From: Janet in Tampa, Florida
Question: Ok - I've read about the terrible traffic problems in Las Vegas however thanks to your forum I've elected to rent a car - now tell me the shortcuts.
Answer: Thank you for taking my advice and renting a car. Despite the awful traffic I still say it will offer you more freedom to see everything at a cheaper cost than cabs.
My favorite shortcut is Industrial Road/Dean Martin Drive, a lightly-traveled four-lane road that runs from Tropicana at the South (about 1/2 mile west of The Strip) all the way up to Sahara at the North (about a block from The Strip to the west). There is access to all the major cross streets like Flamingo, Spring Mountain, and more.
Frank Sinatra Drive opened in 2004 and starts at Interstate 15 near Russell Rd. (by Mandalay Bay). It runs from there north behind (with access to) Luxor, Excalibur, New York-New York, Monte Carlo, and Bellagio.
Paradise Road, just east of The Strip, is busy but no where near as busy as The Strip itself. It also runs from Tropicana up to Sahara with access to all the major east-west streets.
Spring Mountain/Sands/Twain are the names given to the same road that runs east and west near Treasure Island & The Venetian. Much less busy than nearby Flamingo Rd.
The Desert Inn Arterial is just north of Spring Mountain and travels under The Strip so you can avoid that mess altogether.
When you get to the rental car counter, ask for a map and have them point these roads out to you.
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Question: What are the best shortcuts in and out of the hotels?
Answer: For those of you who don't know, traffic on The Strip has gotten to the point where gridlock would be an improvement. Going a block or two can take 10 minutes or longer and although driving offers you a lot of freedom in Vegas it can also eat up a lot of time.
Not every hotel has a "secret" back way in, but these are the ones we know about and use often to avoid the traffic on The Strip. In every case it will save you time, especially if the lights are in your favor.
Mandalay Bay, Luxor, and Excalibur, New York-New York, Monte Carlo, and Bellagio - Frank Sinatra Drive runs behind all of these hotels and allows "back door" entrance to their parking garages. You can access Frank Sinatra from the freeway or by turning into the Mandalay Bay resort area from Russell Road and heading through a parking area back toward Interstate 15.
Mirage and Treasure Island - Get off the I-15 Freeway at Spring Mountain and you'll see a back entrance between the Treasure Island hotel building and the parking garage at a stoplight. Follow this around and it will lead you to The Mirage parking as well. If you're coming from the other side of The Strip, take Sands across - that turns into Spring Mountain and you can follow the above instructions.
Imperial Palace and Flamingo - Just east off of The Strip off of Flamingo is a little road called Audrie Street. This will take you to the back entrances of the Flamingo Las Vegas and Imperial Palace.
Harrah's and The Venetian - Koval Road runs from Sands (near the Sands Convention Center) all the way down to the MGM Grand. Just south of Sands Blvd. is a street (at a stoplight) that will lead you into Harrah's and The Venetian.
Stardust and Circus Circus - Both of these hotels have entrances at the back off of Industrial Road, the major north/south street that runs parallel to the I-15 freeway.
Stratosphere - This is a tricky one but it will save you a ton of time. Head east from the I-15 freeway and get in the left hand lane as if you're going to turn left onto The Strip. But before you get there you'll see a little break in the median for left turns into the businesses located on the north side of Sahara. Make a u-turn here (it's legal) and head back west on Sahara to the first street you come to, which is Tam Drive. Turn right on Tam and take that over a few blocks to Baltimore and turn right again. This will lead you to the back entrance of Stratosphere where the valet parking and garages are located. If making that u-turn overwhelms you too much, you can turn right off of Sahara onto South Bridge Lane, turn right again on Industrial, right once more on North Bridge Lane, and then left on Tam.
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Question: Is parking difficult to find in Vegas?
Answer: Valet and self-parking at all major Strip hotels is totally free and ample although some of the valets fill up on weekends and late in the evenings. All it will cost you (for valet) is a $1-2 tip when you retrieve your car.
Most of the major downtown hotels have parking garages that charge a nominal fee ($1.00 an hour). However, most of those hotels also offer validation in the casinos so take your ticket with you to the main cashier cage if you want to save a couple of bucks.
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