201/202 Flamingo and Tropicana

TRIPS ALONG THE 202 AND 201- Flamingo and Tropicana
updated on October 24, 2010

These two routes are one of the easiest and most neglected travel routes in Vegas.  Gone are the crowds on the Deuce and yet these buses are generally Deuce style buses with two levels.  Stops are announced.  They open up sections of Vegas seldom explored by tourists without cars.

The 202 serving Flamingo

The 202 going down Flamingo stops directly in front of Tuscany, Terribles, and except for early morning hours, the Eastside Cannery.  This makes the bus an easy and safe way to go down Flamingo after dark and makes possible access to Boulder Highway. 
Unfortunately, new changes on October  7, 2010 cut late night travel as the bus only goes to Nellis and then only every hour.

If you stay at the Tuscany, ask for rooms in complex B and you will be just steps from the bus stop.

In the other direction it makes the strip accessible to Rio/Palms/Gold Coast.

Getting off beyond these casinos near Arville you have a ten minute walk South on Arville toward the Orleans to get to a laundromat.  It is safe and easy in good weather with your dirty clothes in a rolling suitcase.
Wizard of Suds
275 Arville St.
Las Vegas NV 89103
702-873-1453

Daytime walking between the Orleans and the Gold Coast is easy and safe.  It takes about a half hour.  Luggage rolls easily on sidewalks.  I have not done it late at night.

Note by the way that the Gold Coast turns out to be a really fine spot for positioning you for central shuttle and bus travel. The Coast shuttle, the Palms shuttles, the Rio Shuttles and the 202 CAT give you some really great access to so many areas.

You can even go out to the Boulder strip and connect with the 107 to travel up and down Boulder Highway or to head downtown.

However, pay attention coming back to the strip Patty Jean shares this midadventure trying to get back to Paris from the Hard Rock.  I think she needed the 202 but caught the 108  near the Hardrock going in the wrong direction.  At any rate, it shows that we need to keep a good sense of where we are going.  The bus driver will tell you the destination, but here Patty just heard " the strip."  and ended up a long way from her destination.  Thanks Patty for letting me share your misadventure:

Hello, Dewey:

I am afraid I did not ride the bus much at all. I had originally planned to use it to visit some outlying casinos like M and Red Rock, but time just got away from me and I never left the Strip or downtown. I used only the Deuce and one other route for which, unfortunately, I did not get the number. I know it picked me up on Flamingo. I jumped on because I had walked from the Strip up to the Hard Rock, across to Terrible's, then back down Flamingo and I was tired. I asked if the bus was going back up to the Strip and the driver said yes. (I was staying at Paris.) Rather than going straight to the Strip it went around some back streets and didn't get to the Strip until we were down at Wynn. So the ride didn't really help me at all!  You probably know that route number and you might want to warn people not to make the same mistake I did.

My only advice for bus riders is to either buy the 3-day bus pass or make sure they are always carrying one dollar bills. I always visit the bill changer or cashier regularly to make sure my wallet is stocked. The ones come in handy for tips, too.

I love the Deuce and don't mind the slow ride during busy times. I just allow for it. I really like sitting in the front seat on the top deck. It is easy to get. If it is not available when I first board the bus, I just slowly work my way up to it until there is a seat.

I think when I am alone in Las Vegas, the bus is great. When I am with a friend, it seems like it only costs a tiny bit more to take cabs in most situations. I wouldn't buy a 3-day pass.

Feel free to share any of my comments, although I didn't really use the system. I will refer to your site whenever I prepare for trip in the future.

Thanks! 

Patty

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Both intersect with the 108 which currently serves downtown.  The ACE is faster, but if luggage is larger than a shopping bag, you must ride the 108 or other residential routes with luggage.


I took the 202 Flamingo away from the strip to just across the street from
the Atomic Testing Museum
http://www.atomictestingmuseum.org/
and treated myself to supper at the much praised Himilayan Restaurant before heading to the strip.
I did a little review of this restaurant here:

http://vegasbirthdaybash.blogspot.co...wednesday.html

Sometimes I go on the 202 Flamingo bus from Terribles to the Gold Coast. Then it will be possible to catch the Gold Coast shuttle ( theoretically we need a Coast room key--I never have) to the Orleans and take the 201 from there.

Route 201 down Tropicana

The 201 connects the strip with the Orleans and again takes luggage.

While much of the good gambling is gone from the Orleans, I think the gift shop still sells great playing cards for 50 cents and dice for a quarter and of course a visit to McMullan's for a pint of Smithwick's and some of those homemade potato chips is always a treat.

http://www.mcmullansirishpub.com/

Once done with all of that, you are in a position to take the Tropicana bus to the strip or farther to places like
http://www.pinballmuseum.org/

This museum is moving closer to the Liberace Museum, but the Liberace Museum is closing October 17, 2010.
Until October 2, 2010:

Easy enough to go there:
Take the uncrowded 201 bus.

http://www.rtcsouthernnevada.com/transit/route/201/201(3-28-10).pdf

Get off at Spencer.

23 minutes from the stop across from the Orleans
16 minutes from the stop along side the Tropicana Casino on Tropicana Ave.

Add in the Pinball Hall of Fame a short 2 minute walk away


from: Liberace Museum & Foundation
1775 East Tropicana Avenue
Las Vegas, NV 89119-6529
1. Head west on E Tropicana Ave
486 ft
2. Turn right toward E Tropicana Ave
56 ft
3. Turn left at E Tropicana Ave
102 ft

arrived at :Pinball Hall of Fame
1610 E Tropicana Ave
Las Vegas, NV 89119
I would, however, skip going to the Goodtimes Nite Club.
It is just not the same since Club Cyanide is gone:
http://blogs.myspace.com/clubcyanide

On the corner of Tropicana and Pecos is my favorite barber who cuts hair in his collection of Western memorbilia:
http://vegasbirthdaybash.blogspot.com/2009/05/cliffs-barbershop-and-western-museum.html

and one of my favorite breakfast spots is this Salvadorian place in the mall across Pecos from the barber:

http://vegasbirthdaybash.blogspot.com/2009/05/ilopango-salvadoran-eatery-in-vegas.html

Shopping along these routes is good too.  See my shopping thread.
http://vegasonthebus.blogspot.com/2010/02/here-is-can2dos-favorite-shopping.html?zx=3cd7251c65498206

If you have similar bus stories, let me post and share them.  There is something valuable in anecdotal reports that cannot be gleaned from reading a schedule book. If you have favorite destinations along these routes, write me and I'll add them in.

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