Destination Guides: Reno, United States - City Information

Population: Reno: 166,650

Elevation: 4500

Time Zone: Pacific Time (Three hours behind Eastern Standard time: when it is 12:00 noon in New York City; it is 9:00am in Reno) Daylight saving time observed April-October.

13 miles east of the California border along Interstate 80.

Substantially reduced fees at many tourist attractions are available for children, students, and senior citizens.

Average Temperatures:

When to go:  this depends on whether you want to enjoy summer or winter sports; or plan to do sight seeing;  or hope to spend most of your time in the casinos and at the shows.  There is something to do in every season.  Be prepared with warm clothing (layers) year around.  The temperature in Lake Tahoe will be cooler at any time of the year than in Reno.  Summer and winter are the optimal times to visit the Lake Tahoe area.  Reno is full of activity year round.

Gambling Age:  Persons under 21 years of age are not permitted by law to gamble.  They can walk through the casinos, but cannot stop at any of the games.  They are allowed to wait in line for a show or a restaurant table with their parents.

Public Holidays:  

Jan. 1   New Year’s Day

February (3^rd Monday) Washington’s Birthday

May (Last Monday) Memorial Day 

July 4  Independence Day

September (1^st Monday) Labor Day

October 31   Nevada Day

November 11 Veterans’ Day

November (4^th Thursday) Thanksgiving Day

December  25  Christmas Day

What to pack:   When packing for a Reno vacation, prepare for changes in temperature. Take along sweaters, jackets, and clothes for layering as the best way to cope with temperature variations. Include shorts or cool cottons as well.

Emergencies   Ambulance ( 911). Fire ( 911). Police ( 911).

ATMs are readily available throughout the area.

Electricity   The U.S. electrical standard is 110 volts/60 cycles AC. Foreign visitors traveling with dual-voltage appliances will not need a converter, but they will need a plug adapter. The standard U.S. electrical outlet takes a plug of two flat pins set parallel to one another.

How to Travel to Reno

By Air

The Reno/Tahoe International Airport is served by 13 airlines and 7 commuter airlines

and is located  a couple miles southeast of downtown; a twenty-minute ride on local bus #24. 15 minutes East of Reno near I-395 and I-80. It is about 45 minutes from North Lake Tahoe and 90 minutes from South Lake Tahoe.

By Bus

Greyhound ( 800/231-2222) provides service to Reno from points within Nevada, the U.S., and Canada. Greyhound buses use the terminal at 155 Stevenson St. Buses depart for the west approximately 24 times a day, and for the east a little less frequently.  K-T Bus Lines runs to Las Vegas once a day at 7am.  

By Car  Reno  is 10 miles east of the California border.  I80 crosses the country from San Francisco to New York, and has a Reno exit.  US395 also has access to Reno.   US395 runs from southeast Oregon through Nevada and then though part of California to Los Angeles.

By Train 

Amtrak ( 800/872-7245) daily Amtrak trains arrive and depart at 135 E Commercial Row downtown. There is one eastbound and one westbound train daily.   The vintage train station was built in 1925, and is not the place to wait in comfort for any length of time for a train. 

Travel within the area: Reno’s local bus system, Citifare, operates 24 hours a day on 24 routes all the way to the four corners of Truckee Meadows.  Fares (exact change required) are $1.25 one way with reduced fare for seniors.    All routes begin and end at 4^th and Center  Streets at the CitiCenter Transit Center.

To Tahoe:  Tahoe Casino Express (1-800-785-2424) provides transportation to Lake Tahoe’s south shore casinos from the airport.

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