okay so honestly i literally just got back from las vegas and man harry reid international airport is just something else but im not even gonna talk about landing im gonna talk about getting there for your flight out because thats a whole different beast and its something you really gotta think about beforehand especially if youve been living it up and are probably tired or maybe a little hungover and really just want to get home without any extra drama or stress you know what i mean and i swear vegas traffic is like a wild card sometimes its smooth sailing but then out of nowhere youre stuck in gridlock and your flight is ticking away so basically planning how you get to the airport is not something to just wing it on the morning of your departure day i mean honestly ive made that mistake once and it was not pretty and i almost missed my flight and it was just a nightmare and i dont want anyone else to go through that kind of panic attack before they even step foot in the terminal and then have to deal with the long security lines and all that jazz.
My Go-To Transportation Picks
so for me its basically always a toss-up between a shuttle or an uber or lyft because a taxi is just an uber with extra steps and usually more expensive without the convenience of just hitting a button on your phone and waiting and its also super easy to just walk out grab your bags and get into whatever car you booked its really just a matter of what kind of trip youve had and what your budget looks like at that exact moment because sometimes you dont really care about the money and sometimes youre pinching pennies after losing it all at the tables you know and the public transport option honestly forget about it unless youre literally just traveling with a backpack and have hours to spare and dont mind making multiple transfers and maybe even walking a bit which after a vegas trip is probably the last thing anyone wants to do so we are talking about shuttles versus ride-shares basically.
Is it worth the extra cash?
this is the million-dollar question or really like the twenty-dollar question when you consider the price difference between a shuttle and an uber and my honest take is that it really just depends on your specific situation and how much you value your time and comfort because a shuttle is definitely cheaper and if you book it ahead of time its pretty straightforward but you have to understand youre basically signing up for a city tour before you even get to the airport and they stop at like a dozen different hotels and its just not the fastest way to get there at all and sometimes you have to wait a really long time for the shuttle to even show up at your hotel so if youre cutting it close or you just hate waiting around its probably not the best choice even though it saves you a few bucks but an uber or lyft is direct door-to-door service and its usually pretty quick unless theres some crazy surge pricing or unexpected traffic and you can just relax and know youre going straight there without any detours and its totally worth it sometimes.
- if youre traveling solo with just a small carry-on bag or a backpack and you dont have a super tight flight schedule and your hotel is one of the first stops on the shuttle route then honestly the shuttle is perfectly fine and you save some cash.
- if you have one medium-sized suitcase and maybe a personal item and youre not in a huge rush but also dont want to spend an extra hour driving around the strip then the shuttle can still work but youre starting to lean towards the uber being a more appealing option for the convenience factor.
- when youre hauling two or more large suitcases and a few carry-ons or youve got specialty gear like golf clubs or a musical instrument or literally just a ton of shopping bags from your vegas spree then ditch the shuttle immediately because trying to wrangle all that stuff on and off a crowded shuttle is just asking for trouble and a huge headache and an uber is basically essential for your sanity.
- if youre traveling with a group of say three or four people and you collectively have more than three or four large bags then splitting an uber xl or even two regular ubers might actually end up being almost as cost-effective as buying four individual shuttle tickets and you get way more comfort and speed.
- finally if you just dont care about the extra cost and you want to be comfortable and efficient and get to the airport as quickly as possible without any fuss or multiple stops then just suck it up and get the uber even if you only have a fanny pack because your peace of mind is totally worth the extra twenty or thirty bucks.