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The last time I went, I stayed at Circus Circus, which is one of the oldest hotels on the Strip. I knew I wouldn't be in my room a lot so I all I cared about was the room was clean (plus my parents used to take me to see the circus acts when I was a kid so it has a special place in my heart).
I wanted to see Hoover Dam while I was there and lucked out in that I was able to get a Groupon for that.
Although I live here in Las Vegas now, I used to travel here from the East Coast a few times per year.
We will normally fly Southwest, as they generally have the lowest fares to Las Vegas (at least from where we were from). But just about all of the discount airlines have a presence here as well, so check those out. We normally find flights for around $300 r/t.
The least expensive places to stay are either in the Fremont St. hotels (Plaza, Golden Gate, 4 Queens, Golden Nugget, The D, El Cortez, etc) or on the Boulder Strip (Sam's Town, Eastside Cannery, Boulder Station, etc.) If you HAVE to stay on the strip, look at the older properties (Circus Circus, Luxor, Excalibur, Bally's, Riviera, etc). Downtown and the Boulder strip, you will find rooms for around $25-$30/night. Double that for the older places on Las Vegas Blvd (The Strip)
Rental cars are very inexpensive once you get here (around $20/day or so)
What is the purpose of your trip? Is the Strip somewhere you want/need to stay? There are MANY other things to see and do in the Las Vegas valley.
just a vacation, Have not been to Vegas since 1982, I think it might have changed a bit. Not a big gambler, will probably look for shows and outside activities
Yeah, it's changed just a smidge My recommendation - stay on Fremont. Rent a car. That way you can go to the strip when you'd like. Plan some excursions out of the city - Hoover Dam, Red Rock Canyon, Valley of Fire, etc. You can even do the Grand Canyon, but that will be a full day trip. Los Angeles is also about 4 hours away.
In town, definitely see some shows, but be prepared to spend big $$ on them. They're not cheap. There are some good live music venues and some good comedy clubs around town as well if you want to spend less.
Restaurants and strip buffets are also pricey. Check out the Station Casinos (there are about a dozen of them). They have the $15 buffets (or less).
Depending on when you're visiting, be mindful of the heat. But with the extreme heat also brings deals. July is one of the least expensive times to visit, but it's 110 just about every day. Single digit humidity, though, so it's comparable to a 90 degree SC day.
You'll have fun no matter what time you visit. Just be careful. We had so much fun that we moved here
Hotel prices vary dramatically from day to day- weekends could be double weekday prices or more. I would say- shop on line for the low-priced days and try to stay out of town on the weekend.
Some of the hotels do not appear to be on expedia, etc.
Hotel prices vary dramatically from day to day- weekends could be double weekday prices or more. I would say- shop on line for the low-priced days and try to stay out of town on the weekend.
Some of the hotels do not appear to be on expedia, etc.
Oh yeah, forgot about the Fri/Sat spikes. Additionally, check to make sure there is nothing "major" in town when you plan on being here. That means, don't come on a holiday, when there is a race at the speedway, or a big fight. Also, avoid the times when there is a monster trade show, as casinos jack up the prices of rooms. By monster, I mean SEMA, AVNs, CES, etc. If you happen to "know" someone here, have them check and see their rates. Locals pay far less than tourists, here. I will do that for my friends from time to time, and often get blocks of days comp'd by the casinos.
There are websites on-line that specialize in Las Vegas bargains.
The Los Angeles Times travel section offers hotel specials, and that is on-line.
Look around at the different airlines. The casinos occasionally subsidize some of the flights, so it is possible to get a really cheap flight to Las Vegas.
The best way to make the vacation low cost is to not gamble.
The best way to make the vacation low cost is to not gamble.
You got that right,
I play a little Black Jack, usually will limit myself to $200.00 for the trip, the wife likes slots, she likes to play penny if they have them, if not maybe nickles
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