In case you were wondering about the new Walgreen's and 5 day bus passes

[dewey089]

In case you were hoping that the new Walgreen's would sell the RTC 5 day bus passes, let me assure you that the war against the tourist is still up and running. None are sold by any Walgreen's on the strip.

So BTC. SSTT. Walgreen's downtown when they have them (call and see) and that Albertson's near where the 109 drops you on Flamingo from the airport seem the most convenient places for most of us.

Buying a few downtown and activating them as you get on the bus from the airport on your next trips is a good strategy against the tourisit ripoff policies.

[graham072442]

Re: In case you were wondering about the new Walgreen's and 5 day bus passes

I haven't been following this much BUT the way I save as a senior who frequents Vegas a few times each year is this: Go to the new bus Terminal and apply for a Senior ID/Pass; you'll have to provide photo ID verifying your age. It won't help during your current trip, but the ID will be mailed to you at home and can be used on subsequent trips. This lets me purchase ANY pass at about 1/2 the face price. The pass is good for 5 years and will work to yield the reduced fare in any RTC ticket machine.

[dewey089]

Re: In case you were wondering about the new Walgreen's and 5 day bus passes

You must have gotten yours back a few years.
Now in less than 15 minutes they give you the laminated ID. No waiting for the next trip. But only at the BTC. Real people don't work the SSTT anymore.

Also, if you have a medicare card or a photo ID from you local bus company, you can use that to get the senior rates on the buses. If you get an ID at the BTC, however, you only have to be 60 years old.

However, you can't get senior rates on the strip anymore as the machines don't have a reduced fare menu. You must go through the hassle of finding a vendor who sells the 5 day passes. Most are off tourist routes. Only the downtown Walgreen's is near where tourists have a hotel. The BTC and the SSTT also sell them.

Along the strip since September 11, 2011 there are no senior discounts. Getting the 5 day pass is the only way to ride Deuce and SDX at a senior discount. But the value is great. Instead of 24 hours at $7 seniror can get 5 full days at $10

Lots of information on buses here

Vegas on the Bus

For many of us the bus makes a perfect compliment to the coupons in the ACG book. Once you have an all access pass, it is virtually free to search out as many of those out of the way casinos as you like, check them out, and use the coupons. So if a matchplay is worth say $5, you don't have to waste that value on gas/cab. And once a gambler has gone off the strip and seen the deals, they will want to do it often.
Imagine going from downtown to Sam's Town on Boulder in just 12 minutes. The new HDX does that on a fine new express bus. And then you can walk next door to the Eastside Cannery, play around there, take the 202 down Flamingo to the strip, play around there, and head back downtown.

[graham072442]

Re: In case you were wondering about the new Walgreen's and 5 day bus passes

Yes, I did get the ID several years ago; in fact, it expires in December of this year. However, I was in Vegas last spring, and it's not that long a walk from Binion's on Fremont Street to the new downtown Terminal on Casino Center Drive/Avenue (?) and I got a pass there. I'll be sure to check into this $10/5-day pass since I believe my pass was for 4 days and cost me $20 or $25 - still saved over the $7/day rate for the Deuce.

The last time I got a pass, it was at the downtown Terminal; I questioned the rates posted on the machines, and the attendant told me that the card would read my pass when it was inserted and the rate would automatically adjust so that I was charged the reduced rate regardless of which ticket/pass I purchased - SO, while the machines don't show the rates (which was my confusion), if you insert the pass (as I think you must) during your transaction, you should be charged the senior rate.

Since I'm approaching 70, the age limitations aren't a concern for me, but I'm sure it's valuable information for others.

I plan on visiting again at the end of next month. Thanks for the update.

[dewey089]

Re: In case you were wondering about the new Walgreen's and 5 day bus passes

You are right about the machines at the Bonneville Transit Center (BTC.) You can pull up the senior rate with your ID, or you can wait in line and buy one directly from a live person.
However, your senior ID won't change the menu at any of the ticket vending machines along the strip. There no longer is any senior discount offered in those machines or from Deuce drivers.
If you are downtown again and just want a five day pass, you don't have to walk to the BTC. You can just go to Walgreen's right there in the downtown section and buy a five day pass. It will cost you ten dollars with your senior ID.

You could also save yourself the walk by buying a 5 day pass from Walgreen's and then hopping a bus to the BTC to get the ID renewed. I am not sure if they will renew an ID in March when yours is good until December. If they won't renew early, ask about using the Medicare card when buying the pass or riding a bus with the pass. Christine last November told me that it is as good as a senior ID, but the website contradicts that.
It is not unusual for the RTC to contradict itself, so having a photo ID from them is probably the best idea.

I don't like that walkto the BTC and I try to avoid it. At times it is business like. At other times it seems a bit unsafe
There are quite a few buses that go from downtown stops to the BTC. The Deuce will go there from up by Neonopolis and the SDX will go there from right next to Binions.

Many of us avoid the walk by stopping on the way from the airport to downtown on the WAX and doing our BTC business before going to the hotel to check in. It depends on how you feel about taking two buses with luggage. We buy a senior one way ticket from the driver at the airport for a dollar and then get off at the BTC on our way. From there we use the 5 day pass.
The bus schedules recently changed again, so buying a printed schedule book at the BTC is always a good idea. They also have a little white sheet for the wallet that lists all the routes that go from downtown to the BTC and back. That can be helpful if traveling around on bus routes that do not pick up and drop downtown but go from the BTC.
.

Finally, my favorite new bus ride is to take the HDX which picks up on Ogden between the Gold Spike and the El Cortez. In twelve minutes this drops you at Nellis and you can cross the street to Sam's Town. I love it on Thursdays when I can catch the free afternoon show there called Toast of the Town which is aimed at folks our age. It is a review, and different every week. Great old music and some comedy and other acts from the area. You will be one of the youngest in the auditorium and the music will be before rock and roll or very early rock and roll.

Last trip I went three times. Once I saw Jackie Wison's son performing his fathers songs. Here is a review of my visits last trip

http://vegasbirthdaybash.blogspot.co...t-of-town.html