Las Vegas thread and MSE guide 2010

ratkarth

ultimate_shopaholic wrote: »

When I was last in Vegas we stayed for 7 nights, but we drove up to the Grand Canyon. We went to the part with the Skywalk, I think its the West Rim, it was well worth it. We opted not to fly as it was still in the hot months and I know a few people who have done it and been sick from the turbulence due to the heat. The helicopter tours were so expensive too, so we drove up, I really enjoyed it! It is true that it is a long drive, but its an experience to see the vast expanses and there is a very strange little town that you pass through on the way, I think it was called Dolan Springs.. it is almost like a trailer park with some shanty houses! Also on the way you drive over the Hoover Dam which is also quite exciting! I suppose it depends on your plans, budget and how much of a desire you have to get there on whether it is worth the journey.

i would say you cant do a day trip to la from vegas.
would either choose canyon or not any, 6 days can be easily filled in vegas

ratkarth

Dan_S wrote: »

Dowsy - I totally understand the appeal of staying in 3 x seperate hotels and was thinking about doing something similar on my next trip which is why i was asking the question. Doesn't it tie you having to check out of one hotel, collect baggage etc and take it to the next and check in. Then having to unpack and pack again to check out/ check in etc?

How do you do it?

I just don't want to waste time, but would like to stay in different hotels.

i did 4 hotels in 12 days last year wouldnt reccomend it, I think one hotel every 4 days is just about right, otherwise yo feel like your constantly unpacking etc
having a car is useful as then not tied down so much by check in check out times as can store luggage in trunk and pop it in the valllet

ferf1223

April

ultimate_shopaholic wrote: »

When I was last in Vegas we stayed for 7 nights, but we drove up to the Grand Canyon. We went to the part with the Skywalk, I think its the West Rim, it was well worth it.

mookybargirl wrote: »

Our first trip was only 5 days and we did one of the helicopter tours to the GC. It was great. We choose the early one. Think it was 6am, and by 10.30am, we were back at our hotel. It's great if you don't have a huge amount of time, or don't want the long drive.......

The first page discusses the West Rim vs. South Rim issue...the helicopter tours are to the West Rim which some will argue is not the proper Grand Canyon. It is much closer to Vegas than the South Rim. I've only been to the South Rim so I can't compare the two, but if anyone is considering driving to the West Rim it's really important to understand the fees associated with doing so and also that your rental car insurance waiver may be invalidated by driving there (as the last 14 miles of road is terrible).

totallybored

September

mookybargirl wrote: »

Our first trip was only 5 days and we did one of the helicopter tours to the GC. It was great. We choose the early one. Think it was 6am, and by 10.30am, we were back at our hotel. It's great if you don't have a huge amount of time, or don't want the long drive.......

We did this too and I'd recommend it if you don't have the time (or don't want to give up too much time!). I think we had a 9am trip and were back early/mid afternoon so still had time for the pool. We did the trip that landed at the bottom with the picnic lunch. Be warned, in the summer its incredibly hot :eek:

I found this was more than enough time to spend (in fact, if it could have been done in an hour I'd have been more than happy). My dad did a whole day coach tour to it and loved it though so it depends on how you want to spend your time in Vegas.

mookybargirl

March

totallybored wrote: »

We did this too and I'd recommend it if you don't have the time (or don't want to give up too much time!). I think we had a 9am trip and were back early/mid afternoon so still had time for the pool. We did the trip that landed at the bottom with the picnic lunch. Be warned, in the summer its incredibly hot :eek:

I found this was more than enough time to spend (in fact, if it could have been done in an hour I'd have been more than happy). My dad did a whole day coach tour to it and loved it though so it depends on how you want to spend your time in Vegas.

Oh yeah, we were warned about how hot it would get as the day went on, it is the desert after all :rotfl: That's the main reason we took the first tour of the day. It was quite pleasant when we landed.....

trets77

RE: moving hotels and storing luggage

we just give our bags to the Valets , get the ticket , then call down when checked in .

Dan_S_3

ferf1223 wrote: »

The first page discusses the West Rim vs. South Rim issue...the helicopter tours are to the West Rim which some will argue is not the proper Grand Canyon. It is much closer to Vegas than the South Rim. I've only been to the South Rim so I can't compare the two, but if anyone is considering driving to the West Rim it's really important to understand the fees associated with doing so and also that your rental car insurance waiver may be invalidated by driving there (as the last 14 miles of road is terrible).

I have done both the West Rim by helicopter (Maverick) and the South Rim by car with an overnight. The Helicopter trip was great, it was expensive (£250 each) but was my first experience of the canyon and i thought it was amazing. Last year we did the South Rim by car and again i loved it. The South rim is great.

If someone was paying for me to do either trip again i would take the South rim by car option. But i wouldn't do it in a day, overnight at the rim.

luci

May

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Luxury Suite at The Palazzo
20% off bill at Table 10 by Emeril Lagasse
15% off bill at FIRST Food and Bar
15% off bill at B&B Ristorante by Mario Batali at The Venetian
2- for-1 drinks at Salute Dueling Pianos Lounge
$20 sports bet credit with new pocketcasino in-running sign up
$25 in Grazie Slot Credits

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luci

May

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mattwallisuk

For those discussing helicopter trips, I just found Papillon have the landing/lunch tour reduced from $399 to $240 per person:

http://www.papillon.com/popris/show_package.aspx?package_id=19&lang=en-US

Seems like a good price to me, although doubt it was ever $399. I have gone with Papillon before and it was pretty good, going again with them as my girlfriend has never been to vegas and we go end of March.

I have not managed to find a company offering anything better than $240 per person including a landing...