Vegas on the Bus

WElCOME

2012-06-26T05:14:00.004-05:00

Welcome.
There were many bus changes this year.
However, I think I am up and current on enough bus information to make this a viable blog again.
Don't hesitate to make comments that ask questions or correct errors.
I hope this is a helpful guide to using the current bus system in Vegas.

2012-01-24T12:52:00.002-05:00

(note: anything I say about 5 day passes here, is also true for 30 day passes. Those are the only two options at Vendor sites)

Connell, one senior blog reader wrote me, asking how to do this. He took the advice and wrote me again to thank me. It was in an earlier post. Somehow I can't access that post or the comment section, so in case readers were having trouble too, I made a new post.
I'm glad this worked for you Connell. Keep enjoying Vegas buses.

I am going to assume that you already have a photo ID issued by the RTC, a photo ID from your local bus route at home, or a Medicare card. If not, then the BTC is your destination because you want to get your picture taken and get their ID. It takes about 15 minutes and is good for 5 years.

So with the ID already in your wallet, consult this list of vendors.

http://www.rtcsouthernnevada.com/transit/fare_vendors.cfm

None are anywhere near the Gold Coast, but when talking about 5 day passes, there are no vendor's anywhere near the Gold Coast or anywhere near the strip. This is done on purpose to make it inconvenient for tourists to buy and use these inexpensive passes. The RTC would like tourist seniors to pay full fare and so offers no discounts that can be purchased on the Deuce or SDX routes. the 5 day passes are meant to serve the needs of locals, but there is no restriction on using them without local ID as long as you are willing to take the time to find a vendor.

So, one way to buy 5 day passes is to take the 109 out of the airport and stop at Maryland. One of these vendors, a Walgreen's, is near Flamingo and Maryland.

http://www.walgreens.com/locator/walgreens-1180-e.-flamingo-road-las-vegas-nv-89119/id=5311

Near there too is
Albertsons
1300 E. Flamingo Rd.
702-733-2947
Passes Sold:
5-Day & 30-Day
Full Fare/ Reduced Fare

Call first to make sure that they have passes. Sometimes the vendors are out of them.

At the airport hop on the 109 and from the driver ask for a senior one way ticket. This will cost seniors $1. Have correct change.
Get off at Maryland, find the Walgreen's or Albertson's and buy as many passes as you think you will need for the trip. Then board the 202 and go to the Gold Coast and you are set with all access 5 day passes good on both the residential routes like the 202 and on the Deuce or SDX. Be sure to only activate one pass in the first five days of your travels. Keep the other in a separate place for later activation. If for some reason you don't use that pass, as long as you don't activate it, you can use it when you come to Vegas the next time. In fact, it may be a good idea to buy an extra pass that you can activate when you hop on any bus at the airport on your next trip. You cannot buy these online and get the senior discount.

There are other vendors along Flamingo if you find the Vendor is out of 5 day passes. If you have a different location on Flamingo, the 24 hour pass from the 108 or the 109 bus driver at the airport will let you find your way along Flamingo. And this is really inconvenient right off the airplane, but it might happen. I suspect that the Maryland vendor will not run out very often. That Walgreen's downtown runs out most likely because it serves tourists so predicting pass sales is difficult.

The map on that RTC site is interactive, so if you see a location you think you like, click on it and it will give you the address, phone number, and whether they sell both 5 and 30 day or only 30 day passes.

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If you feel you will be too tired to bother with all this the first day, or if you don't want to ride buses with luggage and will take one of the pay shuttles to the Gold Coast, there is a Walgreen's downtown and there is the BTC. Both places will sell a 5 day pass, but remember you have to get to those places from the Gold Coast and to do that by bus, you technically have to pay at least the $5 two hour full fare ( no senior discount) for a one way trip downtown on the Deuce or the SDX. Seniors do not get any discount when riding the strip buses if they buy passes in machines or from drivers along the strip.
If you are going downtown within the first 24 hours you are in Vegas, you can chance trying to use a 24 hour residential pass you bought from the 108 or 109 driver at the airport if you used one of those routes to get to the 202 from the airport and then to the Gold Coast.
This 24 hour residential pass is not like the 5 day pass. It is technically only good on the Deuce or the SDX if you have a local Nevada ID. However, I have never seen anyone asked for a local ID when showing the pass. The worst that would happen is you might be asked to get off the bus at the next stop and buy a $5 two hour pass; however, I am guessing that if you nicely told the inspector you just wanted to get to the BTC to buy a 5 day pass, s/he would let you go that far. If I already had a still valid 24 hour residential pass, I'd try this and hope any inspector would not care if I was a local resident or not, but just whether the date on my pass was current. If I got asked for a local ID, I would just play dumb. Don't board the SDX with an expired pass. If it has expired, it is no good, tourist or local. And that might get you fined.
If you decide to do this, catch the SDX in front of Paris because at least you will not have to swipe your pass as you board, and perhaps you won't have to show it at all because inspection of passes on the SDX is hit or miss.
Also, the SDX is the fastest way to get to the BTC or to the Walgreen's downtown.
If you intend to buy the 5 day from the Walgreen's downtown, again call ahead to see that they have not run out of passes. It is more likely that they will run out than it is that the Walgreen's on Flamingo and Maryland will run out, since the downtown Walgreen's is the only vendor of the 5 day passes that is anywhere close to normal tourist routes.

Technically, to go downtown from the Gold Coast, you would need a $5 two hour full pay ticket good on the Deuce of on the SDX.
Or you might pay the $7 for a 24 hour full fare all access pass right at the airport either in the machines or from the driver. Specify what you want. You might like that if for the first 24 hours you were going to hop around the strip area, and then you could use that to get downtown for the 5 day passes.

***********
I got confused on one thing that Christine said at the BTC in November. She said that buying the 5 day pass at Walgreen's did not activate it, and she recommended I buy one for my next trip, so I could use it right off the airplane. However, I did not clarify if buying extra passes at the BTC would work the same way. I can't see why they would not, but it is worth asking that question because if they activate upon selling them at the BTC, (rather than in a machine before we board the SDX or on the Deuce as we board,) we don't want to buy two or more for future use.
This is a good system for some people.
*************

An alternative might sound crazy, but I might do it.
Suppose you are at the Gold Coast, ready to buy a 5 day pass, and don't have any residential pass to get you downtown.
I might get on the 202 and buy a 24 hour residential pass ($2 for seniors with RTC ID or Medicare card.) and ride it for 45 minutes to Sam's Town on Boulder. I might poke around that casino or the Eastside Cannery and then hop on one of the new Boulder buses to get downtown. The HDX is the fastest but you have to walk to Flamingo and Boulder to get it. It stops at Sahara and then goes downtown. The BHX is slower as it stops all along boulder Highway, but if you want to see Boulder Station or Arizona Charlies, this is the bus to take.
All these buses, unlike Deuce and SDX, are residential buses with the senior discount. Buying the pass from the driver on the 202 is advised because the machines on the HDX or the BHX buses (no driver to talk to) are a bit tricky and if directions are not followed perfectly will take your money and not give you a pass.
It only saves $3, but if those places are in your itinerary, well ..... it saves $3.
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One of the things to consider when buying a 5 day pass is when to buy and use it to get maximum benefit from it. If you are a planner and have worked out which days you will be in one area or another, then you can plan your 5 day purchases around that plan. If you experience Vegas in more of a serendipitous manner, then working out when and where to buy one or more gets more complicated and the inconvenience of the purchase accomplishes what the RTC intends.
I go for 15 to 23 days, and lately I am focused on sleeping downtown even though I play poker on the strip, so I just get a 30 day pass at the BTC or Walgreen's, after I hit downtown on the WAX. For $31 I am set for each trip and I don't have to think about passes as long as I don't lose that 30 day pass.
I liked that system very much on my last trip. I kept the single pass in one place and just used it anytime I wanted a bus. Most trips in Vegas I get lost in timelessness and often don't know what day it is, so having one pass and nothing more to think about worked great for me.
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If you are going to take a bus from the airport to the Gold Coast and you just happen to see the WAX come up when you are at the airport, you can take it to Tropicana and then take the SDX from in front of MGM and then take the 202 from in front of Caesar's. Three buses might be a bit much. But it might not be any longer than 108 or 109 to 202. One advantage is that you are closer to tourists when at bus stops. I don't expect any problems out Flamingo at bus stops, especially at Maryland, but those stops close to the strip don't attract as many weird characters. If you decide to do this, buy an all access pass for $7 and you can use it to get downtown to buy your 5 day pass anytime in the next 24 hours.

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Also, there is a way to use the vending machines at the SSTT which is at the South end of many bus routes, a transfer station like the BTC but with no live people working there.
http://www.rtcsouthernnevada.com/transit/fare_vendors.cfm

I have not done this, but this indicates they sell the 5 day passes there in the vending machines.
These machines will offer a menu that includes the senior discount.
This discussion of buses includes a description of getting passes at the SSTT.

http://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=71157&highlight=SSTT&page=2
scroll down to the post by Teacher 1

A $1 ticket on the 109 going South would get you there in seven minutes, and from there with a 5 day pass in hand, you could take the SDX with your new 5 day pass to Flamingo and then the 202 to Gold Coast. But I have not done this and I don't know for certain that the vending machines there sell 5 day passes. I'll see if I can find out.
Again this is three buses, but it keeps you close to tourists and probably does not hold you up too much. The longest wait will always be for the 202. I like to wait closer to the strip when I am with luggage.
*************

While the Gold Coast is not as easy to get to as downtown from the airport by bus, once you are there with a bus pass, it is a great location. The free shuttle that runs from The Gold Coast to the Orleans and then to the strip can be linked with the 202 Flamingo and the 201 Tropicana for great strip flexibility. I usually end up going to some show in the V theater and being able to hop on a shuttle to the Orleans and then the 201 to the strip at Tropicana saves me all that crazy Deuce overcrowding.
Also, at Tropicana about every hour we can catch the WAX bus to downtown, or ride up to the Tropicana on that bus. It saves a lot of traffic and time as long as we pay attention to the schedule and don't wait at the bus stop for too long.
Also, you are staying at the Rio and they have some good free shuttles to various strip locations as well.
They go to Harrah's so that is yet another strip location easily accessed from the Gold Coast area. Here are some shuttles. You might note that from Harrah's you can go to Sam's Town, so it is possible to get from the Rio to Sam's Town for free and then from Sam's Town to downtown for free. This would save any bus fare and put you downtown near Walgreen's. Here is a good site for the free shuttles. However, these run only at certain times, so you have to do some planning to use them efficiently.

http://www.lasvegasadvisor.com/referenceguide-transportation.cfm?type=Free%20Shuttles

If you take the 202 from the Rio, use the stop across from the Palms, just as you did when you were riding from the Gold Coast. It seems counter intuitive to head away from your destination, but if you exit the Rio and turn left, expecting to find the next bus stop, you will walk all the way to the strip before you find it. The Rio is not a city bus friendly casino. There is a bus stop right in front where you will be dropped by the 202, but the Rio entrances require a long walk one way or the other to get back in the casino. Check this out before you are coming back in the dark so you know where you are going when the bus drops you off. At the Gold Coast the 202 drops right at the parking lot.

Okay, lots of choices. All of them good from a frugal standpoint.
Hope this was helpful

Combining free shuttles with buses

2012-01-20T06:13:00.002-05:00

Here is a great site that is constantly updated. I was happy to see that today they finally got the new free shuttle from the airport to Sam's Town which has been missing for a while.

http://www.lasvegasadvisor.com/refer...ree%20Shuttles

One advantage is that there are great maps that can be printed out and taken along for reference especially since timing is often crucial unless you want to wait a couple hours. Boyd shuttles don't run early in the morning.
Another is that they make as clear as possible when a shuttle is just for hotel guests and when it is not, even when one that says it is for hotel guests will more than likely accomodate others.

Combining free shuttles with city buses can give you a great deal of mobility and save money and crowds or set up routes that allow you to see casinos that you might not see. For example, I might leave the Flamingo/LV corner, head out to the Orleans for an afternoon buffet or perhaps some senior citizen play and then take the 201 to the strip at Tropicana/Lvb for a show at the V theater.
Somepeople combine the Sam's Town shuttle to get from downtown to the strip. They can ntake the free shuttle to Sam's, spend a bit of time (say at the Toast of the Town free Thursday show) and then take the free shuttle to Harrah's. But they can also take the new Boulder buses to Sam's or back from downtown, or take a Flamingo 202 bus to Sam's from the strip or back. This gives more flexibility in time.
Or suppose you take the Boyd (no longer Coast) shuttle to the strip from the Gold Coast or vice versa and stay until 1AM. The shuttle is no longer running, but with a good schedule from the RTC on when the 202 is running, you have flexibillity without depending on the cabs.
CLICK HERE FOR BUS INFORMATION

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Sam's Town free shuttle update

2012-01-17T05:21:00.001-05:00

http://www.samstownlv.com/stay/shuttle-service

Twice a day Sam's Town has a free shuttle to/from the airport.

MGM to downtown for a night visit

2012-01-03T02:17:00.001-05:00

If you are just visiting downtown to see it, the time to go is at night. It is pretty dull during the day. The light show livens it up and there are sometimes bands and entertainment right under the canopy at night as well as vendors. It gets especially rocking on weekends when there may be three bands playing along the walk under the canopy.

If you leave from MGM, the fastest and easiest way to get downtown is to wait for the SDX right in front of the MGM as that will be very fast. It has fewer stops than the Deuce and is usually less crowded. It boards differently as well so that takes less time. You buy your twenty four hour pass from a machine there on the street at the stop (correct change or charge card only), hop on the bus at one of three entrances, and ride to downtown. An inspector may pass through and ask to see the bus pass. The SDX won't run after about midnight so coming back, you will probably need to take the Deuce.

schedule:

http://www.rtcsouthernnevada.com/tra...(09-18-11).pdf

Or you can walk over to NYNY and pick up the WAX bus on Tropicana right there in front of the circle. This is the airport to downtown bus and the fastest ride downtown. There won't be any characters on this one, hardly anyone at all. It runs about once an hour. Check the schedule.

http://www.rtcsouthernnevada.com/tra...(09-18-11).pdf

You will see that the last WAX leaves about ten thirty.

The 24 hour pass for the WAX bus could be bought from the driver for five dollars, but technically that pass won't be good on the Deuce that will probably be the bus you will choose to take you back to the MGM, so you may want an all access pass at 7 dollars just to be on the safe side. Locals with a local ID can use either on the Deuce. Many folks here have used the five dollar pass and not been asked for a local ID. I have never heard of anyone asked for local ID, but want you to know about the technicality.

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Downtown to the strip

2011-12-24T09:30:00.001-05:00

Here is some advice to a guy going from downtown to the strip. It may be helpful for you.

It is a lot easier to give good advice if you tell us your exact itinerary and the times you expect to use the bus.

Are you going by bus to a hotel?
Is it downtown?
How many days will you stay?
How many days might you ride the bus?
What times would you be riding (SDX and WAX do not go 24 hours)?
Where do you want to go on the strip?
How much walking are you willing to do?
Does going to Sam's Town or Eastside Cannery out Boulder matter to you enough to go there on the way to the strip making it overall a longer trip but perhaps free?
Do you want to be perfectly honest or are you willing to pretend to be a local, willing to be asked to get off the bus if you are discovered?

That being said, this might give you enough information. But I detect you hate buses and are frustrated and overwhelmed with the planning, so give us an itinerary and we'll sketch out the "best" possibility.

The Centennial Express crosses the strip at the Fashion Show Mall. Another quick route.

Both the WAX and the CX are residential buses, so the 24 hour pass is cheaper but technically not good for tourists with no local ID on the Deuce and SDX. I don't think you are a senior, so the WAX for you is $5 for 24 hours. RTC wants you to pay the big bucks at $7 a day or $20 for a three day pass to ride the tourist strip buses. The $5 strip accessed pass mentioned by Turtle is not one way but a 2 hour pass that will let you change buses within that time frame and I have seen bus drivers be lenient if you are a bit over your 2 hours.
Most of us buy 24 hour passes as opposed to one way or 2 hour because we are coming back to where we started, or we are riding more than one bus, or we can use them early the next day.

Are you going once or for a few days?
The 5 day pass is the best deal for tourist all access. $20 for 5 days as opposed to $20 for 3 days. However buying one is a chore. You can buy one at Walgreen's downtown or at the BTC or at a bunch of vendors around town. It is all access for tourists as well as locals. No local ID required.
Some of us take the WAX to the BTC from the airport on a one way ticket, then hop off and buy the 5 day pass or passes. Bought from a live person, it does not have to be activated right away, so if you want 6 days then buy a 24 hour pass at the airport and let it expire before you are going to use the 5 day. Or if you are going for 6 days and won't need the bus for the first 24 hours, buy an unactivated pass there. Walgreen's is sometimes out of them, so call ahead. Bought from a machine it will be activated when it comes out.
If you are going to come back to Vegas and want to avoid all this running around, buy an unactivated pass at Walgreen's or from a live person at the BTC and keep it for your next trip, activating it at the airport.
Or have some board buddy in Vegas buy one and mail it to you.
Some take a 109 to the SSTT. No people work there. But a machine will sell you the 5 day pass. It is unlikely this is the "best" route if you are staying downtown, but suppose just as you get to the airport stop the WAX is pulling away and you have an hour to wait for the next one, but the 109 is right there. Okay, take the 109, but make sure you take it South to the South Strip Transfer Station. From there you can buy a 5 day pass, take the SDX North to downtown and you are good to go.

With large luggage last trip I rode both the Deuce and the SDX and had no hassle. Christine at the BTC said if I ever got a hassle from the driver, than tell them because s/he "needs to be reeducated" However, if the bus is packed a driver might ask you to wait for the next bus. They do that even with no luggage.

http://www.rtcsouthernnevada.com/tra...(09-18-11).pdf

Part of the new confusion is that there are so many options because there are so many new routes and many of them will get you to the strip. Don't worry about the end of the DTC. I never went once to the BTC after my first visit to buy my pass and I traveled every day for my 23 days on a 30 day pass that can also be bought at the Vendor's and is all access for locals and tourists alike. You do have to check to see where the stops are, but all the buses are available at stops downtown and all drop off in safe places.

I agree that you should avoid the Deuce unless it is early in the morning or you are picking it up at a very North Strip location. SDX is the way to go most of the time. However, I grab the Deuce at 7 something am from downtown to go to the early poker game at the IP at 8 because it drops me off right there and the SDX is not yet running. So, it takes a bit of familiarity before you know what to do.
And sometimes even then you don't know what to do. Twice I just took the WAX from downtown and the SDX back from Tropicana to get to Paris. It was there at the right time and I knew it was the fastest way even with the one stop back tracking. And there is a very easily accessed bathroom in MGM without the long walk that most casinos make you take to find a restroom, but that is another thread and as I said, I don't think you are a senior yet.
I can't do two buses without a bathroom break.

And yes, this is all confusing and on purpose. The RTC does not want you using a 5 day pass, won't advertise it, and won't make it a convenient purchase. It is fashioned to serve the locals so they don't have to pay full fare anywhere as long as they buy a pass in their neighborhoods. This in spite of the fact that all the newer and best buses were bought and the routes built with tax dollars from all Americans, stimulus money. However, so far you are allowed to use the 5 day pass if you buy one.
You cannot buy one at a machine on the strip. You will not see it advertised on the site or at those machines. In fact, the site says it is not all access, basically lying. It took me months to get that down clearly.

Everything I said about the 5 day all access is also true for the 30 day all access. As a senior I get that for $30, so if I stay 15 days I might as well get the 30 day pass and be done with it rather than juggle three 5 day passes.

And that is the best way to go from downtown to the strip, on a 30 day pass because you are staying cheap for more than 14 days.

Hey, have a good time. Tell us what you did. PM me with a heads up as I am collecting all this information.
Oh, and while you are down there, make sure that the new Fremont Street coupons have a free Oscar steak as an option. I know you have the influence and can swing it.

Buying a 5 day pass while staying at the Gold Coast

2011-12-20T03:40:00.008-05:00

(note: anything I say about 5 day passes here, is also true for 30 day passes. Those are the only two options at Vendor sites)

One senior blog reader writes, asking how to do this. So, here goes:

I am going to assume that you already have a photo ID issued by the RTC, a photo ID from your local bus route at home, or a Medicare card. If not, then the BTC is your destination because you want to get your picture taken and get their ID. It takes about 15 minutes and is good for 5 years.

So with the ID already in your wallet, consult this list of vendors.

http://www.rtcsouthernnevada.com/transit/fare_vendors.cfm

None are anywhere near the Gold Coast, but when talking about 5 day passes, there are no vendor's anywhere near the Gold Coast or anywhere near the strip. This is done on purpose to make it inconvenient for tourists to buy and use these inexpensive passes. The RTC would like tourist seniors to pay full fare and so offers no discounts that can be purchased on the Deuce or SDX routes. the 5 day passes are meant to serve the needs of locals, but there is no restriction on using them without local ID as long as you are willing to take the time to find a vendor.

So, one way to buy 5 day passes is to take the 109 out of the airport and stop at Maryland. One of these vendors, a Walgreen's, is near Flamingo and Maryland.

http://www.walgreens.com/locator/walgreens-1180-e.-flamingo-road-las-vegas-nv-89119/id=5311

Near there too is
Albertsons
1300 E. Flamingo Rd.
702-733-2947
Passes Sold:
5-Day & 30-Day
Full Fare/ Reduced Fare

Call first to make sure that they have passes. Sometimes the vendors are out of them.

At the airport hop on the 109 and from the driver ask for a senior one way ticket. This will cost seniors $1. Have correct change.
Get off at Maryland, find the Walgreen's or Albertson's and buy as many passes as you think you will need for the trip. Then board the 202 and go to the Gold Coast and you are set with all access 5 day passes good on both the residential routes like the 202 and on the Deuce or SDX. Be sure to only activate one pass in the first five days of your travels. Keep the other in a separate place for later activation. If for some reason you don't use that pass, as long as you don't activate it, you can use it when you come to Vegas the next time. In fact, it may be a good idea to buy an extra pass that you can activate when you hop on any bus at the airport on your next trip. You cannot buy these online and get the senior discount.

There are other vendors along Flamingo if you find the Vendor is out of 5 day passes. If you have a different location on Flamingo, the 24 hour pass from the 108 or the 109 bus driver at the airport will let you find your way along Flamingo. And this is really inconvenient right off the airplane, but it might happen. I suspect that the Maryland vendor will not run out very often. That Walgreen's downtown runs out most likely because it serves tourists so predicting pass sales is difficult.

The map on that RTC site is interactive, so if you see a location you think you like, click on it and it will give you the address, phone number, and whether they sell both 5 and 30 day or only 30 day passes.

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If you feel you will be too tired to bother with all this the first day, or if you don't want to ride buses with luggage and will take one of the pay shuttles to the Gold Coast, there is a Walgreen's downtown and there is the BTC. Both places will sell a 5 day pass, but remember you have to get to those places from the Gold Coast and to do that by bus, you technically have to pay at least the $5 two hour full fare ( no senior discount) for a one way trip downtown on the Deuce or the SDX. Seniors do not get any discount when riding the strip buses if they buy passes in machines or from drivers along the strip.
If you are going downtown within the first 24 hours you are in Vegas, you can chance trying to use a 24 hour residential pass you bought from the 108 or 109 driver at the airport if you used one of those routes to get to the 202 from the airport and then to the Gold Coast.
This 24 hour residential pass is not like the 5 day pass. It is technically only good on the Deuce or the SDX if you have a local Nevada ID. However, I have never seen anyone asked for a local ID when showing the pass. The worst that would happen is you might be asked to get off the bus at the next stop and buy a $5 two hour pass; however, I am guessing that if you nicely told the inspector you just wanted to get to the BTC to buy a 5 day pass, s/he would let you go that far. If I already had a still valid 24 hour residential pass, I'd try this and hope any inspector would not care if I was a local resident or not, but just whether the date on my pass was current. If I got asked for a local ID, I would just play dumb. Don't board the SDX with an expired pass. If it has expired, it is no good, tourist or local. And that might get you fined.
If you decide to do this, catch the SDX in front of Paris because at least you will not have to swipe your pass as you board, and perhaps you won't have to show it at all because inspection of passes on the SDX is hit or miss.
Also, the SDX is the fastest way to get to the BTC or to the Walgreen's downtown.
If you intend to buy the 5 day from the Walgreen's downtown, again call ahead to see that they have not run out of passes. It is more likely that they will run out than it is that the Walgreen's on Flamingo and Maryland will run out, since the downtown Walgreen's is the only vendor of the 5 day passes that is anywhere close to normal tourist routes.

Technically, to go downtown from the Gold Coast, you would need a $5 two hour full pay ticket good on the Deuce of on the SDX.
Or you might pay the $7 for a 24 hour full fare all access pass right at the airport either in the machines or from the driver. Specify what you want. You might like that if for the first 24 hours you were going to hop around the strip area, and then you could use that to get downtown for the 5 day passes.

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I got confused on one thing that Christine said at the BTC in November. She said that buying the 5 day pass at Walgreen's did not activate it, and she recommended I buy one for my next trip, so I could use it right off the airplane. However, I did not clarify if buying extra passes at the BTC would work the same way. I can't see why they would not, but it is worth asking that question because if they activate upon selling them at the BTC, (rather than in a machine before we board the SDX or on the Deuce as we board,) we don't want to buy two or more for future use.
This is a good system for some people.
*************

An alternative might sound crazy, but I might do it.
Suppose you are at the Gold Coast, ready to buy a 5 day pass, and don't have any residential pass to get you downtown.
I might get on the 202 and buy a 24 hour residential pass ($2 for seniors with RTC ID or Medicare card.) and ride it for 45 minutes to Sam's Town on Boulder. I might poke around that casino or the Eastside Cannery and then hop on one of the new Boulder buses to get downtown. The HDX is the fastest but you have to walk to Flamingo and Boulder to get it. It stops at Sahara and then goes downtown. The BHX is slower as it stops all along boulder Highway, but if you want to see Boulder Station or Arizona Charlies, this is the bus to take.
All these buses, unlike Deuce and SDX, are residential buses with the senior discount. Buying the pass from the driver on the 202 is advised because the machines on the HDX or the BHX buses (no driver to talk to) are a bit tricky and if directions are not followed perfectly will take your money and not give you a pass.
It only saves $3, but if those places are in your itinerary, well ..... it saves $3.
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One of the things to consider when buying a 5 day pass is when to buy and use it to get maximum benefit from it. If you are a planner and have worked out which days you will be in one area or another, then you can plan your 5 day purchases around that plan. If you experience Vegas in more of a serendipitous manner, then working out when and where to buy one or more gets more complicated and the inconvenience of the purchase accomplishes what the RTC intends.
I go for 15 to 23 days, and lately I am focused on sleeping downtown even though I play poker on the strip, so I just get a 30 day pass at the BTC or Walgreen's, after I hit downtown on the WAX. For $31 I am set for each trip and I don't have to think about passes as long as I don't lose that 30 day pass.
I liked that system very much on my last trip. I kept the single pass in one place and just used it anytime I wanted a bus. Most trips in Vegas I get lost in timelessness and often don't know what day it is, so having one pass and nothing more to think about worked great for me.
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If you are going to take a bus from the airport to the Gold Coast and you just happen to see the WAX come up when you are at the airport, you can take it to Tropicana and then take the SDX from in front of MGM and then take the 202 from in front of Caesar's. Three buses might be a bit much. But it might not be any longer than 108 or 109 to 202. One advantage is that you are closer to tourists when at bus stops. I don't expect any problems out Flamingo at bus stops, especially at Maryland, but those stops close to the strip don't attract as many weird characters. If you decide to do this, buy an all access pass for $7 and you can use it to get downtown to buy your 5 day pass anytime in the next 24 hours.

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Also, there is a way to use the vending machines at the SSTT which is at the South end of many bus routes, a transfer station like the BTC but with no live people working there.
http://www.rtcsouthernnevada.com/transit/fare_vendors.cfm

I have not done this, but this indicates they sell the 5 day passes there in the vending machines.
These machines will offer a menu that includes the senior discount.
This discussion of buses includes a description of getting passes at the SSTT.

http://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=71157&highlight=SSTT&page=2
scroll down to the post by Teacher 1

A $1 ticket on the 109 going South would get you there in seven minutes, and from there with a 5 day pass in hand, you could take the SDX with your new 5 day pass to Flamingo and then the 202 to Gold Coast. But I have not done this and I don't know for certain that the vending machines there sell 5 day passes. I'll see if I can find out.
Again this is three buses, but it keeps you close to tourists and probably does not hold you up too much. The longest wait will always be for the 202. I like to wait closer to the strip when I am with luggage.
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While the Gold Coast is not as easy to get to as downtown from the airport by bus, once you are there with a bus pass, it is a great location. The free shuttle that runs from The Gold Coast to the Orleans and then to the strip can be linked with the 202 Flamingo and the 201 Tropicana for great strip flexibility. I usually end up going to some show in the V theater and being able to hop on a shuttle to the Orleans and then the 201 to the strip at Tropicana saves me all that crazy Deuce overcrowding.
Also, at Tropicana about every hour we can catch the WAX bus to downtown, or ride up to the Tropicana on that bus. It saves a lot of traffic and time as long as we pay attention to the schedule and don't wait at the bus stop for too long.
Also, you are staying at the Rio and they have some good free shuttles to various strip locations as well.
They go to Harrah's so that is yet another strip location easily accessed from the Gold Coast area. Here are some shuttles. You might note that from Harrah's you can go to Sam's Town, so it is possible to get from the Rio to Sam's Town for free and then from Sam's Town to downtown for free. This would save any bus fare and put you downtown near Walgreen's. Here is a good site for the free shuttles. However, these run only at certain times, so you have to do some planning to use them efficiently.

http://www.lasvegasadvisor.com/referenceguide-transportation.cfm?type=Free%20Shuttles

If you take the 202 from the Rio, use the stop across from the Palms, just as you did when you were riding from the Gold Coast. It seems counter intuitive to head away from your destination, but if you exit the Rio and turn left, expecting to find the next bus stop, you will walk all the way to the strip before you find it. The Rio is not a city bus friendly casino. There is a bus stop right in front where you will be dropped by the 202, but the Rio entrances require a long walk one way or the other to get back in the casino. Check this out before you are coming back in the dark so you know where you are going when the bus drops you off. At the Gold Coast the 202 drops right at the parking lot.

Okay, lots of choices. All of them good from a frugal standpoint.
Hope this was helpful.

Thoughts on the Bus compared with Car Rental

2011-11-19T14:06:00.003-05:00

For me the bus rides are a fine part of the adventure of meeting strangers. I like that as much as the gambling. On live low limit poker tables it happens as well. I was joking with three guys from Norway who paid $1000 in air to get to Vegas.

"See," I said, "I've saved a grand because I get to meet you guys here, so I don't need to go to Norway."

So the bus is like that.

But frankly, until this trip I was looking to shift my hotels to maybe long stretches at Super 8 close to where I play poker. I thought the new BTC and the new decision to not give senior bus fare rates to tourist seniors was pushing me away from staying downtown. Also, I have always thought of Flamingo as my main strip, but that bus service has been reduced.

Now the Gold Spike gives good value (even though it does charge a resort fee) that competes with Super 8: free wifi, nicer heated pool, TCM and other stations on the TV, nicer room than Super 8. And it gives me location now as well. I can get to Sam's Town in 12 minutes as contrasted with about 45 min. from Bill's on the 202. I can get to and from the strip is so many ways that one of them will be ready and fast whenever I want to go out.

And when I compare to a rental car:

By being able to drink, I gain about $40 in the value of free alcohol every day.

By being able to sometimes go on 3 hours of sleep a day, I actually realize more time at the poker tables than I would if I were driving and needed to rest.

I nap on the buses coming back to downtown because at the end they empty the bus at Fremont and I can't oversleep the stop.

So I am not certain that I would gain any time were I to go to Vegas for just 5 days.

However, playing live poker is different than popping around to play a bit here and a bit there on slots. It requires an hour at the table to even know the competition well, so long hours are common for poker players, especially low limit. At Flamingo I once changed tables twice to get the kind of opponents I could beat. That takes time in one place.

So, I've totally switched back to being a downtown guy again as long as I can get the good prices at the Gold Spike and patch in freebies.

The host at Four Queens told me that I had gambled enough to get offers even though not enough to get my fourth night comped. It was $24. He also told me that if I took more rooms as a Binions poker player I could extend my stay at $24 a night without extending the need for gambling to keep my score high enough for mailings.

Then I seeded the Fitz this time. So I may get offers from them as well. It is going to be owned by different folks, but still I might get offers. Check out and Check in time from the Fitz means crossing on tiny street. It is easy and can be easily coordinated with suitcase not brought out until the next room is booked.

So, the check in and check out waste of time, that seemed to be associated with moving from freebie to freebie, is pretty much eliminated.

If I can do a week at Gold Spike with no play, but rooms at $21 and $36 a night, and then do a week at Four Queens with 3 free and the others at $24. And add in two nights on the El Cortez coupons at $34, then my largest move might be to a Caesar's casino that has given me a couple free for poker play. I have pretty much decided to not bother with free rooms at the Orleans. That is too hard a move with heavy luggage.

My only other issue was if I felt safe coming back late at night to bus stops downtown. I do. They are all comfortable. So that eliminates the need to go to the BTC and catch a bus to downtown from there.

I do have to walk sometimes a few blocks for a bus stop, but I've parked a rental in Vegas where I had to walk just as far from the parking lot, and then try to remember how to get back again to the car, and remember where I parked, and wake up enough to drive safely.

Cabs for a solo traveler are really expensive in comparison, especially if the trip is from the strip to downtown or to Boulder Highway. For one such cab fare I can ride all month on the buses and go anywhere I like.

I understood the old argument that short term visitors to Vegas might not want to spend time on buses, but the bus time has been reduced by about 66%. So for solo travelers who will pay just one fare everytime they move about, this is a good way to go.

And all this does not even get into the built in insurance of the buses. In Nevada, fatality statistics show 47 to 1 in favor of buses. And for most fatalities it does not matter how well you drive. They happen at stop lights when you are rear ended.

And then there are all sorts of insurance loop holes that make folks liable who think they have insurance.

So I also get peace of mind on buses.

I know this is not the way to go for many folks. It is especially not the way to go for folks who need to be protected in a middle to upper class community to be comfortable. Buses are middle to lower class communities and mixed racial experiences.

Of course, I like that part. Those are more my people.

But time is less of an argument. In 23 days I rarely waited longer than a few minutes. Once I waited 40 minutes and everyone was outraged, but that was on the 108 and a bus had broken down. Rental cars can break down or need to be returned. That has happened to me with rentals in Vegas.

22 days of Vegas buses and a couple stories

2011-11-18T18:53:00.004-05:00

note : I know that some people may be leaving soon and I want this information available, but I'll be rereading and tweeking it as I review my notes from this past 22 day trip to Vegas. So if you have a while, revisit just before you to.

It has been a confusing year for me around buses and bus information. I thank all of you who helped me with personal anecdotes and information from phone calls and emails.

So, after my 6 hour flight, I just went directly from the airport on the WAX and got off at the BTC determined to straighten out a few things or just sleep there the first day until I got someone intelligent to talk to.

I spoke with Christine - Wow. What a mind! She knew the answers and went beyond them. She was willing to take the time, and she also called in her supervisor and assured me that I could call Tacy Bowers again and I'd get answers. And most important, she told me whenever she did not know something. She did not speculate.

I think we talked for forty five minutes.

5 DAY PASSES

First, 5 day passes are all access passes for everyone including tourists and we do not need local ID's. Just ignore that website chart. It is wrong. Passes can be bought at BTC or at any of the vendor's on that RTC vendor page. The reason one phone call discouraged me from Walgreen's is that Walgreen's has been running out of them. So call them before you go. They had them when I was there and Wild Bill bought one, although the clerk argued a while with me that they were $30 full price not $20. So she was just another idiot in the mix. The fellow who actually sold them came out with a clipboard and then she argued with him as well.

Christine also told me that it is possible to buy passes at Walgreen's and then have them ready at the airport when we get on the bus. If you buy a pass in the machine there, you will pay the strip price. If you buy a 24 hour residential pass from the driver, you are technically not allowed to ride the Deuce or the SDX without a local ID.

Seniors from the airport going downtown can ride for a dollar one way and then buy an all access pass of some kind, either by stopping at the BTC or at Walgreens.

For seniors, these 5 day passes are the way to go because they still can be purchased for $10 each with a senior ID. There is no senior reduced fare on the stip so one day costs $7. This is a huge difference.

RTC has in the past offered a reduced fare to senior and disabled users whether they were tourists or not. This year they have acted to separate senior tourists from the senior locals. They want as much as possible to make senior and disabled tourists pay full fare while having some window for senior and disabled locals to pay a reduced fare. So they have created a 5 day and a 30 day all access pass that is not available in common tourist areas (except the Walgreen's downtown)

The RTC may intend in a large way to put tourist seniors in second class status, but we don't have to comply because they have also given those of us who are savy bus riders a window of opportunity in the 5 day all access passes.

Christine also told me that to prove we are seniors we can use a Medicare card or a picture ID from our local bus system instead of the photo ID issued by the RTC. So those of you who are older seniors and want to spend just a dollar from the airport to downtown, but have not got a photo ID from the BTC can just show a Medicare card. At 60, well before Medicare, you can get an RTC photo ID just by stopping by the BTC and getting your picture taken. 20 minutes and it is good for 5 years. This is probably a good plan to avoid a hassle with some driver who does not know your Medicare card it good as proof. I was asked half a dozen times to show the ID, and so I started just showing it as I boarded. Flipping it out in my open wallet with the card in a plastic see through spot was enough proof, so that was easier than digging back in my wallet.

LUGGAGE

I have been hearing about folks who took luggage on the Deuce, so I asked about it. Christine said that all buses should allow my luggage. She could see it and so I appreciated that information. I carry a huge suitcase, the largest the airline will allow, and over my neck strap swings sleep apnea machine and a laptop.

However, I rode all the buses including the Deuce and got no argument. Bus drivers were very helpful. If they were not, Christine said that they needed to be "reeducated" so turn them in if you get a hassle.

Drivers are encouraged to be polite to riders with luggage, even my large suitcase. However, riders with a large number of suitcases might not be accommodated.

The rule is that it is to be kept in your seat space. Not blocking aisles. Not taking up a second seat. However, there is a good bit of space, even a spot near the front where we can stand with luggage. I found that the seats opposite the exit doors on the Deuce are the best. One even had a bit of room on the far right and my suitcase slipped right in there. Most of us traveling now on airplanes don't have a huge amount of luggage.

Now, if the bus is packed, the driver may not accommodate luggage. He may ask you to wait for the next bus. I would not travel at night with luggage on the Deuce up the crowded strip. There were times when I was shoulder to shoulder without luggage.

However, generally we need this service when we check out and check in to another hotel and we do that in the daytime. I'd be happy to check out early if it means an easy ride. I find in a good number of places that a room is available at 10 am but not later.

I asked so many times about this that Christine said, "How else are tourists to get from one hotel to another," as if I had missed the obvious need for that bus service.

I can't tell you how much this means to me. I was intending to go from the Four Queens comped rooms to Harrah's comped rooms and I thought I would need to catch a bus to the BTC, catch the 108, go to Flamingo, catch the 202 to the strip, and walk from Flamingo to Harrah's. As it turned out discussion board member Ian offered me a ride, so we could also meet up. But I could have gone right from downtown on the Deuce and gotten off right across the street from Harrah's.

At check out I decided to use up the time between checkout and airplane take off time with a buffet at Terribles. So on the way out I did the walk with luggage from Harrah's to Flamingo, took the 202 to Terribles, rolled my luggage into the little buffet room, and after a relaxing meal, caught the 108 to the airport.

However, the choices are simply mind boggling.

THINGS TO GET AT THE BTC

As well as 5 day passes (or 30 day passes like I bought,) ask for a little white paper with all the buses to get from the BTC to downtown. This is the size of a credit card and fits easily in your wallet.

Also get the schedule book for one dollar with all the bus maps and routes and schedules. You will find that between printing and the time you ride, the times of buses may have changed, but the routes are still pretty clear and the amount of time between buses will be pretty standard. I find the book cumbersome to carry, but good as a reference in the room.

At most bus stops now there is a full route map and a schedule so you can both see where the bus goes and when it should arrive. Buses were not always on time. Some, like the Centennial Express were early. So come a bit early.

RIDING THE 202 LATE AT NIGHT

The 202 generally comes up Flamingo to Boulder, turns right on to Boulder and then turns left and parks right next to the parking area at Eastside Cannery. It is a nice stop because feels very safe and because I can wait at the lobby at Eastside and only walk out when the bus arrives, since the driver will take a break there. However, that is not 24/7

Dead time for the 202 to Eastside Cannery is 2:14AM until 4:46AM.

During these hours I must walk to Nellis.

Boulder Highway buses stop in front of Sam's Town going North and in front of Walmarts going South.

Carson is the street that runs parallel to fremont. It is still in a very safe area.

Centennial Express. Less on weekend because the students are not in class. The stop to go to the transfer station (I won't use it) is on 4th back near Carson. Getting on the wrong way means wasting time.

Look for the other stop near Binions.

WAX The stop for Suncoast is there on Carson.

Again, I think Binions has the stop to go back to the airport.

THE NEW BOULDER HIGHWAY BUSES

For me this was the best development. I like things that happen along Boulder Highway. Sam's Town on Thursday has one of the best variety shows in Vegas, and it is both free and different every week. And I love the Eastside Cannery for a bit of poker and for their Latino lounge music on Monday nights. However, neither casino sends me offers.

The two buses that run Boulder both pick up and deliver on Ogden between the El Cortez and the Gold Spike. Since the El Cortez new resort fee after 7 days pushed me out and into the Gold Spike as my main casino, this is perfect for me. In days gone by this area was a bit sketchy, but there has been so much improvement that I did not find it that way at all, even very late at night.

The bus stops are about equidistant from both casinos. The Boulder Highway Express BXH makes all the stops along Boulder. The Henderson Downtown Express HDX is more of an express. However, it will stop at Sahara and then at Nellis, so it was taking me from downtown to Sam's Town in 12 minutes. I intended to spend a day in Henderson, but my feet gave out so walking around that little town was dropped off my list. However, the bus goes right into the downtown and there are interesting galleries there, a good diner, and some small casinos with decent VP pay tables and what has been reported to be interesting live poker. The stop at Sahara would also give me good access to Palace Station and I may try that next time.

These buses are the SDX style where the driver is tucked in his safe little cab and not to be talked to. I like these buses, but having a question was a bit difficult. There are no outside machines selling tickets. The ticket machine is inside and this is something most needin improvement. Everyone agreed that if you did not follow the directions exactly or if you took too long, then the machine ate your money. Better to already have a pass. Inspectors checked but even more rarely than they did on the SDX.

One other thing to note is that the BDX is stopping in very poor neighborhoods and will attract the lowest economic class of rider. For folks who are uncomfortable with that, the HDX is the better choice unless you want to go to Boulder Station or Arizona Charlies. And I did see characters on my lat night/early morning rides. Since the driver is less accessible, riders must deal with characters themselves. That being said, I asked one questions and found folks pretty friendly in giving answer. It is all new to everyone so it is not only tourists asking questions.

FLAMINGO AND TROPICANA SERVICE

These have been some of my favorite routes, but the service has been cut back and for both me and Wild Bill these buses delayed out progress especially late at night.

DOWNTOWN AS THE HUB

We thought we were losing downtown as a flexible hub for travel when the new BTC was built so far away from the Fremont Experience.

That is not the case.

Not only are the Boulder Highway stops close to Fremont, but the Deuce and SDX, WAX and CX pick up and drop close to Fremont so to go most places tourists go from downtown we never need to stop at the BTC. Most of the time the buses just stop there, but do not enter. Once the SDX had a layover inside the BTC terminal.

I don't have all the stops down perfectly, so study the schedules. Stops of most use are those Ogden street stops, the stop along Binions, the stops along 4th between Carson and Walgreen's and the stop at Casino Center and Carson. the Fremont Experience changes where the buses drop. A walk around those areas to get familiar with what goes where is a good idea.

Twice I rode the WAX to Tropicana and then came back on the SDX or Deuce. I just happened to be there when the WAX was picking up to I went with it. I also used the CX to get to the strip around Fashion Strip Mall and it was faster than taking the Deuce.

The Deuce does much more winding around downtown than it once did. One interesting stop will put folks very close to the famous Televised Pawn Shop. Or if you want a bail bondsman, there are a cluster of them near the pawn shops and wedding chapels.

Still it takes a much longer time. The SDX does not run generally until 9 ( I did catch on earlier) so the Deuce is needed as it is after midnight.

I wandered out of the Thomas Mack Center on the UNLV campus in the dark and got twisted up as to where I was going. When I exited the campus I was very near a 108 bus so I just decided to take that to the BTC. However, it stopped near the Stratosphere where I could transfer and it was a well lighted stop adjacent to a Denny's. So I got off, had a late night breakfast and then took the Deuce that would drop me downtown. I liked this stop because right there was the glass walled Denny's and I was very visible and had a good escape route even near the Stratosphere. There were plenty of bus riders there as well.

Gradually now we can being to collect the safer places to wait for buses. This is a good one.

Also, we should collect places where changing buses also allows an easy visit to the restroom. Seniors especially may like having the option. So many of the restrooms are so far in to the casinos. However, if you are waiting to go North at LV Blvd and Tropicana, there is an MGM restroom right off the street. And that Denny's I mention has a restroom as well. I know, it sounds funny, but I also know that it isn't. I like my poker rooms with close restrooms as well.

JOKERS WILD ON THE BUS

This is doable, but is not easy. The BHX turns at Sunset, long before the Joker's Wild. The HDX skips the area. We got off at Sunset and caught the 402 where we found the only real rude bus driver who just did not want to help us find our way. We caught him again on the way back and he would explain nothing to either me or Wild Bill. I wish now I had taken his name or at least written down the time he drove the bus. The stop at the Joker's Wild was very dark, but we did not feel uncomfortable. The stop coming back was better. Craps was happening there, but we could not get a place at the table. They do dollar craps and use quarter chips to make the payoffs so everything is right mathematically. It is very popular and since a guy can play for hours on little bankroll, the table does not open spots.

I may try it again on my next trip as they are supposed to have a rather soft tournament there and some good food specials.

THE CX TO THE UNLV CAMPUS.

The Centennial Express is party routed to serve the needs of students going to the UNLV campus. So on weekends it is less frequent. It has an unusual winding route that is more efficient than the Deuce in getting to the Fashion Mall or to the campus where it turns and drops right near one fine cactus garden. It goes up Flamingo, but it does not stop many places so it is a fine way to go from downtown, and again makes downtown a hub of bus opportunity. The campus is huge so landing more in the middle is helpful.

THE WAX TO SUNCOAST CASINO

Wild Bill and I took the WAX to Suncoast to see the place, use a coupon, and play some poker. I liked the poker, but it was a bit loose. I made money, but I got good cards. There were very nice to us at the poker room. None of the gruff attitude that we have found in some rooms.

It was a great ride and it dropped right in front of the casino and was easy to take back as well.

WHAT PASSES SHOULD WE BUY?

Personally, since I always go for more than 15 days, the 30 day pass is the best bargain for me. For the cost of three 5 day passes, I get total coverage. I expect I will stay almost exclusively downtown now and take buses somewhere almost everyday.
5 day passes bought at Walgreen's are not activated until you get on the bus or activate in a machine for the SDX and Boulder buses. So those are a good bargain, especially for seniors. 5 days for seniors for $10 each as compared with 3 days in strip machines for $20 or one day for $7.
It is a great advantage having the pass in pocket. Many of the buses do not have a driver who checks fares, but inspectors who may or may not come on the bus. Also, three times I ran to catch a bus. Had not had a pass in my pocket I would have had to hasstle with suitcase and money on the way into the Deuce or I would have missed the SDX.
Finally, the most poorly designed fare boxes are those on the Boulder Highway buses. You have to select a fare, and then confirm it, and then put in exact change. If the money goes in first of if you take too long to make decisions and you options go off the active screen, you just lose your money and have to start over. I guess there is a way to recover it at a bus office, but who wants to do that?

BUS PASSES AS DISCOUNT COUPON

The Four Queens seemed to offer the best discount for food which could be achieved by showing a bus pass. However, the senior discount is just the same at Magnolia's so all I really needed was my senior status.
I did not try out the bus pass as discount in other places. However, RTC is still promoting it to locals, urging them to be a tourist in their own town.

http://www.rtcsnv.com/transit/tiyot.cfm

I had so much free food this trip that I did not have too many windows of opportunity to use discounts. 2 for 1 coupons give a better deal and we had a ton of them with everybody holding a soon to expire American Casino Guide as well as current Fremont Experience coupons.

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Now I am unpacked and I don't seem to see my bus book, sot perhaps I left it somewhere along the way.

My memory may not be perfectly accurate, but I believe that The stop at Binions (called Casino Center at Fremont on the route maps) is the place to catch the SDX or the WAX or the CX going South, but they will drop us back downtown at 4th and Carson.

The stop at Neonopolis is where the Deuce picks up and it will drop at 4th near Walgreens.

Each of these stops is well marked as to which bus stops where, so a walk around to see all of them early in your visit is helpful.

***********************************************

A COUPLE OF STORIES

So, to give an anecdotal example of how the buses make Vegas easy, let me report on one Thrusday.

I am staying at the Gold Spike and I decide to see the free senior variety show at Sam's Town. I also have these free tickets I got on senior day at the Orleans and I want to see a later comedy show there.

In 12 minutes on the HDX I arrive at Sam's Town, getting off at Ellis Island. The hardest part of the whole trip is crossing the street here. I have to wait a long while and if I want to make both sides of Boulder in the time allowed, I have to run across the first side.

I still play just $20 of video poker, break even and quit. Then I go early to get really good seats for the show, which is just great. When I write it up, I'll try to link here.

I have time to eat, so I get the Sam's Town steak night buffet on my Boyd points. It is fine also. I like the steak they serve. This is my second visit on Steak night. I also like the little crispy bits of deep fried carnitas in the Mexican section. I like the navy bean soup that has so much more than beans in it. I like that I can get my own coffee when I want it and that there are little packets of honey to put into it.

My last visit in May I went on Italian night and I did not like the buffet.

After a good supper, I run back across the street and catch the BHX. It stops at Tropicana. It is a little walk to the stop around the corner, but I have met a nice woman on the bus from Pennsylvania who is now living in Vegas, and she walks me there to finish our conversation. She lives nearby.

The Tropicana bus takes me to the Orleans. It does have the only surly bus driver I have met. She is nice to me and most of us, but she gets in a huge argument with a young Black girl who boarded the bus in the back and refuses to leave. It is disconcerting, but I am not in a hurry.

The girls feels disrespected and says she will leave when security comes. These is some bumping and we know that she may be arrested. A gentle, well dressed Black woman goes up to her and slips her some money and quiety talks here into backing down.

As we go along the bus driver is still ranting about it. She is a case of nerves. I can't figure out if she is Black also or perhaps Latino.

I've had enough so I say,

"Okay, you won and its over. Let's just ride along,"

and she says,

"I never win!"

but she stops venting.

I do believe that she never wins. I taught inner city Black kids just like this girl and I understand that there is a point where they will go to jail just to assert that they will not be shouted at.

Also on the Tropicana bus there has been a young man sitting next to me who works part time in pawn shop and we talk about that. I suggest the old black and white movie, The Pawnbroker, but I remember the title as the Pawnshop, so I suppose he will not find it.

In the conversation an old, disheveled guy sitting across the row, adds bits of information I have forgotten and says that we could not take a film course without encountering this film. And there it is. A character I might take for a derelect, speaks like a college professor.

At the Orleans I go to the new comedy club, Big Al's, a very comfortable place that I like very much.

I try to .

I take the Orleans shuttle to Bill's and play poker at the Flamingo for as long as I can manage, and then I ride the Deuce back to downtown, catching it in front of the new Margaritaville, so I can listen to Jimmy Buffet while I wait.

Classic newbie question and responses

2011-10-22T04:13:00.003-05:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vincev33

I originally rented a car for our 3 night stay in December. I see that you can buy a 3 day pass for the RTC busses for like $20. Has anyone done this? Is it convenient? Looks like it stops everywhere and can save me like $150!!! Thoughts??

Yes, many of us here are veteran bus riders.

Once all the bus changes settle, perhaps I'll start this blog up for real again.
However, since you seem to be just discovering the bus, some of the more recent posts should be helpful. The oldest posts refer to routes that may have changed or been eliminated, but they might still give you ideas to follow up.
http://vegasonthebus.blogspot.com/
Just pay attention to the dates of the posts and also the dates of the threads here on this board that a post might direct you too. There are long discussions of buses here.

The place to get the latest, definitive information on buses (except for senior fare issues) is here

http://www.rtcsouthernnevada.com/

Probably the best tool on the site is the route planner on the left. You can being up detailed plans from one place to another and it will tell you how to do, the time it should take, and how many stops. This is current information.

Printing out the bus schedules from that sections for routes you might like to take is helpful as well. Some very fine and uncrowded buses only run at certain times an hour apart. So you can plan when to leave the gambling table.

My favorite route is the 202 along Flamingo. I think of Flamingo as my strip.
If you connect up that bus with the free shuttles at Bill's or Gold Coast, you have quite a network of casinos.
Late night/early morning bus rides mean waiting at a bus stop and wondering who will pass. The Flamingo, going back to Tuscany, Terribles, or Eastside Cannery puts you right where you would park if you had a car. Sam's Town is not a bad drop either. I would not hesitate coming back to the strip from Eastside Cannery at any hour. The 202 bus just sits there at the end of the route.

In Nevada in 2009 deaths in cars compared to deaths on buses were 47 to 1.
So that is added benefit. It is much safer.
Also, you can't drink and then drive, but you can drink and then ride.(no drinking on the bus)
To your $150 savings add the value of the free drinks you can now enjoy without worries. That value itself may be equal to the car rental savings.

Whenever possible substitute something for the Deuce. SDX
is a good choice. There are also two other ways to access the strip from downtown: The Centennial Express and the already mentioned WAX.

The newest buses are two just opened on Boulder Highway. This month there are free days (but only for locals). This bus makes all the casinos along the Boulder Strip and even downtown Henderson accessible and cuts in half the ride from downtown to Arizona charlie's, Boulder Station, Sam's Town, Eastside Cannery, Joker's Wild.

The downsides against buses:

They are not always as quick as cabs and of course don't give you flexibility as does car renting. However, I might rent just one day to go to Red Rock. You reduce enormously your possibility of accident if you use the rental far away from the tourists, drunks, cabbies making lights, and locals angry at all of them.
For one thing, most fatalities in buses are when the victim of the accident is stopped at a light and rear ended. Note that there is really not too much to do to protect against that except to reduce the number of lights in your journey.

During hot weather, the waits outside can be restrictive.

And for some people, being mixed in with lower economic classes and working people is uncomfortable. For me, that is part of the treat, as I almost always end up with some good stories on the buses off the strip. Often the length of a ride is well paid for by information I gather or people I meet.

For full discussion and more detailed responses, see this thread:
http://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/showthread.php?p=566097#post566097

Video on finding ground zero

2011-10-12T20:32:00.000-05:00

Great little video on finding ground zero.

http://www.rtcsnv.com/touristms/index.html#&panel1-2

Two comments.
At the bottom of the escalator you won't see a sign for ground zero but you are there. There is a sign but it lists other information.

They want you to buy a premium pass in the vending machine. With dollars you can buy a residential pass from the driver of the bus. You must have exact change. Technically, you are not supposed to buy a residential pass and afterwards board the Deuce or the SDX.
Seniors in particular, with a senior ID issued by the bus company, can bet a 24 hour residential pass for $2 or a one way ticket for $1.

How and Why to get a senior ID

2011-10-12T09:47:00.000-05:00

To get a senior reduced fare you have to prove you are 60 and go to the Bonneville Transit Center and have your photo taken and a reduced fare ID made for you on the spot. This takes 15 minutes.
This is good for 5 years.
Even folks from other countries have gotten them with passport.

This allows you reduced fare on all buses except the Deuce and the SDX.
Any one way trip on any bus except those two will be just a $1 and a 24 hour pass will be $2.
Popular routes other than Deuce SDX include:
Flamingo 202 that gives access to Gold Coast, Rio Palms, the strip at Bally's, Ellis Island, Tuscany, Terribles, Sam's Town and the Eastside Cannery.
Tropicana 201 that gives access to the Orleans or the Pinball hall of Fame.
You ID also allows you to buy long term passes from the BTC or from certain vendor's around town including that Walgreen's downtown.
And with it in your pocket, your next airport trip on the WAX is just $1 one way or $2 from 24 hours.
WAX also gets you to Suncoast and Rampart is under a mile walk.
106 gets you to Texas Station and Fiesta.
Such bus convenience for such little money means you can book a cheap hotel off strip and still roll back safely at 3AM.

It is a gray area right not whether buying a 5 day pass is all access. Some RCT workers think it is; some think it isn't.

There is no gray area around buying a 30 day all access pass. That is good on any bus, any time, and with the senior ID you get one for $30, just what you will pay to ride the Deuce/SDX for 4 days on 24 hour passes.

I'll be doing this in Oct/Nov but then I am there 22 nights so I'll get my money's worth.

Neither the 5 day passes, nor the 30 day passes are sold anyplace except the BTC and a bunch of vendors who generally are no where around tourists.

Also residential buses will give you limited strip access. The WAX drops at Tropicana and the Centennial Express drops around the Fashion Show mall.

Riding the Deuce or the SDX with just a 24 hour residential pass is not considered technically correct. Only locals with a local ID can do that. However, Hammie rode 4 times his last trip and was never asked to show his local ID, and the RTC on FACEBOOK told me to buy a 5 day pass and no ID would be required.

For more detailed information check out my bus blog.

RTC offers disappointing new site

2011-10-12T06:37:00.002-05:00

Moving again in a direction of separating tourists from locals, RTC is offering a site that will advise trourists on how to use the bus system without mentioning residential or reduced fare passes at all. In fact, it just ignores that aspect of bus riding except to print a very confusing second set of rates for the WAX buses.

http://www.rtcsouthernnevada.com/new...se%20Final.pdf

http://www.rtcsnv.com/touristms/images/pdf/FAQs.pdf

Latest Bus Report from Hammie

2011-09-28T22:06:00.003-05:00

Greetings Dewey,
Feel free to use my name, my handle or whatever....I am a fan of open communication. I arrived around 9:30 am at McCarran and proceeded to walk out to the bus staging area. I attempted to buy a bus pass at a vending machine but I think the card reader would not accept two cards I carry, a visa and MasterCard. I forget the error message that was displayed, but I swiped each card at least three times. I asked someone at the bus stop and they said I could buy a pass from the driver. When he pulled up, I just pulled out a $5 bill and ran it through the machine, and out came my 24 hour pass. (I would be happy to mail it to you if you'd like) Regarding the SDX bus, I had to run after it and was the last one on, I didn't have to swipe my card as the driver was behind plexiglas and took off as soon as I got inboard. It was a strange set up as if no one was collecting fares, sort of like the Hudson Bergen light rail in Hoboken, NJ where you have to buy a fare card in case you are asked for it. Later that evening, I caught the deuce just north of the Riv and swiped my card, no problems, this was about 8:00 pm. Later, on my way back, at the Fremont stop going south, I boarded a deuce form my return and swiped my card, no problems.

I guess to sum it up, how can a fare card dispensing machine determine if you are local or not, does the fare collecting software "read" your zip code from your credit card? It's possible as on occasion when I have bought fuel for my car, I had to punch in my zip code, this is a security measure to foil someone buying gasoline with a stolen card.

As such, my recommendation would be to buy the card from a reseller such as Albertsons, CVS, etc.

I downloaded a transit guide to my iPad and in the section where it explains fares it reads: based on Federal Regulations, Reduced fares are not offered on the strip SDX or Deuce on the Strip as the fares are already discounted. Residential full and reduced fares are not affected and can be used on all RTC Transit services by showing a valid local Nevada ID.

When I think of reduced fares, look at the stipulations: student K-12, over 60, those with disabilities, and Medicare eligible. So, I think the hang up in your case is that you (if I recall correctly) are 60+ and are trying to buy a reduced fare card for $30. So as the rules are written, you would need to present local ID at the time of purchase and each time you board a bus. I just can't for see a bus driver checking ID when there are 25 passengers trying to board.

I am rambling a bit here, but I don't like the way this issue is prefaced by the phrase "due to federal regulations......" I think it's a classic money grab by a nameless authority who's power is granted by legislature......stick it to the tourists, they fund this town anyway.

At any rate, I am worn out from my walking the trade show and I would like to return with my wife in the near future. I am at the McDonalds across from the Riviera and will put my $10 wifi savings towards dinner. Best to you,

PS
Dewey, I just realized I didn't answer you fully. I arrived on Tuesday 9/27 at 9:30 am. Also, I forgot to mention that I used the deuce again this morning (wednesday) at 8:15 am to travel toCaesars. So for $5, I took 5 rides in 24 hours. A good deal.

Interested in buses?

2011-09-26T20:21:00.002-05:00

Try this discussion board:

http://www.cptdb.ca/index.php?

Airport to hotel

2011-09-22T03:34:00.002-05:00

I think the shuttle from the airport is good deal, especially solo, unless you are near NYNY or downtown and then the WAX is a better deal, unless you just hit it after one bus leaves and even then I like it.
I like the WAX plus 201 to the Orleans because it is always the last shuttle stop, and rather than a bumpy ride around the town, I like sitting at the NYNY bus stop and watching the people on the walkway and enjoying the last of the themed Vegas Casinos.
And the whole ride cost is equal to the shuttle tip.

But to places on the strip where no luggage bus easily goes, the shuttle is better. I don't like much waiting anywhere out Flamingo or Tropicana with luggage anymore unless I need a bus pass and I'm going to the strip in the Flamingo area.

Then I might take the 109 to stop at a Walgreen's
Walgreens
1180 E. Flamingo Rd.
702-836-9119 (call ahead and ask)
and get a 5 day all inclusive senior pass (if they still sell it) and then wait to go to the strip via the 202 if that is my destination.
If I am on the strip I can't get a senior discount in any vending machine. So it would set me up for the bus.
Flamingo at Maryland in the daytime is no problem with luggage waiting for the 202.
It cost me $1 to get there. Then I use my 5 day pass.
Of I can pay $2 for 24 hour residential, and activate the 5 day all access ($10) later.
Lots of interesting college like places to eat in and around Maryland/Flamingo as well. Even with my suitcase I can probably find a snack if I am hungry. Lately, I get to Vegas in the morning.
If you do this just remember to take the right 109 bus, North, ask the driver if he goes toFlamingo in about 22 minutes. If you take the bus to the south terminal then it is over an hour. But I guess you can do that and get the 5 day and then take the 109 to Tropicana or whereever.
+++++++++++++++++

I think the shuttle back to the airport is time consuming and risky. I try to end my trip usually at the El Cortez with one of the most delightful rides in their little car with the driver who talks sports betting and poker. On time, reliable, and direct. I can play poker up until 40 minutes to the airport, get my bags from the bellman, and be in the airport on time.
I hate that feeling on the shuttle where the driver is calling all these hotels and saying things I can't understand and being sent all these new places and waiting for folks who are late and he was thirty minutes late anyway for me although I was an hour and a half early and in the lobby bored to death and still I might be late because I did not leave two hours to wait in the lobby boed to death and will I make security? and just how many more freakin' stops does this guy have to make before he gets there.

If I am not at the El Cortez for my last two nights, I'd rather do the bus, and I will next trip. I'll roll my bags from Harrah's to the 202 ( good exercise before a 5-6 hour flight) go a few stops, then take the 108 on Paradise and be at the airport within a few minutes of my estimate. I can figure the times from the schedule and give myself a bus or two.
If I am awake early I can even stop just before the 108 at Terribles for breakfast, even with my rolling suitcase in tow.
I'm in charge. My luggage is in my hands and not being put off to reload someone else's luggage ( there is no, "will they remember to put my suitcase on again? Will they bang it and break my computer?")

Second rich and wonderful trip report by Pluto from Scotland (using buses)

2011-09-20T04:40:00.003-05:00

http://blonde4ever.yuku.com/topic/21380/master/1/?page=1

The first one I posted here:

http://vegasonthebus.blogspot.com/2011/05/here-is-trip-report-from-person-from.html

2011-09-14T21:58:00.000-05:00

POSTS AFTER THIS POINT ARE REALLY RATHER DATED
AND PROBABLY NOT TOO HELPFUL.

POSTS AFTER THIS POINT ARE REALLY RATHER DATED
AND PROBABLY NOT TOO HELPFUL.

POSTS AFTER THIS POINT ARE REALLY RATHER DATED
AND PROBABLY NOT TOO HELPFUL.

Senior Bus Pass Rates and Issues after 9-11

2011-09-13T18:06:00.003-05:00

For now I am going to collect information on this site. Later I'll incorporate the most current here and then post other places with this address. At this point I am hoping some of those who ride buses and read in this area can add some information and so move us to something more definitive.

Looks like both 5 and 30 day bus passes for seniors are still alive. They can be bought at the BTC. Perhaps no longer at Walgreen's. Here is the research.

http://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=69847

Here is what poster

ddechenne

on American Casino Guide board wrote:

OK, I emailed the RTA and this was their response to the question of "would the 3/5 day reduced passes be accepted on the Strip/SDX:

If you are a local or you already have a reduced fare ID card these passes will be accepted.

Thank you,

Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada

Customer Service/RTC Comments

(702) 676-1500

(702) 676-1638 fax

September 28 - I talked to another RTC rep who just gave up on me as I continued to press my questions. She was nice, but she said I should talk to someone who knew the answers. She contradicted herself.
She said the the new Vending Machine at the airport was geared for the tourist and had the premium 24 hour passes. The driver still issued the others. Reported today was that a fellow board member took the residential 24 hour pass, used in on the WAX and then again on the SDX and maybe again later on the Deuce.
No real resolution of the senior issues I want to address. I am a long way from having enough to put into an article for the AARP.

****************************************************************

Senior Bus Passes after 9-11

2011-09-13T18:00:00.000-05:00

Senior Bus Passes after 9-11

I tried to collect the relevant information on where senior bus fares are now. I expect to get more feedback from places I sent notes to, especially from the RTC itself where I sent a long email.

This thread forms sort of the collection of this material as there are folks who are seniors who ride the bus and read and contribute. As I learn more I'll update here on this post. Check back. Eventually, once I know something, I'll do more posting around the discussion board community.

Laughlin bus tours

2011-07-15T17:38:00.008-05:00

I always liked Laughlin. Harrahs is supposed to be very nice there, but removed from the rest of the casinos, so if you take a cheap or free bus you will have a long walk to get to Harrah's. I only stayed at Edgewater, Colorado Belle, Tropicana, Riverside, Aquarius, and the old River Palms. Below are a few more sources of free bus trips. These will only take you for a day. If you wanted to go by bus and stay longer, you can use these folks, but the price is up there. http://www.rivercityshuttle.com/"]http://www.rivercityshuttle.com/ I have used them to stay for a week. The rooms are so cheap that it pays for the bus ride compared to Vegas rooms.
It used to be a fine place for VP ( well, not Harrahs) but much of that has declined. Most threads reviewing Laughlin either like it or hate it. It is more laid back and definitely appeals to an older crowd. Of all the places I stayed, I best liked the Tropicana rooms. I used to have a host at Edgewater and get a great stretch of free rooms. My buddy Wild Bill likes to go for the golfing.
I have a lot of watches from this place. Some were really good deals. www.thewatchman.com/
I think that the same day bus serves many different marketing companies. At least there is an overlap in riders coming from different places.
The buffet that comes with the bus rides is very basic. Sort of a larger Terribles buffet. I have eaten there often and never gotten sick as some joke.
Either the Colorado Belle or Edgewater adds free wine to the buffet, and you can sit out where you can see the river. I like that. I can always find something to eat, even at the basic places. Different days the buffet is better than others. I liked the weekend brunch buffets.
The live poker options feature a 2-6 spread limit game. However, I found that most of the time I was playing with the same regulars regardless of casino and they were hard to beat. There is a 2-4 at Colorado Belle.
There is not much no limit except tournaments.
http://www.thepokeratlas.com/city/laughlin/229/

They rake an extra $2 for bonus awards so there are a lot of deals offered. Freerolls or breakfast with early play or great bonus awards for cracked aces make the game fun. The house rake caps at $3.

www.sightseeingtourslv.com

www.lasvegasgrandcanyontour.com

http://freevegastours.com/this one goes to Hoover Dam for 20 minutes as well.

http://www.keytourslv.com/tours/laughlin.html

Discussion of laughlin here:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g45964-i292-Laughlin_Nevada.html

Bus needs a destination

2011-07-12T01:00:00.009-05:00

For serendipity walk the strip. Use the bus to plan destinations in Vegas and for a true escape, rent a car for one day.

Every trip I plan one day away from Vegas, usually hiking at Redrock Canyon.

If you like riding a bus , take a $5 day trip to Laughlin (sometimes they go also to the Hoover Dam) which is free as a buffet (very basic) is thrown in. There you can walk the river or go see the largest Watch Store in the [URL="http://www.thewatchman.com/"]World.http://www.thewatchman.com/[/URL]

http://freevegastours.com/

[URL="I think Ken has it right. For serendipity walk the strip. Use the bus to plan destinations in Vegas and for a true escape, rent a car for one day. Every trip I plan one day away from Vegas, usually hiking at Redrock Canyon. If you like riding a bus , take a $5 day trip to Laughlin (sometimes they go also to the Hoover Dam) which is free as a buffet (very basic) is thrown in. There you can walk the river or go see the largest Watch Store in the World. http://www.lasvegasgrandcanyontour.com/BUS-laughlin-day-tour.php Here is another site to explore for that trip: http://www.sightseeingtourslv.com/contact.html You do have to plan this ahead as well because it does not go every day. The Vegas served by the city bus is not particularly scenic. That being said, I go for two or three weeks at a time without the bankroll for uninhibited gambling, so I often search out diversions that don't cost what gambling costs. I would not suggest just taking a ride to see the sights, except maybe a long, slow ride at night down the strip, if you can score a front seat in the upper deck of the Deuce in some uncrowded or layover area and being one of the first on the bus. It is slower than walking when you get to the lights of the strip, but it is kind of cool to see the lights and people of the entire strip up a bit higher and with no walking effort and sitting down. If you go the entire route, the crowds won't bother you and the delays just give you time to watch the area. It is hard to do this mid route because there will be crowds and working your way up to the top and waiting for a seat is difficult and uncomfortable. Most of the people who are turned off on buses in Vegas have been turned off by the overcrowded Deuce. Also, some strip buses have a film that allows advertisement on the outside of the buses and looking out is like seeing Vegas in a noir movie. Not fun. I avoid them. Since most of what is fun to see in Vegas is located on the strip or less than a mile away, developing a list of things to visit and see and using the bus as a means to get to them is probably a more satisfying plan than using the bus to tour rather repetitive neighborhoods with similar looks and stores. What the bus offers with some preplanning is access to places that many folks have considered off limits without a rental car or a cab. Let's assume that you are not dead broke and that the weather is not August hot. The buses are pleasant and air conditioned, but waiting for them in August outside can be uncomfortable. I generally go in April/May and then again in November/December. Probably the first most popular destination is the Pinball Hall of Fame. http://www.pinballmuseum.org/ This is an easy bus ride using the 201 bus that goes down Tropicana. Directions are on the site. You could just look at the machines, but you can also play them and $20 in quarters will last a long, long time. I like walking the college campus. You can access the area using either the 201 or the 202 and getting off at Swenson. However, there is a good bit of walking involved as the campus is huge. You see the campus and locals there. You can also see some small but interesting desert gardens. And poking in the buildings may offer art or other displays. Bring a sandwich and it is a cheap day out. If you go on the 202, the library is not far from there and wifi is available, but it is better if you bring your own computer. A few of us here have visited the Springs Preserve which is a bit harder to access by bus. Here are some photos of that along with some of the campus http://vegasbirthdaybash.blogspot.com/2011/06/springs-preserve.html I don't shop, but the buses are great to access shopping areas and outlets. And there are plenty of lists folks have made of free things to do in Vegas. The bus lets you get to them cheaply, and on the uncrowded bus routes off the strip, you can people watch the locals while you ride or have an interesting conversation with a stranger. The 202 is my favorite, especially combined with free shuttles from Gold Coast, Rio, Sam's Town. The 106 can get you out to Texas Station and Fiesta and I guess near the zoo as well. That is on my next list in spite of everyone telling me it is a terrible zoo. After September there will be a new express bus down the Boulder strip, so it will be faster to get to places like Jokers Wild where the craps is played with quarter chips. But all my bus thoughts start with a destination."]http://www.lasvegasgrandcanyontour.com/BUS-laughlin-day-tour.php[/URL]

Here is another site to explore for that trip:
[url]http://www.sightseeingtourslv.com/contact.html[/url]

You do have to plan this ahead as well because it does not go every day.

The Vegas served by the city bus is not particularly scenic. That being said, I go for two or three weeks at a time without the bankroll for uninhibited gambling, so I often search out diversions that don't cost what gambling costs.
I would not suggest just taking a ride to see the sights, except maybe a long, slow ride at night down the strip, if you can score a front seat in the upper deck of the Deuce by starting out at the BTC and being first on the bus. It is slower than walking, but it is kind of cool to see the lights and people of the entire strip up a bit higher and with no walking effort and sitting down. If you go the entire route, the crowds won't bother you and the delays just give you time to watch the area. It is hard to do this mid route because there will be crowds and working your way up to the top and waiting for a seat is difficult and uncomfortable. Most of the people who are turned off on buses in Vegas have been turned off by the overcrowded Deuce.
Also, some strip buses have a film that allows advertisement on the outside of the buses and looking out is like seeing Vegas in a noir movie. Not fun. I avoid them.

Since most of what is fun to see in Vegas is located on the strip or less than a mile away, developing a list of things to visit and see and using the bus as a means to get to them is probably a more satisfying plan than using the bus to tour rather repetitive neighborhoods with similar looks and stores.
What the bus offers with some preplanning is access to places that many folks have considered off limits without a rental car or a cab.

Let's assume that you are not dead broke and that the weather is not August hot. The buses are pleasant and air conditioned, but waiting for them in August outside can be uncomfortable. I generally go in April/May and then again in November/December.

Probably the first most popular destination is the Pinball Hall of Fame.
[url]http://www.pinballmuseum.org/[/url]

This is an easy bus ride using the 201 bus that goes down Tropicana. Directions are on the site. You could just look at the machines, but you can also play them and $20 in quarters will last a long, long time.

I like walking the college campus. You can access the area using either the 201 or the 202 and getting off at Swenson. However, there is a good bit of walking involved as the campus is huge. You see the campus and locals there. You can also see some small but interesting desert gardens. And poking in the buildings may offer art or other displays. Bring a sandwich and it is a cheap day out. If you go on the 202, the library is not far from there and wifi is available, but it is better if you bring your own computer.
A few of us here have visited the Springs Preserve which is a bit harder to access by bus. Here are some photos of that along with some of the campus

[url]http://vegasbirthdaybash.blogspot.com/2011/06/springs-preserve.html[/url]

I don't shop, but the buses are great to access shopping areas and outlets.

And there are plenty of lists folks have made of free things to do in Vegas. The bus lets you get to them cheaply, and on the uncrowded bus routes off the strip, you can people watch the locals while you ride or have an interesting conversation with a stranger. The 202 is my favorite, especially combined with free shuttles from Gold Coast, Rio, Sam's Town.
The 106 can get you out to Texas Station and Fiesta and I guess near the zoo as well. That is on my next list in spite of everyone telling me it is a terrible zoo.
After September there will be a new express bus down the Boulder strip, so it will be faster to get to places like Jokers Wild where the craps is played with quarter chips.
But all my bus thoughts start with a destination and a printed route in my pocket. Then the bus becomes a great gift for the frugal.

the entire discussion is here

http://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67655

Passes at Walgreen's

2011-07-09T21:13:00.002-05:00

This comes from Facebook, the RTC site

Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Transit passes are available at Albertsons, Mariana’s and Walgreens. Find the closest location in your area! http://ow.ly/54LIv

Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) | Vendor Location

ow.ly

In addition to the Bonneville Transit Center and the South Strip Transfer Terminal, the RTC has vendor locations throughout the Las Vegas Valley...

June 13 at 6:15pm via HootSuite · · · Share

2 people like this.
- Trinity Marler Walgreens was a good move, super easy!
  June 13 at 6:56pm ·
- Dewey Hill Okay. If I am not a local and buy a 5 day pass at the Walgren's near Fremont Street, can I use it on the SDX or Deuce. If I buy a residential 24 hour pass can I use it on the SDX or Deuce ( the WAX bus driver says I can) If I can't use it without being a local, then what does it cost me to ride the Deuce after I have already bought a WAX residential or a 5 day pass? Upcharges are gone, right?
  June 14 at 11:54am ·
- Regional Transportation Commission of Southern NevadaThanks for your feedback Trinity!
  June 14 at 6:56pm ·
- Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada Hi Dewey, we provided your question to our Transit Department. We will get you a response as soon as possible. Thank you for posting your question.
  June 14 at 6:58pm ·
- Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
  Hi Dewey. If you are not a local and are staying in Vegas for more than 24 hours, we advise you to purchase a 5-day pass in order to have access to the entire transit system, including the SDX and Deuce (no up charges and you do not need a local Nevada ID). The 24-hour residential pass is valid on the SDX and Deuce only when passengers present a local ID. Please be advised that Walgreens only sells the 30-day and 5-day passes. Thank you.
  June 15 at 7:18pm ·
- Dewey Hill
  Thanks. It continues to be confusing for all of us. I talk to quite a few tourists on Vegas discussion boards and it sure would be helpful to have this definitive kind of answer. The website fare structure says that the 5 day passes are not good on the strip routes. Then in September there is clearly another move to separate what senior tourists pay from what senior locals pay and in that announcement no 5 day pass is mentioned at all just the 3 day pass which other parts of the site suggest will be phased out in September. Right now it looks like as a senior tourist I would pay $10 and get to ride anything for 5 days. After Sept 11 I am unsure if that will still be the case. I'm planning my trip for November now, and it makes a difference where I decide to stay. Many of us senior travelers stay downtown because of the good bus service. $10 for 5 days is a good bit different than $7 for one day. I understand that you are in a huge confusing transition, but I hope soon that this fare business gets solved so it is clear and consistent regardless of who we ask. Thanks for this prompt reply.
  June 16 at 2:26am ·
- Dewey Hill
  Another tourist issue to address is what passes are available on the WAX. That is the first place we take the bus as we hit Vegas. It seems logical that right there we should be able to buy the 5 day or whatever pass we need for our stay in Vegas because right there is where we first board the bus. And the WAX drivers have told many of us that those 24 hour passes he gives us are good on any strip bus. The second stop puts us on the strip and ready to board Deuce/SDX I am still unsure what happens if we do what the WAX driver says and buy what he calls an all access 24 pass on the WAX and then get a different story from the driver on the Deuce driver or SDX checkers. If it is going to be no good on the SDX, and there is no upcharge to make it good, the driver should tell us just to get a one way pass and rebuy on the strip, or when we get downtown rebuy a 5 day at Walgreens if that is good for locals and tourists alike. But really what should happen is we should have the ability to buy what we need for the trip in a vending machine right there at the airport and know ahead of time what that will cost for toruists, seniors, whomever

collected bus threads

2011-07-09T17:49:00.002-05:00

Collected on July 9. 2011

http://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67572

http://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=66883&highlight=bus

http://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=66841&highlight=bus

Flamingo bus boilerplate

2011-07-05T05:11:00.002-05:00

Here is all the information on shuttles. Check it before you go because things change. Missing is the shuttle from El Cortez to the airport for hotel guests only who sign up.
http://www.lasvegasadvisor.com/refer...ree%20Shuttles

The maps can be put in a mode for easy printing so you can take them along with you.

*****************************************************

Here is the schedule of the 202 bus. Print it and put it in your pocket, but also that will change on Sept 11 by a few minutes.

http://www.rtcsouthernnevada.com/tra...(11-07-10).pdf

One issue is waiting at bus stops late at night. I don't like waiting along Flamingo late at night if I am coming toward the strip. Leaving the Gold Coast by using the stop in front of the Palms or leaving the strip using the stop along side Bally's there are no issues. Being dropped off at Ellis Island, Tuscany, Terribles, Eastside Cannery there are no issues. Sam's Town drop seems pretty good but crossing the street is difficult and walking back Boulder to the light means we are walking Boulder at 2 am. However, I walked after midnight from Eastside Cannery to Sam's Town solo and did not feel worried.

HRH - Hard Rock Hotel
The Hard Rock is set a ways from Flamingo. I have not walked that distance or waited for a bus there at night. In the daytime there are no issues and I walk it at least once a year for anAmerican Casino Guide matchplay run. If I start that run from downtown I can get to the Hard Rock by Bus and then walk back to Terribles. Hard Rock is on Paradise and so it is served by the 108 but only toward the airport so to use Flamingo to go to the strip, we have to take the walk

*********************************************************

These sorts of questions can be answered by using this site.
http://www.rtcsouthernnevada.com/

where you can being up all bus schedules and see the routes.
There is a goggle trip guide where you can chart how to go from place to place and the maps allow you to look at at the bus stops.
It is a handy tool.
Also skimming around will give you current bus information on changes.
You can print the schedules you need from these sites before going. I guess you can access it on the right sort of phone as well. I am not phone savy.

Finding Ground Zero and WAX

2011-06-26T17:40:00.004-05:00

http://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/showthread.php?p=524151#post524151

http://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/showthread.php?p=560900#post560900

note on Facebook from the RTC

2011-06-17T13:56:00.002-05:00

Dewey. If you are not a local and are staying in Vegas for more than 24 hours, we advise you to purchase a 5-day pass in order to have access to the entire transit system, including the SDX and Deuce (no up charges and you do not need a local Nevada ID). The 24-hour residential pass is valid on the SDX and Deuce only when passengers present a local ID. Please be advised that Walgreens only sells the 30-day and 5-day passes. Thank you.

Wednesday at 7:18pm ·

Open letter

2011-06-17T11:47:00.002-05:00

I write daily on 5 or 6 Vegas discussion boards, so I think I can reflect the frustrations of tourists in general.

1. The first frustration is based on your continued attempts to make second class senior bus riders out of senior tourists. As I understand it, after 9-11, senior tourists will get no reduced consideration on strip buses even if they start their day's journey on residential buses. Many of us who stay downtown may start at the BTC and do some exploration on a residential bus route in the morning and daytime, but at midnight we are uncomfortable standing at bus stops off the strip. At this point the 24 hour pass we bought is no good for a ride back on the Deuce or SDX although what actually happens if we board an SDX with a 24 hour residential pass and no local ID is unclear as there is no longer any upcharge, even for tourists. Is our 24 hour pass to be thrown away while we buy yet another ticket for our strip bus? If we are seniors who started with $2 for 24 hours, do we now have to pay $5 just to ride once?

Notes on Facebook indicate that one option is to buy a 5 day all access pass at BTC or Walgreen's because apparently the 5 day is not just all access when no bus driver asks for an ID, but actually planned as all access by definition, although your website information contradicts what was told me on Facebook.

2. Boarding the WAX at the airport does not give any options on planning a trip's transportation and buying a bus pass other than a 24 hour pass, which the bus driver says is good on all buses, but your site says is not good.

This is very confusing to tourists.

The second stop the WAX makes in on the strip, but a 24 hour pass sold on the WAX is theoretically not going to satisfy the Deuce bus driver, or maybe it is going to because he does not actually check a local ID and the local ID stuff is more theory than practice. But that is confusing.

When tourists come off the airplane and board the bus, they should be able to buy what they need in bus passes to satisfy their trip, either from the driver or from a vending machine and senior reductions should be included in the offerings. They should not have to pay for a one way bus ride downtown to buy a 3 or 5 day pass.

I have been promoting bus over rental car and cab or whenever tourists are drunk or tired, but it is so confusing that many tourists are just put off because they can't figure out what to do and don't like that what they figure out while they plan a trip may be different when they arrive.

Other smaller irritations:

I am saddened by the reduction in service and routes 202 and 201. When tourists stay out on Boulder, as more may now with the new express buses, we can use Sam's Town free shuttle to get us to the strip, but we need something to get us back late at night. It is hard to have the 202 running just once an hour in the early morning hours and not going the same route each time.

I am still confused on that early morning change because the bus driver on the 202 told me that the 202 goes to Eastside Cannery 24/7 and sits there for a break before it heads back to the strip. Does that make the Eastside Cannery a nice safe place to grab a 202 in the middle of the night? Does the route pull back in the early morninghours affect access to casinos on Boulder. I can't figure that out.

Goggle bus searches are great, but often the Deuce and the SDX dominate a search although they don't want luggage. There needs to be a category that shows tourists routes to places as we go from hotel to hotel with luggage. The Deuce is not luggage friendly. I am unsure of the SDX as I was told it was up to the driver, but we don't see the driver as we board.

Having buses that access the strip with luggage is a real tourist need and would encourage folks to use the WAX from the airport and give them some flexibility to stay different places without high cab fares in between. In fact, having a handout just for airport arrivees that defined how to get to casinos and ways to access them with luggage would simplify the process for us.

It might say here is how to go to the Wynn with luggage and include the WAX Koval stop and the 119 .

As the fare structure radically changes to make the strip buses much more expensive, it would be good to have a second category of searches that just reflected the residential buses so we could plan things with residential buses in the way our GPS will plan trips excluding toll roads or highways.

I have not yet seen a route for the new express that links downtown with Henderson and puts all those casinos along boulder in reach. I would lobby that there be a stop in a safe location. Right now I catch the 107 up by the Western, but I won't do it with luggage or really late at night. It was great to have the WAX actually drop us near the Fremont Experience. That is an easy and safe place to exit or wait. I am hoping the new Boulder Highway bus will be routed to to that as well.

I don't know if safety is considered in established stops or not, but we tourists do take that into account especially when we have a suitcase will all out belongings. That NYNY stop for the WAX is just great as is the stop on the other side to access the airport. They are near the strip and security on bikes passes regularly. I don't mind sitting there at 2 am but I was not certain if I wanted to sit where I might have to wait for the 108 or 109 out away from normal tourist areas. It may be fine, but it just did not feel quite right.

I also love the drop off of the 202 at Tuscany, at Terribles, at Eastside Cannery or at Gold Coast going West. These are right there next to the casino parking lots and even at 3 am feel safe.

I am unsure about Sam's Town drop off. I'd like to be able to cross the street right there and go directly to Sam's town both with luggage and late at night for safety rather than to have to walk back for a light.

Thanks for reading. I know this was pretty critical, so I need to assure you that overall I like buses, actively work to promote their use among visiting tourists and am excited about the new buses that started last November and those to start in September.

And whatever you have done to trail drivers approaches the miraculous when compared with the drivers I encountered 20 years ago. They are just wonderful with me and with everyone. That and the announced stops help tourists feel certain they won't miss a stop and encourage them to want to ride.

Thanks for that.

Sincerely,

Dewey Hill

What are these buses in Vegas: overview

2011-06-17T09:42:00.003-05:00

While I am not keeping anything up to date here, and while in September it all starts to change again, I did think that this overview was pretty well written.
At Walgreen's on Fremont they sell 5 day passes and those are the best deals. Whether they will still sell them there or the passes will cost the same in November is anyone's guess. I did get it on Facebook that the 5 day passes were good for tourists as well as locals. The requirement to show an ID on a residential 5 day pass apparently has been waived while they still claim it for 24 hour passes.

http://vegasbirthdaybash.blogspot.com/2011/06/buses-in-vegas-overview-boilerplate.html

From Scotland these folks choose the bus

2011-05-25T19:59:00.004-05:00

Link below contains a fine frugal trip report from a person from Edinburgh, Scotland
(click to get a taste of that city) http://www.edinburgh.org/
who uses the buses to make a frugal Vegas trip. It really puts in perspective our addiction to the automobile to see folks from across the water so easily get all around Vegas using the buses and not finding anything to rant or complain about.
Ironic is that they become tour directors for some girls from Louisiana. Because they are comfortable on buses, they can easily show these girls how to navigate. Amazing, really.

"We caught the SDX outside back to the Stratosphere. We got chatting to 2 girls from Louisiana on the bus, who were going to go up the Strat Tower so we showed them where to go and ended up going up the tower with them. They were really nice girls and after we’d seen all there was to see at the top we asked them if they wanted us to take them Downtown and show them around down there. They were up for that and we got there about 9.30pm so showed them the zip line first and then went up to Binions where we all had our photos taken with the $1 million. We moved further up towards the Plaza and watched the Chinese gentleman making copies of peoples faces out of clay. Then the 10pm Queen lightshow came on so we watched that. We then went down to collect our photos from Binions and we were going to leave the girls to have something to eat but they decided that they were really tired and wanted to go back to the Bellagio. We all hopped on the SDX and said goodbye when we got off at the Strat. They were so grateful for everything we’d done for them as they wouldn’t have gone Downtown without us."

The full trip report is here:
http://blonde4ever.yuku.com/topic/19913/master/1/?page=1

May 2011 trip bus experiences

2011-05-23T18:16:00.002-05:00

http://vegasbirthdaybash.blogspot.com/2011/05/tr-snippet-bus-rotues-and-rides.html

Buying reduced fare or longer time passes

2011-03-24T06:26:00.001-05:00

As well as the vending machines, 30 day passes can be bought at these locations, but there may be a service fee:

http://www.rtcsouthernnevada.com/transit/fare_vendors.cfm

Some passes, like 30 day passes and some reduced fare passes dont' seem to be always offered in the vending machines.

Here is a report about buying from the South Strip TT
"Called the SSTT and they said you could get discounted-fare passes during normal working hours, which she defined to me as 7am to 6pm."

Deciding to WAX or not

2011-03-24T05:23:00.005-05:00

One of the changes in November was the opening of the new BTC. This is five blocks from the Fremont Experience and the casinos. Some don't mind the walk, but I don't want to make it solo with luggage and perhaps not at all. So getting by bus between downtown casinos and the BTC means catching a bus. This is a great summary of all the possible ways to do that collected by a Vegas local who is very savy about bus routes, fares, and schedules.
Remember that the Deuce and the SDX will not always welcome luggage if it is larger than a student bookbag.

PDOG’S INFORMATION

from Vegasmessage board.

Yeah, often before you can WAX on, WAX off, you have to allow time to WANE.
And while the English idiom is generally "WAX and WANE," the bus reality is generally more like, "WANE and WAX."

However, there is the alternative of the 108 or 109 and then something else to get you from the BTC, like 113(or see below for more choices.)
It is tempting when you see that 108 or the 109 coming and going.
However, the trade off is do you want to spend time on the bus or on the bus stop bench.
I'd rather bring a book to the bus stop and sit in the open air than be in the start, stop, change buses mode of the other routes to save in the end maybe 10 minutes. And if you are not getting a 24 hour pass, then one bus is cheaper, just $2 for youngsters who don't have a senior ID, $1 for those of us who have matured. Probably you are going to buy that 5 day bus pass downtown, so it is good to get to Walgreen's as cheaply as possible, paying one way only once.

Whatever you do, don't take the 109 that heads in the wrong direction and go to the South Strip Transfer Terminal. Be certain any 109 is heading North to downtown.
And don't take the 107 from the BTC because someone tells you it ends up close to the El Cortez. You want to be dropped off close to the Fremont Experience even if that is a bit longer walk to the El Cortez, and not up near the Western Casino with your luggage.
A good part of planning bus adventures is knowing where you are going to be dropped off and what its like in that vicinity.

The WAX is faster, uncrowded and uncomplicated. WAX on at the airport. WAX off right there at Walgreen's.

And 4th and Fremont is probably what you want unless you are staying at Main Street Station or the new Plaza and you opt for 108 or 109 to the BTC. Then you might like being dropped closer to those casinos and the drop off is a safe one.

These are the routes you can take from BTC to downtown:

All these take you onto Main Street (near Main Street Station or Plaza)
Route 106 northbound
Route 207 East
Route 208 West
Route 214

*********************************************************
To get near Walgreen's on Fremont:
Route 215 (drops you off at 4th and Fremont)
Route 113 or the MAX (4th and Fremont)
WAX/Centennial Express northbound (4th and Fremont)
Route 402 (4th and Fremont)

Here are the two I would skip with luggage:
Route 107 (LVB and Carson)
Route 208 East (LVB and Carson)

PDog adds:
"There's a ton of routes to get you downtown from the BTC. Don't limit yourself to one or two routes. Just because the terminal isn't as convenient as it once was doesn't mean that the rest of downtown is inaccessible.

From downtown to the BTC, just walk over to LVB and Fremont and catch the Deuce, walk to Casino Center by the Binions for the SDX, WAX and Centennial Express, wait on Main Street by the old rail car next to MSS and catch the 207 West, 106A/B south, Route 214 and Route 208 East."

*******************************************************
Deciding to bus or not - reflections

Time is certainly a factor for most folks. It is not for me because I go for 15 or more days at a time. I also wake up so damned early. It is an old age disease.
So, the bus ride fills time when it really feels too early to gamble.
I do agree that the time argument may be changing, however. If I catch the WAX right, I will certainly beat the paid shuttle to the Orleans this next trip.
And folks reading this who have only some horridly crowded experience on the Deuce with which to judge bus travel, might want to reassess. I avoid the Deuce whenever possible.

I also enjoy the experience. Often I engage someone who has an interesting story and that is one of the reasons I go to Vegas. I like to be in a community of strangers and hear their stories and get information.
In a sense the bus is just like this board.
Two places in Vegas let me do that, the bus and the 2-4 poker table. When I can't engage, I can watch and overhear. I have met some of the most fascinating folks on the bus.
I also like the tour experience. I was so angry when they started to drape the Deuce in those outside advertisements that made the rider experience more only Vegas noir with everything barely visible and dark. However, even on those buses, when I went to where the routes started, I could often get a front seat and the view of the strip from those front windows is wonderful. Once riding along with me from downtown to Flamingo was an old fellow who knew so much detail on each place that a few of us got a guided tour and heard old stories. He was very entertaining.

However, the is a place where lower class and working folks mingle with the more affluent. Some affluent folks would prefer to be insulated in communities of people who are all like themselves. The fine thing about Vegas is that the choices are there to engage or insulate.

And, of course, I enjoy the savings. Vegas for me is a totally frugal experience. My wife says when asked by concerned nongambling friends if I am addicted to gambling,
"No, he is addicted to coupons."
Frugal Vegas allows me to afford my half of the other trips I take with my wife (we keep separate money) So in April and November of this year, I go to Vegas solo on the dirt cheap. But in July I have a good deal on going with my wife, son and his wife and new grandchild to Atlantis for 6 days. Although as the official babysitters, we have a great deal through his company for both rooms and food, that means getting some room worth $800 for only $200 and paying probably close to a hundred a day for food. If I did Vegas as many high rollers do, I would have to cancel both Vegas trips this year to pay for the Atlantis or go into debt.

Retired I just have more time than money. I prefer to travel often rather than to travel high class and stay home the rest of the time.

And while my wife has a different comfort level, I really am more comfortable around less affluent folks. Everywhere I go I tend to ride a bus. In Costa Rica I could have ridden a tourist bus to the beach, but I chose the Tico bus. $4 over $25 but I had to watch my own luggage and walk a ways to find a place to buy a ticket and do without air conditioning. Also there was only one bathroom break in a small town with a very basic toliet in the back of a bar.
But the Tico bus meant instead of riding alongside some tourist from Iowa who knew nothing of the culture (my trip on tourist bus with my wife), I rode alongside a pretty twenty two year old Tika who by the end of the trip adopted me as her grandfather and introduced me to her family when the bus stopped at the beach. She practiced English and I practiced Spanish. On my next trip, she and her girlfriend drove me all around areas of Costa Rica I had never seen. I sent her some music she had been looking for, music her deceased mother had played when the girl was eleven, and she translated some bolero songs for me (the bus driver played boleros all the way to the beach) That was eight years ago. She is still my Facebook friend.
On my way back I rode from the beach I rode with a young college student who was studying architecture and he explained to me what his dreams were, how he wanted to make Costa Rica more green by changing the design of the way they build houses.

So wherever I go I seek out the bus or subway routes because I find them as entertaining as a show.

**************************************************************
another written approach to this issue- GOOD BOILERPLATE HERE

Yeah, often before you can WAX on, WAX off, you have to allow time to WANE.
And while the English idiom is generally "WAX and WANE," the bus reality is generally more like, "WANE and WAX."

However, there is the alternative of the 108 or 109 and then something else to get you from the BTC, like 113(or see below for more choices.)
It is tempting when you see that 108 or the 109 coming and going.
However, the trade off is do you want to spend time on the bus or on the bus stop bench.
Most of the time I'd rather bring a book to the bus stop and sit in the open air than be in the start, stop, change buses mode of the other routes to save in the end maybe 10 minutes. And if you are not getting a 24 hour pass, then one bus is cheaper, just $2 for youngsters who don't have a senior ID, $1 for those of us who have matured. Probably you are going to buy that 5 day bus pass downtown, so it is good to get to Walgreen's as cheaply as possible, paying one way only once.

I'd like others to do the time math. I am estimating that the most we save in time alone by using the WAX rather than 108/109 is 20 minutes. So I guess if you arrived at the zero stop and the WAX is not due for 40 minutes but the 108 is there, we save 20 minutes. My figures give me 10 minutes to change buses at the BTC and get rolling for the last 5 minutes of the journey.

Whatever you do, don't take the 109 that heads in the wrong direction and go to the South Strip Transfer Terminal. Be certain any 109 is heading North to downtown.
And don't take the 107 from the BTC because someone tells you it ends up close to the El Cortez. You want to be dropped off close to the Fremont Experience even if that is a bit longer walk to the El Cortez, and not up near the Western Casino with your luggage.
A good part of planning bus adventures is knowing where you are going to be dropped off and what its like in that vicinity.

The WAX is faster, uncrowded and uncomplicated. WAX on at the airport. WAX off right there at Walgreen's.

And 4th and Fremont is probably what you want unless you are staying at Main Street Station or the new Plaza and you opt for 108 or 109 to the BTC. Then you might like being dropped closer to those casinos; the drop off is a safe one and you save the seven minute luggage roll down Fremont from Walgreen's.

These are the routes you can take from BTC to downtown:

All these take you onto Main Street (near Main Street Station or Plaza)
Route 106 northbound
Route 207 East
Route 208 West
Route 214

*********************************************************
To get near Walgreen's on Fremont:
Route 215 (drops you off at 4th and Fremont)
Route 113 or the MAX (4th and Fremont)
WAX/Centennial Express northbound (4th and Fremont)
Route 402 (4th and Fremont)

Here are the two I would skip with luggage:
Route 107 (LVB and Carson)
Route 208 East (LVB and Carson)

MOST CURRENT LINKS 2011

2011-03-24T03:38:00.002-05:00

I am not giving up completely, but the new changes in Vegas busing make older posts on this blog very dated. At best it might give a traveler an idea of how to use the bus, but s/he would have to ask if such a ride could still be possible.

At the same time, there are some patterns that seem to be emerging since November of last year, especially around the WAX, and since information is so scattered, here are some board discussions of bus information that might yield some sense of what is currently possible.

Here is the schedule for the WAX:
http://www.rtcsouthernnevada.com/transit/route/westcliff/westcliff(11-07-10).pdf

Here are some threads that seem to add information to the new routes.

added Feb. 24, 2011 = Latest on WAX. You can see I am all questions.
http://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=62226

http://blonde4ever.yuku.com/topic/18059/Re-WAX-bus-Westcliffe-Airport-Express-now-running?page=-1

http://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=60609

http://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=61140

This post includes the only reference to luggage on the Deuce or Goldline
http://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=60108&highlight=bus
I also have a friend who goes with a small traveling bag. I have too much luggage to make this practical, but I can get my luggage on any other bus and expect to be able to take it on the new Downtown Express even if I board at Tropicana and LN Blvd.

Added March 2011

http://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=63374

http://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/showthread.php?p=492055#post492055

Another route that looks like it would allow access to the strip with luggage is the Centenial Express which has one stop near the North strip on Spring Mountain or Sands road and also one that does not look too far from Flamingo on Howard Hughes Avenue. However, I don't yet know the parking.
http://www.rtcsouthernnevada.com/transit/route/centennial/centennial(11-07-10).pdf

Posted on one board and worth saving

2011-03-23T11:10:00.001-05:00

on buying a pass

Yes, if you buy a strip and downtown 24 hour pass, it is good on any bus in the system whether you buy it from the Deuce driver or the SDX machine or in some cases from a Deuce machine. Just don't try to use a senior ID in a Deuce machine that only takes credit cards.

Here is what happened to me on my first attempt to use the SDX (then ACE) bak in May of 2010.

One day I was headed for M casino, using the Deuce and then the free shuttle from theFashion Show Mall.

I should have started in front of Paris and used the ACE, but I walked North and ended at a Deuce stop North of Flamingo.

There was a machine there, but it was a Deuce machine. I put my senior ID in the slot. It did not read it, but printed up these instructions:

"Push your card all the way in."

So I did.

That was a mistake. The Deuce machines are only for credit cards. They don't bring up senior reduced rates. My card was stuck.

After a while a bus came and I told the driver. It took a while for her to call, but finally she said it would be three hours before they came to open the machine and even then I could not get my ID back until I went downtown.

Amazing. My photo is on the card.

Since I was going downtown the next day to stay, I just cancelled all plans for the M and went to the Venetian to play poker and lose $475.

It just was not my day.

The next day I went to the Downtown DTC. I expected a hassle, but they had my card right there in a box full of other cards which had been lost as well, perhaps many of them in the Deuce machines.

Well, a good lesson.

**********************************************************

Use the SDX whenever possible. It does not run all hours, but when it does run, reports are that it is much less crowded and much faster. Check to see it will drop you close enough to where you are going. During the hours it does not run, the Deuce is also not so crowded.

Now here is the real question.

Not all 24 hour passes are the same.

Those bought on the Deuce or in a machine are good everywhere.

What happens if you buy a residential 24 hour pass?

If you board first on a residential bus, i.e. one of those that is not the Deuce or the SDX, the 24 hour pass bought from the driver is less money.

If you then want to use that pass to ride the Deuce, technically that residential pass is only good if you have a local ID.

But there are no upcharges in the system.

The RTC has told me the glitch in the system is that they don't check for local ID and actually that 24 hour residential pass is good on the Deuce and

SDX as well.

Catman from the Vegasmessage board reported this:

Dewey...The first 3 times on residential buses I asked the driver your questions. First said the 24 hour $5 ticket is good for strip buses whether you live in LV or not(no upcharge). Second said the $5 ticket is only good for residential routes period. Third said the $5 ticket would require a $2 upcharge no matter where you live.

So, I stopped asking. Seems like the answer to your question does not exist.

Where it will matter is for folks who buy a 24 hour pass when boarding the WAX, the new express from the airport.

The WAX, even though it is an express and has a three letter knickname is in the residential system.

So seniors with an ID can get a 24 hour pass when leaving the airport for downtown for just $2. This will turn out to be quite a deal if when they board the WAX, the 24 hour pass is good on all buses.

Also, once folks understand that this is not just an airport to downtown bus, but an airport to the strip at Tropicana or from the strip at Tropicana to downtown, and that unlike the Deuce or SDX this bus will easily accept luggage, more and more tourists may be buying 24 hour passes on that bus. There has not been a way to stay on the strip and then move to downtown with any amount of luggage on just one bus. And the new downtown bus terminal, a full five blocks from the Fremont Experience, means that often three residential buses are necessary to make the journey from the strip to downtown with luggage.

Now this one bus will be fast and drop right near the Experience.

Interesting too is that by the time one gets to buying 30 day passes, the distinction between the routes just goes away. $65 full fare or $30 reduced senior fare gets a month pass period for all buses. But you can't get these from the vending machines. Still, a senior contemplating staying downtown and then going by cab to some place near the strip can basically get a 30 day bus pass for the cost of one cab ride.

So far, little of this is from personal experience. I am going to have some experience with the newly scheduled buses in May and I'll report my findings. This will include going from the airport to the Orleans by bus.

This was difficult before last November, but now should be fairly simple. I board the WAX, get off at Tropicana and then board the 201 and I'm there. The ride is very short. It I hit the schedule wrong for the WAX I might have a bit of a wait there. We'll see.

I may also try to board the SDX with huge luggage.

I have to get from the Rio to downtown and will try doing it with the 202 to the strip, then the SDX to Tropicana, and the WAX to downtown. What I figure is that I can get on the SDX, but I might be asked to leave. However, it is only one stop to Tropicana, so if they put me off, I've made my connection and I won't have to wait with luggage along those residential routes. Here too I will be using my $2- 24 hour residential pass for the entire trip from the Rio to downtown.

That is a factor too.

It feels safer to wait for a bus with luggage near the strip than on Swenson and Flamingo. I am pretty vulnerable with a suitcase. I have never had a problem doing it, but I can see my potential as a guy to shake down.

on a 30 day pass

Looking at this page on the RTC website, it may now be possible to buy the 30 day from a machine. I have no anecdotal information on this. So I don't know. For a while locals were really mad because the places to buy the 30 day passes were very restricted. Now they have opened up again I guess from the way I read this chart.

http://www.rtcsouthernnevada.com/transit/fare_passes.cfm

For us, however, if they are not in the vending machines, the easiest place is probably the BTC.

Again, this is not something I have yet done.

I suspended the bus blog because after November I did not feel very confident with my information and knew that things were going to change anyway as the RTC works out the glitches in the system so I could post something and have it very different the next day, not know, and so send folks in the wrong direction.

I ride less and less.

Sleeping issues make it hard for me to be away from a nap, so I don't go off for a day of bus riding often.

Live poker means that what is good gambling for me has flip flopped. Before I wanted the good VP downtown; now I want to be near the strip for the soft tourist games.

But this next trip I will go from casino to casino on the bus again because I caught such a good deal at Sam's Town for a week, that I patched that in between free room double nights at the Orleans and at the Rio.

I generally finish with a couple days of poker with the fellows at the El Cortez and use their free airport shuttle. Then I can add a bag of luggage with souvenirs if I want and not be struggling with more than one suitcase on buses.

on splitting a vegas trip between downtown and the strip

All that being said, I can envision, however, especially if hotel rates go up again, a trip that starts at a downtown hotel and then goes to a strip hotel. For a dollar one way ticket on the WAX using my senior pass I could go to the BTC and buy a 30 day pass and then reboard any of a half dozen buses and get right near Freemont. Then I'd be set. I could hop around town for my entire trip on that pass, head out to offstrip casinos, or restaurants, or places like Spring Preserve or the Pinball Hall of Fame.

Then if I wanted a few days, say at the Orleans or MGM, I could use the pass to get my luggage from downtown fairly easily on the WAX. If I don't mind a walk from Tropicana, I could get to quite a few places on the strip after being dropped at Tropicana. I often now walk Arville from the Orleans to the Gold Coast rolling my luggage. I guess I could roll it from the Tropicana to Flamingo without much fuss. Just skip the treadmill that day. Certainly I'd feel totally safe doing that. It would have to be good weather. I would not plan to do it in August.

on using two 24 hour passes for three nights of gambling.

However, right now the 24 hour passes are more than enough for me. Often two of them will stretch into three days of travel if I get a late start out the first day and have one destination with walking for the second day.

The trick is to have the first ticket expire after boarding and not buy the other until hours later.

This works for me if I decide to stay downtown but go to the strip three nights to play poker somewhere

Example,

From any downtown casino to the strip.

day one- out at 4pm and back at 2am

day two- out at 3:50 pm on the first ticket and boarding to get back on a new ticket at 2am

day three- out at anytime and boarding to come back downtown before 2am.

Getting bus from Terminal 2

2011-03-08T09:03:00.001-05:00

For folks coming in from abroad at Terminal 2

All RTC buses serving the airport (WAX, 108 and 109) and most hotel shuttles pick up passengers on "Zero Level" below Terminal 1.

Teminal 2 Shuttle
Free shuttle bus service between Terminal 1 and 2 is available during all hours of flight operations at Terminal 2. The bus stop at Terminal 1 is located on the Zero Level below baggage claim. At Terminal 2, the bus stop is located directly in front of the ticketing lobby entrance.

Service is provided approximately every 12-15 minutes.

INFORMATION IN POSTS OLDER THAN THIS ONE IS DATED

2011-01-04T14:19:00.001-05:00

This recession has been a great gift to me because it has stopped the Vegas implosions so that places are as I remember them and what I have discovered is often in the same place again next trip. And I expect that will be the case for a few more years yet as Vegas licks its recession wounds and perhaps even decides that things don't always need to be thrown away, but can be renovated.

However, there was in 2010 an implosion of the buses in Vegas and new creation as well as renovation.

I suspended my bus blog as it is just too much work to sort out the old from the new, so most of the information on routes there is just totally out of date. And I don't actually know anything anyway.

I am interested in the newer routes that allow luggage and touch somewhere near the strip. The Westcliff and the Centennial Express both do that in different parts of the strip. If I am going to stay downtown, I need to find a fast and easy way to get there from someplace I am staying on the strip and these two routes seem promising. I like the Gold Line Downtown Express or whatever it is called now.

However, what has happened to me is my gambling has morphed into very little VP and lots of live poker and that flips my focus on staying downtown versus staying near the strip where the softer live poker is dealt. Instead of paytables for machine selection, I now have to study players and determine table selection.

Also, some of the best live poker is done after midnight. Well, I go to bed at home usually before 8PM. So that means I need my room near the game, so I can get a good long nap, or actually go to bed at 5PM and get up at midnight or later. I don't want to be riding buses to get to a game at 1am.

So I just don't have or need that much bus experience myself and so have less first hand information to share. I must depend on just what I read, which is very little just now as all this is new to almost everyone.

Then too it is one thing to figure a route based on the schedule and marked stops and another to actually feel comfortable using that route with luggage. l'm sure that grabbing the WAX at Tropicana after a stay at the Oleans (using the 201 to get to the WAX stop) will be one route I'll try and that would be totally comfortable, but I don't know about trying for the Centennial stop up near Flamingo say after a stay at the Koval Super 8. How far will that luggage roll seem and what will it seem like to make such a walk.

The last two trips I have rolled my luggage from the Orleans to the 202 or to Gold Coast and found that a half hour roll in good weather down Arville feels like safe, good exercise.

If I thought that things would stay the way there are now, I'd start trying to gather than information, but I got burned on the last change when prior to my trip I had learned the new route of the Deuce to Palace Station and that loop down LV Blvd. and learned that it did not go downtown and I got blindsided when they switched that all up just before I arrived.

So I don't go until May. By then there could be lots of changes.

I suspect all of us are going to try to find ways to not switch buses at the new BTC just to avoid that inconvenience, and very few of us are walking from there to downtown because the walk is not safe. However, as I read the schedule on the WAX, wither way it stops for less than a minute at the BTC and delivers us at Casino Center or Tropicana or the Airport with no switching of buses, and so provides a good way to stay some time on the strip and sometime downtown and a way to easily get to the airport from Tropicana near LV Blvd. with luggage.

Future of the buses

2010-12-12T06:21:00.000-05:00

This article is very informative. It overviews the vision of the bus improvements in Vegas as well as the connection between stimulus money and the project. Too often the benefits of stimulus money have not been communicated to the public.

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/dec/11/new-express-bus-route-service-airport/

Permission to copy parts of this blog

2010-12-08T18:18:00.000-05:00

If you would like to cut and paste anything from this blog, just drop me a note and ask. You can do it by adding a comment. I'm easy, so don't hesitate.

airport to downtown shuttle to begin in December

2010-11-30T08:13:00.001-05:00

http://www.rtcsouthernnevada.com/transit/route/westcliff/westcliff(11-07-10).pdf

In this thread is great information on busing from the BTC to downtown.

http://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=60609&page=2

2010-11-08T18:34:00.000-05:00

This blog is dedicated to bus issues. For full Vegas trip reports see:
http://vegasbirthdaybash.blogspot.com/

navigational note: I know this blog format is hard to navigate because it must be organized by date rather than topic. Ignore posting dates like the one in orange above; they are not accurate but used only for organization
THE EASIEST WAY TO NAVIGATE ALL THREADS IS TO CLICK THE BLACK ARROWS IN THE ACHIVES ON THE RIGHT AND SKIM THROUGH THE POSTS BY TITLE. THEY ARE ARTIFICIALLY GROUPED BY MONTH AND YEAR, BUT THAT MEANS NOTHING.
Information on particular routes is collected in February 2010 posts. Each post is titled by the bus route. So if you want to know what I know about the 201, go to the Archives for February 2010 and find the post with that route in the title. Otherwise skim reading is the way to read.

Hi and welcome:

I am overjoyed to collect your bus stories, especially now that the routes have changed:

Where did you catch the bus? Where did you get dropped? Why did you go? What interesting destinations might some other bus rider learn about from you? What shopping did you access? What restaurants? What did you think of your experience? Do you have an itinerary with many possibilities on a route you have ridden? Where did you feel safe? Where unsafe?
Important: If you send me your story, please add written clear permission to cut and paste it into this blog if you agree to offer that permission. I will also edit for grammar and spelling if you request it.

we are not confused alone

2010-11-06T10:38:00.000-05:00

I am in Vegas just now and happy to have put off trying to determine how the buses work.
I have asked this question of bus drivers and other folks, but I have not gone to the new BTC yet and asked or tried to call.
Here is my question:

So as a senior I can buy a 24 hour pass on the 202 for $2.
There is no upcharge.
Will the Deuce accept this pass?

No one seems to know.

At the end of my trip I'll be downtown with a 24 hour pass and I'll just take a Deuce ride to find out.
However, I don't want to spend a trip I planned particulary to not depend on buses during the transition asking questions and finding out information which in a month will most certainly change.
One board poster here thought the BTC had too much work to be done yet to be ready.

I do know that there is a continued erosion of the buses on Flamingo so that soon they will not go as far and will not go as often, coming at the times I need them most only every hour. I think I will satisfy this issue on my trip next May by printing a 202 schedule of just the times that bus will be at Las Vegas Boulevard and another when it will be at Super 8.

Bonneville Terminal is finished

2010-10-23T17:27:00.005-05:00

October 25 is the opening of the terminal
November 7 is when the buses run from there on new schedules.
http://www.rtcsouthernnevada.com/transit/servicechange/index.cfm

The news in route changes is not all good news. Coming and going from the strip to downtown in the early morning will not be possible on the ACE alias GOLD LINE alias strip and Downtown express (SDX) but only on the Deuce from 12:30 am to 9 am.

Here are my current concerns; however, we really need to wait a bit until the dust settles. The last schedule changes were rechanged after about a month.

*** Staying downtown I may have to take a bus to take a bus because the BTC is an unsafe walk. I'll lose the flexibility of many routes easily reached.
*** The pullback on the SDX bus trips will mean I am crowded again on the Deuce when I am heading back to my hotel, perhaps a bit drunk, certainly tired, in the early morning hours.
*** The reduction of runs by the 202 Flamingo in early morning hours will mean I stop counting Terribles and Tuscany as possible places to stay, let alone the Eastside Cannery where early morning buses will no longer go.
Even early morning returns from Gold Coast/Palms to Ellis/Super 8 Koval will be much less convenient when Flamingo buses run every hour.
Tropicana 201 maintains 20 minute runs. I am sorry Flamingo did not get the same consideration.

Vegas driving evaluated by those who do it often

2010-09-28T18:40:00.000-05:00

http://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=58437

One of the reasons to use the bus in Vegas is that even if you are rested, sober, well oriented, safe, and defensive........... there are many others who are not.

For peace of mind whenever you can, try other transportation.

Why gamble with your health/life?

No No not the ACE or Goldline; now it is SDX

2010-08-30T15:46:00.001-05:00

edited on October 23, 2010

Strip Downtown Express
This bus will pick up at the same stop as the Deuce. So don't be waitin' at Neonopolis and expect the ~~ACE~~ because it won't be comin', not even if you call it the Goldline.

However, it will not run certain hours of the early morning 12:30 am to 9 am. Then the only way to go downtown to strip is on the Deuce.

5 Day Pass reported alive and well

2010-08-28T05:12:00.005-05:00

http://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/showthread.php?p=437978&posted=1#post437978

The woman I talked to at RTC said it was a "glitz that they don't really advertise" but anyone with a five day pass could ride the Gold Line and the Deuce without a local ID being checked.
This was further confirmed in an email response to a poster at the end of the above link. All buses can be ridden with the 5 day pass.

tnvegas gives a Mixed Review of the ACE experience

2010-08-15T05:09:00.001-05:00

tnVegas from Blonde's Board experienced his first Vegas bus recently (August 2010) and wrote this review:

They have changed the price of the 3 day bus pass to $20 which doesn't represent much of a savings, and we only needed it for two days, so we choose a daily pass for $7 each day.
The first day we caught the Deuce downtown bus stopped at a few places before we got town town - very good trip.
On the way back we caught the ACE back - avoiding most of the stops, but it was a very crowded bus and we never got a seat. Also, it was weird that there was no place to swipe our bus pass on this bus. There was a guard who looked for our pass, but it seemed like we could have used a week old pass since we just had to show him we had a pass in our hands. Later that night we took the deuce North and that was a nightmare - very slow and very crowded.
Day two on the bus we opted for the ACE bus again - first trip downtown was ok, but on the way back it was crowded again. We stopped at the back of the Sahara and went there for a bit.
On the way back we thought we would take the ACE bus again, but we had to wait forever to catch it, and then the first bus was packed and we could not get on. The 2nd bus was crowded too, but at least we got on. However, we had to stand.
We were going to the Luxor. The stop for the Luxor was somewhat far from the Luxor entrance, but I guess we should not be too picky. It also took forever to travel on the strip due to traffic. We wanted to go from the restaurant off of Tropicana but bascially gave up since we had to be back at the Luxor for a show and felt we didn't have enough time to do that and still make the bus.
So we felt the bus is a cheap alternative - you just can't be in a hurry to go anywhere since you never knew how long any single trip would take on the strip. I do think any route off strip would have been a lot better. We ended up not taking any of those.
We longed for a monorail system that actually was more convenient to use and would allow us to avoid the traffic on Las Vegas Blvd - like just above the Blvd, not a couple blocks behind it. We are going to NY next month and know the subway system there is a lot better system than this.

NEW TRANSIT CENTER

2010-08-15T04:17:00.000-05:00

NEW TRANSIT CENTER (coming sometime this Fall)

What will all that mean?

No more easy walks to the DTC.

The new transit center is to be located on Casino Center and Bonneville:
To get a sense of what it will look like, click on the link below
and scroll down to the Bonneville Transit Center.
That is the replacement for the DTC.

http://www.rtcsnv.com/transit/terminals.cfm#ccitt

For other routes at the new Bonneville Station folks can catch the ACE from downtown and transfer at the station to other buses. Coming into the station late at night from the lesser used bus routes, folks can make one transfer to get to downtown casinos.
However, this will increase the costs because the ACE /DEUCE requires either a all access pass or an upcharge.
As the routes develop, we'll have to see if there is a way to access the new Bonneville DTC from downtown on a reduced fare general market pass rather than the more expensive all access pass. This means a $5 savings a day for seniors who will do all their traveling that day on non strip routes because in the new fare schedule there is no reduced fare for 24 hours of the strip routes, only for 3 days or strip routes.

********

Because the bus company will actually own the new Bonneville Transit Center, it has been designed with sustainability in mind. We can expect it will serve us for many years and that it can more easily be adapted to rider needs as they emerge.

I don't have answers to all the details. We will have to wait and see how things develop.
The Bonneville Station will be very comfortable itself and state of the art.
One thing I learned is that those with bicycles will not only be able to store them at the station, but will be able to shower before heading out to work on the ACE and will be able to arrange to service and repair bikes right there at the bus station.
Multi-modal is the word of the day.

2010-08-15T03:47:00.000-05:00

RATES/ HOW AND WHERE TO BUY BUS PASSES
updated June 2010

WHAT BUS PASSES COST:
Fares and the use of vending machines is explained in various links at this site:
http://www.rtcsouthernnevada.com/transit/fare_passes.cfm

A NOTE ON 24 HOUR PASSES:

There are two 24 hour passes. One is the All Access pass. One is the General Market pass. The General Market is cheaper, meant for people who are not going to ride the Deuce or ACE.
the General Market 24 hour pass is especially cheaper for ID carrying seniors. $2 versus $7 per day when a senior chooses an all access pass. Hopefully, soon there will be a 24 hour reduced fare for seniors purchasing the All Access 24 hour pass. Presently the 3 day senior option is the best bargain.

BUYING FROM TICKET VENDING MACHINES

For the ACE you will have to buy tickets ahead. No ACE drivers will sell tickets, and the RCT is hoping folks will buy Deuce tickets as well from the vending machines. Upcharge fees also need to be bought from the vending machines.

Locations listed on the RCT website:

Ticket vending machines sell and validate full-fare, reduced-fare, one-day and one-ride passes and soon will both sell and validate 3 day passes as well.

**************************************************************
*************************************************************

Interesting Ace-Deuce Review

2010-07-30T05:20:00.000-05:00

http://living-las-vegas.com/2010/05/life-in-paradise-acey-deucey/

Car rental stories- a reason to ride the bus

2010-07-23T09:57:00.004-05:00

http://www.elliott.org/blog/how-to-outfox-your-car-rental-company-on-a-bogus-damage-claim/

Reported from one user is that Dollar in Denver attempted to collect $1500 in damages a few weeks after the rental was returned. Dollar abandoned this claim when the insurance company became involved.

Why the bus and not a car rental

2010-07-23T07:08:00.000-05:00

CAR RENTAL WORRIES THAT THE BUS ELIMINATES

Certainly there are people who are bus people and those who are not, but in the next two years the buses are going to change dramatically in Vegas and folks will give them a second look.
Rental cars seem cheap until you take a look at some of the loopholes in insurance (BELOW) or add in what you lose in not drinking free booze. I figure the value of my Myer's Rum comes to as much as forty dollars a day.
Being overtired and meeting other out of town overtired, drunk, or crazy kid drivers at three AM just spoils my relaxation. Half the time I sleep on the way back to my bed.
The other half I have some cool conversation with some stranger and hear the greatest stories. I think of a bus like this blog only with four wheels and the folks are live.
I am solo so the conversations break up the day. I so much prefer it to a lonely cab ride home where I have to stay awake to see the driver is not taking me for a ride and since I am solo and a senior, the bus ride for three days is priced at two cab tips.
And even if resolving an accident on a rental goes smoothly there is hassle and anxiety that depletes the joy of Vegas.

**********************************************************************************
I was leaning in the direction of renting a car for my next trip. But after hours of researching how insurance works and doesn't, I am not very comfortable renting without the full waivers and that puts the price up pretty high.

Before you dismiss these issues, be sure you read a bit and talk to more than one insurance agent. My State Farm agent did a 360 degree turn around after telling me for years that I was covered.

And using the Visa may not do it either.

Here is what happens.

You get in an accident. Your insurance covers you minus your deductable up to the amount you carry on the car you drive at home. So I drive a 99 Saturn. Odds are I would still have quite a bit to pay if I totaled a brand new rental expecially after one of those free upgrades that come along.

OR

You get in an accident. Your insurance does not cover loss of use, but the Visa does. Read the fine print. The Visa demands the car rental company send them a log that shows that while the car was out of service, they did not have other rentals. Guess what? The Rental Car company just ain't gonna send no log So who is responsible for the loss of use fees? Well, You are.

OR

You have an accident and the car is damaged. The insurance company decides not to fix it but just to sell it off as salvage. You are stuck with the difference in the full value of the car and what they get. Does the insurance company cover that cost? Probably not. Ask your agent if you are covered for "loss of value"
So a $35,000 crashed vehicle sold off at $7,000 leaves a lot for you to pay. And the rental company is conservative about what they will fix and put back out there because if a rental has a damage history, it leaves them open for lawsuits in a future accident. They like to get rid of the cars and start over. Especially since someone else pays.

And even if things go smoothly, you are responsible for the damage until you get your insurance company to pay for it. Any accident may raise your premiums so you pay for it over time for the rest of your life. And you better not have a drink. Drinking, speeding, reckless behavior, having your car impounded by police all void insurance policies as does letting someone else drive for a while who not on the rental contract. I have a family fight every time we rent a car about that one. it is so easy to get tired and just let the kid drive for a while.

Basically, I am back to deciding that car rental is sort of like playing video poker. The Royal never comes and never comes and never comes..............and then when you least expect it........there it is. Only the Royal is a good thing. The casino pays off. The accident is a not good. You pay off.

From what I gather from my son who as a financial adviser and talks to insurance agents every day, the entire issue is being debated around the agents' coffee meets. My own State Farm Agent is doing some research. Perhaps she will come up with some definitive angle. My son recommends getting the waiver.

I also found this site that sells a cheaper policy than the car rental places offer.
This one at $9 a day is nice but not for me as I am a NY resident

http://www.tripinsurancestore.com/rental-car-insurance.shtml

Travel guard offers the same type of coverage and seems to have pretty good press.

TRAVEL GUARD

I also found out that Visa does an easier job of negotiating with the car companies than Mastercard. And American Express may have everything covered.

But all insurance leaves you responsible to have a claim approved and doing the paperwork. What the rental car places give you is not insurance but a waiver of their right to recover money in case of accident, theft, damage. That is why they can ask such a huge fee for the waiver. It is not covered by insurance regulation, so they can ask whatever the market will bear.

And the hassle works against the pleasure of a Vegas trip. Here is the kind of work and worry just a damaged mirror can entail.

http://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/showthread.php?p=386818#post386818

I know this adds anxiety to those of you who rent every time you go to Vegas and are proud of the $9 a day you manage with codes and specials. I am one of you. Frugal to the bone.
Just don't dismiss the issue of liability because someone once told you that you were covered even if that someone was your agent.
I asked my agent if State Farm would send me something in writing, and she just laughed. Take the time to review the issues and make the agent focus on Nevada which has different rental laws and sketch out the loss of use and the selling off the car as salvage senarios for the agent. Some states do not allow the company to charge loss of use, for example.

Here are some articles to read around this issue.

http://www.denverpost.com/ci_8625501?source=rss

This seemed the most comprehensive article. Don't neglect the comment section as that has more information.

http://www.bnm.com/insgas.htm

http://www.smartertravel.com/travel-advice/some-second-thoughts-on-car-rental-insurance.html?id=2544570

http://www.smartertravel.com/travel-advice/more-rental-car-credit-card-grief.html?id=2451464

http://www.smartertravel.com/travel-advice/gaps-in-credit-card-coverage-for-rental-cars-part-ii.html?id=2443878

Here is an older article, but I like the questions it raises:

http://money.cnn.com/2000/08/02/banking/q_bankrate/

http://automotive-insurance.suite101.com/article.cfm/rental_car_insurance

http://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/showthread.php?p=295325#post295325

Happy motoring.

Fares change on August 2, 2010

2010-07-14T06:40:00.003-05:00

http://www.rtcsouthernnevada.com/transit/fare_adjustment.cfm

it is good news for seniors buying reduced all access passes. We will be able to ride 24 hours unlimited, including ACE and DEUCE for just $3.50. With the 3 day pass just fifty cents less, and elimination of the 5 day pass, this will be probably the best choice for seniors.

This is the first time that locals are given an advantage over tourists. Locals who purchase a 24 hour General Market pass will be able to ride the ACE and DEUCE for no extra money.

I guess tourists must either start with an all access pass or rebuy an ACE ticket of some sort if moving from local routes to the strip routes.

Proposed fare adjustment as it affects seniors

2010-07-02T07:37:00.000-05:00

http://www.rtcsouthernnevada.com/transit/fare_adjustment.cfm

If the new fare adjustment goes into effect with the reduced 24 hour all access for seniors, that will give seniors a reduced fare on the 24 hour all access pass. Currently we pay full price.
That will mean the strategy of stretching two days of 24 hour passes into the needs of 3 days of travel will be possible again. The 3 day pass over three days would save just 50, so buying as needed makes sense to me because I may or may not use the pass everyday and even with 3 days of bus travel, often two passes cover my needs if Day one starts in late afternoon.

Day one - Buy 24 hour all access at 5 PM to go from downtown to strip or vice versa
Day two - Use the pass before 5PM for same trip the next day. On the return visit at 3 am in the morning of the Day three, buy the second 24 hour pass.
Day three- The second 24 hour pass will still be good to go out and come back as long as I return before 3 am on Day four.

The key is to make the poker paying time away from the hotel not reduce the value of the bus pass. I have no chance of doing that with the 3 day pass as the time keeps ticking. Using up one pass and then having a break of hours before buying the next gives me more time for the money.

And while I would not change my plans to save $3.50, it is a good bet that more than one time out of seven two passes will meet my desired times over three days, or that I will go one day and skip the next. So the bet on 24 hour reduced fare is the better bet with the added advantage that there is no chance of accidentally losing a three day pass on the first day.

SOUTH STRIP TRANSFER TERMINAL

2010-06-08T03:10:00.000-05:00

I just found out that there are no longer any people at the South Strip Transfer Terminal. Buses still stop there on their routes, there is still free park and ride, but only security works there. There are ticket vending machines, but if you wanted to sign up and be photographed for a senior card, or ask a live question, you would have to go to the Downtown Transportation Center DTC which is fully staffed.

Two new ACE lines approved

2010-05-11T13:56:00.002-05:00

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/mar/11/rtc-approves-contracts-two-more-ace-rapid-bus-line/

April 2010

2010-05-03T19:12:00.000-05:00

The first thing I learned was that the Deuce route is back in operation as it was before the ACE. I guess there was a good bit of complaint. Also the ACE has plenty of riders so perhaps having both buses go downtown is not an issue.

http://www.rtcsouthernnevada.com/transit/route/deuce/Deuce%283-28-10%29.pdf

It does mean the Palace Station was cut out of the route. Too bad. That Sahara bus takes a while to get up to the Palace Station.

I planned a trip without much reliance on buses because of all the changes, but here is what I did experience.

I liked the ACE. I rode it on Saturday night to downtown and it was fast and easy and there were plenty of buses coming every few minutes. The seats in the back were very comfortable and jumping on that back door a quick and easy way to grab the bus.
The machines to buy the tickets proved easy as well once I learned that the machines to buy Deuce tickets are not meant to take senior citizen passes. I put mine in the machine and it was stuck. I had to retrieve it the following day.
Once I used the correct machine I had no trouble, and unlike the old machines in the DTC these are very easy to read, bright lettering. I also like the video schedule posted right along side the ticket machine.
I was only checked for my ticket once. I know some on the bus did not have them. Some watched to see if the checkers were getting on the bus and exited in the rear so as to avoid them. One local said it was not usual to be checked on a busy Saturday night.
I also overheard that most folks who have an incorrect ticket are still given one chance to go to their destination. It is a time of learning.
I liked not always having to show a ticket, but I want to find a way to carry the ticket in an easy place so when I am checked I do not have to fish for my wallet. I think I'll buy a small protective sleeve and keep it in my shirt pocket.
The regularity of the bus made it easy to hop on and off. I got off at Sahara just to play a matchplay and did not have a long wait for my ride to downtown.
I enjoyed watching this vehicle turn a corner. It has a huge circular swivel just before the back section.
I can also see that some luggage would be fine to carry. I carry a huge suitcase and that would be too much, but many people had shopping bags from their shopping so luggage that fit in a shopping bag would easily be transported Light packers can use the ACE to hop from strip hotel to strip hotel.
I rode the Flamingo to Swenson and then the 108 to downtown with my luggage and had not trouble. I stayed at Flamingo and then stayed downtown. It was an easy journey. I got off at the DTC. I don't think the 108 drops near the Walgreen's anymore. By the time I return to Vegas the new DTC will most likely be open and everything will be different again.

seems polular so far

2010-04-09T15:18:00.000-05:00

http://m.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/apr/08/ace-rapid-transit-bus-service-exceeds-ridership-ex/

Some recent news reports on the new ACE

2010-04-01T04:31:00.001-05:00

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/mar/26/ace-bus-youll-feel-bit-youre-light-rail-and-s-desi/

http://www.lasvegassun.com/videos/2010/mar/26/3744/

http://www.fox5vegas.com/news/22918500/detail.html

A Great First Day Review of the ACE

2010-03-30T10:26:00.005-05:00

Vegas Rex rode the first day of operation, March 28, 2010

http://www.casinoguide.com/blogs/transportation/introducing-the-ace/

Great review as is always true of Vegas Rex

You can tell what he likes and why and what he doesn't like as well.
I have decided to bring a necklace that will hold my ticket so as not to have all the shuffling about.
I noted that some of the seats face backwards. In those cases even light luggage would be an issue as it could not fit between me and a seatback.

I'd like to see a post on which stops are safe and which are not. I'll have to start a thread.
And perhaps I'll comment on Vegas Rex site.
He did mention that the Stratosphere busstop is really not safe.

I love it that the windows are not wrapped. We will be able to see.
I had not really dawned on me that we could board at multiple doors because we just need to carry our passes and show them to the conductor.
Rex worried that the conductor's passing to check tickets would be a hassle during crowded times. I have been on the Deuce when we did not have to show our tickets but just get on. I can imagine that during any really crowded times they won't check the tickets.

I am also excited to hear how central the stop is for downtown. Casino Center Blvd and Freemont gives us a fine location from which to head to the strip from downtown.

PDOG'S BUS DETAILS- words from a local

2010-03-26T08:48:00.003-05:00

Pdog's post on this thread

http://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/showthread.php?p=401444&posted=1#post401444

gives some of the most detailed information I have read.

One correction is that the ACE upcharge $2 fee will no give a 24 hour benefit but just a two hour benefit..

Gold Line as of February 2010

2010-02-18T03:23:00.003-05:00

POSTED FEBRUARY 28, 2010

ACE GOLD BEGINS ON MARCH 28. ONE MONTH FROM NOW.
January 2010 conversation with RTC

I had a nice talk with a bus representative about this change, and I feel much better about it.
She assured me that the DTC will operate until they are ready at the new station. She estimated that it would open later this year, sometime in the Fall and there would be plenty of news about the opening.

She explained the ACE should solve the issues of people who have rooms downtown and want to access the strip. The ACE will go right along the strip and basically supplement the Deuce travel, however it will not do every Deuce stop and will hold 112 people, so it should eliminate the overcrowding issues. It will also be faster:

There will not be as many stops as there are on the Deuce
Boarding is level with the bus
Fare is all prepaid and no fares are collected by the driver so boarding is speeded up
For part of the route the ACE has its own dedicated lane.

1. Will the ACE GOLD allow luggage?
The ACE will not enable folks to move large luggage but it will not restrict all luggage. Here is the way it is determined. First, it is at the discretion of the driver. Second, you are limited to what will fit in your personal space (under the seat/pm your lap/ in front of you. I come with largest suitcase I can bring on the plane, a sleep apnea machine, and a computer. No strip hopping for me. However, those of you who pack light may be able to think about staying in one strip casino and using the ACE to get to another. Good news, but not the greatest. Other routes allow lots of luggage. My next trip will be on the 108 and the 201 and the 202 with luggage and even my big stuff is no issue.

2. Can I buy a three day senior citizen reduced fare at all the vending machines that service the ACE GOLD?
Yes, you can. If you have your senior ID card, it has a magnetic strip on the back and the machine will read that and bring up your fares. Unlike the one day passes, these 3 day passes are not activated when purchased, but when first used on the bus, so if you take one home with you, you can use it on your next trip for the bus from the airport. There is no machine at the airport, but they are all over town and will be up and running to support the ACE.

3. In the Fall will I be able to get to the Bonneville Terminal from downtown (often too sketchy to walk) on a residential bus?
Yes. Pick up the 108 at Las Vegas Blvd and Ogden.
When busing for only one day, it is a savings getting to the Bonneville terminal on a residential (general market) bus so as to pick up any other bus in that class (senior citizens pay just $2.00 for 24 hour pass, if they don't ride ACE or Deuce)

There are going to be some informative "fairs" this coming month. Any readers going? If so, would you please ask about where to buy the 3 day senior reduced fair all access pass as well as questions about accessing the new Bonneville DTC when it opens later this Fall? Thanks.

http://www.rtcsouthernnevada.com/news/2010/transportationfairs.pdf

NEW DEUCE ROUTE

http://www.rtcsouthernnevada.com/transit/route/deuce/Deuce%283-28-10%29.pdf

2010-02-17T15:08:00.006-05:00

PLANNING WHICH TO RIDE AND WHAT PASS TO BUY

For so many people the Deuce has been their only Vegas bus experience, and many are so turned off by overcrowding, they are never willing to ride a Vegas bus again. The ACE should change that experience. In the meantime, the non strip routes are uncrowded and cheaper.

If I do take the Deuce back to downtown, it is at the end of my gambling, say 2 AM and I try to be down at the Riviera when I board to head downtown as by then, there will usually be seats. At least I will board at the Venetian where there are the delightful nighttime views of European Cathedrals, the gentle rock of the gondolas in the calm water, and soft classical music pumped out to the street.

However, I am getting older and I can't seem to stay out as late as I once could, so at times I am boarding going North at midnight.

If large crowds have gathered to board at the Venetian, I pay attention to where the bus actually stops. Usually I have found it is beyond the stop itself, so positioning myself a bit North of the Venetian stop works to put me at the head of the pack for boarding and may save me having to wait for the second bus.

If you board the Deuce to downtown and there are no seats, squeeze through the crowds and go upstairs even if those seats are full as well. Folks will be getting off and then, having already negotiated the stairway, you can get first bid on the seats that they abandon. Generally, I get a spot upfront as the view at night is quiet wonderful.

Especially in the daytime, I take what were called "general market" routes. These are less crowded because there are fewer tourists, and the fare is less, but one must have correct change:

Carry dollar bills and quarters. The buses do not give change. However, you can buy passes in vending machines with your credit card. I don't know where all of the machines are located, but I know there are some at the DTC downtown and just around the corner from where the Deuce picks up at the end of Freemont outside Neonopolis. Before the ACE starts running these machines will be located at each ACE stop along the strip. I have been told that at these vending machines I can first insert my senior reduced fare identity card and the machine will give me the reduced are menu.

Usually I just buy 24 hour passes on the bus and the drivers sell these for correct change, giving senior discounts as well as long as you have the picture ID.

Here might be a good place to get you thinking in terms of the flexibility of 24 hour day passes. Often they can cover your bus needs for two days.
Example:
Your first day in Vegas you head out around supper time for the strip.
You buy your 24 pass at 4PM on Day one.
It gets you home after long poker seesions at 3AM, and you sleep in the next day.

Day two you head out to the strip and board the bus before 4PM so your first pass is good.
Again you come home at 3 AM and buy a 24 hour pass on the way home.

The third day you head out for poker whenever you want. As long as you board to come home before 3 AM, this second pass is still good.

3 days in Vegas and you have all the transportation you need for the $14 price of two passes. If the new proposal take effect and seniors can get a reduced 24 hour all access pass for $3.50, this system will save over the $10 new rate for a 3 day pass.

Of course, it is almost the same to buy a 3 day pass before you head out, but you lose if the second day you decide not to head to the strip. I have trouble planning 3 days in Vegas. I might be tired or hungry or decide on a show. I might get into a game at the El Cortez and decide to play for 14 hours. I might lose the pass the second day.
Knowing how to stretch the 24 hour pass into the same value when your schedule allows is more flexible.

Gerry and Les, board and the best bus riders I know, do not want to walk to the current DTC, so they stand at that stop that drops off at Walgreen's and take the first bus they meet to the DTC station in order to select their route for the day. Because they can take any bus and end up at the DTC, it does not take long for them to catch the ride they want and they don't have to negotiate the blocks in between. Of course, these routes too will be altered when the ACE and the new DTC are up and running. It may well turn out that the walk to the new site does not feel safe for many of us, and then we will have to catch a bus to take the bus unless our desired route has stops in the downtown areas.

2010-02-16T14:39:00.002-05:00

SENIORS WHO RIDE THE BUS GET A DEAL SOMETIMES

HOW TO GET A SENIOR PICTURE ID CARD

To get a senior rate you used to have to be 62, but I see now that the age is 60. Also you used to have to wait in the mail after being photographed, but they now do all of that in ten minutes at the DTC and then hand you an identity card good for 5 years. With that card seniors basically ride the bus for half price. The exception is that seniors do not get a discount on the All Access 24 hour pass. However, a three day pass can be bought for $7.50.

NOTE THAT THERE ARE NO LONGER ANY PEOPLE AT THE South Strip Transfer Terminal, SO YOU CAN NO LONGER APPLY FOR A SENIOR CARD THERE (edited June 2010)

Here is a followup from the famous Turtleman posted on Vegasmessageboard.com : I visited the Downtown Transportation Center on Tuesday just to see about getting a Reduced Fare I.D. and found the process as fast and painless as getting a player's card. I merely had to show my driver's license, have a headshot photo taken in less than a minute, and had a 5-year ID a minute later. I only used it once during this last trip, but paying half fare for merely showing the card is really cool. Thanks a lot Dewey for pointing this out!

A NOTE FOR NON USA CITIZENS
Being Canadian citizens, we had to show our passports .... after showing our passports, we were issued with PHOTO ID cards good for five years!
Next time we go to Vegas, we just insert the id.cards into the vending machines to purchase the seniors 3 day pass[$7.50]our best deal in Vegas.we really got our money's worth.
This from a poster on the Open Vegas board by Croftonbill

Seniors who get a Reduced fair ID and start their journey by buying a 24 hour pass General Market pass ($2) did not see an increase in the base price. Nor was the 3 day reduced fare pass increased. These continue to be the best bargains for seniors. The worst buy is the 24 hour all access pass as there is no senior discount. It costs everyone $7. Compare that to a three day unlimited pass for $7.50. The catch there is they cannot be bought on line but must be bought in vending machines or at the DTC. However, these vending machines are all over the place now
http://www.rtcsnv.com/transit/tvm_locations.cfm
What we really need is a vending machine at the airport.

In March of 2010 when the new books are published, the upcharge fare will be increased to $2 per ride. At this point the 3 day pass will be an even better value, especially if we seniors are going to ride the ACE lines.

Bus report from "The Bucket"

2010-02-15T16:33:00.000-05:00

Dewey:
Thanks again for meeting with me last week at the El Cortez - I
found our meeting to me most enjoyable and informative. Do you happen to
have the address handy for the "blonde" board you mentioned being of
interest? If you do, I'd appreciate it.

As promised, here is some text describing my experiences using the
bus during my recent trip:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sunday: McCarran -> Sam's Town (108,202)

Perhaps the most challenging part of this run was finding the
actual bus stop at McCarran Airport. I get the feeling that it is almost
deliberately hidden. Fortunately, I already knew that I had to find
Ground Level Zero (which is accessed from the baggage claim via an
interior down-escalator (I think there is a nearby elevator as well). It
is not especially well-marked, but there is a "Ground Level Zero" sign
for it if you look around enough (it is at the end of baggage claim
where one descends from the terminal gates, off to your right if you are
descending on those escalators).

Once I got to Ground Level Zero, the challenge of finding the bus
stop was far from over. The area is pretty much a big parking lot for
big vehicles (tour buses and limousines for the most part) in assigned
spaces. I found that one has to cross the street from the terminal exit
(not so much a street as a multi-lane area for limousines) to where the
tour buses park, take a right, and walk quite a ways down to the end of
where the tour buses park. There one will find a small shelter and a
rather temporary looking pole with a small RTC 108-109 sign on it.
That's the airport bus stop. This is fairly easily identified by the
large number of airport employees lounging around waiting for the bus to
arrive.

The RTC website indicates that there is a TVM (Ticket Vending
Machine) at McCarran - I didn't see it anywhere within sight of the bus
stop. It may be there somewhere, but I was glad that I had mail-ordered
my bus pass in advance and had it in hand (I was concerned that I might
need the TVM to validate it, but it could be done on the bus itself). I
was going to take either the 108 or 109, whichever arrived first. I
waited about 10 minutes before a 108 bus rolled up, so I lugged my big
suitcase up onto it (I wouldn't try to do this with much more than I had
to carry) and the driver showed me how to put my un-validated pass into
a hole in the top of the fare-taking thing on the bus to validate it.
Every trip thereafter (for the life of the pass) could then be started
just by swiping the card through the front of this device, with the
exception of the ACE, for which one does not do a card-swipe (but must
be prepared to present a valid pass if asked for it... I was never asked
to do this).

The trip from McCarran to Flamingo Rd. was uneventful. I was
worried about getting off too late, and nearly got off at Tropicana as a
result. Fortunately a fellow bus-rider told me "you want to wait two
stops", and his advice was sound. I got off the 108 just north of
Flamingo, and took the short walk back down to Flamingo, and a short
distance east to the bus stop that was right in front of a UNLV building
there. The area felt quite safe, though I do feel as if I stuck out a
bit being the only suitcase-toting tourist in the area.

About ten minutes later, the 202 came along (it was a
double-decker, the 108 was a regular bus). I climbed on board (the front
door is for boarding, the back door for departing), swiped my card thru
the machine (watching fellow passengers in front of me to see how to
orient the card so as not to appear too naive), and found a place to
stick my suitcase (and I just sat on it to keep it from flopping around)
in the wheelchair-area near the front of the bus. This also gave me a
nice vantage point to watch my stops approach.

The trip out to Boulder Highway (Sam's Town was my destination)
took longer than I expected it to. It is actually quite a distance to
the east, and the bus stopped at nearly every opportunity to pick up
and/or drop off passengers. Fortunately I wasn't in a hurry, otherwise I
probably would have been sweating the delay (as a fellow passenger was,
since he was running late to work). At one point (I think in front of
the Clark County Library) the driver announced that we were running
ahead of schedule and had to wait for five minutes. He stepped off the
bus, and we sat there for five minutes, before he came back on and we
continued on our way.

As I saw Sam's approaching thru the windshield, I wasn't sure when
I should get off the bus. There was a stop just before we got to Boulder
Highway itself (with Sam's looming large), so I got off there and walked
a short distance east on Flamingo, crossed Boulder on the crosswalk, and
walked a fair distance south on Boulder Highway's sidewalk to go in the
front entrance at Sam's. In retrospect, I think I should have stayed on
the bus until it turned onto Boulder Highway and made a loop around
Sam's (the end of the line for it). The walk would have likely been far
shorter and would not have required me to cross Boulder on foot.

Overall, the trip from McCarran to Sam's Town took me about an hour
by bus, and was far, far less expensive than it would have been by any
other mode of transportation from the airport. Maybe that's why they
make the bus stop hard to find there (to encourage limo/cab/shuttle usage).

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday: Fremont Hotel -> Mandalay Bay (ACE)

Using the ACE to get from the Fremont Hotel (and by proximity from
the Fremont Street Experience in general) to Mandalay Bay was fast and
easy. The southbound ACE stop for the FSE is right between the Fremont
Hotel and Binion's (on the Binion's side) and is clean, modern, equipped
with ticket vending machines, and quite safe-feeling for just about
anyone. I waited about 5 minutes there for the ACE to arrive, and got on
to find plenty of seating available (in the morning, during the week).
The trip was uneventful and much faster than a Deuce trip would have
been, depositing me outside Mandalay Bay about 40 minutes from the time
we left the Fremont. The ACE requires riders to carry a valid transit
pass, but you don't have to beep it when you get on. Instead, conductors
are supposed to circulate thru the buses on occasion and verify that
everyone has a pass. During my ACE trip, this did not happen.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday: Mirage -> Fremont Hotel (ACE)

I used the ACE to access Fremont one night, coming up north from
Mirage. This proved to be more challenging than I expected it to be,
mostly because I didn't have a map of the ACE stops with me and made the
mistake of thinking "All I have to do is get over on the east side of
the strip and start walking north until I hit one". That was quite a
hike as it turns out that the first northbound ACE stop north of Mirage
is just past the Wynn resort. By the time I got on (it was quite late
and I was tired to begin with), I nearly fell asleep as we made our way
downtown. With minimal traffic that far north of the strip, however, the
actual bus ride was very short and dropped me quite conveniently right
at the Fremont Street Experience. I will make sure that I carry a map of
the ACE stops on the strip the next time I plan to use it. In retrospect
I should have just used the Deuce to get to an ACE stop (or all the way
downtown) since the Deuce stops are far more numerous on the Strip, and
my transit pass (as is the case with anyone's unlimited transit pass)
would have been good on the Deuce as well. I did do some
Google-searching for a list of ACE stops on the Strip using my
BlackBerry, and was unable to access that information on my mobile device.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

There's my bus report - Please feel free to reprint, edit,
paraphrase, use the info above for your own writing, or do whatever you
feel like with this account of my bus travels - I hereby release it into
the public domain for any usage. I was sad to hear that your trip ended
up with you being down financially - hang in there - I've found that it
always seems to swing the other way, eventually. Fortunately my baccarat
play proved to be very profitable this trip (though of course it could
just as easily have been the opposite). I did find that using the bus
made this trip quite unique, and I will likely do it again. Thanks again
for all your great information about the bus system, and for your
company at lunch.

The Bucket" can be reached at:

bucket@coindropper.com
Dewey's response:

Thanks, Bucket, I did not change a word. These anecdotal narratives in the words of the traveler are exactly what we need when planning the bus in Vegas.
Thanks for the time it took to write it and your kindness in letting me put it on the blog. And for buying dinner.

One thing that stood out for me is this. If folks are in a hurry, the bus can seem exasperatingly long. I always settle in and enjoy the ride itself as its own treat, so the time does not bother me. it is a long way to the Boulder Strip. Soon that time will be shortened when a new ACE like line is built along Boulder Highway.

While gambling when the outcome is all luck swings by itself, live poker losses like those I experienced are evidence that something is definitely wrong since over 16 days I should have been able to manage some control over the outcome. It is very disconcerting. I'll most likely have year to think about it while I write about buses and resort fees and bed bugs.

"

Dewey's response:

Thanks, Bucket, I did not change a word. These anecdotal narratives in the words of the traveler are exactly what we need when planning the bus in Vegas.
Thanks for the time it took to write it and your kindness in letting me put it on the blog. And for buying dinner.

One thing that stood out for me is this. If folks are in a hurry, the bus can seem exasperatingly long. I always settle in and enjoy the ride itself as its own treat, so the time does not bother me. it is a long way to the Boulder Strip. Soon that time will be shortened when a new ACE like line is built along Boulder Highway.

While gambling when the outcome is all luck swings by itself, live poker losses like those I experienced are evidence that something is definitely wrong since over 16 days I should have been able to manage some control over the outcome. It is very disconcerting. I'll most likely have year to think about it while I write about buses and resort fees and bed bugs.

"

Route 103- laudromat/ Arizona Charlies

2010-02-15T16:18:00.002-05:00

I have not ridden this route, but it looks like it accesses Arizona Charlie's and also would get us to this laundromat

http://www.magicwashlv.com/home.html

From the Orleans this would be a fairly easy ride with buses coming every ten minutes. About 20 minutes or so to the destinations.

106 -Texas Station/Fiesta/Sante Fe

2010-02-15T13:48:00.003-05:00

106 OFF TO TEXAS STATION or FIESTA RANCHO or SANTE FE

I just read this week that one poster would not even think of these casinos while staying downtown because they were too far to go.

The last time I used the 106, I had a one free night offer from Fiesta Rancho. I was booked downtown, but I took just a bit of luggage and booked the free Fiesta room. This was before resort fees so it was a free room. That gave me time to see a great old 50's band there, do all my matchplay coupons, update my points, eat a barbecue buffet at the Texas Station and head back the next day.

I think 106 is a fine and easy route that goes out to Texas Station or Fiesta Rancho. On the way back it also has stops right downtown, so you don't have to wait for the DTC end of the road drop off.

I have used it with some light baggage just to take advantage of a free night at Fiesta Rancho leaving my main luggage in a free room somewhere else downtown.
*********************************
Friends also report on going out to Sante Fe station using the 106

"We really liked the Santa Fe buffet. We went about 10:30 which made breakfast and lunch available at the breakfast price. We didn't do that every day, but we did go 4 or 5 times during our visit. It actually takes only about 35 minutes. The ride was fine, but it always had the usual assortment of characters. I believe that bus continues on beyond Santa Fe to a Walmart store."

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The Vegas zoo is another destination on route 106 and not very far from Texas Station.

2010-02-13T17:12:00.001-05:00

107 RIDING OUT TO AND ALONG THE BOULDER STRIP

There are two options from Downtown to get out to the Boulder Strip. You can catch the free shuttle to Sam's Town or the 107 that goes along the Boulder Highway. Here is a friend's comments on those two routes:

One rider reports taking the 107 many times and enjoying the double deckers. They even went as far as Terribles in Henderson to use some coupons.

That also means that the small Joker's Wild casino is accessible by bus from downtown. There they offer craps at the lowest limits in Vegas. A bet on the pass line for 50 cents can be backed by 10X odds. They use quarter chips to make accurate pays on small 6/8 place bets. Sometimes they also have food deals. Call before you go to see if there is a game that day.

http://www.jokerswildcasino.com/

The 201 Tropicana or 202 Flamingo also intersects 107

2010-02-11T16:58:00.012-05:00

108/109-FROM THE AIRPORT

109 - http://www.rtcsouthernnevada.com/transit/route/109/109%283-28-10%29.pdf

108 - http://www.rtcsouthernnevada.com/transit/route/108/108%283-28-10%29.pdf

June 2010: Note that the 108 no longer jogs along Las Vegas Blvd but goes out Paradise to Main. So you can't go from the airport to Circus Circus on that route with luggage.

The ACE bus will not go to the airport.
The 108 and 109 will still service the airport after the changes.
Go to ground level zero by taking the elevator that is oversized and has glass for a view of the terminal as you ride.
When you exit at ground zero, turn to the right and go all the way down.
There is a bus stop and the 108 or 109 will get you downtown from there in 45 minutes.
You can also change buses from those routes, and ride Flamingo or Tropicana buses to casinos on those streets.
If you want to do that, in most cases you want to take the 108 at the airport.
The 109 crosses those streets, but at a distance from the strip. It might be nice for going to Eastside Cannery with a transfer to the Flamingo bus. The bus frees tourists without cars from narrowing their stays to the Strip or downtown. Even Boulder Highway can be reached easily.

You can't ride the Deuce with the kind of large luggage you take when traveling on a plane. However, the new ACE will allow luggage that fits in your personal space (under seat/on lap/in front of you). That will make moving from one strip property to another more accessible if you pack light for Vegas. I pack too heavy and I am too big to have this work for me. Too bad.

From the airport I have taken the 109 twice and the 108 twice and found both easy, but my buddy took the 109, and he ended up going in the wrong direction, so ask the driver if the 109 bus goes North to downtown or South to the South Strip Transfer Terminal, or you will have to ride there and then wait for it to come back. You don't have to worry about direction using the 108.

The least crowded day from the airport is Sunday. Since that is a fine day to start a frugal Vegas adventure, and avoid the high priced weekend, it is convenient.
The 108 will also drop you downtown at that same spot you may have experienced on the Deuce just on the side of the Walgreen's. This is very safe for walking to all the downtown casinos.

The 109 will get you a bit closer to the El Cortez, but in a less tourist neighborhood. Even if I am going to the El Cortez, I prefer most times to walk from Walgreen's where a I add some juice and a few snacks to my luggage.

Walking from the current DTC is only a good idea if your casino is close to that area. California is right across the street from the DTC. Main Street Station is close too. In the Fall when the DTC changes to Bonneville, other strategies will be required.

This past August trip I walked to the Plaza once from the current DTC and once from that stop near Freemont at Walgreen's. It was hot. The most comfortable walk was the walk was to stay under the canopy as long as possible.
Note also that you may be arriving and need snacks for the room or some favorite toiletry the airport security confiscated. Walgreen's is right there where the 108 drops.

The 108 will NOT get you directly to Terribles from the airport (you'd have to walk back from Swenson or take the Flamingo bus). However, if you are staying at Terribles, a free shuttle will pick you up for free at Ground Zero in their shuttle. I use Terribles not for much gambling, but as a good, cheap location to access the strip at Flamingo or the Palms and Gold Coast as well as the cheapest egg and fruit breakfast available because their 2 for 1 coupons are good for 50% for solo travelers and half the time they give me a funbook with some free buffets.
Ground Zero is also where the Laughlin bus picks up and drops off at the airport. Is is just steps from the 108/109 stop.

http://www.rivercityshuttle.com/

Remember to consider the 24 hour pass when coming into downtown from the airport. Ask yourself if you are going to use the bus again while the pass is good. Often the pass I buy at the airport gets me out to the strip the next day, and then I buy a new pass at 2AM after long strip poker sessions. That second pass then gets me out to the strip and perhaps even back on the next day if I come home a bit earlier.

108 Downtown link to strip- changes coming

2010-02-11T11:10:00.001-05:00

From downtown the 108 will take you to Terribles where you can take the Flamingo bus to the strip. If you don't mind a walk down Flamingo to the strip, you can stop at Tuscany, or at Ellis Island to use up matchplays or grab some lunch (cheap steak and garlic beans)
Staying on the 108 beyond Flamingo will take you to the Hard Rock. I often go there, use up matchplays, check out all the guitars, and then walk the short distance back to Terribles for a cheap breakfast.
You can also take the 202 Flamingo bus to the strip or stay on to the Palms or the Gold Coast or Rio.

I have also caught the bus back downtown, but not late at night. We can catch the trip back downtown at Flamingo and Sweeney. It runs on different Flamingo intersections because it runs one way.

111 - Green Valley Ranch

2010-02-09T13:47:00.000-05:00

GREEN VALLEY RANCH

The 111 is the Pecos bus. One of the buses goes out as far as Green Valley Ranch, if you can believe it. It estimates it takes an hour to get there from Bill's with one transfer.
Friends report it is a long, long ride.

2010-02-08T10:40:00.010-05:00

116 DOWNTOWN NORTH STRIP FASHION STRIP MALL

THIS ROUTE HAS BEEN ELIMINATED.
PART OF IT IS NOW SERVICED BY THE 119, BUT THE ROUTES ARE TOO NEW FOR ME TO WRITE INTELLIGENTLY ABOUT THEM.
IF YOU RIDE THE 119, TELL ME HOW IT WAS.

117 South Point

2010-02-07T13:44:00.002-05:00

GOING TO SOUTH POINT
You can take the Deuce or any other route that goes to the SSTT (south strip transit terminal). From the terminal then take the 117 bus to South Point.

Vegas on the Bus

WElCOME

Combining free shuttles with buses

Sam's Town free shuttle update

MGM to downtown for a night visit

Downtown to the strip

Buying a 5 day pass while staying at the Gold Coast

Thoughts on the Bus compared with Car Rental

22 days of Vegas buses and a couple stories

Classic newbie question and responses

Video on finding ground zero

How and Why to get a senior ID

RTC offers disappointing new site

Latest Bus Report from Hammie

Interested in buses?

Airport to hotel

Second rich and wonderful trip report by Pluto from Scotland (using buses)

Senior Bus Pass Rates and Issues after 9-11

ddechenne

Senior Bus Passes after 9-11

Senior Bus Passes after 9-11

Laughlin bus tours

Bus needs a destination

Passes at Walgreen's

Regional Transportation Commission of Southern NevadaTransit passes are available at Albertsons, Mariana’s and Walgreens. Find the closest location in your area! http://ow.ly/54LIv

collected bus threads

Flamingo bus boilerplate

Finding Ground Zero and WAX

note on Facebook from the RTC

Open letter

What are these buses in Vegas: overview

From Scotland these folks choose the bus

May 2011 trip bus experiences

Buying reduced fare or longer time passes

Deciding to WAX or not

MOST CURRENT LINKS 2011

Posted on one board and worth saving

Getting bus from Terminal 2

INFORMATION IN POSTS OLDER THAN THIS ONE IS DATED

Future of the buses

Permission to copy parts of this blog

airport to downtown shuttle to begin in December

we are not confused alone

Bonneville Terminal is finished

Vegas driving evaluated by those who do it often

No No not the ACE or Goldline; now it is SDX

5 Day Pass reported alive and well

tnvegas gives a Mixed Review of the ACE experience

NEW TRANSIT CENTER

Interesting Ace-Deuce Review

Car rental stories- a reason to ride the bus

Why the bus and not a car rental

Fares change on August 2, 2010

Proposed fare adjustment as it affects seniors

SOUTH STRIP TRANSFER TERMINAL

Two new ACE lines approved

April 2010

seems polular so far

Some recent news reports on the new ACE

A Great First Day Review of the ACE

PDOG'S BUS DETAILS- words from a local

Gold Line as of February 2010

Bus report from "The Bucket"

Route 103- laudromat/ Arizona Charlies

106 -Texas Station/Fiesta/Sante Fe

108 Downtown link to strip- changes coming

111 - Green Valley Ranch

117 South Point

Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Transit passes are available at Albertsons, Mariana’s and Walgreens. Find the closest location in your area! http://ow.ly/54LIv