etc.) that I can't count on them to get me there in time. They also ask what time your plane leaves and try to bunch passengers in order to save on trips. I usually say my flight leaves 45 minutes to an hour before it actually leaves, that way if they are a little late I don't miss my flight. On more than one occasion I have gotten to the airport after the time I said my flight leaves or about the time I said my flight leaves. Very stressful.

By only paying one way you are able to get on any shuttle and company that comes to your hotel. I did call days in advance for a hotel pickup and haven't gotten many pickups that were on time or early.

Because you will be staying at the orleans, it might be easier to just take a cab back to the airport, it should be a straight trip going on tropicana back to the airport and you don't have to worry about shuttle pickups.

Agree, with above posters. The first and only time we did a round trip shuttle was horrendous. We scheduled p/u for 2 hrs. b/4 our departure time and we were lucky to get to the airport on time. Plus, the shuttle was way overcrowded. Shuttle on arrival is fine, for departure, we just found it better to cab it.

Time of day that you take the return shuttle probably has a lot to do with how long it takes to get to the airport. I am usually on the shuttle by 6am.Never had a problem getting to the airport in plenty of time.
I would think taking the shuttle later in the day, you would run into much more traffic. That will always result in a longer time making it to airport.
I have used Showtime every time for the last six years and they have always been on time. In fact in 43 trips to Vegas, I have never had a shuttle bus not show up or be late getting to the airport.

Coldhoist