Getting around Vegas can quietly drain a budget — surge-priced rideshares, $15 cab rides for short hops, and a Strip that’s longer than it looks. But in 2026 there’s a genuinely new option that costs nothing: a free autonomous robotaxi. Here’s every way to get around the Strip ranked by cost, starting with the cheapest, plus an indoor route that lets you cross much of the Strip without stepping into the heat.
The New Free Option: Zoox Robotaxi
The biggest change to Vegas transportation in 2026 is Zoox — Amazon’s fully driverless robotaxi service. It launched public rides on the Strip in September 2025, and right now, every ride is free.
How it works:
- Download the Zoox app (iOS or Android), similar to using Uber
- Book a ride from one of the designated Strip pickup points
- A driverless electric vehicle picks you up — no steering wheel, no driver, up to four passengers facing each other
- At the end, you complete a short in-app survey. There’s no tipping (there’s no driver to tip)
Where it goes (as of 2026): Zoox operates around 15 pickup and drop-off points running the length of the Strip, roughly from Fontainebleau at the north end down to Mandalay Bay at the south. Stops include major properties and attractions like Resorts World, the Sphere, Wynn, Fashion Show Mall, Bellagio, ARIA, New York-New York, MGM Grand, Excalibur, Luxor, and Mandalay Bay.
Hours: Currently 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. daily.
The honest limitations:
- It’s not on-demand anywhere — you can only get picked up and dropped off at the designated stops, not at an arbitrary address
- Rides are capped at about three miles
- Zoox deliberately routes along side streets parallel to Las Vegas Boulevard rather than the Strip itself, so this is point-A-to-point-B transportation, not a scenic cruise
- Coverage is still limited and cancellations happen, so it works best as a free supplement to other options rather than your only plan
- Most important: this won’t be free forever. Zoox has indicated it plans to begin charging fares in Las Vegas sometime in 2026, pending regulatory approval. While it’s free, it’s one of the best transportation deals in the city — but check the current status in the app, since the free window may close.
For a budget traveler staying near the Strip, a free ride between major properties — when an equivalent Uber might run $15-25 with surge pricing — is real money saved. Use it whenever your route lines up with the stops.
The Reliable Budget Backbone: The Deuce Bus
When Zoox doesn’t cover your route (or isn’t running), the Deuce is your cheapest reliable option. It’s the public transit bus that runs the full length of the Strip and connects to Downtown.
- 24-hour pass: about $6
- 2-hour pass: about $2
- Runs 24 hours a day, unlike Zoox’s limited hours
- Downside: frequent stops make it slow, and it gets crowded on weekend nights
For most budget trips, the Deuce is the foundation of your transportation plan — cheap, always running, covers the whole Strip and Downtown. Verify current fares before your trip as transit prices occasionally change.
Walking: Free, But Mind the Distance and Heat
Walking is free and ideal for short hops between adjacent properties. Two things to keep in mind:
- The Strip is about 4.2 miles end to end — longer than it looks on a map. A walk that seems short can be 15+ minutes between casino entrances because the buildings are enormous
- In summer, midday walking is genuinely punishing (and potentially dangerous) in 105-115F heat — which is exactly why the indoor route below is so useful
Rideshare (Uber/Lyft): For When Speed Matters
When you have a time-sensitive reservation, it’s late at night, or you’re going somewhere off the Strip (Chinatown, Red Rock), rideshare is worth the cost.
- Short Strip hop: $8-15 depending on surge
- To the airport: $15-25
- Watch for surge pricing on weekend nights and after big shows let out
- Pickup at most casinos is at a designated rideshare area, not the main entrance — budget a few extra minutes to walk there
The Monorail: Situational
The Las Vegas Monorail runs along the east side of the Strip. A single ride is around $7-8, a day pass around $15-17. The catch: it only serves the east side and misses major west-side properties like Bellagio, Caesars, and Wynn. Useful for specific east-side trips, less useful as a general solution. Verify current routes and pricing before buying.
Cost Ranking Summary (Cheapest First)
- Zoox robotaxi — free (for now, where routes line up)
- Walking — free (short distances, mind the heat)
- Deuce bus — about $6/day (the reliable budget backbone)
- Monorail — about $15-17/day (situational, east side only)
- Rideshare — $8-25 per trip (for speed and off-Strip trips)
The smart budget strategy: use Zoox free rides whenever your route matches its stops, fall back on the Deuce for everything else along the Strip, walk short distances in cooler hours, and save rideshare for time-sensitive or off-Strip trips. See our full Vegas trip cost breakdown for how transportation fits into your overall daily budget.
Bonus: How to Cross the Strip Indoors (Beat the Heat)
In summer, one of the best budget moves is simply staying indoors and air-conditioned while still covering ground. Several Strip properties connect via indoor walkways, tram links, and pedestrian bridges, letting you move between casinos without baking in the sun. Here’s a general indoor-focused route through the central Strip.
Important: verify these connections before relying on them. Indoor walkways, tram schedules, and property connections in Vegas change, close for renovations, and reroute. Confirm current connections on arrival.
Central Strip indoor-focused route (south to central):
- Mandalay Bay connects to Luxor and Excalibur via a free tram on the west side of the Strip — this lets you cover the three southernmost major properties almost entirely indoors and via the tram
- Excalibur connects to New York-New York and the MGM Grand area via elevated pedestrian bridges (covered walkways, though not fully climate-controlled — they get you out of direct sun and street level)
- The free Aria Express tram connects Bellagio, ARIA/CityCenter, and Park MGM on the west side — another mostly-indoor/covered hop covering several central properties
- Many individual properties are vast enough that walking through the casino itself (fully air-conditioned) covers significant distance between their north and south entrances
The practical play: combine the free west-side trams (Mandalay Bay-Luxor-Excalibur tram and the Bellagio-ARIA-Park MGM tram) with walking through the air-conditioned casino interiors and using elevated covered bridges for the connections in between. You won’t cross the entire 4+ mile Strip purely indoors — there’s no continuous climate-controlled path the whole length — but you can cover large central stretches while spending most of your time out of the sun.
Pair this with timing: do any unavoidable outdoor walking before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m., and use the indoor connections during the brutal midday hours. See our guide on surviving Vegas heat on a budget for the full hot-weather strategy.