Leaving Las Vegas

Summary

• All concourses are connected after clearing security, despite misleading signage
• Walking from the airport is easy, but don't trust Google maps.

Connecting Concourses

There are security entrances for the A, C and E concourses. You can clear security at any entrance and make it to any gate. However you must be careful. There are signs that will direct you to exit security and take a bus to get to E concourse. You can do that, but don't. In the worst case, you can make it from A to E in about 25 minutes without having to pass through security.

From A concourse, ignore any signs leading to E concourse. These will almost always lead you out of the secure area down to a bus stop. Instead, follow directions towards the C concourse. Soon you will see signage for the tram to D concourse. Follow those signs to get to take the tram to D concourse. Exit the train and circle around to the train to terminal three (E concourse). After taking that train, you need to be careful. Most people will go through the doors to baggage claim. The escalators only go down. You need to follow the signs to the elevator to get up to the E concourse.

Walking from Terminal 3

Google maps seems to think that you can just walk along the airport connector roads to get from terminal 3 to terminal 1. Try taking a look at those roads in street view. No sidewalks, not much of a shoulder, high speed cars and just not a lot of fun. Instead, your best bet is to exit the airport to the east.

Exit the terminal at the lower level and turn right to head east. Just keep following the sidewalk. You will pass by some airport staff parking and some other assorted vehicle areas. Just continue on the sidewalk on Randy Walker Way. Street will end. Cross the street and do a quick left and then continue on the sidewalk on Mason Snow to then turn on Landing Strip Avenue. I don't remember seeing street signs for these streets, but as long as you stay on the sidewalk heading out of the airport, you should be good. You cross Spencer Street and then get to the traffic light at Russell Road. I like to cross Russell here. Then turn left on Russell and go a short distance to Spencer Street. (This is the continuation of the previous Spencer, but it doesn't really go through or have a light.) Turn right on Spencer. Now there are a bunch of options to jog through local streets. This is where Google Maps can probably do a good job. To get to anywhere west of the airport (like the strip), you will have to head at least as far north as Tropicana. I liked heading up through UNLV.

To the Virgin Hotel, this is a little more than a three and half mile walk.

The other alternative is to take the tram to the D concourse and then the tram from D to C to get to terminal 1 and walk from there (about 2 miles.) If you have checked luggage, you may be able to take the shuttle bus outside of security.

Walking to Terminal 1

Google maps can also get confused from terminal 1. To walk from the Virgin hotel, just head south on Paradise. You will want to be on the sidewalk on the west side (right side of street as you are heading south.) Just keep following the sidewalk. There will be a flyover and the sidewalk will stay down low. (Google maps will sometimes tell you to stay on the flyover. Don't do that.) You will reach an underpass at Kitty Hawk way. You will need to cross the street. (If you look forward in the distance, you can see a yellow pedestrian sign in the distance.)  If you walk over to the left, there is a traffic light to make it easy to cross. I saw another person just cross midblock. (Traffic is light on this street, but does sometimes come fast out of nowhere, so I would prefer the controlled intersection.)  You could also go right and reach a stop sign at Four Corners/Rent A car road. 

You will then cross Four Corners road at the pedestrian sign near Marriott. (Street names do not seem to be well labeled, but you can see them on Google maps.)

Now you are on the path to the terminal. There are even trees lining a section that block out a little sun. There will be one final street crossing and then you are at the terminal.

Total distance is a little less than 2 miles from the Virgin Hotel.