Navigate the Las Vegas Strip with the help of three monorails that run between Sahara and the MGM Grand, Treasure Island and the Mirage, and Excalibur and Mandalay Bay (with a stop at the Luxor).

Mirage-Treasure Island Tram
The Mirage-Treasure Island tram runs between 9 a.m. and midnight. The tram arrives every 15 minutes at its slowest. The ride lasts about 4 minutes - add another 3-4 minutes on either end for the inefficient disembarking procedure. Attendants are nowhere in sight while passengers are waiting and their direction doesn't help much when arriving and departing passengers have to navigate the same narrow platform.

The Mirage stop of this monorail is outside but well shaded. At Treasure Island, passengers wait indoors. No smoking, food or uncovered beverages are allowed. The ride, which passes under not-very-tropical vegetation, is slow but smooth. Seating is bus-style, with long benches and a little standing room.

Las Vegas Monorail (MGM Grand to Sahara)
The Las Vegas Monorail runs from the MGM Grand to the Sahara hotel. The route has seven stations: MGM Grand, Bally's / Paris, Flamingo, Harrah's / Imperial Palace, Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas Hilton and the Sahara. The monorail is open Monday - Thursday, 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. and Friday - Sunday, 7 a.m. - 3 a.m. Rates for the monorail are $5 for one ride, $9 for two rides (shareable), $35 for 10 rides (shareable) and $9 for an unlimited one-day pass and $40 for an unlimited three-day pass. More information.

Mandalay Bay-Excalibur Tram
This monorail's route varies based on what hotel you start at. If you start at the Excalibur main station, the monorail will take you directly to Mandalay Bay - about a 3-minutes trip. If you start from Mandalay Bay, you will stop at the Luxor and then the Excalibur - about a 7-minutes trip. It is in operation 24 hours a day, and trains leave every 3-7 minutes.

All waiting areas are indoor except the Luxor's, but some walking is required to make the loop (there are stairs as well as an elevator to access the tram stop). Fortunately, everything is well air-conditioned. Small platforms and a lack of any attendants at the Mandalay Bay end mean you may have to scramble to a car when traffic is heavy, but even a holiday weekend crowd can be accommodated once the initial rush for a seat dies down.

Although it's a little more complicated to make this loop, the profusion of stations has some advantages: The Main Station is convenient to a free pull on a slot machine with a $5,000 payoff (though it gives out many more free show tickets), and the Luxor's is the only monorail stop with music for waiting passengers.