new Drop off for Gold Coast free shuttle

Now dropping at the Linq.  That should be much better than that confusing Caesar's drop off.

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

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

Few changes

I only get to Vegas once a year now.
However, I can see very few changes on the lines I frequent.

Fares seem to be holding steady.

It does seem that by November there may be more frequent buses along Tropicana and Flamingo.


http://www.rtcsnv.com/transit/november-6-2016-service-changes/http://www.rtcsnv.com/transit/november-6-2016-service-changes/

Reduced Fare for Veterans

Veterans can now get 50% fare with ID card issued by RTC

http://www.rtcsnv.com/transit/fare-information/veterans-reduced-fare-program/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social%20Post&utm_campaign=Veterans%20Pass

Just let's review the advantages

Many Vegas visitors have an overcrowded experience on Vegas strip buses, so they give up the idea of bus riding.
Simply planning routes that use residential buses as much as possible, or free shuttles with residential routes eliminates the overcrowding and lowers the expense.
Just a couple examples:
Going from downtown to Mandalay Bay is a long journey even on the SDX bus.
A good alternative is to catch the WAX at Binions and ride to Tropicana. Then cross the street and take the free shuttle from Excalibur to Mandalay Bay.

Going from Palace Station (where maybe you have free nights from MyVegas) to stay downtown for a couple nights seems a challenge that includes bus stops that feel less than comfortable with luggage.
A good alternative is to take the free shuttle Palace Station offers to the airport and then board the WAX for a quick ride downtown.  It might take a bit longer or seem like you are backtracking, but it might be more comfortable and eliminate luggage on strip bus.
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The bus is less likely to cause injury.  Some statistics suggest that the chances of being killed in an accident on a bus are 40 times less likely.  Certainly you will find that you are less affected by locals with road rage, tired or drunk tourists doing erratic things, or wild kids racing down streets.  It also protects you from your own exhaustion or over consumption of free alcohol. 

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There is no tipping on buses.  Fees are reasonable.  If you know how to buy a 15 day pass, fees are low.

Buses are particularly frugal for solo travelers or those over 60 who pay half price on residential buses and may buy passes that bring the cost of unlimited rides down to about a dollar a day. 

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If you want to do a coupon run to try an offstrip buffet or use a matchplay,  already having a bus pass makes the trip in one sense free and adds to the value of hopping about for frugal deals.
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With a smart phone you can read bus schedules or actually check to see exactly when the next bus will arrive at a stop.
***************************************************************
Buses can get you to out of the way, fun places that most tourists miss.  Perhaps you'd like to see the cactus gardens or the art museum on the University of Nevada campus.  Perhaps you'd like to scope out some off strip eatery with good reviews and prices well below those on the strip.  Perhaps you'd like to skip gambling one day and play old pinball machines.

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Buses allow some very interesting day adventures.  For example, you can start downtown and go our Boulder to play around at Sam's town.  Then take the 202 to the Gold Coast.  Then take their free shuttle to the Orleans.  Then take the 201 to the NYNY area of the strip.  An finally you can head back to downtown on the SDX.
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Buses are a way to meet people.  Strike up a conversation and ask a few questions and you may gather some incredible stories.

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Buses make a smaller carbon footprint.

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The savings in gasoline alone make buses a frugal choice.
 

Reasons for traveling by bus over airlines

Some of these do not fit Vegas.  But they do give us something to think about.

http://elitedaily.com/travel/10-reasons-travel-bus/1066966/

Going from downtown to the Orleans

The fastest route is to take the WAX from in front of Binions and then catch the 201 Tropicana bus to the Orleans.
This is my preferred route, especially when the strip is full of traffic. I'd add that if you buy the 24 hour pass for $5 it would also get you back from the Orleans but the last WAX is at 11:36 from in front of NYNY and the WAX runs about once an hour.

http://www.rtcsnv.com/wp-content/upl...014/09/WAX.pdf

 You could go completely free by heading to Sam's Town first, but it would be a very long trip. However, it can be done, and if you want to spend some time at Sam's Town on the way, it might be a good route. 
Here are two ways that might go:

Free Shuttle from downtown to Sam's Town.
Free shuttle from Sam's Town to Harrah's
Free shuttle from Harrah's to the Rio
Walk across the street to the Gold Coast
Free shuttle to the Orleans

Or, walk from Harrah's to Caesar's and get the free shuttle from there to the Orleans

This would take at least three times longer than the WAX and 201 trip and be much harder to coordinate because you'd have to have the various free shuttle schedules and meet them. I'd expect a wait at some point in that trip.

All that being said, it depends too on what you want the day to be like. For example, If you are heading to the Orleans for say, Young at Heart daytime benefits, then the WAX 201 is your itinerary.
 If, however, you would like to get an early shuttle to Sam's Town so as to make the 10 am cheap poker tournament (about $25) or spend a few hours playing full pay nickel VP at Sam's Town, or on a Sunday see the free Toast of the Town show, and then take the Sam's Shuttle to see a Mac King Show (about $15 with the American Casino Guide Coupon) followed with a visit to the Rio or Gold Coast buffet(free at Gold Coast using American Casino Guide coupon and playing for just 250 points) and a walk across Flamingo for the American Casino Guide $10 free play for new signups at the Palms, then the long free shuttle route might enable you to have an incredibly frugal adventure.
 And actually, now that Orleans Young at Heart offers have been extended into the evening, on a Wednesday you could get a free meal there and if the Nite Kings were performing get in a fine early evening of dancing for the price of a cheap drink, and still make the WAX connection at 11:36.

http://static.boydgaming.net/samstow...le-Mar2014.pdf

If you are heading back downtown after the last WAX bus from the Orleans, and you have a $5 residential pass, technically you are not supposed to ride the Deuce unless you are a local.
So, you can make another gamble if you like. Take the 201 from the Orleans to the strip and catch the Deuce (probably the SDX is not running, but don't take that one because inspectors might board it) You will know I your residential pass works right after you swipe it next to the driver. If you are not asked for a local ID, then you won't be for the entire journey back downtown.

Also, one other note. I have not picked up the free shuttle at the new location in Caesar's Forum Shop area, but I have not read of anyone who did pick it up there and liked it. It is very user Unfriendly.
Unless, of course, you were looking forward to walking around the Forum Shops at Caesar's or hiking to find the free aquarium. Then the inconvenience becomes again an enabling bit of the journey.

Riding the bus with luggage

I work to avoid luggage on strip buses. They are allowed, but it can get annoyingly uncomfortable. But I always seem to have to make at least one trip with luggage on strip buses.
Then I pick the Deuce over the SDX. It is very difficult to exit the SDX with luggage at crowded times because the folks are entering as you are trying to exit. I prefer to work my way with my large suitcase to the Deuce seats facing the exit door. Next to those seats will usually be a space where the suitcase can be slipped, and exiting will be much easier with the exit door just steps away and no incoming traffic. Usually the only annoying part left is the guy who stands in that exit (against the rules) and does not budge or pay mind to me.
Since I stay downtown and at offstrip places for the most part, the WAX is common luggage carrier.
Last trip I went from Monte Carlo to Mandalay Bay and back on MyVegas and used the shuttle at Excalibur. That was very easy.
The Gold Coast shuttle will take luggage to the Orleans and I'll do that probably on my next trip.
I'm also going to try a few days at Palace Station next trip and to avoid the strip buses I'll use their free shuttle to the airport and then get the WAX to downtown.
If I get one Monte Carlo night with MyVegas I'll try to access that without going on the strip, getting there on the WAX whenever possible. I probably will go from the Palace Station to Monte Carlo by taking the free airport shuttle and then the WAX to Tropicana and rolling down from there. Or if I go from the Gold Coast, I'll use their shuttle to the Orleans and then the 201 bus to the strip.
Now, I have the largest and heaviest suitcase in Vegas. I take the largest allowed on the plane and pack it to 50 lbs. When I arrive at the airport for ease on buses fill it with my carryon luggage, or sometimes I have a second suitcase to ship that is soft and will fit in the large suitcase. It makes it very heavy and awkward on buses. I need to do that because I go for 20 plus days and use a sleep apnea machine. For most travelers, with a normal airplane suitcase, the bus travel would be a good bit easier and if you can lift the bag over your head when exiting the SDX, then the inward flow is not so much of a problem. I do find that having just one bag, even though it is big, is a great benefit over trying two small bags or things strapped over my shoulder.

Bus alternatives limo and cab

http://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/showthread.php?117578-VIP-Limo-any-reports-good-or-bad


Here is a chart that estimates cab fares.  I don't think the estimates include tip.
http://www.taxifarefinder.com/
 

Cell phone and the bus

I just got a new cell phone.  Here is a thread to identify a way to use it to track the bus.

http://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/showthread.php?118764-RTC-apps-What-is-the-best&p=1110518#post1110518

Gold Coast Shuttle changes drop locations/ 202 review

The Gold Coast/ Orleans shuttle now stops in the Forum Shop area of Caesar's and not way down Flamingo near Ellis Island.  This is good news for some, but bad news for others, especially those who liked going to Ellis Island from the Gold Coast.

Sooooo  it seems to me we need to update on the 202 bus that goes down Flamingo.  Here is an excellent discussion board post on that topic.  This bit is from poster Raisengoo:

The 202 Eastbound stops almost in front of the Palms, but just a little bit east. It's only maybe a 2-3 minute walk from their front entrance.

The 202 Westbound stops multiple places in this area, including exactly in front of the Gold Coast. Don't be tempted to get off when it reaches the Rio. Stay on and the very next stop is the Gold Coast.

May I suggest visiting maps.google.com and putting in "Palms Casino, Las Vegas"-- doing this will show you the bus stops (little blue icons with a bus) on both sides of the street. A picture is worth a thousands words.

The 202 is considered a residential route. One-way trip is $2. A two hour pass is $3. A 24 hour pass is $5. Passes are good on all RTC bus routes.

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A more detailed discussion is here:

http://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/showthread.php?118769-202-bus-question-for-Dewey-or-other-knowledgeable-bus-rider&p=1108874#post1108874

 

New Year's Eve Detours

http://www.rtcsnv.com/transit/new-years-eve-transit-information/#.VJsx08AAA

BUS BITS FROM THE OCT/NOV 2014 TRIP

On one board Keno 60 posted about using the Walgreen's on Decatur and Tropicana, just a short walk from the Orleans to buy bus passes. This worked just great. The Walgreen's is 24 hours so I could go up very early at 5 AM when I could not sleep and had nothing much else to do.

I thought the walk was very safe and easy.

There were some pretty girls working the street, but they are not aggressive or much of a bother.

Walgreen's said that they don't run out of the 15 and 30 day passes with senior discount there, so we can count on them.

While I was there I picked up some snacks and a large gallon of water that cost just 99 cents as opposed to the small bottles for $2.25 for sale at the Orleans.

Along the way I noticed a Bank of America that would be a handy place for me to get more gambling money were I to run short.

Also, if I wanted some food outside the casino that great Irish Pub McMullen's is open 24 hours and there is a Jack in the Box not far from the Walgreen's.

What this does for me is make the Orleans an easy place to start my trips. In the past, the desire to buy a 30 day bus pass had me leaning toward starting my trip downtown. This time I followed up two nights at the Orleans with 5 nights on the strip, some of them one nighters, and I wanted to do that at the beginning of the trip when I was not so tired out that the check in/check out took away from the fun of the strip hotels. I'd do that again.

However to get the Orleans I decided to try getting off the WAX at the Koval stop. The idea was that I could manage a better choice of seats if I did not wait for the NYNY stop and possible crowds.

That was a mistake.

Hovering around that Koval stop are a half dozen homeless guys asking for money. They did not seem particularly troublesome, but after 5 hours on the plane I really don't want to hear sad luck stories from a guy with a beer can in a paper sack.

I talked to another regular rider who said they were harmless but always in that area.

So, next trip I'll go back to the NYNY stop which is less isolated from other riders, patrolled more often by security, and more comfortable for an old guy with a huge suitcase.

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

I fully intended not to be out of downtown on Halloween night, but there I was on the BHX with some costumes. There was a route change, but from what the driver said I could not figure it out. This particular driver is a character. At one point he noticed the next bus directly behind him and he was hoping that no one would need to get off so that he could just sail on downtown.

I got off too early, well North of the Downtowner, but I did not really understand where he might go due to the festival. It was early evening and there were plenty of folks out on the street, so I was comfortable.

I expect that he did go all the way to just opposite the El Cortez as I saw the bus continue straight. There was just no asking. Folks were in a party mood and he was into other issues than helping me exit properly.

I did note that the place to catch the BHX is just before the Mob Museum and in the rear of the Downtown Grand. This is a temporary stop, so I can't tell if it will be there for long, but it is worth walking over to see.

Today, without knowing the exact temporary stop, I hopped on the DVX at Binions and transferred at the BTC, but that cost me time. From what I figured, I actually might have caught an earlier bus had I gone to the stop.

I had had such a run around last year when the temporary stops were not well marked, that I wanted the safe route, That might make me a bit late for the tournament, but I would not be wandering all over downtown checking for the stops and getting bad advice from folks who only knew the old stops. Nor would I be walking all the way out to the Western only to perhaps find that stop closed as it is for the Life is Beautiful Festival. That Binions stop is very convenient for just taking any bus that come, getting off at the BTC and then finding whatever bus is desired.

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

Since I often write about buses as if I know what I am going, I think it only fair to share my bus errors from this trip.

Sometimes in life I just don't know what I am going. And it happens sometimes on the Vegas bus.

The first happened right on the WAX. I could not decide whether to just pay a dollar to get to NYNY and then a dollar to get to the Orleans or to buy a 24 hour pass.

When I finally decided, I did not have the correct change, so I bought a 24 hour pass (which as it turned out I did not need) and paid $3 for it, rather than the senior rate of $2.50.

The second was even more stupid. I got confused as to the position of the Palace Station compared to the Boulder Highway. I had two football squares and had decided to go from the Palace Station to Eastside Cannery and play during the football game.

I got on the Sahara Express going the wrong way.

I was way out West before I really woke up to the fact.

And by then I was going to be late for the Poker game.

So, instead I got on the bus going East and the bus driver helped me get to my second choice, the Italian Club presentation of Kelly Holmes (Clint's wife). This mistake ended up giving me the best show I saw in Vegas this trip

 

The third mistake was to board the WAX on my way up to play my freeroll at Monte Carlo. There was a couple there who owned a condo in downtown, but never gambled. They asked me a pile of questions, curious about how I made gambling a frugal occupation. I got so absorbed in answering I missed my Tropican stop and the first thing I knew I was at the airport. Luckily, there was another WAX just arriving to take me back to the NYNY. I lost about 15 minutes, but perhaps less since I ended up on the correct side of the strip for Monte Carlo.

The fourth mistake was to take my son to catch the SDX and forget to get him to buy his ticket until the bus was on its way. Then we approached the machine and I asked the worker there, a very friendly fellow, to help him get a 24 hour $7 pass before the bus arrived. Well, in the confusion he ended up with two passes on his charge card and we missed that bus anyway. I tried to resell it, but when the next SDX came I just gave it to the worker and he passed it on to some needy person. I did not need a pass as I had the 30 day pass already.

MY COMPLETE TRIP REPORT SNIPPETS ARE PUBLISHED HERE:

http://vegasbirthdaybash.blogspot.com/

Bits of the trip are organized by topic and labeled TR Snippet.  Ignore dates.  However, it won't all load at first, so when finished with the first batch,  look for the Prompt "older posts" at the bottom right hand corner of the page and that will take you to page 2 and so on.


 

 

Residential Passes explained

If you purchase a $5 -  24 hour ticket on a residential bus like the WAX or CX bus, it is a "residential" ticket. Technically, it is not good on the SDX or Deuce unless you have local ID. However, it is perfectly fine for all other buses.
Whether any tourists are ever asked for local ID is open to debate on most tourist discussion boards.  This trip a lawyer type told me they could not do anything because it was illegal and a bus employee told me that no bus driver would ask for a local ID and that the Senior photo ID would be plenty even on the SDX to satisfy checkers.

If you pay $2, that is just good for one ride on the residential bus you boarded. It will cost you $2 on the next ride on that bus or on another residential bus.
If you pay $3, you can board any residential bus within 2 hours of the time you buy the pass. So, for example, folks going one way from the airport to the Orleans sometimes opt for the $3 pass because the WAX ride is just a few minutes, and the 202 can easily be boarded within the 2 hour period.

Seniors with ID pay half price for all residential rides and passes (photo ID available at the BTC for those over 60.  Medicare card also good for proof)  There is no senior discount for strip bus passes if you buy them from a Deuce operator or from a machine.  It makes a huge difference.  A 15 day reduced fare price is just $17.  Just a 3 day pass on strip buses bought on the strip is $20.


Here is a chart showing fares for Residential routes. 15/30 day passes cannot be purchased from most machines or from the drivers. BTC is a good spot. Walgreen's downtown is another. There are other vendors located around Vegas, but not convenient to tourists (on purpose)

Here is the chart from the RTC site:

Residential Route Passes:

These passes include access to all RTC Residential Routes. Single Ride, 2-Hour and 24-Hour Passes can be purchased on-board vehicles. 15-Day and 30-Day Passes can be purchased in person at the Bonneville Transit Center, South Strip Transfer Terminal (SSTT), RTC Administration Building, and vendor locations throughout town. 30-Day Passes can also be purchased online.

Single $2
Reduced Fare
$1

2-Hour $3
Reduced Fare
$1.50

24-Hour $5
Reduced Fare
$2.50

15-Day $34
Reduced Fare
$17

30-Day $65
Reduced Fare
$32.50

Taxi fares

So the WAX costs me $1 and there is no need to tip.
Young folks would have to pay $2

A more complicated two bus route to strip or off strip casinos would double those costs and certainly add inconvenience.

Here are the comparable taxi rates on average and BEFORE  tip.
The difference is what the convenience costs.

http://taxi.nv.gov/uploadedFiles/taxinvgov/content/Rider_Info/46x132T1ApproxFares.pdf

Here is a way to estimate other trips in Vegas and other countries:

http://www.taxifarefinder.com/

 

 

Downtown details

Here is an interesting thread answering a particular question on using the bus over a 4 day Vegas visit.

http://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/showthread.php?109072-Where-to-catch-the-SDX-Express-from-4Queens&p=989025#post989025

Passes available at Maryland and Flamingo by machine

Keno advises

  am not sure you have this on your blog? Hope it helps! At the Maryland and Flamingo bus stop the machine sells 1 ride-$2-RD$1 ; 2HR $3-RD$1.50 ; 24 hour-$5 ; RD $2.50

RD is the reduced fare paid by seniors, youngsters, and some others.

Of course, we can also buy these on the bus directly from the driver.

August bus riding

Once on the bus, it should be fairly comfortable.  The problem is waiting in the heat for the buses.  Plan as much as possible to be at the stop close to the time the bus arrives.  Also, switching buses in places with some AC is better than standing out in exposed areas under the brutal sun.
August is not the best month for using the bus to get around Vegas.  I don't go much in August anymore, but if I did I would plan on being in a casino during the heat of the day and only walking or taking the bus long after the sun had set. 
If you are in the heat waiting for the bus, drink plenty of water even if you are not thirsty.  Carry and drink water all the time.  Order a free drink with a free water.  Buy it when you need it.  Dehydration is not joke and it sneaks up on people.

Late Arrival and bus to downtown

Here is a pretty good discussion of the issues and the options

http://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/showthread.php?109112-Late-arrival-into-Vegas-and-need-to-get-Downtown
 

115-212-117 Going to Southpoint

I've been playing with this trip in mind.
Perhaps it is silly to be on Boulder and decide to go so far.
However, I have been reading quite a bit about how nice the Sunset buffet tastes.  Station buffet prices are very low right now.  So I could head out to Sunset Station, have a meal, hang out a bit, and then head to SSTT on the 212, connect to the 117 and go on up to Sunset Station.

However, only some of the 115 go to Sunset Station, so that might be confusing.

How and why to validate a pass for the SDX

A board friend, Dave, says it much better than I can:

When you buy your ticket at the machine, there's a separate slot you insert the ticket in to validate it, which in effect "starts the clock" on your 3 day/15 day pass. I was the one who explained about validating right on the SDX bus, since the validation part of the TVM next to Binion's was not working. There's a ticket validator near the middle door of the SDX, which is what I used.

As far as security not checking the validity of your pass, that's likely not normal. When we have been asked to show our passes, the security officer has asked that the date/time side be visible to them. Many people get to ride the SDX for free when the monitors are not aboard, just hopping off when they see one coming on at a stop. We don't bother trying, since the expense for buying the 15 day pass is about the cost of one decent-length cab ride ($34). If you are staying more than 4 days, the 15-day pass often is the better deal.

Thanks Dave.