Las Vegas Grand Prix ⋅ Travel
Plan
Your
Las Vegas
Grand Prix
DESTINATIONS
For once you can forget your worries about finding the right shuttle bus or paying exorbitant parking fees. With the major hotels, resorts and the race track all centred around Las Vegas’ famous Strip, for most, it will be a case of pulling yourself away from the Blackjack table and ambling over to your grandstand seats. Besides a few minor frustrations, the Las Vegas GP is one of the easiest for fans to get there and get around and this guide will show you how.
Getting to Las Vegas for the Las Vegas Grand Prix
Las Vegas is as adept at getting visitors in as it is at entertaining them. From Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) there are direct flights to and from every major city in the US, as well as some of the smaller ones.
From the UK there are direct flights from London’s Gatwick and Heathrow airports with a journey time of about 10 to 11 hours.
Airlines Serving Las Vegas Airport (LAS)
Major Airlines (Domestic and International): Delta, United, American, Southwest, JetBlue, Spirit, Frontier, Alaska, Air Canada, WestJet, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, KLM, and many more.
Budget Airlines (Primarily Domestic): Allegiant, Sun Country, Breeze Airways.
Skyscanner’s powerful search tools help to uncover the cheapest routes and the best flight deals. Set price alerts to get deals when they drop, or use the monthly chart view to find the best time to book.
Local Travel: Getting from the airport to downtown Las Vegas
The iconic Las Vegas Strip is only a short distance from LAS, so you’ll be at your hotel or the track in no time. Here are the most popular ways to get to and from the airport:
Ridesharing and taxis: Uber and Lyft operate in Las Vegas and taxis are plentiful at the airport. Rideshare pickups can be found on Level 2 of the Terminal 1 parking garage and on the Valet Level of the Terminal 3 parking garage. Generally speaking, it costs about $20-$35 for a taxi to and from the Strip, and slightly less for rideshare. Be aware though of potential surge pricing on Grand Prix weekend.
Airport Shuttles: Shared airport shuttles provide an economical way to reach your hotel. Bell Trans provide transfers for $15, and on a busy weekend such as this booking in advance is recommended for a guaranteed ride.
Hotel Shuttles: Some hotels offer shuttle services to and from the airport. Check with your hotel to see if they have a shuttle and whether there are any fees or if they are included with your booking.
Rental Cars: There are numerous rental car companies at the airport, but unless you’re staying far away from the Strip, having a car will be useless for getting to the Grand Prix. However, if you’d rather spend your daytime hours outside of the city instead of at the casino, this is an option worth considering.
Getting Around at the Las Vegas Grand Prix
On Foot
Most Vegas hotels are clustered around the Strip and most fans will be able to walk to and from the circuit. It’s relatively low capacity for an F1 venue and despite some minor bottlenecks at the busiest times, foot traffic flows pretty well.
With all the road closures and diversions though distances are likely to be longer than they would be usually, so keep this in mind and plan accordingly. Don’t be surprised if what looks like a 5-minute walk to and from your grandstand ends up being more like half an hour.
You’ll find that your usual go-to maps app won’t be much help a lot of the time. Instead, visitors are encouraged to download the official F1 Las Vegas app, available for Apple and Android. You can use this to find the best route to and from the zone indicated on your tickets.
Though the app is a must-have, as many fans have experienced it’s far from perfect. It may not keep up with changes and you may find the way it tells you to go is actually closed when you try, or that a route that works one day is closed off the next.
All things considered, it’s best to always leave yourself plenty of time to get where you’re going, look out for signage and if possible double-check the route with event staff.
Monorail
Especially for anyone staying north of the circuit, the monorail can be a useful way to cut down on walking time, and at a very affordable price versus rideshare. Several stations on the monorail route provide easy access to the circuit, both near the MGM Sphere Zone and the start / finish straight area. See the monorail map to plan your journey.
Despite running on a more frequent schedule during F1 weekend (every 5-11 minutes) fans relying on the monorail have reported experiencing major delays when leaving the circuit. Wait times are likely to be an hour minimum, but you can expect it to be much more than that at peak times.
This situation might improve, but based on what we’ve seen so far the Monorail is worth taking to arrive at the track, but walking or rideshare may be preferable when leaving.
To save money and speed up your journey time, it’s recommended to buy your monorail tickets in advance. As well as single tickets there are one-day and multi-day passes that allow for unlimited use within the chosen period.
Rideshare
In most cases, it’s best to walk and avoid the gridlocked traffic, but for those with a lot of ground to cover rideshare services such as Uber or Lyft may be the answer.
There are designated rideshare drop-off and pick-up zones at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas (south), the Howard Hughes Center (north), Tuscany Hotel and Park MGM. Wait times for pick-ups, especially after the race, are likely to be lengthy with some reports from fans who waited up to an hour for a ride.
Driving
If you drive to the track, be aware of diversions and road closures. There is no official parking provided at the circuit. You may be able to park at one of the resorts on the strip but you will need proof of a reservation to use these.
Shuttle Bus
If you’re attending as a guest of the Paddock Club, Wynn Grid Club or Garage you can hop a free shuttle bus to and from the circuit. There will be frequent departures during the periods listed below with the final bus leaving for the circuit at 10 pm each night.
- Thursday: 4:00 pm – 2:30 am.
- Friday: 4:00 pm – 1:30 am.
- Saturday: 4:00 pm – 2:30 am.
Shuttles for Paddock Club leave from Aria Resort & Casino (Tour Bus Lobby), Fontainebleau Las Vegas (North Rideshare), Caesars Palace (Augustus Tower) and Topgolf (south side of the MGM Conference Center doors).
About Me
I’m Danny, an incurable Formula 1 fan for over 35 years and founder of The F1 Spectator. My aim is to inform and inspire, arming you with helpful tips and advice for your next F1 trip.
