The Las Vegas Monorail travels from one end of the Strip to the other in 15 minutes, stopping at seven hotels along the four-mile thoroughfare: the Sahara, the Las Vegas Hilton, Harrah's/Imperial Palace, Flamingo/Caesars Palace, Bally's and Paris Las Vegas, and the MGM Grand. The monorail's operators claim 99 percent on-time arrival.
You can purchase a single-ride ticket ($5), a one-day pass ($14) or a three-day pass ($30); prices are effective as of May 2010. Children 5 and younger ride free. Tickets can be purchased online and are valid for one year from the date of purchase.
Monorail officials call theirs an eco-friendly transit system, in a report on their website: "In 2009, the Las Vegas Monorail aided in the annual removal of an estimated 2.7 million vehicle miles from Southern Nevada's major roadways, reducing emissions by more than 48 tons of carbon monoxide (CO), volatile organic compounds (VOC) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) over the course of the year."
The Grand Canyon Tour Company offers an overnight bus and train tour from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon. The two-day tour begins with pickup at your hotel in an air-conditioned motor coach, which stops briefly at Hoover Dam and then heads to the overnight stop in in Williams, Arizona. Here, you will have a buffet lunch at the Railway Depot Cafe and then check in at the Railway Hotel.
The next day, you can watch a cowboy shoot-out show before departing for the Grand Canyon. You will make the 64-mile trip in coach cars drawn by a 1950s-vintage streamliner train. You can take an additional tour at the canyon, or simply relax and enjoy the sights on your own before departing back to Las Vegas.
The prices vary depending on the tour length, and trips require advance registration.
Located in historic Boulder City, Nevada, 20 miles outside of Las Vegas, the Nevada Southern Railway dates back to the 1930s. The railway was originally built by the Union Pacific Railroad for the Boulder Dam project. Now, visitors can step back in time and enjoy rides every weekend in open-air cars or Pullman coaches. According to the Nevada Southern Railway, the train tours are staffed with volunteers in vintage uniforms, who provide an authentic and historic experience. The train engineer and conductor visit with guests before departure, and the conductor provides narration of the sights and history along the way.
The tour is three and a half miles long, about 45 minutes round-trip, and stops at the Railroad Pass Casino before heading back. As of March 2010, ticket prices are $10 for adults and children over age 12, and $5 for children ages 4 to 11. Children 3 and younger ride free.
