Las Vegas guide and MSE thread 2013

Georgiegirl256

Jude1964 wrote: »

Hi Guys, it's my first time posting. I am so glad I found this forum. Your knowledge is incredible and I know it will help me plan a trip of a lifetime!
Basically, 4 of us are travelling next June 18 2014, to celebrate my 50th, my partner and I are also celebrating 25 years together, and best of all, i am hoping to get married in Vegas ( he doesn't know this yet!) so I need to do lots of planning and prep.

Congrats! :beer: When are you telling your OH?!

As others have said, start planning now, part of the fun is in the planning! I love researching new places to eat, shows to see, reading reviews etc!

I've been to Vegas 4 times before, going again in just over a month, and I'm finding the guys and gals on this thread to have a wealth of hints and tips! Even though I've been a few times before, it's been 7 years since our last trip, and so it's good to know the latest scoop!

Mich81

Jude1964 wrote: »

Never realised you could do Alcatraz at night. Sounds fab... Do I just book with a tour company, or can you recommend where?

You sound really well travelled and knowledgable, I bet you've experienced some stunning places too.

I appreciate your help. Thankyou again for replying.

I didn't realise either when we went, and the only tickets left were for the day tour, which was still really good but the night tour is supposed to be really eerie so I'd like to go back and do it. As said before, thats the only place to book it. Its so worth it too, you get an audio tour which is narrated by former prisoners and prison guards.

I've only really been to the USA - done a couple of Trek America holidays there though that took us to lots of different places - but I'm so not into the camping anymore !

For the spreadsheet talk, mine has a few uses - I have one anyway for regular budgeting so I've added tabs onto that. I have one for the saving part of the trip to ensure I have enough going into my savings every month to pay off the holiday. Then another tab for saving spending money once the trip is paid off, on that I save links to various websites who do money cards / money exchange . I have another tab where I just save links that people have posted on here / TA that have interested me for when its time to do a rough itinerary. Then I have another tab for grouping activities / restaurants together by whereabouts they're located on the strip - so that we don't end up going from one end of the strip to the other looking for places we want to eat in. That page also has a little countdown that I've made a formula for so that when I click on it it tells me how many days to go :rotfl:

I'm a bit geeky with my spreadsheets as I'm sure you can tell but having got into trouble before with credit cards I now feel the need to be superorganised with my finances.

martmonk

Mich81 wrote: »

I didn't realise either when we went, and the only tickets left were for the day tour, which was still really good but the night tour is supposed to be really eerie so I'd like to go back and do it. As said before, thats the only place to book it. Its so worth it too, you get an audio tour which is narrated by former prisoners and prison guards.

The night tour is the way to go - we did the first 'night' option available which leaves in the last hour or so of daylight, it's just getting to dusk when you get there and well and truly dark by the time you leave.

danm1979

daisiegg wrote: »

This time next week plus about 24 hours I will be in Vegas

Snap -fly out from Heathrow on Tuesday 20th

Jude1964

Georgiegirl256 wrote: »

Congrats! :beer: When are you telling your OH?!

As others have said, start planning now, part of the fun is in the planning! I love researching new places to eat, shows to see, reading reviews etc!

I've been to Vegas 4 times before, going again in just over a month, and I'm finding the guys and gals on this thread to have a wealth of hints and tips! Even though I've been a few times before, it's been 7 years since our last trip, and so it's good to know the latest scoop!

I made a massive school girl error last night :eek:
I showed him this forum, because I was so excited about the hints and tips and wealth of knowledge.
So he obviously read my OP:o
His hair did go like this :eek:
But all he said was.. I hate surprises, glad it wasn't sprung on me!
Lol! I am thinking about doing it on the cheap. A little white chapel somewhere..
No point in doing the massive £5000 bellagio job when we have been together a quarter of a century already and we are both at our half century mark...
I just want him to know that no matter what, he will be my lover for life:A
Blimey, getting emotional. Which isn't usually me.
Thankyou so much for offering tips on wedding planning.. Yes! I need all the help I can get. Obviously x

Jude1964

Mich81 wrote: »

I didn't realise either when we went, and the only tickets left were for the day tour, which was still really good but the night tour is supposed to be really eerie so I'd like to go back and do it. As said before, thats the only place to book it. Its so worth it too, you get an audio tour which is narrated by former prisoners and prison guards.

I've only really been to the USA - done a couple of Trek America holidays there though that took us to lots of different places - but I'm so not into the camping anymore !

For the spreadsheet talk, mine has a few uses - I have one anyway for regular budgeting so I've added tabs onto that. I have one for the saving part of the trip to ensure I have enough going into my savings every month to pay off the holiday. Then another tab for saving spending money once the trip is paid off, on that I save links to various websites who do money cards / money exchange . I have another tab where I just save links that people have posted on here / TA that have interested me for when its time to do a rough itinerary. Then I have another tab for grouping activities / restaurants together by whereabouts they're located on the strip - so that we don't end up going from one end of the strip to the other looking for places we want to eat in. That page also has a little countdown that I've made a formula for so that when I click on it it tells me how many days to go :rotfl:

I'm a bit geeky with my spreadsheets as I'm sure you can tell but having got into trouble before with credit cards I now feel the need to be superorganised with my finances.

That is incredibly clever to me...
I would do exactly the same with 'geek' content! I am not clever enough to make something like that.. But I know a girl who can!
My hopefully, soon to be sister in law who is coming with us.. Is mega organised. She is a planning, listing spreadsheeting fiend! I will get her on it. Hope she doesn't read that I called her a fiend! Cos I love her to bits :happyhear

Jude1964

I will show the guys the map of Yosemite.. I have no spacial awareness or sense of which direction we are coming in from. So will let them chose a location. I will also book the Alcatraz night tour this weekend.
I can't do spreadsheets, but will start 4 folders for us all, with all info that I have gathered.
I have told them all to play myvegas on Facebook.. Cos I am not on it.
Is it worth it do you think?

Jude x

ILOVEHOLIDAYS

luci wrote: »

I take it that is Lowcostusa?

I would strongly suggest you pay the extra £4 / night and book the Grand Queen instead which will have 2 UK king size beds. They will probably ask you at check in whether you want one or two bed anyway.

The Petite King is the old West Wing rooms. Apart from the fact they haven't been refurbished recently like the rest of the hotel has, the rooms are tiny and with a very small window.

If you can stretch to it, the Executive Queen suite is definitely worth the £20 / night extra as it is huge at 695 sqft which is twice the size of the Petite King.

No its with netflights lowcost works out the same for petite king but grand queen is a lot cheaper on the lowcost. i was thinking of the 5% quidco. would it not work out cheaper if i book petite king and ask for a upgrade when i get there? also if i upgraded what would happen with the resort fees if they was already included?

Mich81

Jude1964 wrote: »

I will show the guys the map of Yosemite.. I have no spacial awareness or sense of which direction we are coming in from. So will let them chose a location. I will also book the Alcatraz night tour this weekend.
I can't do spreadsheets, but will start 4 folders for us all, with all info that I have gathered.
I have told them all to play myvegas on Facebook.. Cos I am not on it.
Is it worth it do you think?

Jude x

When we did the trip, we went San Fran - Yosemite - Vegas.

It was 2007 so my memory is a bit hazy, but I don't recall the drive to Yosemite taking forever - however the drive from Yosemite to Vegas really did.

We left early because none of us had slept as we were worried about bears in our campsite after one had been spotted the night before :rotfl:then the Tioga Pass (i think?) was closed meaning it took ages to just get out of Yosemite. I'm sure the drive was something crazy like 10/11 hours so its definitely worth finding a midway point to stay overnight and break up the driving. We kept ourselves entertained by playinv Viva Las Vegas pretty much on a loop, and creating a 'Honk if you're going to Vegas' sign in the minibus

Myvegas is definitely worth playing for the freebies, I'm hoping to get some buffet passes and show tickets which will leave me more money for shopping

I'm waffling a bit now, but if spreadsheets aren't your thing then I'd probably just print off things of interest that you see online and compile a folder divided into the places you're visiting - then you have a little info pack of things to do and places to visit

silvercar

nvh wrote: »

Seems a good price for your flights!

The only thing I'd recommend you get sorted ASAP, is if you want to stay in Yosemite you need to book early doors as they book up quick (and also the prices rise over time, in-line with the demand rising). I'd be looking at booking Yosemite now

This x 2.

We ended up staying in Tenaya lodge because the park hotel we wanted was fully booked. It was still amazing and near Mariposa Grove.