The Las Vegas monorail is a transport system that runs behind some of the hotels on the east side of the strip. It’s a single line that goes from the MGM Grand hotel in the south to the Sahara hotel in the north. It has seven stops along it’s 6.3km (3.9 miles) length.
The monorail began as a free transport system between the MGM Grand and Bally’s (now Horseshoe Las Vegas). In 2002 it was converted to the current system and extended to the Sahara hotel, via the convention centre. This extension was privately funded so when it reopened it became a paid transport system.
There have been various plans to extend the route further, including an extension to downtown and a connection to the airport. None of these have ever happened due to lack of funding. As a result the current monorail has always been a bit of a white elephant.
It’s a long walk to any of the stations from the strip (you have to walk right to the back of the hotels). Add to that it’s limited stops, fairly short route and high fares, its never taken off as sustainable transport system. You are usually better off using the buses right on the strip for convenience and much cheaper fares. See Bus travel in Vegas for more on those.
Monorail tickets prices are $5 for a single ride and $15 for a 24 hour pass (online discounts are available for 24 hour and multi day passes).
I have only used the monorail consistently during one trip in 2007. I was attending the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) as part of a work trip. It actually proved very useful as I was staying at the MGM Grand for that trip, and with the number of people in town for that event, it proved the quickest way to get to the convention centre from the hotel.
The future of the monorail is uncertain. It’s now run by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority who also support the Las Vegas Loop (the Tesla underground road tunnel system). This is also used to provide transport around and to the convention centre. The monorail trains are getting to the end of their useful lives and passenger numbers are lower than they have ever been.
The monorail is one of those Vegas things you only need to do once, just to say you’ve been on it. It’s rarely the most convenient way to get anywhere.
So if you happen to be at the back of one of the hotels that has a station, grab a ride while you can. It’s not likely it’ll be around for many more years to come.
Last visited: February 2024
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