A question about : The Las Vegas Thread and MSE guide
LAS VEGAS
.. is not like other places you might have been, where the Hotels are near to the attractions . in Vegas the Hotels are the attractions. most have a huge casino attached , but if you think thats all there is to the place , you are sorely mistaken .
in a Family Fortunes style question if you asked 100 people something they associate with Las Vegas , I'd bet you my house the top answer would be gambling. yet there is so much more.
This page cannot hope to cover everything , but hopefully should point you towards some good money saving tips
How to get there
Las Vegas is 5235 miles from London , with flight times in the region of 10 hours +
you could book a package from pretty much any online or high street travel agent that would include flights and hotels. however this is a money saving site so we try to beat those prices by booking things separately .Thats not to say a package deal might not be a cheaper option . it's easy to work out if a deal you have been quoted is value for money . If the price of the package (X) is more than the price of the flight via the Airline (A) + the Price of the Resort ( or similar quality resort) listed in the deal links below (B) then why not save money and book things separately .
so please before you post the question is this a good deal please work out the following is X>A+B ? . if you are booking in advance there might not be a deal for your hotel yet , but you should be able to get a reasonable idea of prices by looking at current deals, but be sure to factor in any holidays / sporting events / big conventions ect.
only three airlines at the time of writing operate direct flights to Las Vegas , and only one of those operates flights everyday and BMI will terminate their direct flights Easter 2009 .
Virgin fly everyday from Gatwick airport .however be warned this flight is poor quality . the planes used (747's) are old and tatty with cramped uncomfortable seats arranged in a bad configuration . there are frequent tales of failing in seat entertainment, running out of drinks halfway over, long queues at check in ( especially on the return flight) and surly staff.
Virgin's new Airbus A340's planes and service are excellent but they are not on the Las Vegas route , and they only highlight more how poor the older planes are. Because Virgin have a monopoly on direct flights to Las Vegas from the south of England , they can get away with this , while trading on the reputation and feedback of their better flights ( which are on routes where they do have direct competition) . There were rumors of the 747 planes being replaced in the near future ,but it seems the credit crunch has ended this for now.
Make sure you take the Quidco cashback available if you book with Virgin
BMI currently fly from Manchester on Tuesdays , but the service will cease Easter 2009 !!
Thomas Cook (AKA My travel )fly Wednesdays and Saturdays in summer and Wednesdays only in Winter , again from Manchester. Max jet was operating flights but went bust xmas 2007
(a note about Thomas Cook flights , the baggage allowance is a very poor 15kg ( upgradeable to 20kg) , and the flights in June + July may well see your flight stopping off at Belfast or Glasgow to pick passengers up , making them not much better than indirect flights that connect in a American city . prices for these flights often get lower the nearer to your dates you leave it until they sell out , but probably won't in Traditional summer holiday times ( June to early Sept) where they are nearly fully booked well in advance.
should you consider flying indirect there are many choices available , and far too many to cover here, but please be sure you know what you are letting yourself in for . flying times direct are 10 hours plus . you can probably add a few hours on top of that flying indirect .
Getting a good fare is not straightforward . Factors that can see you getting that good fare are
Flexibility
be prepared to travel mid week not at the weekends like everyone else.
Preparation
look into you flight upto 11 months before you fly if you can.
Time of year
most Brits like to take holidays June till September .
Research
asking advice to regular posters on this site .
Airline Sales and Offers
airlines know when people start thinking about booking trips , keeping very regular tabs on the airlines websites for sales and fare reductions is a good idea. also some airlines offer reduced fares for frequent flyer's and members of there flying clubs.MSE members have found good fares by booking before Xmas for the following year , when Xmas is over lots of people start planning their holidays.
Risk
great fares can be had if you a prepared to wait till very close to your chosen dates.
before booking you should check that you qualify for entry to the USA under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) . Also from January 2009 you will need to obtain a ESTA ( Electronic System for Travel Authorization ) to board a flight to the USA . you can find info on ESTA here . you can apply for one here
Where to stay
The Strip is where most visitors tend to stay , a few casinos worth staying at are slightly off strip and usually have a free shuttle bus to and from the strip.the other main area is called Downtown, where the standard of accommodation is lower ( and cheaper ) than most of the strip.
if your a first time visitor you really should try to stay on the strip if your budget allows . you can then check out the other areas to see if you would consider them on a return visit.
A common posted question on the old Las Vegas thread was where is nice but reasonably priced . It is a hard question to answer. none of the main strip hotels are likely to make it on to a Hotels from Hell show on ITV, but you do get what you pay for. a good starting place is to look at the following link
https://www.vegas.com/resorts/
anything with a Four star rating is unlikely to displease the Vast majority of people . but a fair few people will probably be happy with something in the Three star bracket and consider the hotel to be nice.
A word of warning about using Tripadvisor to pick your hotel. there are nearly 300 hotels reviewed on the site meaning good hotels can end up way down the list in the 30's 40's and below . Also the site lists hotels that are in the Las Vegas area , but no where near the strip. South point for example is listed as 8th best reviewed hotel , and is on Las Vegas Boulevard but it is about a 15 min car ride to the heart of strip and is not walkable in any circumstances .
The Hotels on the strip to most wary about are unsurprisingly the cheapest. They are Circus Circus , The Stratosphere , The Rivera , Sahara , The IP , Excalibur ,Hooters and The Tropicanna . post for some advice before booking
There is no set price for the majority of hotel rooms . it's a myth that rooms are given away for next to nothing. rooms are priced on a supply and demand basis . if the hotel is selling rooms at a high price why discount? but if they are not then there is no money to be made from empty rooms.
prices for your hotel room can vary day to day , let alone week to week. Normal Friday and Saturday night prices are always more expensive than normal weekday prices ( upto 3 times as expensive is not unusual) . other things that can have a big impact on the price you pay to stay at your preferred location are.
Big sporting events
Super bowl weekend in January for example or the Rodeo finals at the start of December, March Madness basketball which starts on the 20th in 2008.. also Big Boxing matches
Large Conventions
Events like the The Consumer electronics show , can have 150,000 attending . here is a calendar to try to avoid large convention dates https://www.lasvegastourism.com/conventions_jan.htm
USA public holidays
19 Jan Martin Luther King Day.
16 Feb Presidents' Day.
25 May Memorial Day.
4 Jul Independence Day.
7 Sep Labor Day.
12 Oct Columbus Day.
11 Nov Veterans' Day.
26 Nov Thanksgiving Day
also special events like Halloween etc can push prices up.
Popular times
a lot of this has to do with the weather . July and August are often disliked because of the intense heat. January and December are also quite months ( pools often close down in October till March ) . That said Las Vegas is a year round destination. Many consider the best months to visit as April, May , Sept , and October . Prices for UK flights in traditional UK holiday months of June to Early Sept always seem to much more expensive than April or May ( excluding bank holidays and Easter of course) , yet April and May are better times to visit . By not going in the Traditional UK holiday season , you could save a considerable amount of money on your flight, meaning more money to spend on your hotel. 
finding a good deal on a room usually only requires a small amount of searching. Booking through the Hotels direct has BIG advantages . first you are cutting out the middleman . second all of the hotels operate the same booking policy, that you only need to pay your first nights rate as a deposit and the deposit is 100% refundable if you cancel upto 72 hours before you stay. this is generally the rule with all hotel offers but there are exceptions . Some Luxor offers and other MGM group owned casinos ,offers have recently have been NO REFUND offers and The Rivera charges a small cancellation fee at the time of writing. be sure to check all terms and Conditions before you book to be sure .Offers can become available any time , but generally start appearing 12 weeks before your dates
There are several websites that list offers and discounts for hotels. remember these sites simply list the deals that Casinos release so there is no need for a flashy website.Unless stated the offers usually take you to a direct booking with the Casino
https://www.vegas-promotions.com/ is a good place to start as it lists offers in date and/or hotel order . and it's sister site https://www.vegashotelhunt.com/ which allows you to type in your travel dates to search all the deals available .
the next link you should check is the Fatwallet deals thread . there is very handy round up of all casinos current offers on the 1st page as well
https://www.fatwallet.com/t/63/704925/10193203#m10193203
Other sites to check out are
https://www.vegasmessageboard.com/for...splay.php?f=13
https://www.openvegas.com/vegas/forum...splay.php?f=17
https://www.vegashotelspecial.com/
https://www.harrahs.com/hot-deals/
https://www.vegas-hotels-online.com/
https://casinotripreports.com/smf/ind...3e&topic=57.90
https://www.earlyvegas.com/promo_codes.html
please be careful about posting on these boards though as some are for the posting of deals only , not for questions on deals etc.
some deals say they require you to be a member of the Players club to book. usually if you can book it without a players club ID, then they won't generally ask for it at check in.
FAQ number 4 on the Fatwallet page (https://www.fatwallet.com/t/63/704925/10193203#m10193203) covers this subject well. but the important thing is NOT to bombard the hotel with phone calls and e mails about honoring the booking without a players club card. otherwise they might pull the offer ect ( or tip them off to very thing you are concerned about) . people on this thread have done these type of bookings without being signed up members .. no problem .you can of course join the club before checking in if you want . personally i would not worry , but don't be tempted to call the hotel if you book it and you are worried
when you have found and booked a hotel , it's a good idea to keep checking the new offers as they come in on the Fatwallet Thread as you might find a better deal for the same dates . If the better offer is for the same hotel , you can probably get the hotel to match the better price under your existing booking by calling them up ( don't forget to use the MSE International call checker !!) . Really good offers may not hang around if there is a lot of interest , so get in early if you see a new one thats a great deal .
Moving hotels is also a good idea if you find great deals for different blocks of nights , and is not as much hassle as you might think.
Some people ask if it is better to find a hotel when you arrive , this is most defiantly not a good idea. besides the fact that you need to have your 1st nights stay booked up , to enter the USA under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) , simply showing up at a casino without a booking will almost certainly mean you being charged Rack Rate for a room , which is pretty much the most you can end up paying.
Arrival
McCarren Airport is right next to the strip . Shuttle Buses operate to all the main casinos . A Taxi is by far the most popular way to get to your hotel though. you can find a good estimate of the fare to your Hotel here https://www.taxi.state.nv.us/FaresFees.htm
if your hiring a car you will find directions clearly posted at the airport.
If you really want to arrive in style why not rent a Limo from the airport , they cost around $50 a hour. If you share with someone off your flight it may work out as much as a Taxi
Check in
you can check in from the airport at some Casinos.
when you check in the clerk will will assign you a room . some rooms of the same class are more desirable than others. Strip Views are always more sought after , as are corner rooms or rooms overlooking a casino attraction ( the Bellagio fountains for example) . also try to get a room that is not situated directly next to a elevator.you should try to do as much research on the rooms within your casino as possible to find out what to ask for
Cash is King is Las Vegas.. the following sites give advice on how to try and obtain a upgrade or a better positioned room by tipping the check in clerk using The $20 Trick.This works more often than not , but you may find it harder to get a upgrade by doing this if you have a long stay, or if the hotel is fully booked .Also don't expect to get a Penthouse suite from a standard room booking , you will probably only get one or two steps up the luxury ladder
https://www.thetwentydollartrick.com/
https://vegasuncovered.wordpress.com/...upgrade-trick/
regardless of if you tip of not , if your not happy with the room , complain and get one you are happy with.
Getting around
If hiring a car you will have the choice of parking it yourself at the hotel( usually free) or using the Valet service ( a tip is usually given for Valet). The strip is very busy at most times traffic wise .Hiring a car gives you the freedom to explore the many great places to visit around Las Vegas , Like Lake Mead and The Hoover Dam for example , while being able to hop around the strip easily and cheaply
Taxis are good option for speed and convenience , but cost more than the other methods of getting around the strip. also you cannot flag them down either , you have to get them called for you from the Casino or designated pick up areas .
The Deuce is the local 24 hour bus service and is pretty reasonable.
$5 is all it costs for a 24 hour pass up and down the strip. be warned though the buses fill up at popular mid strip locations and make it hard to get on at busy times.
The Monorail runs from MGM Grand to The Sahara . 
full list of prices can be found here https://www.lvmonorail.com/ride/ticket_info/. while it is certainly fast, clean and comfortable ,the downside is that you have to walk through which ever casino you get off at. Casinos are designed to be difficult places to escape , so it can be a trek to get back to the strip. if your going less than a mile your probably better off walking.
Strip Trolleys are cheap at $2.50 a ride or $4.50 for a all day pass. however they don't run 24 hours , are not the most comfy ride , and tend to drop you at the back and sides of casinos https://www.striptrolley.com
There are also 2 free to ride Monorails . One connects The Mirage with Treasure Island. The Other one connects The Excalibur , Luxor and Mandalay Bay. This one has a interesting set up . If you catch it at The Excalibur it does not stop at the Luxor heading south. The Casino owners don't want you skipping Mandalay Bay , so it only stops at the Luxor on the return North journey .
Eating
There are hundreds upon hundreds of places to eat in Las Vegas. It would be impossible to scratch the surface in terms of recommendations on this Post.
Las Vegas provides pretty much every price range of food , from practically every type of world cuisine. from headline super pricey Celebrity chefs to cheap pile em high buffets ( and everything in between ) , you will find it in Vegas. so where do you choose to eat ??
Your casino will almost certainly have more than a few places to eat at. But bare in mind the casino has a captive market so in house restaurants are often more expensive than independent/ off site restaurants . a good resource for dining options is a well researched guide book . i recommend The Unofficial Guide To Las Vegas it gives great tips on dining. or you can also find info and deals on this site www.restaurant.com
There are still great deals to be had on food if your prepared to search them out. although some deals come and go , a few have been running for many years and should be around when you visit.
$6.95 steak dinner at Ellis Island
It's long been a table topper in Las Vegas Advisor's top 10 Vegas Values. a 10 oz Steak with salad , beans and choice of Potato . it's isn't actually on the menu though , you have to ask for it.available 24/7 . Ellis Island also does a highly rated BBQ for a mere $8.99. and thats not all, you can get a voucher for 2 for 1 meals @ Ellis island from either of the coupon books listed in the coupon section below.
Shrimp Cocktail 99c at Golden Gate
served from 11am till 2am
Pasta at California Casino
at the Pasta Pirate Restaurant
Breakfast Specials $1.49
served at Wild Wild West , Wildfire , Gold rush and Magic star. 12 am till 11 am
Steak and Eggs $3.29
at Arizona Charlie's Decatur . 24/7
The most famous of dining options in Las Vegas are the Buffets . for a set price you can eat and drink as much as you want from the food selection available . Again you can choose from the Bargain to the expensive. don,t expect to find a small selection of food , Most buffets offer a huge choice of dishes. The Cravings Buffet in the Mirage for Example has many different stations from around the world , where food can also be cooked to order. Nearly all the Strip casinos have a buffet and it is unlikely you are either going to feel short changed or not find something you enjoy at nearly all of them. From the many many reviews i have read ( and of course the ones i have been too ) a few buffets come up time and time again with top marks. they are
Planet Hollywood ( previously The Aladdin ) Spice market Buffet.
Bellagio Buffet
Paris Le Village Buffet
Mirage Cravings Buffet
Rio Carnival world Buffet
Wynn Buffet
Dishes @ T.I
You will probably be pleased with the quality of most of the other Buffets on the Strip , however like the above certain Buffets Constantly get Bad reviews . there isn't enough time to get around the one's that get good reviews , let alone wasting time with ones that get regularly moaned about IMO. The buffets that most get moaned about are.
Circus Circus
Excalibur
Sahara
Best answers:
- Drinking and Nightlife
Alcohol is easy to get hold of in Vegas. whats more free Alcohol is given out if you meet 2 simple requirements within a Casino.
Rule 1 you playing any casino game
Rule 2 are not in a state where they cannot serve you
meet these and obtaining a free drink is a simple as saying " one large whiskey please". the definition of playing is simply participating in any gambling at the Casino. Cocktail waitress's make regular rounds asking anyone playing if they would like a drink. as long as your not asking for super expensive bubbly the Casino will happily give you a drink to keep you playing. Free is a little misleading though , the waitress relies on tips , so she is unlikely to be in a rush to ask or serve you again if you don't tip her . $1 a drink is acceptable , but you should tip a bit more if you have a group order or will be using her services regular. . here is a good site that gives information on the subject
https://www.cocktaildoll.com/
given that the minimum age for gambling and drinking are the same ( 21) , ordering drinks from bars etc can be a little more hassle. Most establishments ask for ID of anyone not coming up for their bus pass. so if you plan on ordering any Alcohol , always have some photo ID with you. Your passport will be fine , but a photo driving license is better , as it is easier to carry and not a disaster if you lose it , while tipsy.
you won't be surprises to learn ,that Nigh life in Vegas is very diverse. most Casino will have at least one Nightclub and several bars as well as lounges. off site there are hundreds upon hundreds of bars , nightclubs, Strip clubs etc. if you can think of it , chances are it is here somewhere. Nightclubs are most defiantly not my area of expertise so i only know what others have written . a lot of the more trendy places will have door and dress policy's so you should research ahead if you planing on visiting a particular club. entrance fees are also quite varied.
if you are planning on a lot of club hoping a good investment is supposed to be the front of line passes offered by www.vegas.com. not all clubs are included but , one of these could save you hours of queuing.
Shows
On any given night in Las Vegas you will have at least a dozen top quality shows to choose from , not to mention many other less well known or high profile shows all around town. The bad news is they are not as cheap as they once were. The Good news is that you will probably pay less than most other places and the hike in ticket prices has produced a big jump in the quality of shows.
If your very keen to see a certain show and want best available seats then you can book ahead from either the Shows/Casinos own website or Through a agent like Ticketmaster. you pick the tickets up from the Theater Box office on the day. be warned though you pay a premium for this . Ticketmaster prices need to have Tax and fees added before you have your total.
If you are prepared to wait until you get there big savings can be made.
there are Half price ticket outlets on the strip called Tix4tonite . (https://www.tix4tonight.com/) which offer tickets for the same night upto half price. there was a rival company but it stopped trading in summer 2008.
after making a purchase , you get your voucher at shows that have assigned seating , you can proceed directly to the shows Box office to get your tickets and seats booked.
your likely to find more choice of shows on weekdays rather then weekends , and some shows never seem to appear at these outlets. also popular shows will sell out , so you may need to get there and queue before opening time to secure the tickets you want. the staff at these place are quite helpful and should be able to tell you if a certain show will require you get there early to buy tickets the next day.
there are 2 lines at the Tix4tonight booths . one regular and one VIP. You can get a VIP Pass by bringing previously purchased ticket stubs with you . VIP customers are served before Regular customers .
also check out these links to see if they have any good offers on
https://www.goldstar.com/
https://shows.travelzoo.com/las-vegas-shows/
Top value shows
Mac King Comedy Magic show @ Harrahs : from $10
This is a great show that is better than a lot of shows many times the price. The emphasis is defiantly more on Comedy than Magic , and is suitable for everyone. you can often get free tickets for signing up for Harrahs group ( soon to be renamed Caesars group) casinos or vouchers are often handed out if you purchase other items in Harrahs. the catch is you pay $10 for a drink Voucher , but even so, it is considered one of the best value shows on the strip. it does not play ( in Vegas it is called Dark) Sundays and Mondays
Bobby Slayton Stand up Comedian @ Hooters : Free with Casino sign up
Adults only this time , but a free show is pretty good in anyones book. i have not seen it but the general reviews of the show are good. simply sign up for Hooters Players club and each sign up gets a free show ticket. this show is Dark Mondays and
Tuesdays
Worlds Greatest Magic show @ Greek Isles: Free - $19.95
Okay first be warned , The Greek Isles is not a that a classy a place. It's a perfectly safe and Friendly place ,but it is showing it's age a bit. but for Free Tickets to a Magic show it's probably worth the visit. To get free tickets all you need to do is be one of the first people to ring and reserve the first 100 tickets of the day ( you are limted to 4 seats per booking ) . Okay there is a $2 ticket printing charge but your still seeing a show that was priced at $56 a ticket in early 2008. The Number for the box office is on the picture above or try this number 1-800-901-9843
please note , these offers are subject to change without notice
Coupons
there is a lot of money to be saved by taking advantage of coupons. you will often find coupons in your check in welcome pack from your hotel. You can also get coupons for things like buffets and rides , by signing up for a players club card. also Casino often hand out coupons around the casino areas.
however beware not everyone handing out coupons ( even inside the Casinos) is trying to save you some money.Las Vegas has pushy timeshare people , like lots of other places where there are a lot of tourists. If someone is offering free show tickets or trips to the Grand Canyon ...beware they are probably trying to sell you something. The worst place for Timeshare sales people is around the Excalibur in my experience .
It is also a good idea to pick up all free magazines you see. you can often find these in Taxis , Monorail stations , and hotel lobby's. the show deals coupons in these magazines are usually beaten by going to the half price ticket outlets mentioned earlier though.
If you really want to save some serious money it's a good idea to invest in one of the following .
The Las Vegas Advisor Member rewards booklet will pay for itself very quickly just by making use of one or two of best coupons . By joining LVA for a years online membership of $37 you get one book of values. you can have the book delivered for a charge or pick it up free from the LVA offices in Las Vegas . here is a list of what coupons it has in it
https://www.lasvegasadvisor.com/whyjoin-mrbdetails.cfm - Attractions
you will find something unique in most of the Strip hotels to try and lure you in. some are free , others are worthy of visit in their own right.
Top free attractions :
The Bellagio Fountains are easily the best free attraction on the strip. every half hour from 3pm weekdays and 12pm weekends and then every 15 mins after 8pm , you will get to see the fountains perform to various different tracks. it is still one of those shows that can make you stop and watch , even if you have seen them a lot of times. a good place to see them is from the top of Eiffel tower experience @ Paris .
The Sirens of TI ( formally known as the pirate ship battle @ Treasure Island) is a pretty cheesy attraction. It was updated when Treasure Island became the swisher ( and a lot less family friendly ) TI . The old British Navy of the first show always lost anyway , now the cast lose to a bunch of busty females. to get a good view get to viewing area a good 30 mins ( 45 mins on busy weekends ) before the show starts . In Summer the show times are 7pm, 8:30pm, 10pm and 11:30pm. In Winter 5:30pm, 7pm, 8:30pm and 10pm
The Volcano at The Mirage "erupts" every 15 mins after 6pm ( it is expected to change to once a hour late 2008)
here is a You Tube clip of the new Attraction https://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=axrNC0yJsk8
The Lion Habitat inside the MGM Grand is always popular . it's Basically just a perspex area slap bang in the Middle of the Casino where the lions hang out from 11am to 10pm.
when there are lion cubs , you can have your photo taken with them , check this site for when available
https://www.lionpics.us/
The Masquerade Show in the sky plays daily at every hour from 3 p.m., 4 p.m., 5 p.m., 6:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m., 8:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m inside the Rio casino
The Rio is a little ways off the strip so has to offer something a bit special to lure visitors over . it basically involves a lot of brightly lit floats weaving their way around the roof of the Casino , with plenty of Performers and dancers doing their thing on the floor.
It is a high energy performance , that never seems to leave onlookers disappointed. (This show has reopened after a 2 month lay off )
The Fremont street experience is Downtowns attempt to compete with the strip. it is a huge roof canopy that cover all of Fremont street and at night transforms into a spectacular light and sound show.
It was a joint venture by all the casino's it covers and they all turn off their own lights when it is on. shows are every hour from 8pm till midnight and is a different show in each slot. it generally stops 90% of pedestrians on the street ,.with everyones eyes skyward , you can weave around them if your in a hurry.
Top pay Attractions
Shark Reef @ Mandalay Bay is a huge Aquarium filled with a large variety of sea life ( and more than a few sharks ).
You get Audio wands that will fill you in on each tank ect. It reasonably priced at $15.95 and is open 10am -11pm
The Stratosphere counts as a attraction in it's own right ( especially if you want a stunning high up view of Las Vegas and the surrounding area) . it also has four rides on the top of it .Standing at 1149 feet it is twice the size ( currently) of the next largest building in Nevada. The Observation deck costs $10.95 to enter and the rides $9 a piece ( although there are discounts to be had for buying all at once) . X-SCREAM (below) is the only one i have been on ( my nerves could not have dealt with anymore after being on it ). here is a good you tube video of it https://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=YtU716sQoRI
if you want to thrills these rides are certainly where you want to be heading
The tower also has a restaurant inside it.The tower is Open from 10am till 1am (2am weekends) daily .Despite being at the far north end of the strip, it is a popular attraction so you may find a queue to get in
Other Roller coasters on the Strip are The Manhattan Express @New York New York , Speed @ Sahara , and the Canyon Blaster @ Circus Circus. all good rides but the Canyon Blaster is the only ride worth mentioning inside The Adventure-dome @ Circus Circus , unless you have kids in tow .just buy a ticket for the Canyon Blaster and skip the rest of the park. Circus Circus also has free circus performers inside the casino but they don't really warrant a specific visit , but are diverting enough IMO if you happen to be around. (tip: you can often find upto half price discounts on the above coasters in the many of the free magazines)
Siegfried & Roy's Secret Garden @ The Mirage is my Favorite attraction. here you find the worlds largest collection of white Lions and Tigers , as well as a Dolphin Habitat .
Seigfried & Roy were The Mirage's headliners until Roy was severely injured onstage by one of the White Tigers. it is Unknown if they will ever perform again , but the Big Cats you can see here are their's and are magnificent creatures to see up close.
The Dolphins perform Tricks and interact with the keepers . you can also view the Dolphins from underwater observation room. open 10am to 7pm Daily priced $15
The Eiffel Tower experience provides great views of the strip . The not to scale replica sits half in and out of the Paris Casino. it too has a restaurant inside it .
The Tower can only hold a limited number of people so you have to wait for others to come down before being allowed up. A good way to Bypass the queues is apparently to eat at the tower restaurant and then visit the tower while up there .open 9.30 am till 12.30am daily for a pretty reasonable $10 entry .
last but by no means least you can see one the greatest sights on the planet while in Las Vegas , The Grand Canyon.
but first be aware it is not that close to Las Vegas . Road Travel times are around 10 hours for a round trip . from Las Vegas you can buy many different excursions . Helicopter, plane and Bus , or you could of course drive out there yourself.
by far the most popular method is a Helicopter trip . there are several operators out of McCarren airport.
https://www.heliusa.com/
https://www.helicoptour.com/
https://www.papillon.com/
https://www.maverickhelicopter.com/company2.html
it is not a cheap trip by any means ( budget on least Ј200 per person for a standard flight ) , but is defiantly the once in a lifetime experience promised. you can sometimes find discounts and coupons for the above operators in the free magazines you can pick up around the strip. all of the above will pick you up from your hotel .
you will also probably get to see the Hoover dam if you choose a helicopter tour
you might also try booking through a broker. a MSE member saved over $100 on a Heliusa trip by booking through https://www.viator.com/?pref=02&aid=g2747 and using a promo code (FABSAV) .
You can also find many trips costing a lot less by choosing to fly from airports closer to the Canyon.
Getting married
Las Vegas is the wedding capital of the world , hosting over 120,000 weddings each year( you can count mine in with the 2006 numbers ) .
hell the Little white wedding chapel was good enough for Britney and erm what's his name then it was good enough for us. you won't be surprised to learn that you can have your pick of type of wedding. big or small, cheap or lavish, formal or novelty the choice is yours.
there ain't nothing to tying the knot in Vegas , all you need is wedding certificate from Clark county wedding office and be eligible ( https://www.vegas.com/weddings/legal.html) . you can than hop down to any local chapel ect and be married there and then.Of course you can find many company's in Vegas who help you organize everything , no matter what size wedding you want.
Gambling
Did you think I'd forgotten this subject ? one thing is for sure you will not forget how much gambling there is in Las Vegas when you go.At the start of the guide i said gambling wasn't the only thing to Las Vegas , but it is the thing that makes Las Vegas what it is.
In the film "Casino" Robert de Niro's Character gives a Little speech
"what do you think we're doing out
here in the middle of the desert?
It's all this money. This is the end
result of all the bright lights and
the comped trips, of all the champagne
and free hotel suites, and all the
broads and all the booze. It's all
been arranged just for us to get
your money. That's the truth about
Las Vegas" - Countdown to Las Vegas !!!
How long till you Go ??
MARTMONK
Steve1981
JodieAnne1
Redrichie2001
Blindman
You can create your own countdown clock here .... its very easy
https://www.tickerfactory.com/ezticke...e=4&sub_type=7
or here
https://www.iberostar.info/ticker/
https://www.tickerfactory.com/ezticke...r_designer.php
PM me the BB code that will look like this
https://v50.net/cd/03-14-2008_vEGAS.png
or this
https://tickers.tickerfactory.com/ezt...6c66/event.png
or just post the clock in a reply , if i cannot get the code off it i will PM you
and i will post your countdown clock on this post
And when you get back....
why not write a trip report ???? and let us know what a great time you had
PM me the link to your trip report and i will post here
MSE MEMBERS TRIP REPORTS - The money and miles method of booking virgin flights as described in previous Las Vegas thread . you need to sign up for the virgin flyer club first and it now also requires you have account activity before purchasing.
Quote: - Well done. That is some good info.
- Wow, you have been busy!
Is this thread going to run along the lines of the 2007 bargain thread? - Well done !!!!
I have pmd you - Well done Tretts keep up the good work and dont forget Wynns for 2/6 Ta!!
- Hi Trets - the info you have compiled looks great. What a lot of work must have gone into that!
- Great post Trets.
Few thoughts...........the monorail from Mirage to TI is basically 50 yards long across one of the side roads off the strip......hardly worth the wait time for it.
Restaurants - The Steakhouse in Circus Circus is fab, and off-strip Rosemary's is absolutely top notch - its a few miles out but worth the trip.
Kosher food - for those that are interested, Haifa believed to be the only kosher meat restaurant now in Vegas, was absolutely appalling. Of some interest though is the Carnegie Deli at Mirage which is New York "kosher style", but the salami hanging up by the counter is most definately kosher.....possibly Hebrew National. So long as youre not ordering a salami sandwich with butter on the bread, you're sort of OK.....yes I know its not good enough for everyone, but for middle of the road.........
Cheap poker tourneys - 12pm at Luxor and 2pm at Plant Hollywood if youre a newbie or just not that good!!!! Only $35 or so. Also, most casinos have free newbie lessons in the morning.
Blackjack tables even at the posh casinos reduce from $10 a hand during the day to $5 at nighttime.......having screwed up my sleeping clock an awoken at 3am on the first night, I went downstairs and had five hours of blackjack before breakfast.
Heli-USA do a great strip by night trip only $25 or so. - If you want to splash out hit Top of the World at Strat. I had the best steak there on christmas day and the cheesy mashed potatoes are delicious!
Its not cheap though, my steak alone was $45 but it was well worth it and the views were amazing! - Sale Alert !!!
- Always interesting to read other reviews as we thought Top of the World food was vastly overpriced and very disappointing...was worth it for the view once, but have had so much better meals at 1/2 the price or less and we're not gourmets by any stretch of the imagination...best steak we ever had was at Texas Station (Austin's) of all places - with Circus Circus coming in a close second.
- Why is this not a sticky ? be watching this thread like a hawk enjoyed last years too
- I have nothing but admiration for your patience in posting something of this size and magnitude.
I really think its great!
Well done mate! errmm I sincerely hope you are male! - Thanks to trets I now have a countdown clock till my next trip, just need to know how to get it at the bottom of my posts now
- 1326 reads