Somebody at MGM Resorts International must love trains. It owns three trams on the west side of the Strip, all of them distinct from the Las Vegas Monorail on the east side. In 2000, when it bought Mirage Resorts, MGM acquired the tram that connects the Mirage to Treasure Island and which is still in operation. In 2005, MGM purchased Mandalay Resort Group and – with it – a tram that connects the ‘Mandalay Mile’: Excalibur, Luxor and Mandalay Bay (see previous link). The north end of this train is not one of our favorite stops, as you have to exit through Excalibur and negotiate your way through a particularly confusing part of the casino floor. It’s the old "capture" mentality at its worst.
The third and most recent "tram" is the monorail that connects Bellagio and Monte Carlo, making a stop at the Crystals shopping mall in between. This was built as part of CityCenter, which opened in late 2009. Ironically, you are physically much closer to The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas than to Bellagio itself when you’re on the "Bellagio" monorail platform.
Although they individually shorten your trip up the Strip, there’s enough walking distance between each of the three trains to make it inconvenient. It’s pricey and has limited hours, but the Las Vegas Monorail will get you from MGM Grand to SLS Las Vegas at the top of the Strip, with several stops along the way. Unfortunately, the money and political support needed to extend the Monorail to McCarran International Airport will probably never manifest themselves, so it also remains a compromise solution in its own way (see current LVA Reader Poll).
For more details about complimentary casino transportation, other than guest airport pick-up/delivery services, check out our Free Shuttles section in Transportation.
