Amtrak to Vegas

[Bill]

Thinking about a ride on the Southwest chief to LA and then it looks like Greyhound comes to the station.drives to Vegas and in Vegas ya go to the Greyhound station...times look good for me...anybody taken the bus to and from Vegas..never really rode a bus much...is the bus station any where near the main strip(referece point..MGM Grand) or within 1/2 mile or so walking distance?

Thanks........

 

[spot1181]

If you mean Las Vegas, then the Southwest Chief does stop in Vegas. Las Vegas, New Mexico. No bus needed.

 

[Guest]

Thinking about a ride on the Southwest chief to LA and then it looks like Greyhound comes to the station.drives to Vegas and in Vegas ya go to the Greyhound station...times look good for me...anybody taken the bus to and from Vegas..never really rode a bus much...is the bus station any where near the main strip(referece point..MGM Grand) or within 1/2 mile or so walking distance?

Thanks........

It's doable on the train/bus connection, others here have done it! The station is downtown

in old Las Vegas, definitely not walkable but plenty of cabs and you can ride the shuttle busses also if you dont have too much luggage!

 

[zephyr17]

Thinking about a ride on the Southwest chief to LA and then it looks like Greyhound comes to the station.drives to Vegas and in Vegas ya go to the Greyhound station...times look good for me...anybody taken the bus to and from Vegas..never really rode a bus much...is the bus station any where near the main strip(referece point..MGM Grand) or within 1/2 mile or so walking distance?

Thanks........

It's doable on the train/bus connection, others here have done it! The station is downtown

in old Las Vegas, definitely not walkable but plenty of cabs and you can ride the shuttle busses also if you dont have too much luggage!

MGM Grand is on the southern end of the Strip. It is probably 6 miles from the Greyhound station, which is Downtown, right beside the Plaza hotel at the foot of Fremont St. There are city buses that will go down to the strip, but they tend to get really crowded. If you take the Deuce bus (the main bus route down the strip) I recommend you get on it at the Transit Center, not at Las Vegas Blvd & Fremont. Most people get on there, and if you get on at the Transit Center at the start of the run, you'll at least get a seat. Look up the CAT website (CAT being the LV transit system). Oh, and the Deuce stops about every 5 feet, and it'll take about an hour to get down to the MGM Grand on it.

Cab from Greyhound to the MGM Grand would run in the neighborhood of $20-25.

One other option would be to get to Anaheim on the Surfliner, then take the Lux Bus. I know that that one actually stops on the Strip, the Flamingo, I think. That is still about a mile away from the MGM Grand, which is at Tropicana.

 

[the_traveler]

You can also take the SWC to Kingman, AZ and take a shuttle van that goes to McCarran Airport. This would be closer to the Strip. (Less than 1 mile from the MGM.) The Greyhound station is located in downtown Las Vegas - which is over 5 miles from the Strip.

There are many cabs in the area, and there are many Casinos in downtown also.

 

[frugalist]

Thinking about a ride on the Southwest chief to LA and then it looks like Greyhound comes to the station.drives to Vegas and in Vegas ya go to the Greyhound station...times look good for me...anybody taken the bus to and from Vegas..never really rode a bus much...is the bus station any where near the main strip(referece point..MGM Grand) or within 1/2 mile or so walking distance?

Thanks........

The Greyhound bus station in Las Vegas, NV is in downtown Las Vegas, adjacent to the Plaza Hotel. Certainly not walking distance to the Strip. And the MGM Grand is on the far end of the Strip from Downtown. What you could do is take the CAT - Las Vegas's public transportation bus - from the Downtown Transportation Center (DTC) to the Strip. The direct bus route is called The Deuce, costs a couple of bucks and runs right down Las Vegas Blvd. It'll drop you off right across the street from the MGM. It runs 24 hours a day.

My only concern about recommending The Deuce is that it's extremely popular with the tourists and is often SRO, with people packed in like sardines. It could be a bit awkward if you were bringing some large luggage with you. If that's the case, you can take either the #108 or #109 bus, less crowded bus routes that go through more residential sections, from the DTC, then transfer at Tropicana to the westbound #201, a cross-town bus that will drop you off right at the MGM.

 

[jmbgeg]

Thinking about a ride on the Southwest chief to LA and then it looks like Greyhound comes to the station.drives to Vegas and in Vegas ya go to the Greyhound station...times look good for me...anybody taken the bus to and from Vegas..never really rode a bus much...is the bus station any where near the main strip(referece point..MGM Grand) or within 1/2 mile or so walking distance?

Thanks........

Not walking distance by any measure.

 

[GG-1]

Aloha

Another Option to get to the MGM is a walk to the Sahara Hotel from the Greyhound Station to the Sahara Hotel and take the Monorail to the MGM. the Monorail station is near the MGM check in desk. The neighborhood downtown is not the best so if late or if uncomfortable use a taxi from the bus to monorail connection. I would expect that cost about 5 dollars

 

[jmbgeg]

Thinking about a ride on the Southwest chief to LA and then it looks like Greyhound comes to the station.drives to Vegas and in Vegas ya go to the Greyhound station...times look good for me...anybody taken the bus to and from Vegas..never really rode a bus much...is the bus station any where near the main strip(referece point..MGM Grand) or within 1/2 mile or so walking distance?

Thanks........

Seriously consider Lux Bus from LA: http://www.luxbusamerica.com/bus-to-las-vegas-service.php

 

[Bill]

Thanks for the replys..this trip is not etched in stone ,the Lux Bus looks promising,I used the MGM as a reference point cause I flew in the last two times and know that hotel. I will be in LA visiting a friend..also considering taking the Starlite to Portland and then The Empire Builder back and not going to Vegas BUT the last time I tried that the UP line had the major mud slide.But last winter seemed to be brutal for the Zephyer and Builder as I will be on the road the last week of january and first two weeks of february....so a little cautious about booking a northern route back.

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the replys..this trip is not etched in stone ,the Lux Bus looks promising,I used the MGM as a reference point cause I flew in the last two times and know that hotel. I will be in LA visiting a friend..also considering taking the Starlite to Portland and then The Empire Builder back and not going to Vegas BUT the last time I tried that the UP line had the major mud slide.But last winter seemed to be brutal for the Zephyer and Builder as I will be on the road the last week of january and first two weeks of february....so a little cautious about booking a northern route back.

If it comes down to a choice between a bus to Vegas and riding two of the best trains that Amtrak runs there is no contest! You will see lots of snow if you ride the CS North and

then more on the Builder! Id book this trip soon as possible so as to get a low bucket, dont think losing a few quid in Lost wages compares to the train trip North and East! :excl:

 

[caravanman]

Hi,

One advantage of the Amtrak/Greyhound bus is that it departs right from union station, I have not tried the Lux bus myself.

When I was in Las Vegas a few months ago, they had introduced an addition to "The Deuce", called "The Ace". This is an express single decker articulated bus, which broadly follows the Deuce route, but with many fewer stops. Please check the exact route, as it isn't 100% as the Deuce, which has to be the worlds slowest bus ride!! Guinness book of records please take note!

Eddie

 

[Bill]

Many thanks for replys,decided to skip Vegas,hate buses hate flying even more. Cardinal to Chicago,Empire Builder to Portland,Coast to La to see friend and Chief back...see agent on the 30th to book..looking forward to trip already...maybe reverse...a possibility..

 

[Rob_C]

IIRC the Empire Builder guarantees good scenery in Glacier Park going eastbound (because it's the first thing in the morning you come to), but in winter you might miss it westbound. Same thing with the Coast Starlight Southbound. In Winter it was fantastic heading north, but south it was dark by Eugene (which is before the mountains). And also the Southwest Chief eastbound we missed Raton Pass in winter completely but westbound you get it in the bright morning. So I'd suggest reversing your trip direction:

SWC - Westbound

Coast Starlight - Northbound

Empire Builder - Eastbound.

Enjoy!

Rob

 

[dlagrua]

I really amazes me that a city like Las Vegas NV that bristles with tourism has no rail service. They still have a RR station but only freight trains pass it. I read a while back that a group of private entrapraneurs were planning a train into Las Vegas using existing freight trackage. It won't be like the lost Desert Wind but a link to California. I believe that this plan has little chance for success as the freight railroads don't even want Amtrak on their rails.

 

[uptheirons29]

The talk of a high speed train between Los Angeles and Las Vegas over the last few years have just been that....talk. I remember last year there was an article on something called the "X-train" that some private entrepreneur was going to build and finance with the state of California's help, but as of now it is still something non existent, like the X-Men character Mystique when she disappears.

As for that Greyhound bus from Vegas to L.A, I've ridden it twice for Amtrak related trips. The stop at LA's Union Station is definitely a plus as opposed to the final terminus at the dreaded L.A Greyhound terminal. The Vegas Greyhound station may not be a very good place to be in, but I like it simply because its location is really not bad, the downtown hotel casinos are just a short walk away, and getting to the Strip is as easy as either catching a cab, or a short under the canopy to get either the Deuce or its new brethren the ACE.

 

[AlanB]

There are two competing groups still trying to get a conventional speed train off the ground between LA & Vegas. So far as a I know there is no operating agreement between either group and UP, but I'm sure if they dangle enough money in front of UP, they'll be able to work out a deal.