For anyone wanting to travel from Portland to Las Vegas, there are many options. Whatever your budget and preferred way of travel, there is sure to be something that suits you.
Portland travel information
Portland, Oregon, is a large and populated city that has become somewhat of a hub for travel in the northwest of the United States. There are many ways of getting in and out of the city, including air, train, and bus.
Longer journeys are usually by plane, Greyhound bus, or Amtrak trains. More local journeys will use the intercity bus service, MAX Light Rail, TriMet buses, and streetcars.
Union Station is the main travel hub for trains and buses and is equipped with a bar, restaurant, and passenger lounge for business and first-class travelers.
Las Vegas travel information
Las Vegas is actually the most populous city in the state of Nevada. It is a universally renowned resort known for its entertainment, nightlife, gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The Las Vegas Valley is the leading cultural, commercial, and financial center for Nevada.
As the self-proclaimed entertainment capital of the world, Las Vegas is in the top three U.S. destinations for business conventions. It is also a world leader for its hospitality. It has the most AAA Five Diamond hotels in the world.
In terms of travel, Las Vegas has an international airport, McCarran International Airport, which is two miles from the Main Boulevard and three and a half miles from the convention center. The airport has direct flights to over 120 U.S. cities. Las Vegas also has a monorail and bus service.
Traveling from Portland to Las Vegas
Las Vegas is just under 1000 miles from Portland, and there are numerous ways to get there. Let’s take a look.
By Air – Portland to Las Vegas
The quickest and cheapest way to get to Las Vegas from Portland is by airplane. The flight takes just over two hours from Portland (PDX) to Las Vegas (LAS). Alaska Airlines, Inc. runs a daily flight at 7 am (apart from on Tuesdays and Wednesdays) and a flight at 6:20 pm every day of the week. Southwest Airlines and Spirit Airlines also operate daily flights, while Frontier Airlines runs flights on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays.
For example, there are also flights with stopovers for people who want to call in at Sacramento or San Francisco. In terms of costs, flights start at $35 and go up to $350.
To get to Portland Airport (PDX), you take the MAX Red Line tram from Old Town/Chinatown station. This takes around 33 minutes and costs around for this 11-mile trip. The tram runs every 20 minutes.
On arrival at Las Vegas Airport (LAS), you need to take RTC Southern Nevada bus number 108 from Zero Level to N.B. Main after Charleston. The journey is just over 6 miles and takes 31 minutes. Services run every thirty minutes. You can expect to pay around $7 for the trip.
There are other more regular services, but these require a change. You can take the number 109 to NB Maryland before Charleston, then from there, take the 206 to N.B. Main after Charleston.
By Train and Air – Portland – Eugene – Las Vegas
Another flight option is to fly from Eugene to Las Vegas. You will need to get the train to Eugene first before flying on to Las Vegas.
To get to Eugene, take the Amtrak train from Union Station. This takes around 2h35 for the 123-mile journey and costs between $30 and $47. There are five trains each day. You can find schedules at Amtrak.com. Tickets can be booked at the station, online, or over the phone, and advanced booking is recommended as this is how you access the cheapest tickets.
On arrival at Eugene, you’ll need to take a taxi to the airport, which is around 9 miles away. Eugene has many taxi operators, including Oregon Taxi (+1 541-953-1511) and Eugene Hybrid Taxis (+1 541-357-8294).
There are daily direct flights between Eugene and Las Vegas by Southwest Airlines. The time varies depending on the day, but they all depart between 12:50 pm and 2:40 pm. Allegiant Air also operates a flight on Mondays and Fridays at 6:44 pm. The flights take just under two hours. You can expect to pay between $60 and $240.
By Bus – Portland to Las Vegas via Bakersfield
If you’d like to travel by bus, you can get a Greyhound service via Bakersfield. The bus leaves Portland each day at 18:50 and arrives in Bakersfield the next day at 3:20 pm, taking just over 20h30m. It makes 16 stops through the journey. The cost of this leg of the journey is between $90 and $130 for an Economy ticket or between $130 and $190 for a Flexible ticket. Tickets can be purchased online or at the station.
On arrival at Bakersfield, it is an 8-minute walk to Downtown Transit Center. From there, you need to take bus number 45, 100, or 130 to Truxtun @ Amtrak. Buses cost between $2 and $6. The number 45 is run by GET Bus, while the 100 and 130 are run by Kern Transit.
From Truxtun @ Amtrak, you make your final leg of the journey. This bus takes 5h40 and runs once daily.
There is also the option to travel from Bakersfield Downtown Transit Center to Las Vegas on the Flixbus USA number 2008. This takes 5h25m.
Ticket options
On Greyhound buses, there are three types of tickets. Their flexible ticket is refundable and can also be exchanged without paying a fee. With the flexible ticket, you can have two bags under the bus and one carry-on bag. Flexible ticket holders also get to board the bus first. With the Economy Extra ticket, you get one bag under the bus, one carry-on bag, and priority boarding. You can also exchange the same day or pay $20 to change the trip before your travel date. The Greyhound Economy ticket is non-refundable, but you can make changes for $20. There is still one under the bus bag, and one carry-on bag included.
You can book tickets online or at the station. Booking in advance is always recommended to ensure you have the best price and availability.
By Train and Bus: Portland – Las Vegas via Los Angeles
If you prefer to travel by train, this is possible, but you can’t travel directly to Las Vegas and would have to change to a bus at Los Angeles.
The first leg of your journey is the train from Portland to Los Angeles. This covers 1200 miles and takes around 30h35m. For a coach seat, you can expect to pay between $115 to $160, which goes up to $480 for a premium seat. There is also the possibility of a sleeper service and business class. The train has Roomettes, Superlines, bedroom suites, family bedrooms, and bedrooms too. There is also a sightseer lounge car, a dining car, and a café on board.
Amtrak runs a train (the Coast Starlight service) that leaves Portland at 14:22 each day and arrives in Los Angeles at 21:11 the following day. The train takes you through some wonderful cities, including Salem, Oakland, and Santa Barbara.
This train operates on a very long route that starts in Seattle, Washington, and ends in Los Angeles, California. Each day, around 1235 board the train, and the whole route is an impressive 1377 miles.
You’ll be traveling in comfort onboard an Amtrak train as their seats are comfortable and have extra legroom. For groups, they also have four-seat tables. Each car has its own restroom, and there are power outlets and free WiFi too.
Tickets can be booked at amtrak.com, at the train station or by telephoning +1800-871-7245.
There’s an 8-minute walk to Los Angeles Downtown on arrival at Los Angeles, where the bus departs. After that, you need to take the 2030, which is operated by FLIXBUS. You can expect to pay between $15 and $20 for this leg of the journey, which is reasonable considering the bus takes 5h25m. There are buses every 4 hours. The bus stops at Las Vegas, Downtown Grand.
By Car
For those who like a long drive or wish to make a few stopovers, you can drive from Portland to Las Vegas. There are three possible routes to get to Las Vegas, and all are pretty equal in terms of mileage and time.
The first route takes you through Salem, Eugene, Reno, and the Death Valley National Park. The second option goes through Mt. Hood National Forest, Burns, Rebel Creek, Battle Mountain, and the Death Valley National Park. Finally, the third route and longest (by 50 miles) takes you through Hood River, La Grande, Boise, Twin Falls, Wells, and Ely.
You can expect to be on the road for 15h40 in total, and so it’s a journey you should take over two or three days.
For the route via Reno, a good halfway point is the Honey Lake Rest Area. If you’re going via Burns, a good halfway point is the Orovada Rest Area. Finally, a good halfway stopover would be Salmon Falls Creek Rest Area if you take the longer route via Boise.
You can expect to pay fuel costs in the region of $100 to $140.
Recommendations
If you want to travel quickly and cheaply, flying is probably the best way to get from Portland to Las Vegas. However, the bus is a great way of getting there for people who don’t want to fly, especially if you’d like to stop off at Los Angeles, where you need to change buses anyway. Equally, if you have at least two days and enjoy seeing a few states en route, driving is a great way to get there. Plus, you’ll have your car at the other end too!
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Ever since he was knee-high to a grasshopper Michael has always been a sucker for an adventure. Growing up he was lucky enough to live in a handful of exotic far flung locations including Hong Kong, Pakistan, Kenya and Tanzania and since then he’s continued his taste for seeking out new cultures. So much in fact he now travels the world as a trading digital nomad, exploring everything from the sizzling street markets in Bangkok to random back alleys in Sri Lanka and everything in between! He also has a special fondness for Cohibas, street food, playing carrom, and fine wine and knows his clarets from his chiantis. He counts Cuba, Amsterdam, Indonesia, Cambodia and Italy as his favourite destinations.