What to see and do in Las Vegas

In article ,
"Aussie Glenn" wrote:

I'm an Aussie going with my wife to the US for the first time in August and
will be staying 5 nights in Vegas As our money doesn't convert into many US
dollars, I'm looking for value places to stay, where to eat and places to
see.

I'm thinking of staying in either Mandalay Bay or the Luxor at the south end
of the Strip or Treasure Island, mid strip. Does anyone have any other
suggestions?

Both hotels are very nice, but the Mandalay Bay is several steps up from
the Luxor in terms of amenities (and price).

When do the Hotels starting offering their deals for this time of year? I've
checked a couple of the websites and most only have prices up to June as
yet.

August is not a popular time of year to visit Las Vegas due to the hot
weather. Check each hotel's web site and you should not have any trouble
at all finding a good deal. I suggest you begin shopping around for room
rates as soon as the rates become available. If you book a room, then
find a lower rate for the same type of room at a given hotel, you can
usually book at a lower price.

Regarding food, I've heard that most places have buffets, but some are
better than others. Any recommendations for these or other places to eat.

Besides wandering the Strip to see the sights, are there any other must sees
or places to go.

Check out the web site http://www.cheapovegas.com for information on
hotels there, buffets, restaurants, and things to see and do. You might
also subscribe to the alt.vacations.las-vegas newsgroup which is very
active. As for my recommendations, I like the buffet at the Monte Carlo
for breakfast or lunch for their reasonable price and quality food, but
for a real treat, try the Sunday (or Saturday) brunch at the Paris
buffet. If you plan to rent a car, take a ride out to the Valley of
Fire, Hoover Dam, or Red Rock Canyon and bring a camera.

On Wed, 18 Jan 2006 11:57:15 +1100, "Debbie"
wrote:


"Aussie Glenn" wrote in message
u...
I'm an Aussie going with my wife to the US for the first time in August
and will be staying 5 nights in Vegas As our money doesn't convert into
many US dollars, I'm looking for value places to stay, where to eat and
places to see.

Glenn, have you considered using Priceline and bidding for your
accommodation? We used it when we went to the States and saved a bundle.
Have a read at Bidding for Travel first though

http://p070.ezboard.com/bpricelineandexpediabidding

Just know that you are bidding in U.S $$$ though.

Debbie - fellow Aussie traveller )

I used them in 2003 but I got kicked off when they
discovered my mastercard had a non-US address. How did you
manage to use them as an Aussie?

Cheers, Alan, Australia

http://p070.ezboard.com/bpricelineandexpediabidding

Just know that you are bidding in U.S $$$ though.

Debbie - fellow Aussie traveller )

I used them in 2003 but I got kicked off when they
discovered my mastercard had a non-US address. How did you
manage to use them as an Aussie?

Cheers, Alan, Australia

Alan, I set up my account using my home address as best I could, I had to
add a '0' to the post code and said I was in Virginia (closest to Victoria I
guess) and haven't had a problem at all. We used Priceline (with VISA) for
maybe 4 or 5 different hotel bookings in the U.S, I also use it to book the
Marriott Hotel here in Melbourne, as I can get it cheaper through Priceline
than Wotif.com. There is also a Priceline based in HongKong and you can bid
in HK $$, but I'm more at ease with the U.S$$

Debbie

Gidday Glen.
Have been doing that trip as budget travellers about every second year if
not yearly.
Getting a bit tight staying in the action on the strip, because the lower
priced places are all closing. The Boardwalk closed a couple of weeks ago,
as did Westward Ho, and reports are that the Imperial Palace and Stardust
are to go come 2007.
Economy wise, recommend you spent a couple of nights downtown, and do you
Hoover/Redrock/Vally of Fire/ etc day trips
from there and get some pretty good night entertainment.
Then to stay on the strip, check out the Imperial Palace or the very small
Casino Royale.. Right amonst the action. Other good rates normally at (a now
tired) Excalibur at the Southern end of strip. A good option is also to
stay West of Strip at say Gold Coast. (best food last year) ..They have a
free shuttle bus which goes between the Coast branded estabishments which
includes the Barbary Coast which is right in the guts. The above places have
their own websites which offer lower rates than the expedias etc.. I used to
use Circus Circus when had kids with us, and even used them about 4 years
ago, (because we are cheapskates) , but it was getting pretty drab.

I know you will love it, we are actually taking another 4 people in May for
their first USA experience

Have a great day today, and an even better day tomorrow.
Regards,
BIG KEV - Melbourne Australia, and Vegas is on our itinerary for 8 days with
a canyon/zions loop thrown in during weekend when Vegas prices are double.

Have fun..



"Everyboysmomma" wrote in message
...

"Aussie Glenn" wrote in message
...
I'm an Aussie going with my wife to the US for the first time in August
and will be staying 5 nights in Vegas As our money doesn't convert into
many US dollars, I'm looking for value places to stay, where to eat and
places to see.

I'm thinking of staying in either Mandalay Bay or the Luxor at the south
end of the Strip or Treasure Island, mid strip. Does anyone have any
other suggestions?

When do the Hotels starting offering their deals for this time of year?
I've checked a couple of the websites and most only have prices up to
June as yet.

Regarding food, I've heard that most places have buffets, but some are
better than others. Any recommendations for these or other places to eat.

Besides wandering the Strip to see the sights, are there any other must
sees or places to go.

Sorry to be so long winded. Thanks for your help in advance.

Glenn

ps I know it will be very hot that time of year but it is the only time
that will fit in our schedule.
check the group alt.vacation.las-vegas and do a search for inexpensive
hotels. There is a wealth of information. You can also check
www.cheapovegas.com for some great tips.
If you plan on walking, stay mid strip. The distance from Luxor to the
Stratosphere is exhausting!
Have a blast! We surely did.
Momma

Thanks again everyone for their suggestions. I should have mentioned we'll
be doing an Insight Tours' trip for 15 days beforehand that does the
canyons, vegas, up to Yellowstone and Mt Rushmore before ending in Denver.
As it only stops one night in Vegas, it doesn't offer much time to
experience the place, which is why were going back. We arrive on a sunday
and leave friday morning to visit friends in Minnesota. This means that we
should get the mid week rates which makes it that much cheaper.

Thanks to those that pointed out cheapovegas, it seems a pretty good site.

To those Aussies that have replied, do you book the hotel yourself or leave
it to a travel agent? I know Debbie uses Priceline, but what about the rest
of you.

Once again, thanks for your help.
Glenn

"Aussie Glenn" wrote in message
...
I'm an Aussie going with my wife to the US for the first time in August
and
will be staying 5 nights in Vegas As our money doesn't convert into many
US
dollars, I'm looking for value places to stay, where to eat and places to
see.

I'm thinking of staying in either Mandalay Bay or the Luxor at the south
end
of the Strip or Treasure Island, mid strip. Does anyone have any other
suggestions?

Yes. Neither Mandalay Bay nor the Luxor are particularly well-located --
they are at the extreme southern end of the strip. Mandalay Bay tends to
draw a lot of families with kids because of its pools -- believe me, however
you feel about children, you do not want to stay in a Las Vegas hotel with a
lot of the kind of parents who think bringing children to Las Vegas is a
good idea. Treasure Island is slightly better, proximity wise, but it's
close to the northern extremity. It does have the advantage of being close
to the Wynn, the newest casino/hotel to open. However, it's also become
very popular with the "young adult" (meaning, "just barely legal"), drink
beer 'til you puke crowd.

If you can afford Mandalay Bay, then you don't need an absolute rock-bottom
bargain price. That means ignore the low rent strip hotels, e.g.
Fitzgeralds and the Imperial, and forget staying downtown (though downtown
is worth a visit -- one nicer hotel, the Golden Nugget, a bunch of really
cheesy hotels, some "older Vegas" casinos and an overhead light show). The
Monte Carlo, Flamingo and Ballys (listed from more to less expensive) are
all mid-strip, offer very good value, and should be less expensive than
Mandalay Bay and Luxor. The Flamingo, in particular, is a good property for
the money, and very well located,directly across the street from Caesar's
Palace. The Monte Carlo is a bit more upscale. Bally's is fine, but it's a
long walk from the hotel/casino to the street (you have to take a people
mover).

Best rates are midweek, Sunday through Thursday.


When do the Hotels starting offering their deals for this time of year?
I've
checked a couple of the websites and most only have prices up to June as
yet.

Regarding food, I've heard that most places have buffets, but some are
better than others. Any recommendations for these or other places to eat.

Besides wandering the Strip to see the sights, are there any other must
sees
or places to go.

The Hoover Dam is interesting. If you have a car and can spare a day
(overnight would be better), the Grand Canyon is a 3-4 hour drive and well
worth it.

Also, as noted, downtown is worth a visit to see a different side of Vegas.

Do you like modern art? The Guggenheim has a small exhibition at the
Venetian. My wife is addicted to the Forum Shops at Caesar's Palace -- the
first (and, in her opinion, best) of these
shopping-mall-designed-to-look-like-a-street-at-Disneyland places. Be
warned -- it's primarily upscale designer stores and prices to match. If
your wife goes, ask her to keep an eye for my wife -- she'll be the one with
the glazed look in her eyes, prowling up and down in front of shop windows,
muttering "No money -- no money -- no money!"


Sorry to be so long winded. Thanks for your help in advance.

No problem. You'll get more advice (but with more attitude) at:

alt.vacation.las-vegas




Glenn

ps I know it will be very hot that time of year but it is the only time
that
will fit in our schedule.

wrote in message
oups.com...
Want to add something to my previous post. The Grand Canyon is one of
the most spectacular sights in the U.S. and would be a wonderful side
trip. It's about a 5-1/2 drive to the South Rim from Vegas,

It depends on the weather and the traffic. We went from Williams (about an
hour south of the South Rim) to our hotel in Las Vegas in slightly over 3
hours last Thanksgiving weekend. Though we didn't observe the speed limit,
we were moving with traffic, i.e. doing about 75 mph.


so an
overnight (or longer) trip is best, but it's certainly possible to do
it as a day trip. If you left early morning you could spend most of the
afternoon at the South Rim (the main tourist area) and drive back in
the evening. Several companies also offer one-day bus tours from Vegas,
such as:

http://www.grayline.com/franchise.cf...details/id/122

There are also one-day plane or helicopter tours available from Vegas.

Jim

"Aussie Glenn" wrote:
5 nights in Vegas As our money doesn't convert into many US dollars,
I'm looking for value places to stay, where to eat and places to
see.

For a bit of non-Gambling Las Vegas, please visit
http://geocities.com/iconoc/Articles/LasVegas.html at the site at
Right in the sig. The questions that aren't answered on the page
probably are at the more than a dozen links to further information. I
have checked each and believe them to be worthwhile.
__________________________________________________ _________________
A San Franciscan who's visited 49 of 50 US states.
http://geocities.com/dancefest/ - http://geocities.com/iconoc/
ICQ: http://wwp.mirabilis.com/19098103 --- IClast at SFbay Net

On Wed, 18 Jan 2006 15:36:03 +1100, "Debbie"
wrote:

http://p070.ezboard.com/bpricelineandexpediabidding

Just know that you are bidding in U.S $$$ though.

Debbie - fellow Aussie traveller )

I used them in 2003 but I got kicked off when they
discovered my mastercard had a non-US address. How did you
manage to use them as an Aussie?

Cheers, Alan, Australia

Alan, I set up my account using my home address as best I could, I had to
add a '0' to the post code and said I was in Virginia (closest to Victoria I
guess) and haven't had a problem at all. We used Priceline (with VISA) for
maybe 4 or 5 different hotel bookings in the U.S, I also use it to book the
Marriott Hotel here in Melbourne, as I can get it cheaper through Priceline
than Wotif.com. There is also a Priceline based in HongKong and you can bid
in HK $$, but I'm more at ease with the U.S$$

Debbie

Hi Debbie

In 2003 I read a lot of good advice on "biddingfortravel"
and then registered with my full address but had to select
an American state - so I chose Alaska.

It was magic as I travelled through the USA - top-quality 2
1/2 to 4 star at an average of $35 outside major cities -
and great prices in SF ($60, Sheraton Fisherman's Wharf), DC
($72 Capitol Hilton) and NYC ($111 Millennium on Broadway).
I reckon I saved well over $1500 in a month.

Then I found there were less choices in Europe, but still
marvellous value - Marriott/Renaissances in Wien, Brussels
and Munich all under €60.

But then they changed software or something. I won a bid in
Frankfurt for a three star for €50+ and then it locked up
because my credit card was rejected. They had discovered
that New South Wales wasn't in Alaska.

Later correspondence with the company was surreal.
Basically, they said that it was impossible that I had
succeeded in any of my bids and that I hadn't stayed
anywhere. The ostrich approach to a problem.

I've tried the Singapore variant but they don't have
anything like the same bargains and I've always ended up
using Wotif or similar for Oz travel. Now I'm going rtw
again in May so I was hoping you had come up with an
alternative.

Maybe I'll just try again with a different cc - but I think
they'll pick up on the name :-(

Cheers, Alan, Australia

On Wed, 18 Jan 2006 19:17:31 +1100, "Aussie Glenn"
wrote:

Thanks again everyone for their suggestions. I should have mentioned we'll
be doing an Insight Tours' trip for 15 days beforehand that does the
canyons, vegas, up to Yellowstone and Mt Rushmore before ending in Denver.
As it only stops one night in Vegas, it doesn't offer much time to
experience the place, which is why were going back. We arrive on a sunday
and leave friday morning to visit friends in Minnesota. This means that we
should get the mid week rates which makes it that much cheaper.

Thanks to those that pointed out cheapovegas, it seems a pretty good site.

To those Aussies that have replied, do you book the hotel yourself or leave
it to a travel agent? I know Debbie uses Priceline, but what about the rest
of you.

Once again, thanks for your help.
Glenn


Hi Glenn

The only thing I used a travel agent for was the initial
One-World-Explorer ticket.

While travelling I had no CC abuse or other problems with
any of the following:
http://www.priceline.com/ (see my reply to Debbie)
http://www.venere.com/
http://www.wotif.com/
any official hotel web-site (Fitzgeralds, Hilton, Choice,
Accor, Best-Western etc)
http://www.needitnow.com/needitnow/needitnow.asp
http://www.lastminute.com/
Also the Alhambra booking web-site and the Spanish rail
(Renfe) site.

For some smaller hotels I followed up with emails or phone
until I was satisfied, then either rang cc details through
or sent the cc number split between two emails.

For apartments I used the web (various, vrbo etc) to find
them then emailed direct to owners for bookings. Some used
Paypal (which adds a percentage) but all were good.

In a five month trip the only bad web-booking experience was
an apartment in Charlotte Amalie (USVI) which was 100 yards
from the beach. It was. Straight down. We were able to
cancel and find an alternative on the spot.

In Oz, I do not recommend http://www.check-in.com.au/ after
a recent poor experience. The star rating for their hotels
is very optimistically self-assessed - and not inspected.

Cheers, Alan, Australia