Driving From LA to Vegas

Q: What is the easiest way to move from Los Angeles to Las Vegas? Can you suggest reasonably cheap hotels between the two cities? - Kingston Ndwambi

A: It is not necessary to make the journey an overnight trip as the distance between the two cities is only around 370kms. There are plenty of options: by air, by bus or by car. All will get you to Las Vegas within a few hours, so it depends on the mode of travel you prefer and your budget. The easiest way to get there is by air. The cheapest ticket I could find was 49 US dollars return on Spirit Airlines, followed by 84 US dollars on Southwest Airlines and 174 US dollars on US Airlines. If you can't get a cheap seat, you will probably end up paying more than 300 US dollars for a return ticket on one of the major airlines. All flights are from Los Angles International Airport (LAX) to McCarran International Airport Las Vegas (LAS). To find cheap fares you can check www.cheapflights.com. There are two bus scheduled bus services. Greyhound takes about seven hours for the trip and charges 42-66 US dollars each way (www.greyhound.com). GotoBus offers tickets on various services. They have tickets on Dragon Tours from 20 US dollars one way and 40 US dollars return, with the journey taking less than five hours (www.gotobus.com). A more comfortable trip is by luxury shuttle bus, which offers movies, snacks, beverages, a reclining seat and an onboard attendant. Viator charges from 80 US dollars each way (www.viator.com). You could also rent a vehicle in Los Angeles and drive yourself to Las Vegas. Once you get out of Los Angeles, it is an easy, well-marked drive which should take you 4-5 hours. There is nothing really noteworthy along the road, but the quaint desert towns can be interesting. It may be easiest to rent your vehicle at Los Angeles International Airport, rentals start at around 40 dollars per day. (3/4/11)