Going to Vegas next week on a budget....need advice!

[Nitrousbird]

My g/f got a national scholarship for her Senior year, and as part of it, she has to go to Vegas for a convention to receive it. Her school funded all but $80 of our plane tickets/hotel expenses, so the trip just couldn't be passed up. smile.gif

 

Anyway, we will be leaving next Tues. night and coming back next Sun. morning. We are staying at the Stratosphere.

 

Questions:

 

- Would it be cheaper to take a taxi from the airport all the way to the hotel, or just to the MGM station (closest to the airport), then ride the monorail to the hotel? The Stratosphere is on the very other end of the monorail's route, and is furthest from the airport.

 

- What is the gambling age in Vegas? I am pretty sure it is 21, but I'm not positive. I ask because my g/f won't be 21 for a few more months. We are assuming she won't be able to gamble (luckily, I'm not much of a gambler, so I won't be blowing a lot of $$ doing that).

 

- Any certain attractions, that are REASONABLE in cost, that just can't be passed up?

 

- Any things we should avoid?

 

- Any other advice for the trip we may need to know (such as where to get good, easily accessable food for cheap).

[SPLN SUX]

- Id say go to the MGM station and ride the rail... if your staying at the MGM, i would think the rail ride should be free...

 

- gambling age is 21

 

- Id say the only real cool things you have to see while you there is:

 

1. The Luxor lit up at night

2. The volcano in front of the Mirage

3. The pirate ship show in front of Treasure Island

 

Good news is, all those are FREE!

 

I dont really know much else since the last time i was there, NYNY had just started construction graemlins/thumb.gif

[Dr. Pomade]

Unfortunately, you'll want to get as far away from the Stratosphere as possible. My g/f won a trip on the radio once (true story), and they put us up in the Stratosphere. GHETT-O. You'll be sorely disappointed when you walk in that place, if you're like me. So, just use it as a place to sleep and eat - spend all your remaining time at other places. If you want to hang with a younger crowd, go to Hard Rock, the Palms, or maybe the Rio. As for very classy casinos, you can't go wrong with Mandalay Bay, the Venetian, and the Bellagio.

 

Cab fare there is outrageously high. I didn't know their monorail ran to the Stratosphere, but, if does, take it - I'm almost certain it will be cheaper than a cab. For some perspective, I was there for a weekend, I traveled by cab, and never paid less than $25 each time I rode, regardless of where I went in Vegas. They charge by time spent in the cab, and perhaps add in mileage too - so it's pricey. It may be cheaper to rent a car while you are there, so you might want to consider that.

 

I think the gambling age is 18, but I can't be sure.

 

A lot of the attactions at Vegas are free - the water fountains at the Bellagio, the canals in the Venetian, the pirate show at Treasure Island, etc. Essentially, all of the major casinos have really cool (and free) things to see - you just have to go to the casinos to see them.

 

As for other attractions that you'd pay for, I don't know. When I'm in Vegas, I gamble, so that's where my attention goes. Some people said, "Hey, ride that roller coaster on the top of the Stratosphere when you get there!" But I didn't - if I wanted to ride on roller coasters, I'd go to Cedar Point, not Las Vegas. But that's just my mind set.

[stealthmonkey]

take all your money and gamble on the first day. if you win then you'll have a good trip if you loose well guess you'll have the worse trip in your life.

[Nitrousbird]

Originally posted by Dr. Z06:

Cab fare there is outrageously high. I didn't know their monorail ran to the Stratosphere, but, if does, take it - I'm almost certain it will be cheaper than a cab.

The monorail, according to their map, stops at the Sahara station, which is basically across the street from the Stratosphere.

 

That's the first I've heard of it being ghetto, though. My mom went on vacation to Vegas last year, and she went in there, but didn't feel like spending the $9/ticket just for a ride to the top. Since we love rollercoasters, we'll probably ride theirs.

 

I did look up that the gambling age is 21. Guess I'll be doing all of the gambling; I wonder if she will even be allowed on the floor to watch.

[cNeutron]

Originally posted by stealthmonkey:

take all your money and gamble on the first day. if you win then you'll have a good trip if you loose well guess you'll have the worse trip in your life.

haha i will give you props on that one geoff. Go to "O" its a great show

[mjeosu27]

She most likely won't be. She will be allowed on the floor, but the dealers/bosses will tell her to keep moving. It's a real pain in the ass. Go to the older downtown area of Las Vegas, and I'm *pretty* sure they'll let her stand behind you and watch. Blackjack is played a little bit differently downtown, as opposed to on the strip.

 

PM me or get me on IM if you'd like some advice on blackjack. My grandfather wrote novels on it, and I know a pretty damn good amount.

 

*Always hit soft 17!

 

Edit: Oh, and, Lance Burton is an amazing show. About $60 a ticket, but 20% off with a military ID. Either way it is an incredible magic show, and WELL worth the money. It is at the Monte Carlo.

 

Jubilee is a great topless show. Pretty inexpensive too. It is at Bally's.

[Akula]

don't take the monorail, take a cab and tell the cabbie not to take the strip (or rent a car as parking is free everywhere).

 

Unfortunately you are going to be on the wrong end of the strip for anything fun.

 

My picks for fun things to do in Vegas.

 

Rio - off strip and a very good time. The buffet is not to be missed ($13). The wine cellar has a $200,000 bottle of wine on display. Tilted Kilt is fun, parade in the sky is free and so is the associated floor show and is really cool. Excellent service and friendly hip atmosphere.

 

Palms, never been the rio is too fun..

 

Luxor, really cool interior, nice club and bad lounge acts (is that Eric Estrada?) 3d theatre is cool ($12) big selection of fast food.

 

Mandalay Bay, acquarium is really nice ($14). The wine rack at Aerole is amazing to look at. Good shopping. Their buffet blows, don't waste your time.

 

New York New York, one of the best hotels for bars, if you like pubs you will love 9 Fine Irishmen and their band is awesome. Good NY type dining and their casino layout is pretty neat. If you like rollercoasters they have one.

 

MGM, some of the best fine dining in vegas the Kobe at Craftsteak ($60) is excellent. They also have fast food which makes it the best place for any meal. Free tiger show and the casino is just plain HUGE.

 

Venetian and Bellagio are really impressive inside and should not be missed. The canal shops are pretty cool.

 

Hard Rock, my sister works there so I have been a bunch. Good eats, tiny casino, very nice staff. They often have concerts so you may want to check to see who is in town.

 

One of my favorite places to eat in vegas is at the stratosphere, Roxy, really fun and live entertainment. they hotel is pretty ghetto but the view from the tower is good. they also have good shopping above the casino.

 

Things to avoid. Anyplace that gives you a free spin on a slot before you go in is a scam. Anyone that offers free show tickets is trying to scam you, the guys handing out flyers on the street are actually handing out "escort service" menus. And this is the most important thing to remember, Nevada has no drug possesion statutes. All drug possession in Nevada defaults to federal guidlines so all possession is a felony. If you get offered chronic, and you will, I would say no!

[Mr.COS]

Launch yourself on the ride at the top of the Stratosphere.

 

Rent a Viper. It's worth it, trust me.

 

 

Originally posted by Nitrousbird:

My g/f got a national scholarship for her Senior year, and as part of it, she has to go to Vegas for a convention to receive it. Her school funded all but $80 of our plane tickets/hotel expenses, so the trip just couldn't be passed up. smile.gif

 

Anyway, we will be leaving next Tues. night and coming back next Sun. morning. We are staying at the Stratosphere.

 

Questions:

 

- Would it be cheaper to take a taxi from the airport all the way to the hotel, or just to the MGM station (closest to the airport), then ride the monorail to the hotel? The Stratosphere is on the very other end of the monorail's route, and is furthest from the airport.

 

- What is the gambling age in Vegas? I am pretty sure it is 21, but I'm not positive. I ask because my g/f won't be 21 for a few more months. We are assuming she won't be able to gamble (luckily, I'm not much of a gambler, so I won't be blowing a lot of $$ doing that).

 

- Any certain attractions, that are REASONABLE in cost, that just can't be passed up?

 

- Any things we should avoid?

 

- Any other advice for the trip we may need to know (such as where to get good, easily accessable food for cheap).

[Mallard]

I second most everything people have already said but I'll add a bit.

 

-The Stratosphere is ghetto compared to other places. I'd try to get closer to the center of the strip at night. (Bellagio, Caesars, Bally's area)

 

-In Flamingo there is Jimmy Buffet's Margarita Ville. The food is ok, but during dinner hours they have a show every hour or hour and a half in the restaurant area. The upstairs has a patio tat looks out on the strip. If it's a nice night go up there.

 

-The Pirate show in front of Treasure Island has changed into a "Pop-y" dance and singing show. It's not as good as it used to be, but it's ok.

 

-Go downtown. The beer is a lot cheaper and they have a lot of live entertainment on the street.

 

-From the airport there are some shuttle busses that charge a flat fee for parts of the strip. That may be cheaper then a cab depending on the time you're flying in.

 

-Walk the strip. Some of the hotels are very extravagant and cool to walk through.

 

-There's an indoor go cart track off the strip that's fun and not too expensive. (Like Speeds)

 

-The Boardwalk (near Monte Carlo and NYNY) and the Orleans (off strip) have $3 Blackjack. It won't be fun for your g/f to stand there, but if you're looking to play for cheap those are the places.

 

-Luxor and Mandaly Bay (and possibly others now) have daily poker tournaments. (Luxor at noon and I think 3) Register early, $25, entries are limited.

 

-There are some cool bars around the strip. I've heard good things about Coyote Ugly in NYNY, but I never made it there.

 

I was there for a week in Oct and last year for 4th of July. If you have any other questions just ask. I'm sure I'm forgetting some things.

[mrs.cos]

As teh hubby said, The Vipre (thour youare on a budget) was fantastic. The Ride on top of the stratosphere was fun, but DEFINATLY do it at night. Great Veiw..

 

We didnt do a lot of gambling.. we did mostly attractions and walkd A TON!!

 

WEAR GOOD SHOES!!

 

We took a shuttle from the airport, its was pretty cheap. We rode all the roller coasters.. and waht not..

 

The Bellagio is a BEAUTIFUL building.. Sightseeing is always free.

 

Be prepared to have LOTS of paper slapped at you.

 

You will understand within 10 mins of walking outside.

God see teh M&M building (We went thru the fun house inside ((freee))

 

We saw BLue Man Group while were there.. They were fantastic.. Besides the Viper that was one of our Big Splurges. you can Renta car for 24 hours and drive out to Hoover Dam.

[El Karacho1647545492]

above all, hookers and booze are your #1 priority

[ZYUL8TR]

If you want to drink for cheap, play the nickel slots and all the drinks are free as long as you are playing.

 

Stay away from the area between Stratosphere and Golden Nugget. I have never seen so many bail bonds shops in all my life.

 

Not sure if you thought about this, we rented a car from Alamo, for about $120 for 7 days. Ask your hotel, they have discounted rates.

 

Drive to Hoover Damn. It is something everyone should see once in their lives. Only a 20 minute drive.

 

Most of the hotels have some sort of deal for their specific shows they offer. I say, see at least one show while you are there. I had to sit through a Celine Dion concert due to the wifes infatuation. Definitely wasted money on that.

 

Try to hit ALL the casinos on the strip. You may not get to, but the outfits the bar waitress wear are definitely worth the effort, especially New York New Yorks'.

[GRN96WS6]

Definitely hit up the hoover dam if you can. its amazing.

[Guest Crankshaft]

Originally posted by Nitrousbird:

My g/f got a national scholarship for her Senior year, and as part of it, she has to go to Vegas for a convention to receive it. Her school funded all but $80 of our plane tickets/hotel expenses, so the trip just couldn't be passed up. smile.gif

 

Anyway, we will be leaving next Tues. night and coming back next Sun. morning. We are staying at the Stratosphere.

 

Questions:

 

- Would it be cheaper to take a taxi from the airport all the way to the hotel, or just to the MGM station (closest to the airport), then ride the monorail to the hotel? The Stratosphere is on the very other end of the monorail's route, and is furthest from the airport.

 

- What is the gambling age in Vegas? I am pretty sure it is 21, but I'm not positive. I ask because my g/f won't be 21 for a few more months. We are assuming she won't be able to gamble (luckily, I'm not much of a gambler, so I won't be blowing a lot of $$ doing that).

 

- Any certain attractions, that are REASONABLE in cost, that just can't be passed up?

 

- Any things we should avoid?

 

- Any other advice for the trip we may need to know (such as where to get good, easily accessable food for cheap).

<font color ="midnightblue"> I went to Las Vegas for a night, saw the whole city, toured all the buildings (inside and out), and managed to not spend a dime. But, of course, I don't drink or gamble, so that might be different for you. And if you're staying in a hotel, then you've already spent some money. So, although it won't be free, it certainly doesn't have to be expensive. Just don't get carried away with all the flashing lights and glitter and ultra-ritzy bars.

 

Although no food there is cheap, per se, there are many places that aren't expensive at all. The Eiffel Tower has some great food, atmosphere, and views, but you will pay for it. Just wander around one night; you're sure to find something that fits your tastes/budget. Good luck, and have fun.

[PonyPimpstress1647545491]

The Belagio water show at night is beuatiful... again that is free. The tour of all the tanks in the Mandalay Bay... it's beautiful. My brother and crystal did tooooooooooooons more than Eric and I... and they didn't spend barley any money on the sites. I'll have jord pm you some of the stuff that he did. Also, the gambling age is 21. Judy is SOL. However, there is nothing that says she can't stand by you when you gamble at the talles. Treasue Island is where we all had most of our luck with winning money. Good Luck and Have fun.

 

p.s. there are malls in all the hotels that have really cool effects. The one in the Aladin has a raining day effect where you don't get rained on. Ceasers also has a really cool look to it... it looks like Rome. NE whoo... if ya want.. give me a call. Mom has been to Vegas 10 times and knows all the free stuff. We also have a few books on the whole going to Vegas on a budget thing too if you want to borrow them.

[Wease]

Originally posted by Pony Pimpstress:

However, there is nothing that says she can't stand by you when you gamble at the talles.

Actually, that's not true. If she is a minor and standing next to a gaming machine or table, you can bet security will be there in the near future to ask for ID. The casinos are pretty lax out there when it comes to minors walking through. But if they stop and watch gaming for longer than a minute or so, security will come and tell you to leave. Well, they should. Vegas is a lot more lax than Reno. In Reno a number of years ago, my daughter stopped to watch my wife and I play a slot machine for about 30 seconds and a security guard showed up and said we could be fined $10K if she did not keep moving. He was cool about it, but dead serious...

[Nitrousbird]

Originally posted by Wease:

Actually, that's not true. If she is a minor and standing next to a gaming machine or table, you can bet security will be there in the near future to ask for ID. The casinos are pretty lax out there when it comes to minors walking through. But if they stop and watch gaming for longer than a minute or so, security will come and tell you to leave. Well, they should. Vegas is a lot more lax than Reno. In Reno a number of years ago, my daughter stopped to watch my wife and I play a slot machine for about 30 seconds and a security guard showed up and said we could be fined $10K if she did not keep moving. He was cool about it, but dead serious...

My g/f isn't a minor, she just doesn't turn 21 for a few more months. I'm not sure if the rules are different in that case.

[PonyPimpstress1647545491]

Jord's g/f crystal doesn't look 21 nor did she gamble much. she didn't have a problem standing by the tables. i'm sure judy will be just fine!