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Las Vegas guide and MSE thread 2013
Comments
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COUPONS & VOUCHERS
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 in hotels/casinos (see above). Staff 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, be ware they are probably trying to sell you something. The worst place for timeshare sales people is around the Excalibur and the entrance to the Miracle Mile shops at Planet Hollywood. Don't feel rude by ignoring their advances and walk straight past them with a "no thanks".
It is also a good idea to pick up all free magazines you see. You can often find these in taxis, monorail stations, shopping malls and hotel lobbies. The show 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 year's 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 are details:
The American Casino guide contains coupons for other cities as well as Las Vegas. There is a fair amount of coupons the same as the LVA Book of values, so you should probably only need one or the other depending on what you want to save on. You can buy the book from Amazon, but just make sure you are buying the current year's book, not a expired one.
Also check out these free coupons, there are several that can be printed off and redeemed for coupon booklets at certain shopping malls.
www.lasvegas-nv.com/las-vegas-coupons.htm
www.destinationcoupons.com0 -
OTHER USEFUL BITS & BOBS
INSURANCE
Tips on getting travel insurance can be found on Martin's Travel Insurance page.
WHEN TO VISIT
July and August are often disliked because of the intense heat.
January and December are quiet months (hotel pools often close down October-March ). That said Las Vegas is a year-round destination. Many consider the best months to visit as April/May, September/October. Prices for UK flights in traditional UK holiday months of June to Early Sept always seem much more expensive than April/May (excluding bank holidays and Easter of course), yet April/May are better times to visit. By avoiding the raditional UK holiday season, you could save a considerable amount of money on your flight, meaning more money to spend on your hotel.
THINGS TO TAKE WITH YOU
Aside from the usual holiday things make sure you take a comfortable pair of walking shoes: it can be 15 minute walk from your hotel room to The Strip. It's a fair bet that no matter what your mode of transport around The Strip, you will still be doing a fair amount of walking within the casinos.
GETTING DOLLARS / USING CARDS / ATMs
coming soon...
TIPPING
As with most places in the US, tipping is the etiquette when receiving service (bell hops, drinks waitresses, valet, concierge, etc...). Vegas.com offers a comprehensive resource for all things tipping.
CALLING HOME
Please read this MSE guide. Phone cards are also a good option, but don't buy the cards found in the casino, places like CVS and Walgreens have better value cards. You can purchase a mobile phone from Walmart for around $30, including airtime. If you are a couple and need to split up 2 of them could be useful.
If you want to use data, this pay-as-you-go sim card from T-Mobile is recommended. For a nominal charge for the SIM card (around $1), you can get unlimited talk, text (domestic) and web for $3/day. For $10/month you can get unlimited international talk/text. This SIM card is only available to purchase in America, so either purchase/activate one when you arrive, or if you have a friend in the US who can mail one to you, that will work.
LAS VEGAS APPS
vegasmate (iphone)
FREE THINGS & OFFERS
American Casino Guide updates its website every Sunday with the latest offers/discounts in and around Las Vegas area - worth looking at/printing off before you go!
PREVIOUS MSE LAS VEGAS THREADS
link to 2012 thread
link to 2011 thread
link to 2010 thread
link to 2009 thread
link to 2008 thread0 -
MSE member Trip Reports
Usually when MSE members have come back from a Vegas trip, they're encouraged to write a trip report, detailing what they got up to (as little or as much!) - this helps imminent visitors with any current offers, shows, news, deals and interesting info, so they don't miss out!
2013
7 July - roryorlando45 (trip date 21-29 June)
6 July - Hovis91
4 July - vanilla8 (trip date June)
4 July - ratkarth 1, 2 (trip date 1-8 July)
6 June - StuieUK34 (trip date May)
28 May - stu1892 (trip date 15 May)
12 May - Wendell Pierce (trip date Apr)
12 May - ferf1223 (trip date Mar)
11 May - lizzielie (trip date Apr?)
11 May - photome (trip date Apr/May)
17 Apr - martmonk (trip date 13 Mar)
4 Apr - Vern58 (trip dates Mar)
18 Feb - Spursman180 (trip dates early Feb)
11 Feb - stevie11 (trip dates Jan/Feb)
30 Jan - marsman802 (trip dates 21-27 Jan)
2012 (date is when report was posted, not necessarily time of trip)
5 Jan - Zaffi
25 Feb - rpstdavids
31 Mar - jadamcp 1, 2
3 Apr - photome
4 Apr - costingbunny
11 Apr - vern58
12 Apr - roryorlando
13 Apr - bitgiggy
27 Apr - gill247 1, 2, 3
17 May - buzz78
22 May - foosterino
14 Jun - parcival
10 Sept - rahven
10 Sept - alisonofagun
16 Sept - secretmachines 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
23 Sept - credit_crunch
23 Sept - lesley74
21 Sept - scottishnellie 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
15 Oct - Glenbois
30 Nov - Seldom Seen Kid 1, 2, 3, 40 -
Happy New Year everyone!
I have been staying away from this thread as I know it will be a while before I manage to return to Vegas!
My husband turns 30 this year so I have been thinking if trying to surprise with a trip to New York - cant quite afford Vegas unless I send him on his own lol!0 -
Thanks SM, looks nice!! And also a big thanks and not forgetting Trets who started the whole thing off:T
OK, now some of you might think I am daft, but my Silver status with BA runs out in June, and with only one trip planned till then I will be short 220 Tier Points. Sooooo, I am doing a TP run while we are in Vegas in May. The day after we arrive I am flying on my own to LAX, then onto MIA, then onto SJU (San Juan)! All of this is with AA but on my BAEC card number. I leave LAS at 7:30pm and arrive back the next day at 5pm ready for the evening. This is costing £500 but the value to me of Silver status is worth the outlay. Since becoming Silver we have been upgraded on every flight from WT+ to CW, and once a double OpUp to First, thats 5 on the trot. It happens so often that I now just buy WT+ tickets and don't even bother trying to MFU. And with 100% avios bonus, choosing seats for free when booking, lounge access, fast track security, and extra luggage allowance it is money well spent IMOThe common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk you run, and if you do that you will have enough to pay for something better.0 -
Love the new thread and to everyone who's contributed over the years. I remember being here in 2007 for what was our 2nd trip to Vegas. Ah, how time flies........Love MSE, Las Vegas and chocolate!0
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rofl @ stoneman. Can't you give your card number to a non-cardholder for their journey.....I can't imagine they cross check names on BAEC cards to names on tickets.
Surely the cost is similar to another Vegas roundtrip that you could take before June? Maybe indirect if you need extra trips.illegitimi non carborundum0 -
Not possible, when you put in your info when purchasing a ticket you need to add your BAEC number. The system will not allow it to go in if does not collate. It's like the old chestnut of people buying cheap ex Euro return flights via LHR and dropping the final leg to disembark in London. It has been recorded that people have had their BAEC accounts audited and lost all avios, and the airline have the right to charge your CC with the fare difference. Just not worth the stress.rofl @ stoneman. Can't you give your card number to a non-cardholder for their journey.....I can't imagine they cross check names on BAEC cards to names on tickets.
Surely the cost is similar to another Vegas roundtrip that you could take before June? Maybe indirect if you need extra trips.
As for taking another trip, that would be fine if it was just me going, but I would have to pay for 2, and go in CW (WT+ only nets you 180 TP return) or higher so no chance of it costing £500, even for just me you are looking at >£2,000 just in the flight, let alone hotel etc.The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk you run, and if you do that you will have enough to pay for something better.0 -
New thread looks great. :beer::beer:Better in my pocket than theirs :rotfl:0
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very nice, secretmachines.
may be worth putting this link in the clubbing section
http://www.jackcolton.com/
another site i find good for hotel (and eating reviews) is https://www.vegastripping.com, been a favourite of mine for a while now.
'viva vegas' and 'vegas mate' are good phone apps to have too.
also a few things to add to the stickies?
-the resort fees link is missing, here is a good one that is actually up to date for a change! http://www.smartervegas.com/resortfees.aspx
-deuce is now $8 for 24 hrs i think
-http://wizardofvegas.com/hotels/ also has an excellent hotel review page.
- http://wizardofodds.com/ is a great site if you want your gambling money to go further and free practise games in before you start chucking down real money
again, love the layout on the style and the updated information. kudos :T0
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