Las Vegas

[MightyGem]

Just discovered that with our airmiles, Mrs MG and I can have a week in Vegas for £600, so knowing that many of you will have been there, I'm looking for some advice.

What's the cost of living there compared with the rest of the US? Can you just wander in and around the various "theme" hotels? What's to see in the area outside of Vegas?

Many thanks.

[mbga9pgf]

Just discovered that with our airmiles, Mrs MG and I can have a week in Vegas for £600, so knowing that many of you will have been there, I'm looking for some advice.

What's the cost of living there compared with the rest of the US? Can you just wander in and around the various "theme" hotels? What's to see in the area outside of Vegas?

Many thanks.

Helecopter ride round the rockies absolutely awesome; as is hrse trekking round the same. Expensive but most definately memorable and worth it.

Oh, if the Mrs isnt accompanying, I hear the "Chicken Ranch" outside of Vegas City is an Eye-Opener. (It is "Sin City" after all!)

As for the rest, bit like Blackpool in the desert. Stratosphere rides absolutely terrifying (not reccomended if you need a pacemaker), Shows good (blue man group were fantastic). There are a couple of places that offer goes on Barratt light Fiftys, Uzis and AK-47's (but then again thats a bit sad really).

Oh, if you fancy cheap drinks all night, pair up with a friend or the Mrs, putting equal chips on black and red. the waitresses bring you free drinks (which are other wise expensive) as long as you are on the tables!

[Roadster280]

Just discovered that with our airmiles, Mrs MG and I can have a week in Vegas for £600, so knowing that many of you will have been there, I'm looking for some advice.

If you like Blackpool, you will love Vegas. if on the other hand, Blackpool is a gaudy ****hole to you, then Vegas will be more so.

What's the cost of living there compared with the rest of the US?

Expensive compared to everywhere except NYC. $10 for a burger, for example.

Can you just wander in and around the various "theme" hotels?
Yes. If you have been to Paris, then you will be underwhelmed by the Paris hotel though. The fountain at the Bellagio is quite spectacular however. The MGM has real lions in the lobby, if this is something that fires your rockets. Plenty more to see at Chester Zoo though.

What's to see in the area outside of Vegas?
Desert. A few hours out are the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River, and the Grand Canyon. Expect to spend a day getting to either of these.

Many thanks.

You're welcome. I went to Vegas for work in April, and was pleased to come home to Atlanta. A far more interesting city, IMHO. Unfortunately, I have to go back to Vegas in the next month. But that's just me. You may find slot machines, flashing lights and being extorted appealing :E

Redeeming feature: I got totally legless every night, so it didnt matter!

[Confucius]

A second for The Bellagio, the midnight show is the best.

Also take in:

The New York New York Rollercoaster

The Drop of Doom atop the Strat

The Inclinators in The Luxor

Fashion Show Mall for Mrs MightyGem

Penn & Teller

The Voodoo Lounge at The Rio (if only for the view)

Gotta do the mechanical bull-ride in The Frontier

Ride the monorail

Hummer Limo ride up The Strip

Hoover Dam is a must

Rent a Ford Mustang and just cruise

Star Trek Experience at the Hilton (You don't have to be a sad buck-toothed friendless nerd to enjoy it - but it helps. It is good fun though!)

Elvis-a-rama

Imperial Palace auto museum

Get a divorce before you go and re-marry (with 'Elvis' as 'MC')

Walk the Mall in Ceasars, the most expensive tat you will ever see. More Mutton dressed as lamb than an Arab could eat in a lifetime too.

The Italian food in The Venitian is half the cost and twice as good as at Ceasars Palace

Walk The Strip late at night

Eat, Drink, Be Merry!

Empty a bottle of bubble bath into a hotel fountain.

[Mr C Hinecap]

Get yourself the 'Time Out' guide to Vegas. Easily the best book on the city - honest and direct - I used it myself and can say it worked.

[SASless]

Helicopter night flight over the city.....

Take that Mustang and drive north of the city after dark....

Go south towards the State Line....nice places there for Prime Rib and Eggs.

Fitzgeralds for "Death By Chocolate"

The Whore Houses are way...way....over rated...and over priced. (As I have heard!)

[ihoharv]

I go to LV usually twice a year and can normally take it for about three days in a row before it all get to be too much...
If time permits get a car (pretty cheap in Vegas) and head to Death Valley for some of the most interesting & spectacular scenery on earth. About a 2-hr drive - consider making a night stop of it. Check out http://lasvegas.about.com/cs/daytrips/a/DeathValley.htm
Back in LV, don't be tempted to go too cheap on the accomodations. The contrast between the old (eg. Excalibur) & new (eg. Bellagio/Mandalay Bay) is huge as you'll discover when you wander between them all.
Lots of good food - finally - in the city and do splurge on some high-end fare, as well as a big ticket show. There's always something interesting to see.
Enjoy!

[MightyGem]

Thanks guys. The trips not a definate yet, depends on getting time off.

[Jeep]

MG,

Get yourself up the Stratosphere and test your pucker factor.

If you stay in old vegas (downtown) then the golden nugget. if you are on the strip, the venician or Luxor.

Sun - Thurs the hotels are very cheap. It ramps up on the weekend. On the weekend check out the Grand Canyon,Monument Valley or Sedona.

priceline.com to book your hotels at short notice and put in a very low price.

Dont let the missus play the slots, unless you are standing next to her so you can get a free drink from the waitress.

Jeep

[Washington_Irving]

I go to LV usually twice a year and can normally take it for about three days in a row before it all get to be too much...
If time permits get a car (pretty cheap in Vegas) and head to Death Valley for some of the most interesting & spectacular scenery on earth. About a 2-hr drive - consider making a night stop of it. Check out http://lasvegas.about.com/cs/daytrips/a/DeathValley.htm
Back in LV, don't be tempted to go too cheap on the accomodations. The contrast between the old (eg. Excalibur) & new (eg. Bellagio/Mandalay Bay) is huge as you'll discover when you wander between them all.
Lots of good food - finally - in the city and do splurge on some high-end fare, as well as a big ticket show. There's always something interesting to see.
Enjoy!

Agree entirely. More than two nights will do your head in if you're not careful. You'll be distracted by the lights for a while, but the sight of 400lb slot jockeys in their Disneyland Dragsters pumping away their welfare/social security in 25cent increments gets a little sickening.

I concur with Death Valley also- I always thought it a little odd that not many people think of heading West from Vegas. IIRC, it's a lot less than 2hrs by car to reach, but you should allow plenty of time for the drive through the park.

Last time I was there (May 05) the IMAX at Luxor had a film about Red Flag which would probably look quite pretty stuck up on a 6 storey screen.

The Stratosphere Tower is good- especially at night. Strap yourself onto The Big Shot for the best views.

I don't know what kind of helicopter mbga9pgf was in, but I hope he wasn't navigating. The Rockies are 450 miles or so to the East.:} A great trip I did with a Doris once was a 20min nighttime ride up the Strip and back in a Jetranger. She'd never been in a helicopter before and certainly expressed her gratitude appropriately. The place he mentioned to get a few rounds down is called (rather imaginitively) The Gun Store. For around $25 you'll get 50rds of 9mm and the SMG of your choice. 5.56 and 7.62 are a little pricier- good for an outing with the boys to decide who's getting the next round in, probably a bad idea with the missus.

If you're the adventurous types, there are a number of skydiving places- including one indoor place with a wind tunnel if you're a bit of a Jessie about that kind of thing.

I can also heartily recommend an air tour of the Grand Canyon. Most take at least 3 hours. If you're switched on you'll arrange for a dawn flight on your first morning there (you'll probably be awake with jetlag anyway so you won't mind the 0400 wakeup). The changing colours of the rock are phenominal as the sun rises and there won't be time for any thermal activity to build up, so wifey can hang onto her pancakes with no trouble. You'll also be back at the hotel in time for lunch.

Also, check out the low cost airlines like Southwest, America West, Frontier, Jet Blue etc. and see if it's possible to slope off somewhere else for a day or two. A round trip to somewhere like San Fran (about an hour away by 737) will set you back about $100 if you're quick about it and wifey WILL love the place. (Don't bother with LA- unless you know your way around, it'll seem absolutely kack.) If you do this at the weekend you can actually save money because hotels in other cities charge less on the weekends- Vegas can see hotel prices triple on the weekends.

Pack light and clear your credit card balance- she'll be going shopping. Word of advice though- it does get cold at night in the winter months.

Regarding Accom- my favourite was always Aladdin- 4 Star, centre strip, opposite Bellagio Fountains, but they're doing a refurb on it at the moment and a Planet Hollywood monstrosity is supposed to come out of it. If you're sharp you can get 5 Star luxury for what I paid for a 2 Star toilet in Aberystwyth this summer (and yet they wonder why there is a crisis in the British tourism industry). Although it's the newest there, I haven't heard many good things about the Wynn. Bellagio and The Venetian (at least visit) are a class apart, but I've stayed in Mandalay Bay and that certainly had its moment for a quiet night in. ;)

Of course, Hooters has just opened up a hotel there too. :E

Try www.vegas.com

[SkyHawk-N]

If you go to the Grand Canyon you've got to do it properly, take a mule train ride to the bottom. You need to be ok with heights as the VERY narrow track is daunting especially when on the back of a dumb animal!

[The Swinging Monkey]

Yep,
Got to agree. Afet 2 - 3 days, you will be all LV'd out, its the craziest place on earth.
I would also recommend a couple of days in San Diego if time permits. Just a great place, friendly people, and the best sea food in the states.
Wherever you end up, it will be fun tho'
Kind regards
TSM

[Saintsman]

I did a ppl check ride whilst I was there. Much better than a helicopter flight where they can't get back quick enough for the next punter and probably a lot cheaper too. You still get to see all the sites but you are flying yourself.

[Washington_Irving]

If you go to the Grand Canyon you've got to do it properly, take a mule train ride to the bottom. You need to be ok with heights as the VERY narrow track is daunting especially when on the back of a dumb animal!

You also need to be ok with spending the next 24-48 hours saddle sore, ok with staying hot and bothered and ok with the smell of a dumb animal sweating like a Para in a spelling test for extended periods of time.

(Might I suggest the WRAF block in Akrotiri for some conditioning training? ;) )

[mutleyfour]

MG, Stay at the Embassy Suites as they have a free bar from 1900 - 2100 every night as well as free brekkie. Oh and the Virgin Hostesses stay there also :ok:

[Solid Rust Twotter]

You've just missed this. Save your miles for next year...

http://www.airrace.org/indexJS.php

[Vifferpilot]

Last time I was there (Jan 03) there was a porn star convention at the Convention Centre :ooh: . As we didn't get back to the hotel from work until 3 or 4 am and didn't start back at work until late afternoon/early evening and Vegas being a 24hr city, we toured a few bars and kept bumping into the 'stars'! A very curious sight...:E

Don't suspect SWMBO would be overly keen tho'...:hmm: . They do have lots of convention's there, another one was a 'computing & technology' one, with all the latest and developing techie stuff there.

[Wycombe]

I've been there twice and would agree with pretty much everything said. More than a few days in the place will frazzle you.

Not a gambling man, but still find it fascinating (and somewhat sad) to wander round the Casino's in the early hours, watching people virtually sign their lives away at the tables.....not for nothing is the place also known as "Lost Wages".

The great thing is that even if you're not a gambler, there is mind-boggling variety of things to do. Free shows, flights over the canyon, thrill-rides, wet'n'wild (if it's still there), the Wedding Chapels are so unbelievably tacky they just to be seen, etc etc.

Both times I have driven in from the West Coast. The drive across the desert from the Mojave/Edwards area is an experience in itself (if you're not used to the wide open spaces and distances of the US).

[BellEndBob]

De'j'avue, totally Nude Bar. And you get a free, glow in the dark, plastic beaker. :p What more could a boy want.

[The Real Slim Shady]

If you go just off The Strip the price of the hotel comes down.

There is a pretty reasonable Clarion 2 blocks from The Strip on Flamingo, with a pool, and it's quiet for half the price of the Strip hotels.......and you get a better room.

Lance Burton Magic Show is worth a shufti too.

[DownloadDog]

They say it's 'Sin City'; however, when I was there a year ago, after midnight you couldn't see belvoir AND drink a beer. It was either topless and be able to drink beer, or full monty but soft drinks only! They need to change the rules before it's really 'Sin City'!

[TeBoi]

I reckon the Piano Bar in New York New York is worth a look in - a bit cheesy but entertainment value increases in direct proportion to the number of beers consumed.

A friend of mine booked a fairly cheap heli ride to the Grand Canyon (not too many left over rates:cool: ) but the day before the tour company called him to say he was the only one booked on it. Everyone else was probably on a bigger budget and had booked the luxury flight so he got a free upgrade rather than take him by himself. He was picked up by limo from his hotel (rather than a cab), flown into the canyon for a champagne breakfast, picked up and then returned by limo at the end. He saved himself about $300 I believe. If you want to do it on a smallish budget you may get lucky like he did:ok:

[LowObservable]

I did a through-the-Canyon flight in 1979. The return flight was most interesting, flying in cloud and the canyon at the same time.
I HATE clouds that have hard bits in them.

[Confucius]

I would also recommend a couple of days in San Diego if time permits.

'Tis only 4h39m away by car.

[Floppy Link]

Alexis Park hotel where we stayed was off the strip and most importantly did not have its own casino.

Try the indoor skydiving at the "Flyaway" (I think)

In winter, try skilasvegas.com (http://www.skilasvegas.com/winter/index.html)

[Smudger552]

....breakfast at the Bellagio.....Lobster & Boursin omlette:ok: