The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas Rating: 5.0 Pearls

The Strip, Las Vegas, Nevada

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The Cosmopolitan has a plum location in the center of the densely packed three-and-a-half-mile-long stretch of hotel-casinos known as the Strip. It's the same area where you'll find Caesars Palace, The Bellagio, and the bustling City Center complex, which houses the Aria.

Most Las Vegas visitors want to explore all of the big properties along the Strip. Cabs are easy to find at virtually any time of day or night. A generally less-expensive option is the Deuce, a double-decker bus that runs up and down the strip 24 hours a day, seven days a week. From 10 a.m. to 1 a.m., a free shuttle transports guests between all the Harrah's properties on or near the Strip: Rio, Bally's, Paris, Harrah's, and Caesars Palace. There's also a monorail system, which stops at many of the top hotel-casinos. If you're traveling along the Strip with at least one other person, though, a cab is often the least-expensive option.

• 10- to 15-minute drive to McCarran International Airport (don't let your driver take the freeway -- the ride can cost up to twice as much)
• The free City Center tram stops at the Crystals shopping center (which connects to the Aria Hotel), the Monte Carlo Resort & Casino, and the Bellagio.
• Every major hotel has taxi stands where visitors can catch cabs at any time of day or night. Taxi lines are the only legal place to get a cab in Las Vegas (no hailing for a ride from the Strip).
• $5-$10 cab ride to most hotels on the Strip -- the most convenient option, and often the least expensive if you're traveling with at least one other person
• The Deuce double-decker bus runs up and down the strip 24/7 and costs $3 to ride
• The Las Vegas Monorail stops at MGM Grand, Bally's/Paris, Flamingo/Caesars Palace, Harrah's/Imperial Palace, the Las Vegas Convention Center, the Hilton, and the Sahara. A single-ride ticket is $5; a one-day pass is $13.