How long is a piece of string?

[minme]

... or, how long will it take me to drive from LA to Las Vegas?

I'll be travelling with a friend, looking to head up on a Saturday (2nd Feb), wanting to see a show on the Saturday night...

Any idea what time I should leave LA? My research so far suggests anywhere between 3 and 7 hours...

[Midwest Michael]

3 Hours, now that would be something. You'd have to be averaging well over 80 miles per hour just to cover the distance in that time - and that's including traffic and other slowdowns. Your actual speeds would have to be 110+ for most of the trip.

Of course one of the big problems with general advice on a trip like this is that LA often means the LA area, so your starting point can change the actual number by an hour or more simply because of the size and traffic in the region.

That said, Assuming you are starting from LA itself, I'd plan on 5-5.5 hours would be a pretty typical time once you factor everything in.

[minme]

The car is a factor (I should have explained) - we're heading across country from Las Vegas. The only time-constraint at the moment though, is that my friend wants to see Cirque du Soleil on the Saturday night.

Thanks for your advice! Tempting as it always is to go for the most optimistic assessment, I prefer a realistic idea of what will need to happen!

Sharmini

[Midwest Michael]

I only suggested the plane option as the only realistic way to get from LA to Vegas in 3 hours. Its about a 30 minute flight, but by the time you got through security and the like, that would be close to a 3 hour process. Personally, I'd rather drive the extra couple hours and avoid that whole process.

If its an evening show, I'd try to leave by noon so you don't feel rushed, and if you have time, then you can enjoy a nice dinner at one of the many fabulous restaurants in Vegas before the show.

[minme]

Lunch in LA, dinner and a show in Vegas.... sigh.... can't wait!
Thanks for your help.