Get oriented
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Baggage note |
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Luggage carts are available everywhere except the D concourse. Cost is $2. You get a 25¢ refund for returning a cart to the rack. |
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In Terminal 1, domestic flights on Alaska, Continental, Frontier, and US Airways operate out the A Gates, while America West uses most of the B Gates. Southwest and Aloha airlines use the C Gates. Over by the D Gates, you'll find flights for American, Delta/Comair, Midwest Express, National, Northwest/KLM, United, United Express, and Vanguard airlines.
Most international and charter flights are served by Terminal 2, just north of Terminal 1.
You can walk, ride the moving sidewalk, or take a 30-second tram ride to the C Gates concourse. The only way out to the D Gates concourse is via the tram, but once you're aboard, it's only a 90-second ride.
To get your bearings, ask for a terminal map at an information booth, located in Baggage Claim, Terminal 1, and in the D Gates concourse. You can also view the
terminal map at the LAS Web site.
Take care of yourself
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Food note |
Best bet for a carry-on meal: The Las Vegas Auto Raceway Café, on the Esplanade in the public area, offers sandwiches packed for travel, complete with chips and drinks.
Best sinful snack: Anything from Ethel M Chocolates, in the Terminal 1 Rotunda (just past the A/B security checkpoint), on Concourse C, and in Terminal 2. |
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Eat: If you haven't already eaten too much at the cheap buffets in town, you can dine on Southwestern cuisine in the Main Terminal Esplanade (pre-security) at Don Alejandro's Texan Grill, or choose lighter fare at the Las Vegas Raceway Café. In the Main Terminal Rotunda (just past the Concourse A/B security checkpoint) you'll find a 24-hour Cheers Bar and Grill.
There are fast-food choices by the A, B, and C gates, but out by the the D Gates your choices expand considerably. Look for the Prickly Pear restaurant, the 1940s-style Ruby's Dinette for hamburgers and classic diner fare, Harlon's Barbeque & Country Breakfast, Quiznos Sub, and more.
Food choices in Terminal 2 are limited to fast-food outlets including Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, TCBY, Cinnabon, and Burger King.
Relax and refresh: Finding a quiet place to rest, nap, or read a book is difficult, given the noisy slot machines, talking billboards, and chatty moving walkways. (Between Terminal 1 and the C Gates concourse, and in the D Gates concourse, recorded messages by celebrities such as Bill Cosby, Bette Midler, Dick Clark, and B.B. King remind you to "watch your step," or "stand on the right.") However, there are a few out-of-the-way couches in a slot-machine–free area above Baggage Claim, next to the Cannon Aviation Museum.
McCarran has a branch of the 24-Hour Fitness Center chain on Level 2, above Baggage Claim. It's open to members and to travelers who pay a reasonable per-visit fee, which includes a souvenir towel. Not having your workout clothes with you is no excuse: You can buy a "workout package," which includes T-shirt, shorts, socks, and rental of athletic shoes. The fitness center also offers massage, personal training, and to-go "snack-packs" that include nutritional supplements. For more information, call +1 (702) 261-3971.
Not up for exercise? There's a branch of InMotion Pictures out by the D Gates where you can rent a DVD player and some movies. Or try your luck at one of the airport's 1,200 slot machines. They do pay out: Two lucky dogs recently won more than $1 million.
Feeling faint from too little sleep or too much Vegas excitement? Stop by the first aid clinic, where they can not only check your blood pressure, but also offer immunizations and minor first aid.
Smoking lounges are located in Terminal 1 in the A/B, C, and D gate areas, and in Terminal 2.
Take care of business
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Business note |
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Data ports are available at various points throughout the airport. |
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Airline club members will find a shared lounge for America West and Continental Airlines in Terminal 1, near the A/B security checkpoint. National Airlines has a club room in the D Gates Satellite, on Level 2, overlooking the Rotunda.
Non-club members will find a full-service Wells Fargo Bank by the A/B security checkpoint. Hours: Monday–Thursday, 9 AM–5 PM; Friday, 9 AM–6 PM. There is also a full-service U.S. Post Office on the second level of the main terminal, right over the north baggage claim area. Hours: Monday–Friday, 9 AM–1 PM and 2:30–5 PM.
Explore the airport
Shop: Leaving Las Vegas with cash in your pockets? You can easily empty them at the airport's slot machines or shops. Bellagio, Treasure Island, Excalibur, Circus Circus, the Mirage, New York, New York, and virtually all the big Las Vegas hotels have shops here, offering you one more chance to purchase a T-shirt, jacket, or some other logo-emblazoned item. You can also buy boxer shorts, cigars, puppets, space pens, and western wear at Las Vegas Gambling Supply (between Gates D5 and D7), as well as chocolate casino chips, dice, and other gambling-related items you can use to stay in practice back home.
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Shopping note |
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Best souvenir under $10: Inflatable aliens—in green, pink, or blue—at Sightings at Area 51 on Concourse D.
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By the D Gates you'll also find Altitunes (CDs and electronics), The Body Shop, The Museum Company, Waterstone's Booksellers, and InMotion Pictures, which rents and sells DVD movies and players.
Without a doubt, the most unusual and "out of this world" spot for souvenirs is a shop called Sightings at Area 51 in the D Gates concourse. The name refers to the high-security area outside Las Vegas that some folks believe is a government holding area for aliens and their spacecraft. Whether you buy that or not, it's fun to scour this shop for alien-related souvenirs and memorabilia.
Over in Terminal 2 (international destinations) you'll find a PGA Tour shop, a branch of Ethel M. Chocolates, and several general gift, jewelry, and souvenir shops.
Sightsee: For free entertainment, visit the top-notch Cannon Aviation Museum on Level 2 of Terminal 1. The museum is home to a bright-red 1956 Ford Thunderbird convertible and exhibits honoring Amelia Earhart, Hollywood stunt flyer Jack Frye, and eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes. An original Hacienda Cessna aircraft used for a world-record, nonstop endurance flight in 1959 hangs above Baggage Claim as an advertisement for the museum.
If you're headed out to the C Gates, you'll find an art exhibition area past security, along the walkway to Gate 26C.
If you've got more time to spend, head to the center of the baggage claim area in Temirnal 1 to make a reservation for a nearby golf course or purchase tickets for one of the Las Vegas shows or area tours.
Lookout: The best spot to view airfield activity is the Great Hall by the D Gates, where a 45-foot-high, south-facing window provides views of the airfield and the desert beyond. Cross over to any window on the north side to catch a peek of the glittering Las Vegas Strip.
Play around: Older kids will enjoy the exhibits in the Aviation Heritage Museum and the alien-related items for sale in Sightings at Area 51 in the D Gates concourse. Take younger kids to the children's play area on Level 2 of the D Gates concourse, where they'll be entertained by an interactive mini-control tower, a mock jet engine, telescopes, and great view of the airfield. Kids (and adults) will also enjoy the large desert creatures that greet passengers arriving at the D Gates.
Transportation
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Transportation note |
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For bus schedules, call the Las Vegas bus system (CAT) at +1 (702) 228-7433. |
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It's just 9 miles—a 15-minute cab ride—from the airport to the end of the Las Vegas Strip. Downtown Las Vegas is only 12 miles away. Taxi rides to downtown cost about $21, while shuttles cost $4.50. If you're heading to The Strip, the taxi ride costs about $16, a shuttle $3.50. Buses No. 108 and No. 109 also serve the airport. The fare is $1.25.
For additional information about McCarran International Airport, call +1 (702) 261-5733.
