How to get to Las Vegas

Arriving in Vegas by air is easier than ever these days. Harry Reid International Airport (formerly McCarran) (LAS) has expanded steadily over the years, adding a third terminal a decade ago, and has added nonstop service at record speeds in recent years, becoming the seventh largest domestic airport. It now serves 131 US cities with nonstop service and 18 international nonstops.

Since the airport is serving record numbers of flyers—over four million each month—so getting to the airport at least two hours before an international flight is crucial. But once you’re in, there’s no reason to curtail your Vegas vacation. There are more than 1,400 slot machines in the airport’s terminals. Or wind down in one of the six lounges, including a recently expanded Centurion Lounge in Terminal 1. Upstairs in Terminal 1, there’s an aviation museum with historical artifacts from aviation’s earliest days in the area. If you have a long layover, get a day pass to the ZEROlevel gym below the baggage claim area, or take a nap in ZEROlevel’s wellness center nap rooms.

Give yourself ample time to get between terminals: You can’t walk them, but the free shuttle runs between Terminals 1 and 3 every 20 minutes or so.

More and more travelers are flying semi-privately to Vegas these days—an option that doesn’t have to break the bank. Unlike typical passenger airlines like Delta or Southwest, semi-private flights like JSX fly out of the nearby FBO (fixed-base operator) terminal. You can roll right up to the terminal (and even park there), skip the security lines of the commercial airport, and hop on a 30-seat Embraer to cities along the West Coast starting at around $250 one way. Gamble enough and one of the casinos may drop you off at home in a G5, but for the rest of us, semi-private is a good option.

There’s one major artery in and out of Las Vegas: I-15. It serves a massive number of cars, especially on the well-traveled route between Las Vegas and Los Angeles. In theory, this drive should take about four hours, but people headed to Vegas for the weekend or back to LA on a Sunday afternoon know better, and driving at peak times can add hours to your trip.

Practiced Vegas roadtrippers know to start a trip mid-week, or at least before Friday. Similarly, leaving Las Vegas at the crack of dawn on Sunday has been a decent option in the past: While others are sleeping off a hangover or at a multi-hour-long brunch, you’ll be halfway to the coast. Still, others have caught on to this strategy, so if you can skip Sunday and leave on a Monday, you’ll generally have smoother sailing.

There are two ways to bypass the business part of I-15 on the border. You can take State Road 160, a two-lane road that travels past Red Rock Canyon, through Pahrump, and around to Baker where you’ll merge again with I-15. It adds about 40 miles to the trip but can eliminate at least some aggravation.

Another detour takes you 234 miles around Las Vegas and through Henderson, curving south through dry lake beds, and eventually emptying into the I-15 Barstow. It adds 77 miles to the trip. Keep in mind that cell service can be spotty on both routes, but if you want to avoid a jam, they can be good options.

In recent years, bus companies have sprung up between Los Angeles and Vegas, such as FlixBus, which offers inexpensive seats, free WiFi and power outlets on rides to Phoenix, LA, and San Diego starting around $25 for a one-way fare. You can even pay extra to travel “neighbor-free.” Travel times are longer than driving your own car, up to six hours or so, but they can be a good alt mode of transport for those who have work to do or just don’t want to be behind the wheel of a car.