If you are going from Point A to Point B you probably do not want to be on the strip. But it is fun and exciting to do once.
If you are going to drive the Strip you should start from Mandalay Bay to the North to Fremont Street and back. It will take approximately two hours in normal traffic patterns. Yes, this is a 12 mile trip or so that will take 2 hours.
Driving the Strip is exciting but slow
If you have GPS on your Smartphone or vehicle use it when driving outside of the strip. There are two main roads that go behind both sides of the strip (Las Vegas Boulevard). From the MGM (Near Tropicana Blvd), you can take Kova Lane until it ends at the golf course behind the Wynn. From there, you make a right and go to Paradise Road (left). This will take you completely behind the strip on the east side. From the west side before you hit the highway (New York Hotel and Flamingo Road), you can catch Frank Sinatra Drive. This is where you can find parking entrances to most casinos on the West side of the strip. Frank Sinatra Dr. goes all the way to Circus Circus. Locals use these roads to avoid getting stuck on the Strip. If you cross over the highway to the west, there is another local road just on the other side that many taxis take to get downtown. It has less traffic and stops then Sinatra does.
Maps of the Strip and Downtown can be found here: The Strip Map and Fremont Street Map .
If you want to drive from the strip downtown (Fremont Street) you will be best suited to jump on the highway and get off on the center of town exit. This is fairly quick and easy. Follow the signs to Fremont Street but be prepared that it is hard to find a place to park. Look for parking garages.
Since you are driving, you could opt to stay at off strip properties that may have better rates and amenities. Suggestions include The Orleans, Rio, Gold Coast, Palms and Hard Rock Casino and Hotel. The further you get away from the strip, the cheaper the restaurants and you can find some really great places to eat where you really get your money's worth. (outside of the Casino's)
Get out and see something. There are a few really nice outlet malls outside of the strip, trail walking, zip lines, and Bryce Canyon, Utah is an amazing site to see but it is 270 miles from Las Vegas.
For those that really want to get away you can hit Primm on the Nevada California border for a real small town gambling experience or head to Henderson near the dam for some real down home hospitality.
Lastly, there is a museum dedicated to the Nuclear testing period near Las Vegas. It is called the Atomic Testing Museum. it is located on the campus of the Desert Research Institute on Flamingo Road. Atomic Testing Museum Website .
For more fun things to do and see, visit the Las Vegas Convention and Authority at www.lvcva.com/index.jsp.
We almost forgot to mention that you can also rent vehicles in Las Vegas but be careful. Some prices can be normal and others can be in the thousands. If in Vegas on business, you will probably find the best deals at the airport.