Las Vegas experts

[Mayfriday0529]

Leaving tomorrow for Las Vegas for CES.

When you take a taxi from the airport, what route should you tell the taxi driver to take? Last two times I been taken on the long route and got charged about $30. I'm staying on one of the hotels on the strip.

 

[PepePeru]

same thing happened to me last time. he went south on Paradise through the tunnel under the runways, to 215 to 15N then exited on Flamingo.

He claimed it was cheaper this way b/c we wouldnt sit in traffic (it was around rush hour), so I took his word for it & yep, it was right at 30 bucks.

Granted he was hauling ass down the right lanes / shoulder on I-15 and I got to the hotel fast, but still....not worth 30 bucks.

 

[NuclearNed]

Taking the tunnel = you just got screwed

 

[spidey07]

Taxi should not be more than 15 bucks. Ask first if you want.

 

[LS21]

http://wikitravel.org/en/Las_Vegas

The taxi line is well organized, the city taxi dispatcher will direct you to a numbered space along the curb. You need not tip the taxi dispatcher. As in any city, you can be taken advantage of if the cab driver thinks you are naive or new to the city. Do not allow the cab driver to take you through the I-15 tunnel (an extra $10) or tell you the story about the "big accident" enroute to your hotel, if either of these happens take down the driver's hack license number and call the Nevada Taxi Cab Authority.

 

[Mayfriday0529]

Originally posted by: G Wizard
same thing happened to me last time. he went south on Paradise through the tunnel under the runways, to 215 to 15N then exited on Flamingo.

He claimed it was cheaper this way b/c we wouldnt sit in traffic (it was around rush hour), so I took his word for it & yep, it was right at 30 bucks.

Granted he was hauling ass down the right lanes / shoulder on I-15 and I got to the hotel fast, but still....not worth 30 bucks.

yeah that sounds familiar and he was also driving really fast.

 

[Mayfriday0529]

Originally posted by: LS21
http://wikitravel.org/en/Las_Vegas

The taxi line is well organized, the city taxi dispatcher will direct you to a numbered space along the curb. You need not tip the taxi dispatcher. As in any city, you can be taken advantage of if the cab driver thinks you are naive or new to the city. Do not allow the cab driver to take you through the I-15 tunnel (an extra $10) or tell you the story about the "big accident" enroute to your hotel, if either of these happens take down the driver's hack license number and call the Nevada Taxi Cab Authority.

So just say, don't take I-15 and he should understand.

 

[PepePeru]

Originally posted by: LS21
http://wikitravel.org/en/Las_Vegas

The taxi line is well organized, the city taxi dispatcher will direct you to a numbered space along the curb. You need not tip the taxi dispatcher. As in any city, you can be taken advantage of if the cab driver thinks you are naive or new to the city. Do not allow the cab driver to take you through the I-15 tunnel (an extra $10) or tell you the story about the "big accident" enroute to your hotel, if either of these happens take down the driver's hack license number and call the Nevada Taxi Cab Authority.

i will keep that in mind next time.
i'd been to LV 4-5 times and i made the comment about 'never going this way' or 'where are you going?'

Like I said, I took his word for it. Chalk it up to a lesson learned, I guess.

 

[MikeyIs4Dcats]

IIRC doesn't Vegas set the far from the airport to the strip at a fixed rate?

 

[NuclearNed]

Originally posted by: Jnetty99

Originally posted by: LS21
http://wikitravel.org/en/Las_Vegas

The taxi line is well organized, the city taxi dispatcher will direct you to a numbered space along the curb. You need not tip the taxi dispatcher. As in any city, you can be taken advantage of if the cab driver thinks you are naive or new to the city. Do not allow the cab driver to take you through the I-15 tunnel (an extra $10) or tell you the story about the "big accident" enroute to your hotel, if either of these happens take down the driver's hack license number and call the Nevada Taxi Cab Authority.

So just say, don't take I-15 and he should understand.

My experience is that you will have to argue with the driver in most cases. They know that taking the tunnel (i.e. the interstate) = more miles = more $ for them. Granted, the strip is always insanely busy, so if you convince him to drive that route, you will be in the cab longer....

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: MikeyIs4Dcats
IIRC doesn't Vegas set the far from the airport to the strip at a fixed rate?

No. But there is like an extra buck or two airport fee tacked on. If it costs more than 15 bucks to the strip something is wrong.

 

[Mayfriday0529]

Originally posted by: NuclearNed

Originally posted by: Jnetty99

Originally posted by: LS21
http://wikitravel.org/en/Las_Vegas

The taxi line is well organized, the city taxi dispatcher will direct you to a numbered space along the curb. You need not tip the taxi dispatcher. As in any city, you can be taken advantage of if the cab driver thinks you are naive or new to the city. Do not allow the cab driver to take you through the I-15 tunnel (an extra $10) or tell you the story about the "big accident" enroute to your hotel, if either of these happens take down the driver's hack license number and call the Nevada Taxi Cab Authority.

So just say, don't take I-15 and he should understand.

My experience is that you will have to argue with the driver in most cases. They know that taking the tunnel (i.e. the interstate) = more miles = more $ for them. Granted, the strip is always insanely busy, so if you convince him to drive that route, you will be in the cab longer....

Its not a huge deal since i get the money back since its work related. But in the last two years the bellhop at the hotel looks at the meter and tells me that he took the long route.

 

[Dr. Detroit]

Skip the taxi & take the $6 hotel shuttle bus.


If you are so damned concerend with saving $15 you must be really cheap so I would advise the above.

 

[HardcoreRobot]

take the shuttle to southpoint, from there you can take their shuttle to mandalay, from there hop on the tram as far north as excalibur. if you need to go further up, walk thru NY NY, hop on tram at Monte Cristo and take it to Bellagio. from there you have to hoof it though.

 

[Mayfriday0529]

Originally posted by: Fmr12B
Skip the taxi & take the $6 hotel shuttle bus.


If you are so damned concerend with saving $15 you must be really cheap so I would advise the above.

nah, just trying to save my company some money i guess.

 

[Mayfriday0529]

Originally posted by: HardcoreRobot
take the shuttle to southpoint, from there you can take their shuttle to mandalay, from there hop on the tram as far north as excalibur. if you need to go further up, walk thru NY NY, hop on tram at Monte Cristo and take it to Bellagio. from there you have to hoof it though.

ha ha, that probably would take a while.

 

[PepePeru]

Originally posted by: Fmr12B
Skip the taxi & take the $6 hotel shuttle bus.


If you are so damned concerend with saving $15 you must be really cheap so I would advise the above.

i must have forgot gladly paying a 100% markup = "really cheap"

that's 15.00 that I could have used on 3 more hands of paigow instead of lining a cabbies pockets.

 

[darkxshade]

so this $30 for the long route, is that including tip?

 

[blurredvision]

Originally posted by: Jnetty99

Originally posted by: HardcoreRobot
take the shuttle to southpoint, from there you can take their shuttle to mandalay, from there hop on the tram as far north as excalibur. if you need to go further up, walk thru NY NY, hop on tram at Monte Cristo and take it to Bellagio. from there you have to hoof it though.

ha ha, that probably would take a while.

Yep, especially if you are headed to the Bellagio or something, and you have luggage.

My cab ride from the airport to the Luxor cost me around $13 when I went to Vegas a couple of years ago.

 

[biggestmuff]

Originally posted by: HardcoreRobot
take the shuttle to southpoint, from there you can take their shuttle to mandalay, from there hop on the tram as far north as excalibur. if you need to go further up, walk thru NY NY, hop on tram at Monte Cristo and take it to Bellagio. from there you have to hoof it though.

Yeah, that is so much easier with a wife and luggage!

 

[OCGuy]

If you ask for a hand release, the ride can end up costing more like $60.

 

[hanoverphist]

Originally posted by: Fmr12B
Skip the taxi & take the $6 hotel shuttle bus.


If you are so damned concerend with saving $15 you must be really cheap so I would advise the above.

i do this, but usually due to me hating taxi rides.

 

[Savarak]

taking a taxi is only worth it if you have 2 or more people with you... otherwise just take the bus/shuttle

 

[thegimp03]

Usually when I'm out there waiting in the taxi line in Vegas, I'm so excited to get to the strip that I don't care what route we take, just as long as it's the fastest one.

 

[Mayfriday0529]

Originally posted by: darkxshade
so this $30 for the long route, is that including tip?

no tip included yet. I think i paid $36 last year.