Arriving at the Las Vegas International Airport (McCarran Airport)

Flying into Las Vegas will set you down at the Las Vegas international airport, officially named the McCarran Airport. Even though the Las Vegas area (Clark County) has several other airports, virtually all commercial flights fly into the McCarran Airport. The other airports service general aviation. McCarran International Airport is located about a mile south of the southern end of the strip at 5757 Wayne Newton Boulevard. If you are lucky enough to be landing or taking off from McCarran sitting next to a north facing airplane window, you'll experience an almost map-like view of the whole strip.

The Las Vegas international airport is amazingly the eighth-busiest airport in the world! And it services more than 30 million travelers a year. The Las Vegas airport has well designed terminals, and good direction signs make them easy to navigate. In the vicinity of the baggage claim you'll find visitor's information and ground transportation, including car rental and limousine counters inside the terminal, and airport shuttles and taxis just outside.

The terminals also include plenty of shops and restaurants. I once bought some good luggage there. The food can very expensive, though, especially if you buy it in a gate area, where you can expect to pay $10 for a small sandwich. But then again, food at most airports is outrageously priced.

What you won't find in most airports is gambling, and McCarran International Airport provides over a thousand slot and video poker machines. It is commonly said that slot machines at the airport tend to pay less than at Las Vegas casinos. But, you may want to play anyway just for the novelty of being able to gamble at an airport, if for nothing else.