Las Vegas Baby

xzanti

Right, myself and my bf have decided next years holiday is going to be a big one, no Spanish resorts.. We're going to Vegas.. So I'm looking for advise on the best way to do it.. Book flights and hotels separately or go for a package deal. Budget travel have deals for next summer at the moment for around E1500 p/p... is this the average cost or would I get cheaper if I searched?

Any advise from people who've gone before would be greatly appreciated.. Also don't be shy with info about the place itself...

Thanks in advance

HJ Simpson

We did 3nights in Vegas as part of our honeymoon. We travelled there on a mini around the world. We booked it throught trailfinders hotel and flights included. Place is out of this world! We stayed in the Paris Hotel. All the hotels have big Casinos, shops, and restaurants. We flew by helicopter over the grand canyon one of the days which was brilliant.
I suggest you learn how to play poker properly before you go it great and try to book a show they make shows here look like school plays.
If I was to go again I would try and stay in the Bellagio Hotel it looked brilliant.
Sorry I know that probably doesnt help

HJS

Ponster

I'd suggest a quick search in this forum for threads with "Las Vegas" in the title. You'll find a LOT of information.

belfastlad

ask in the poker forum. lots of experience there in going to vegas

kaimera

Got a week in vegas - Luxor hotel + AA flights for ~1220e each for 4 guys for Oct of this year from ebookers.ie

brettmirl

I think the mods should add a Las Vegas Mega Thread sticky at this stage!

I'd say book flights and hotels seperate. Cheapest flights I've found to LV are through the UK. Am heading there myself in March and am going BMI to Heathrow and then onwards from there.

Also, if you want to try something a bit different, check out www.vrbo.com which is a site where apartment owners offer short term rentals. You'll often find good deals on the likes of Expedia for hotels in Vegas too, like stay for 4 nights and pay for 3.

Ponster

Actually yes. If I was a younger mod I'd have done something about it by now (creating a travel section in the boards wiki editable by members).

left_behind

Ive booked vegas hotel and flights seprate for october about 4 months ago worked out at about E900 each. flights with delta staying in new york new york. 6 nights in total

ncmc

I think it is cheaper to book everything seperately, when are you going? Vegas hotels have rock bottom prices in July and August as it is a slow time for them due to the heat and lack of conventions. We just got back this week, we stayed in the Mirage and paid $72 per night on the weekdays, this is an amazing 4 star hotel! I think it is too early to be booking the hotel, if you wait until 3 months before, the hotels start releasing discount offers, you'll find them on www.fatwallet.com or www.smartervegas.com these sites are totally on the level, you actually end up booking the room through the hotels own website, but it allows you to use a discount code. Do note that the room prices can treble on weekend nights (we paid $159 for the Friday and $196 for the Saturday. Don't worry about leaving it too late to get a room, Vegas has about 100'000 hotel rooms and rising, you will always get a room somewhere.

I would recommend staying either mid-strip ie round the Paris/ Bellagio hotel or slightly North of this ie Caesars Palace/Mirage/Venetian. The Luxor is way too far down the strip IMHO. we walked down there one day and it nearly killed us.

Are you planning to spend 2 weeks in Vegas? This is way too much IMO, it is an amazing place, but you'd be wrecked after a few days of it, you do so much walking (not to mention drinking :rolleyes:) and this is especially true in the Summer when it is exhaustingly hot. Why not combine a few days in Vegas with a few days in LA/San Fran/San Diego/Grand Canyon? I think you'd appreciate a break from the madness that is Vegas!

Gran Hermano

Another vote for the Bellagio here
.
Search this forum for vegas as plenty of past threads on it with relevant info.

No way I'd spend more than 4 nights in Vegas-it gets boring/annoying fast.

brettmirl

Check out Ballys. It's opposite the Bellagio and beside Paris. Rooms are cheaper because it's not a theme hotel

Rooms are big but be sure you get a room in the renovated tower when checking in.

mumhaabu

Gran Hermano wrote: »

No way I'd spend more than 4 nights in Vegas-it gets boring/annoying fast.

Ditto, I spent over 10days there this year on my own! Hire a car and get out of the city the desert is lovely, shopping is good and cheap too. It is a mighty place to go from a male perspective and I reckon Las Vegas has the best strippers in the entire world. Officially I was there on Business but you know like!;) gambling and other general debauchery makes Sin City pretty cool. It also an extremely easy city to have one night stands in, the So. Cali women are a little "dumb" to say the least. Shoot Guns too I did in the desert firing range as the city places are more expensive.

Have Fun, I go JFK to McCarran and it is fine but takes 12 to 18hrs depending on stopover times.

bohsman

Flights, ideal options are Virgin from Heathrow to Las Vegas or Aer Lingus Dublin to LA - around $60 for an LA - Vegas flight, cheaper would be the likes of Delta with a change in Atlanta and Continental. Id expect at most 900euro return on flights so can definitely do better than package deals.

Accom, most are similar enough as far as rooms go so anywhere on the strip would be ideal, Bellagio if youre looking to splash out but places like the MGM Grand, Caesars, even the Flamingo are fine aswell.

Food - The Bellagio buffet is brilliant, go slightly after peak times for lunch, therell be hardly any queueing, generally speaking its worth paying a bit more to get better food, a lot of the cheaper places are terrible. Some fantastic steak houses around.

Shows - The cirque de soleil shows are fantastic, O in the Bellagio the best one I saw, Spamalot was really good aswell.

I havent done the helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon but its meant to be really worth it.

Shopping, missed my annual shopping trip this year, theres a fantastic outlet mall with all sorts of cheap clothes near the strip, cant go wrong.

As mentioned search the poker forum, gets asked a lot.

mdwexford

Gran Hermano wrote: »

No way I'd spend more than 4 nights in Vegas-it gets boring/annoying fast.

Sacriledge, Vegas never gets boring.

Our man in Havana

It can get boring real fast. Take it from someone that lived there for a few years.

brettmirl

But living there and going there on hols is a totally different experience.

It's what you make of it. If you get a hotel with a pool, you can take a few days chilling and topping up your tan. There are plenty of activities to do outside the city too.

The shopping is great and if you do get bored, you can hire a car or get a cheap flight to somewhere else for a few days.

mada999

I flew back with Aer Lingus there a couple of weeks ago.... Jet Blue from Las Vegas to JFK and then Aer Lingus home...(no full meal on the Jet Blue flight but free soft drinks/coffee snacks)..

Stayed in the MGM Grand mid week, what a hotel !!

there's plenty to do in Vegas..I've been there twice now and haven't seen it all yet..

Went to Beatles Love Cirque de Soleil....if you are Beatles fan go and see it..tis just awesome!!!

belfastlad

Gran Hermano wrote: »

Another vote for the Bellagio here
.
Search this forum for vegas as plenty of past threads on it with relevant info.

No way I'd spend more than 4 nights in Vegas-it gets boring/annoying fast.

Bond-007 wrote: »

It can get boring real fast. Take it from someone that lived there for a few years.

you people obv are clueless and don't know nothing. i would say you are the type who like sunning themselves and obv thats not what you go to vegas for.

xzanti

xzanti wrote: »

Right, myself and my bf have decided next years holiday is going to be a big one, no Spanish resorts.. We're going to Vegas.. So I'm looking for advise on the best way to do it.. Book flights and hotels separately or go for a package deal. Budget travel have deals for next summer at the moment for around E1500 p/p... is this the average cost or would I get cheaper if I searched?

Any advise from people who've gone before would be greatly appreciated.. Also don't be shy with info about the place itself...

Thanks in advance

Hi,

I'd book everything seperate if i was you. It just means you can shop about and get better deals online.

I was there in June with my gf. We started in san fran and finished in Vegas spanning 3 weeks. Spent 4 nights in Vegas and it was unreal. Our hotel (the MGM) cost $850 dollars for 4 nights which is dirt cheap when you convert to euros. It was during the week though and the hotels do jack up the price at weekends.
We flew in and out of dfferent airports so our airline cost was dearer than flying to and from the same one. Check flight from London to vegas as I heard there are great deals to be had esp with the euro v sterling rates.

Make sure to get a helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon while there. Its the most amazing thing i ever seen. It cost about $650 for the two of us. You will have to book this in plenty of time though, well worth it.

Also, the shopping there is unreal. There are two outlets just a short taxi rides away. Seriously cheap stuff, all the brand names etc.

Be prepared for savage heat. It didnt go below 106 degrees while we were there !

Its the trip of a lifetime, I wouldnt think twice about going again

finbarrk

I would recommend the MGM also. 3 days is enough in the place though, as Bond-007 said it can get boring fast. Bring plenty of money.

cacio

If you get bored in Vegas there's something wrong. The city has everything! I've been there 3 years in a row and spent 2 weeks there this summer. Heat was fabulous. Not unbearable at all.
Shopping wise, check out the fashion show mall, las vegas outlet mall and the town centre. If you want anything electrical head to Frys. Huge shop with great prices.
Any hotel will be ok but try get something in the centre. Caesers or bellagio would be my choice.

As I said there's a never-ending list of stuff to do for both male and female. You'll have a brilliant time and will only have seen a fraction of the city.

bill_ashmount

Gran Hermano wrote: »

No way I'd spend more than 4 nights in Vegas-it gets boring/annoying fast.

What? You've been looking in the wrong places. Vegas could keep me going for years. What a spot.

Elem

Fly to Santa Barbara/LA and drive to Vegas in a rented car, thats how i do it.

brettmirl

Is it worth doing to drive Elem? Debating at the moment between a cheap flight from LAX to LAS or getting a car.

Any places worthy of note to visit on the way?

Elphaba

Great to see all the good comments here! I'm heading there on 20th of this month and can not wait! I've never been before. Will be there for 5 nights so will be trying to cram everything in!

gandalf

Book the flights and hotels separately.

I stayed in New York New York and would recommend it. I know people who stayed in Paris and they said it was very good as well and the Bellagio is just class.

I would suggest staying a max of 3 days in Vegas, after that I found it boring and depressing (I stayed for a week as I was over for a stag night and then the wedding, plus I am not a gambler!). Make sure you do the Grand Canyon tour as that was one of the highlights of my trip.

rossie1977

i find it incredible that people can get bored in vegas in 3 days :eek: leave your hotel next time and explore the region, you guys must get bored after 20 mins in dublin :P

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055175172
http://porkpie.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=56062793&postcount=44

cacio

mick_irl wrote: »

Is it worth doing to drive Elem? Debating at the moment between a cheap flight from LAX to LAS or getting a car.

Any places worthy of note to visit on the way?

I drove from LA to Vegas the first year. I recommend getting off the highway and taking the back roads through the desert.
It's an amazing drive and you can make it as long or as short as you want.
Try go through Palm Springs/Desert if you can. We drove through the mountains and it was dark when we reached there. There's a spot in the mountains where you overlook the three cities and it's spectacular!!! Definately a must.

For those of you getting bored in Vegas, what is it that you want to do? Name out a few activities that you'd like to keep you occupied. Guaranteed you'll find it in Vegas. It has clubs, pubs, restaurants, shopping, shows, cinemas, bowling, karting, skydiving, watersports, gun ranges, animal attractions, rollercoasters, gambling, sporting events, concerts, the list goes on.
Hopefully I'll be moving there in a year or two.

gandalf

rossie1977 wrote: »

i find it incredible that people can get bored in vegas in 3 days :eek: leave your hotel next time and explore the region, you guys must get bored after 20 mins in dublin :P

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055175172
http://porkpie.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=56062793&postcount=44

Well as I said I am not a gambler so that's out and I found watching people gamble their lives away after a few days quite depressing.

As a spectacle it has a wow factor initially but once you see behind the glitz and glamour it reveals its sleazy side. But you have to go there to experience it. I did the gun range, clubs etc went on a grand canyon tour (which was the highlight of the trip) and attended a wedding and reception. I didn't go to a show, more so because I was so trashed from the celebrations than anything else. I firmly believe that 3-4 days is more than enough time to see Vegas, the additional time would be better spent elsewhere.

But hey thats my opinion.

mumhaabu

Can any Vegas regulars here enlighten me on the CES Consumer Electronics Show? AFAIK it is trade only and not open to the general public. It is something I have wanted to go to for a long time, plus I was in Vegas already this year and know the place well enough. (The CES Week is supposed to be crazy with both CES and AVN's occurring almost simultaneously).

Has anybody on boards ever been to the CES? If I could blag my way there I would definitely go, My company (although not IT related directly) is planning alot of IT renewals in 2009 and I could use this as an excuse to go on a fact finding trip (all expenses paid) and take the IT guy who works with us along for good measure! I really want to investigate the entire US HD scene and see how things are. The CES and CeBIT in Hannover are in my diary for 2009 and I have over 150,000 miles of travelling to do in 2009 and have clocked up 95,000 to date this year. I have a carbon footprint of heading towards 200tonnes!