Ways To Bypass the Endless Taxi Line At McCarran

March 10, 2009 at 10:15 PM | by Erika Pope | 0 Comments

As anyone who has arrived at McCarran International Airport on a Friday evening or the day before a giant convention like CES knows, the taxi lines can be frighteningly long.

There's no bigger buzz kill than arriving in Sin City only have to wait in a never-ending queue, lugging your suitcase behind you and listening to other people's annoying conversations. And we do mean that it's a buzz kill, literally, because by the time you get yourself into a cab that in-flight buzz you tied on has no doubt worn off.

That might change if the Las Vegas Monorail ever gets its rail to from the Strip to the airport built, but that�s unlikely to happen in the foreseeable future. Fortunately, in the meantime, there are other options to waiting in the endless Vegas cabbie queue.

Several companies offer shuttle service from McCarran to hotels on the Strip and downtown, and some even offer on-call limo service to whisk you away to your destination in style. Access to the shuttle and walkup limo/sedan services is located outside of the door exits 7-13 inside the west baggage claim hall.

Of course, you must share the shuttles with other riders, so you many endure several stops along the way to your hotel, but for an average of $6.50 one-way, the price is well under what you�d pay for a taxi.

Bell Trans offers the cheapest rate ($6) and gives a discount for buying a roundtrip ticket ($11), which not all the companies do. You just have to remember to call the shuttle company 24 hours before your departure time to schedule your pickup.

Walkup limo and sedan services are also available from several companies. Ambassador/Ritz and C.L.S. offer the cheapest rates for these services, starting at $55 an hour for a limo and $39 an hour for a sedan. If a limo or private car is an essential part of your transportation plan, however, of course it�s best to reserve ahead.

[Photo: PurpleTwinkie]

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