Airport
McCarran International Airport
IATA Code: LASLocation: McCarran airport is located one mile (2km) south of the Las Vegas Strip.
Time: GMT ?8 (GMT ?7 from March to November).
Contacts: Tel: +1 702 261 5211.
Transfer between terminals: The two airport terminals are connected by free shuttle buses.
Transfer to the city: There are regular buses going to and from the airport, downtown Las Vegas and The Strip, dropping off at most hotels; buses 108 and 109 connect to the Downtown Transportation Center and the South Strip Transfer Terminal. Shuttle services are available on west side of the baggage claim area, outside exits 7-13. Expect to pay $12 for a round-trip. There are also taxis available outside Arrivals, but the short ride is expensive.
Taxis: There are taxis available outside Arrivals at Las Vegas McCarran Airport on the east side of baggage claim outside door exits 1-5. A taxi to the centre of Las Vegas costs around $14 with downtown fares being slightly more expensive and shuttle services run to the main strip for a cost of roughly $4 to $5. The meter starts at $1.80 when departing the airport. Taxis do not generally accept credit cards.
Car rental: Car hire companies represented at the airport include Avis, Budget, Dollar and Hertz. Rental agencies provide free transportation between their parking lots and the terminal buildings. There are more car rental companies in Las Vegas, which can be contacted by using the free telephones in Arrivals.
Facilities: Las Vegas airport has a number of shops, bars and restaurants, and of course lots of slot machines. There are ATMs, a full-service bank and currency exchange in Arrivals and Departures. Free wireless Internet connections are available for those with their own Wi-Fi enabled computers and Internet kiosks are located in the C and D Gates. There is also a Fitness Centre, children's play area, shoe-shiners and information booths. Disabled facilities are good; those with special needs should inform their airline or travel agent in advance.
Parking: There is plenty of parking around the airport. A free shuttle bus links the remote car park with the terminals.
Departure tax: None.
Website: www.mccarran.com
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Las Vegas
Set in the middle of the vast Mojave Desert, Las Vegas was created entirely to entertain and has been described as the world's largest theme park. This psychedelic city of sin is home to over a million people and welcomes 35 million more each year to its lavish hotels and casinos. Visitors today are amazed that only 70 years ago this thriving metropolis was a backwater with less than a thousand inhabitants whose only guests were railway passengers stopping off to stretch their legs on the long journey between Los Angeles and Salt Lake City.
Things started to change in March 1931 when the State of Nevada legalised gambling; one month later the City issued six licenses. Then in 1946, Mafia don Ben 'Bugsy' Siegel opened the sensationally lavish Flamingo Hilton on Highway 91. Las Vegas Boulevard was born and the city would never be the same again.
Soon stars like Elvis, Liberace and Sinatra were making the pilgrimage to what was fast becoming America's premier entertainment centre. In the early days the Mafia dominated the gambling industry but in the 1960s their influence waned and soon all the large hotels and casinos were controlled by big business.
Las Vegas has 18 out of 21 of the largest hotels in the world and walking down 'The Strip' visitors will see the skylines of New York and Paris, discover the canals of Venice and the Pyramids of Egypt and, at Treasure Island, see a full on-sea battle between a Pirate ship and a British Galleon. Despite these excesses, room rates and restaurant bills are the lowest in the western world - all subsidised by gamblers intent on a free holiday.
Although the principal draw card is still gambling, Las Vegas is now marketed as a family destination and there is no shortage of theme parks, shopping malls or golf courses. However, the vast majority of visitors come to gamble and the incredible displays are mostly designed to lure passers-by into the casinos, and once there it's hard to leave; the exits are discreetly hidden.
