The Gambling Capital of the World. The Entertainment Capital of the World. City of Lights. Sin City. Las Vegas.
They say what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas but in this post, I’ll uncover some of the tips and tricks of how to firstly get to this spectacular place and then how to have a fully worthwhile time on a lower end budget.
To give a bit of background to this, my first visit to Las Vegas was at the end of a 4 week trip across California after 3 years of studying at university so the bank account was definitely not booming! Since then I have returned twice, once as a starter for a two week trip and once for a birthday to head to EDC Las Vegas. So from spending 3 weeks there in total, I know a thing or two about Vegas and how to make the most of it! However I wouldn’t claim to be an expert on everything and this is certainly designed around the stuff that I enjoy.
Interestingly, over the last 3 years I have spent nearly more time in Las Vegas than I have at home between work and travel!
Flights
The first thing that seems to put people off is the cost of the flights. For this you can either do your own work to find the cheapest flights, with websites such as Kayak or Sky Scanner or use the work of others such as Jack’s Flight Club. My chosen method is Sky Scanner, using searches such as from the UK as a whole rather than a specific city. A real life example of this trick saving me money can be seen in the table below.
From | “London “ | “United Kingdom” |
To | “Las Vegas” | “Las Vegas” |
Airline | British Airways | British Airways |
Route | London Heathrow -> Las Vegas McCarran | Manchester -> London Heathrow -> Las Vegas McCarran |
Total Price | Around £990 | £554.04 |
*This booking was conducted at the end of Sep 17 for a trip May 18 so 7 months beforehand.
As you can see from this, adding one additional flight meant that I was saving in excess of £400 for the sake of an additional 1 hour flight. Of course, it very much depends where in your respective nation you’re starting out. The time and money spent to be able to get to a flight at the other end of the country to save what could be £100s, may not be worthwhile so that needs to be taken into account. I was fortunate that Manchester Airport and London Heathrow were very similar distances from my starting location.
In my personal opinion, I feel that due to the price a trip to the US and back, if you’re travelling from Europe or further afield, then my advice would be to include several other places nearby to explore all at the same time, like I did with my first trip to America. This way you can get real value for money on expensive flights.
As you can see from this method of searching and shopping around for flights, you can save a significant amount of money for, in this instance, the addition of an hour’s flight from Manchester to London and the layover time of around an hour. These may seem a lot but in what is already a 13 hour trip for flights and check in, what harm does two hours make?
Accommodation
Hostel
Got to be a hotel right?! Wrong. Though it is completely unexpected from when I’ve mentioned it to people before, Las Vegas is home to a couple of hostels and they charge very low fees if a hotel is going to break the bank or you want to give yourself more spending money whilst there. My recommendation would be Hostel Cat, based on the prices, facilities and the atmosphere of the place. With prices starting at $19 for a shared room a night, it is a bargain especially when you compare it to the prices of a hotel. Maybe something to consider?
Hotel
If a hostel isn’t to your taste or just want to experience life in a Las Vegas hotel, then you average fee per night is looking to be $130.48 (as of 2017) plus a $20-40 resort fee for everyday you are at the hotel. The facilities though that you get for this fee are brilliant and in my eyes, can be worth the price if you make the most of your money. With the resort fee, you are fully entitled to use the pool areas to got for a swim, chill out on the lazy river or lounge around to soak up the desert sun to allow you forget about the real world and relax. Whereas if getting a pump on is what helps you unwind then it gives you access to the hotel’s gym. So if you make the most of what you get access to with your resort fee, you’ll be able to get full value for money.
Initially you may feel that is a lot for a room but each resort is owned by an overarching company, such as the MGM owning the MGM Grand, Park MGM, Bellagio, New York New York amongst others, and often offer loyalty schemes which even when you sign up for the basic level, you get a certain percentage off you booking or there are offers year round for the hotel’s shows and amenities.
Food
How you go about food all depends on where you stay. If you are staying in a hostel, the cheapest method of eating is for you to buy your own food and cook your own meals. However if you are staying in a hotel, this wouldn’t be possible so you’d need to eat out.
When it comes to eating in the city, you have a range of establishments that allow you to get by without the need to break the bank but depending on how tight our budget is depends how money savvy you need to be. At the very low end of the spectrum you have places such as fast food places, which though not the most nutritious, will definitely save the budget being dented too much.
If fast food isn’t your thing, along with scouting the city for cheaper restaurants which are usually outside of the hotels, there is the option for you to get your money’s worth by eating at one of the buffets that the hotels offer. These can be pricy at $20-$40 depending on meal and whether it’s a weekend or weekday but gives you a chance to fully stock up on the calories.
It is to be noted that prices in general are inflated across the city and costs can very easily start to add up if you’re heading to for example Starbucks, where a coffee, sandwich and a sweet item usually are around the $15-$20 mark.
Night Clubs & Pool Parties
Part of the glitz and the glamour with Vegas and one of the main reasons that people will make the pilgrimage out there is to see the world’s biggest DJs in some of the best night clubs in the world, and from personal experience, I can see why!
The effort made with the decor, the dancers, the acrobatics, the costumes, the class of DJ and the sound systems makes it a recipe for exceptional evening out. This is before you factor in the sort of people you could be rubbing shoulders with, being the playground for many celebrities and sports stars alike.
However the main thing to put people off is the prices touted to be able to attend such events, with ticket prices being in excess of $30-$40, depending on the the DJ, some even being well over $100 for the likes of Calvin Harris. Adding the price of the drinks whilst in there and it all starts to really add up, with standard drinks costing $10+ such as soft drinks, which includes water, raising up to $20+ for a drink and mixer. On top of that, you have to factor in the tips for the bartenders with there being a direct correlation between how much you tip and how quickly you get served.
Sound a bit out of your budget’s league? Well, you’ll be glad to know that there is hope on the horizon! There is method for getting into these places for, dare I say it, FREE! “How on earth do you do that?” I may be hearing you ask, well here’s the answer you are looking for:
GUESTLISTS.
To be able to get on the guest lists, you don’t need to be someone, you can be anyone and it is something that is actively promoted by the clubs with their network of promoters in and around the hotels and The Strip itself. They are even all over social media, often found by searching the pool/night club’s name along with promoter in Google and they should come up, e.g. “Hakkasan Las Vegas promoter”.
A couple of things to be wary of are:
- Promoters that act as employed promoters but aren’t, usually quoting someone else’s list when they send you through the “confirmation” text messages.
- Other kinds of promoters that are looking to scam people will sell wristbands giving you free entry, queue jump and drinks at the bar, often going for $20-30.
- If you are going as a large group of guys, you are more likely to be rejected so either go in small groups or have a good share for women with you to equal out the party. This is to ensure that the numbers of each gender are evened out in the club.
All these stand for gaining access to the pool parties in Las Vegas too!
Things to Do Locally – Cheap
Probably the most important section of this whole blog; what can you do with a small budget in such an extravagant and expensive place? Well, let me tell you a few examples of what I would recommend doing whilst there.
- Walking The Strip – One of the first things I would recommend whilst there is to just walk up and down The Strip in the daytime and nighttime. The whole thing is quite a spectacle to take in all the hotels, their surrounding resorts and the street performers that you will find spread out along Las Vegas Boulevard. You have places such as the Trevi Fountains at Caesars Palace, a mini Eiffel Tower or the Sphinxes at Luxor. Price: FREE!
- Fremont Street – If you want to see where it all began in Las Vegas, that head on over to Fremont Street to see the original Strip, now named The Old Strip. Herein lies plenty of street performers and music acts to enjoy as you stroll along and take in the original hotels and casinos (including the first in the whole of the city!), doing all of this under the world’s largest video screen, contained 12.5 million LED lights with it’s own display. Price: FREE!
- Fremont Street Zipline – We’ve been over the experience of walking along Fremont Street but there’s also the experience of being able to zipline/zoomline from one end to the other. Take the zipline like any other and sit as you fly above the Strip and those below. Or take the zoom line, laying down forwards! Price: Zipline $25, zoomline $45.
- Bellagio Fountains – One of the large landmarks is the Bellagio Fountains found outside the hotel. These iconic fountains feature a choreographed show using the fountains water and lights, all accompanied with music. The occur every 30 minutes 1500 to 2000 then every 15 minutes 2000 to midnight. Price: FREE!
- High Roller – Another way of viewing the Strip would be from the top of the world’s tallest observation wheel! Standing at 550 feet tall, it gives a different view of the Strip to those suggested. Price: Day – $22, night – $32 (online prices only)
- Eiffel Tower – Ever been up the Eiffel Tower in Paris? Well, here’s your chance to go up its twin! Though this version is only half the size, it still gives you a tremendous view of the Strip both day and night from 460ft and has it’s own restaurant, much like the original one. Price: 1000-1859 $16, 1900-0100 $22.
- New York New York rollercoaster – This rollercoaster has a unique experience of being on top of a hotel, so giving you views of the Strip, as well as starting inside it! Quite the novelty at a cheap price, giving you speeds of up to 67 mph and drops of 144ft. Price: $15
- Gambling – As long as this done correctly and responsibly, then you can gamble within a budgeted holiday to gain all the Vegas experiences if you so wish. Personally I’ve never gambled during the three times that I have been there but there are casinos out that offer $5 buy ins such as Casino Royale, Treasure Island and Golden Gate. These are examples of casinos that offer the usual odds with these low buy ins, where as some other hotels that have low buy ins have reduced odds too.
Things to Do Locally – Not So Cheap
As you can probably tell by my apparent need to write this post for you, Las Vegas isn’t the cheapest of places in the world, though has plenty to offer. If you’ve managed to save some of the budget or allocated some to splash out on a thing in particular, this part is for you, to show what there is to offer.
- Helicopter ride of The Strip – Travel in style and comfort as you glide over The Strip of Las Vegas. You’ll be able to get a bird’s eye view of the extravagance of Las Vegas as you cruise through the air in a leather seated helicopter, lasting 12 to 15 minutes. Included in the price is a hotel pick up and drop off and champagne toast at the terminal. Price: $100
- Jump from Stratosphere – A bit of a daredevil and fancy jumping from the top of a building? Well then the SkyJump at the Stratosphere is the thing just for you! Hitting speeds of 40mph and a total descent distance of 829 feet, this is definitely something for a thrill seeker but is on the pricer side of things to do. Price: $119.99
- Rides at top of Stratosphere – Continuing on in the same vein, there are a collection of rides at the top of the Stratosphere hotel. Playing host to the world’s highest thrill rides, this collection of ordinary rides are taking to a whole new level by being placed at the top of the hotel’s tower! Want to be dangled over the edge and spun around? Insanity is for you! Fancy the thrill of being catapulted off the edge? X-Scream fits the bill! Wish to go even higher? Then Big Shot is calling your name! Unlimited tower access and rides prices: Weekdays – $39.95, weekends – $44.95
- Shows – Alongside the gambling side of life, Vegas is known for the variety and quality of shows it offers across the city. Magic, stunts, singing, music… the list is extensive and I haven’t got the time to list them all! However some of the recommended shows to see whilst there are Penn & Teller, a Cirque du Soleil and Blue Man Group to give you a cross section of what’s on offer. Unfortunately the prices of these shows aren’t cheap and you’re looking at spending in the region $80-100 to get a standard seat. Prices: Roughly in the region of $80-100 for most show but will vary depending on the show itself and the time of booking.
The list of things that you can do go on and on really so these are just a few itinerary fillers and bank account emptiers than you can put into your trip. With the premise of this blog being about budgeting then I put more focus on the the cheaper things on offer.
Things to Do Out of the City
Apart from the many attractions of The Strip, the surrounding locality (those this is broad when it comes to the USA) of Las Vegas has plenty to offer. The cheapest to be able to explore elsewhere would be to band together in a group and hire a car to give you the means to get out and about. An example pricing for a car would be to pay around $75 for a 5 seated car for a day, which would be $15 each plus any fuel costs, which vary. (Prices and exchange rates as of Jun 18).
So let’s get to the list of things to do:
- The Grand Canyon – $30 per vehicle. A 5 hour drive each way to the South Rim entrance of the Grand Canyon, this gives you the ability to access several viewpoints to look out over the canyon and if you have the nerve to, to go and sit near or on the edge. It is definitely an awe inspiring view to take in that cannot be missed!
- Hoover Dam – Free to walk on and see, $10 to see the visitor centre, $15 to see the power plant, $30 for a full 1 hour tour. Only a 30 minute drive from The Strip, which could be en route to the Grand Canyon, the Hoover Dam sits on the Colorado River, at the end of Lake Mead. A feat of civil engineering that must be seen and yet is so hard to comprehend.
- Valley of Fire State Park – Located just an hour outside of Las Vegas to the north east, it is known for its red sandstone outcrops and ancient petroglyphs. For a $10 entry, you have access to plenty of fascinating hikes to get lost in (hopefully not literally!), areas to have a picnic and camp if you wanted to have a couple of days there. It is also in close proximity, a 20 minute drive, to Lake Mead should you wish to include both in one day’s activities.
- Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area – If you head 20 minutes to the west then you’ll hit this conservation area which provides you with over 20 hikes to enjoy or a 13 mile scenic drive. The price to experience the pleasure of this scenery? $15 for a vehicle.
- Havasu Falls & Creek – I’m talking about the beautiful falls inside the Grand Canyon and often high on many people’s lists of things to do (still one for me!). This place is only accessible if you have a pass from the official campground as day hiking isn’t allowed with prices starting at $140.56 per person for 2 days/1 night. Once you Google this place, you’ll see why so many want to head there!
There you have it, that raps up this blog! As you can see that if you budget right and use the tips and tricks highlighted above, you’ll be able to get the most out of Las Vegas and not have have to spend thousands to do so. OK no, you won’t be living the high life in penthouses nor rubbing shoulders with celebrities on your paid for tables in nightclubs but you can still get a fully enjoyable experience out of your time there. As I said before too, some of these points will apply to visiting other places such as booking flights.
I hope that this has been a useful read for you and be sure to like the Facebook page, follow the blog on Twitter and follow the Instagram account to see when I next post and what have been up to lately! Until the next blog, get out there and get covering the world!
