Contributing expert Dale Day writes:
The second-cheapest and perhaps best way is the CAT bus.
Shuttles, the kind used to transport people from hotels to the airport and back, are another option, but they make a whole lot of stops along the way, so they can be tough if time is of the essence. They cost $3.50-$4.50 per person. On the other hand, taxis will take up to five for the price of one, so a cab may end up being the cheaper option. In addition, unlike buses and shuttles, which are restricted to designated routes, taxis can take back streets to avoid traffic.
As far as fares go, in non-peak times (after lunch until 4 pm and the early hours of the morning) count on paying about $16 from downtown to Caesars Palace via the I-15, or $22 via Las Vegas Blvd. Add $6-$8 in times of heavy traffic. Downtown to Mandalay Bay is approximately $20 via the I-15, $25 via Las Vegas Blvd. Again, add $6-$8 in peak traffic. Both journeys can prove considerably cheaper via Industrial/Frank Sinatra Way, which is generally good both day and night. Estimate $12-$14 to Caesars and $16-$18 to Mandalay Bay.
The cheapest, though probably the most time-consuming, way to get between downtown and the Strip is to take a free shuttle between Boyd Gaming properties. They used to go from the California, Main Street Station and the Fremont, located downtown, to the Stardust on the Strip -- but you hved to go via Sam's Town, which means the journey takes about 90 minutes.
You can catch other shuttles from Sam's Town to the Strip and back that may speed up the trip a bit, or at least get you closer to your final Strip destination. Routes between Sam's Town and Bourbon Street or Harrah's run from approximately 8:30-9:30 am until 9:30-11:30 pm. You can pick up a schedule at any of these hotels' front desks.
