Planning a trip to Las Vegas
Whether you are visiting Las Vegas for the first time or the 50th, planning a trip here can be an overwhelming experience—as overwhelming as the city itself. With more than 150,000 hotel rooms, nearly as many slot machines, thousands of restaurants, and dozens of shows and attractions, there are seemingly endless ways to lose or waste your money. This chapter is designed to help you navigate the practical details of designing a Vegas experience that is tailored to your needs, from getting to and around the city to advice on the best times to visit and more.
Lots of people, both from the U.S. and abroad, believe that Las Vegas is the way it is portrayed in movies and television. For the most part, it isn’t. Well, okay, you are more likely to run into a random showgirl or Elvis impersonator here than you are in say, Wichita, but they aren’t in the background of every photo opportunity. International visitors, especially, should pay close attention to the material that follows in order to prepare for the most common non-showgirl issues you may encounter in Las Vegas or on your way here.
Adapting to Las Vegas -- Las Vegas is, for the most part, a very casual city. Although there are a few restaurants that have a restrictive dress code, most of them—and all of the showrooms, casinos, and attractions—are pretty much come as you are. Some people still choose to dress up for their night on the town, resulting in a strange dichotomy where you might see a couple in a suit and evening gown sitting next to a couple in shorts and sandals at a show or in a nice restaurant.
Generally speaking, spiffy-casual (slacks or nice jeans, button-up shirts or blouses, or a simple skirt or dress) is the best way to go in terms of what to wear, allowing you to be comfortable in just about any situation. Go too far to one extreme or the other and you’re bound to feel out of place somewhere.
The only exception to this rule is the nightclubs, which often have very strict policies on what you can and cannot wear. They vary from club to club, but, as a general rule, sandals or flip-flops, shorts, and baseball caps are frowned upon. Think “business casual,” but your business is getting into the club: that nice pair of jeans or slacks, a collared, pressed shirt, and leather dress shoes will get you in the door; fancier clothes (jackets, cocktail dresses) may get you past the velvet rope a little faster.
Yes, it does get hot in Las Vegas, so you really should factor that in when you’re planning your wardrobe for your trip. It’s important to note that every enclosed space (casino, showroom, restaurant, nightclub, and so on) is heavily air-conditioned, so it can actually be chilly once you get inside. Think light layers and you should be okay.
Las Vegas is a 24-hour town, so you can find something to eat or drink all the time; but many of the nicer restaurants open only for dinner, with 5 or 6pm to 10 or 11pm the standard operating hours. Nightclubs usually open around 10pm and go until dawn, with the bulk of the crowds not showing up until midnight at the earliest. There are a few afternoon shows, but most are in the evenings and often run two shows a night with start times that range from 7 until 10:30pm. Casinos and most regular bars are open 24 hours a day.
Jump to:
- Health & Safety
- Tips for Travelers with Disabilities
- Getting There
- Visitor Information
- Fast Facts
- Money
- Tips for Families
- Tips for Senior Travelers
- Tips for Women Travelers
- Tips for Travelers with Pets
- Tips for Gay and Lesbian Travelers
- When to Go
- Orientation
- Entry Requirements & Customs
- Sustainable Travel & Ecotourism
- Staying Connected
- Getting Around
- Calendar of Events
Health & Safety
Health
By and large, Las Vegas is like most other major American cities in that the water is relatively clean, the air is relatively clear, and illness-bearing insects and animals are rare. However, in a city with this many people coming and going from all over the world, there are a couple of specific concerns worth noting.
- Food Poisoning -- Food preparation guidelines in Las Vegas are among the strictest in the world, but when you're dealing with the sheer volume that this city is, you're bound to run into trouble every now and then. All restaurants are required by law to display a health certificate and letter grade (A, B, or C) that indicate how well they did on their last Health Department inspection. An A grade doesn't mean you won't get food poisoning, but it does mean the staff does a better-than-average job in the kitchen.
- Norovirus -- Over the past few years, there have been a few outbreaks of norovirus at Las Vegas hotels. This virus, most commonly associated with cruise ships, is rarely serious but can turn your vacation into a very unpleasant experience of intestinal illness. Because it is spread by contact, you can protect yourself by washing your hands often, especially after touching all of those slot machines.
- Sun Exposure -- In case you weren't paying attention in geography, Las Vegas is located in the middle of a desert and so it should come as no surprise that the sun shines particularly bright here. Heat and sunstroke are dangers that all visitors should be concerned about, especially if you are considering spending any amount of time outdoors. Sunscreen (stick to a minimum SPF 30) is a must even if you are just traveling from one hotel to another and you should always carry a bottle of water with you to stay hydrated even when temperatures are moderate. The low desert humidity means that your body has to work harder to replenish moisture, so help it along with something other than a free cocktail in the casino. The good news: Low humidity means it's hard to have a bad hair day.
Safety
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, one of the nation's top-rated TV shows, may turn up new corpses each week, but the crime rate in real-life Vegas isn't higher than in any other major metropolis of its size.
With all that cash floating around town, pickpockets and thieves are predictably active. At gaming tables and slot machines, men should keep wallets well concealed and out of the reach of pickpockets, and women should keep handbags in plain sight (on laps). If you win a big jackpot, ask the pit boss or slot attendant to cut you a check rather than give you cash -- the cash may look nice, but flashing it can attract the wrong kind of attention. Outside casinos, popular spots for pickpockets and thieves are restaurants and outdoor shows, such as the volcano at The Mirage or the fountains at Bellagio. Stay alert. Unless your hotel room has an in-room safe, check your valuables into a safe-deposit box at the front desk.
When in your room, be sure to lock and bolt the door at all times and only open it to hotel employees that you are expecting (such as room service).
A special safety concern for women (and even men occasionally) centers on behavior at nightclubs. Do not ever accept a drink from a stranger no matter how handsome he is and keep your cocktail in your hand at all times, even on the dance floor. Instances of people getting something slipped into their drink are rare but they have happened, so it's best to take precautions.
Tips for Travelers with Disabilities
On the one hand, Las Vegas is fairly well equipped for travelers with disabilities, with virtually every hotel having wheelchair-accessible rooms and ramps and other requirements. On the other hand, the distance between hotels (particularly on the Strip) makes a vehicle of some sort virtually mandatory for most people with disabilities, and it may be extremely strenuous and time-consuming to get from place to place (even within a single hotel, because of the crowds). Even if you don't intend to gamble, you still may have to go through the casino, and casinos can be quite difficult to maneuver in, particularly for a guest in a wheelchair. Casinos are usually crowded, and the machines and tables are often arranged close together, with chairs, people, and such blocking easy access. You should also consider that it is often a long trek through larger hotels between the entrance and the room elevators (or, for that matter, anywhere in the hotel), and then add a crowded casino to the equation.
Getting There
By Plane
Las Vegas is served by McCarran International Airport, 5757 Wayne Newton Blvd. (tel 702/261-5211, TDD 702/261-3111; www.mccarran.com), just a few minutes’ drive from the southern end of the Strip, where the bulk of casinos and hotels are concentrated. The airport is known by the code LAS.
Most major domestic and many international airlines fly into Las Vegas, and the city acts as a major routing point for low-cost Southwest Airlines.
The airport has two terminals. Terminal 1 serves mostly domestic carriers with four sets of gates. A and B gates are accessible to the main ticketing area and baggage claim by (very long) hallways, while most of the C and all of the D gates are reached by tram. The ultramodern Terminal 3 primarily services international and some domestic carriers like United with its 14 gates.
In case you’re wondering what happened to Terminal 2, it closed when Terminal 3 opened. Why they didn’t re-number things is a mystery.
Each terminal has its own baggage-claim facility and services such as dining, shopping, and traveler assistance, along with ground transportation areas for taxis, buses, and shuttles to the rental-car facility.
And yes, all of the terminals and baggage claims have slot machines just in case you want to lose a few bucks while you’re waiting for your luggage.
By Car
The main highway connecting Las Vegas with the rest of the country is I-15; it links Montana, Idaho, and Utah with Southern California. The drive from Los Angeles is quite popular and can get very crowded on weekends as revelers make their way to and from Las Vegas.
From the east, take I-70 or I-80 west to Kingman, Arizona, and then U.S. 93 north to Downtown Las Vegas (Fremont St.). From the south, take I-10 west to Phoenix, and then U.S. 93 north to Las Vegas. From San Francisco, take I-80 east to Reno, and then U.S. 95 south to Las Vegas.
Vegas is 286 miles from Phoenix, 759 miles from Denver, 421 miles from Salt Lake City, 269 miles from Los Angeles, and 586 miles from San Francisco.
By Bus
Bus travel is often the most economical form of public transit for short hops between U.S. cities, but it’s certainly not an option for everyone. Though getting to Vegas this way is cheaper, especially if you book in advance, it’s also time consuming (a 1-hr. flight from L.A. becomes a 5- to 8-hr. trek by bus) and usually not as comfortable. So you need to figure out how much time and comfort mean to you. Greyhound (tel 800/231-2222 in the U.S.; tel 001/214/849-8100 outside the U.S. without toll-free access; www.greyhound.com) is the sole nationwide bus line.
The main Greyhound terminal in Las Vegas is located Downtown next to the Plaza hotel, 200 S. Main St. (tel 702/384-9561), and is open 24 hours. Although the neighborhood around it has improved dramatically, it is still a busy bus station and so normal safety precautions should be taken in and around it.
Megabus (tel 877/462-6342; www.megabus.com) operates coaches from Los Angeles to the Regional Transportation Commission’s South Strip Transfer Terminal at 6675 Gillespie St. near McCarran International Airport. From there you can easily transfer (hence the name) to many of the city’s bus routes, including those that travel to the Strip.
By Train
Amtrak (tel 800/872-7245; www.amtrak.com) does not currently offer direct rail service, although plans have been in the works for years to implement a high-speed railway between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. We’ve been hearing these reports for so long now, they just make us roll our eyes.
In the meantime, you can take the train to Los Angeles or Barstow, and Amtrak will get you to Las Vegas by bus, which takes 5 to 6 hours depending on traffic.
Visitor Information
All major Las Vegas hotels provide comprehensive tourist information at their reception and/or sightseeing and show desks.
Other good information sources are the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, 3150 Paradise Rd. (tel. 877/847-4858 or 702/892-7575; www.visitlasvegas.com), open Monday through Friday 8am to 6pm and Saturday and Sunday 8am to 5pm; the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, 6671 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Ste. 300 (tel. 702/735-1616; www.lvchamber.com), open Monday through Friday 8am to 5pm; and, for information on all of Nevada, including Las Vegas, the Nevada Commission on Tourism (tel. 800/638-2328; www.travelnevada.com), open 24 hours.
Other popular Las Vegas travel websites include www.vegas.com, www.vegas4visitors.com, and www.cheapovegas.com.
Many hotels have their own mobile apps that you can download for special information and offers and you can also download the Frommer's Las Vegas app with tons of great information about the city at www.frommers.com/go/mobile.
Help for Troubled Travelers
The Travelers Aid Society is a social-service organization geared to helping travelers in difficult straits. Its services include reuniting families separated while traveling, feeding people stranded without cash, and even providing emotional counseling. If you're in trouble, seek them out. In Las Vegas, services are provided by Help of Southern Nevada, 1640 E. Flamingo Rd., Ste. 100, near Maryland Parkway (tel. 702/369-4357; www.helpsonv.org). Hours are Monday through Thursday 7am to 5pm.
Fast Facts
Area Codes The local area codes in Las Vegas are 702, 775 and 725. The full 10-digit phone number with area code must be dialed to complete the call.
Business Hours Casinos and most bars are open 24 hours a day; nightclubs are usually open only late at night into the early morning hours, and restaurant and attraction hours vary.Cannabis Laws Count Nevada among the states where it's now legal to use recreational marijuana, except you might lack an actual place to smoke it. As of right now, the only place a person can legally smoke the pot they have legally purchased is in a private residence with the blinds drawn. You also cannot smoke pot anywhere you can consume alcohol, and most of the city's rooms are non-smoking anyway, so that's out. Getting caught smoking in a vehicle might net you a DUI and a $600 fine. There is a burgeoning, off-shoot industry of "marijuana social clubs" springing up as places for like-minded folks to toke. Maybe edibles might be the more discreet way to go.
Customs Every visitor 21 years of age or older may bring in, free of duty, the following: (1) 1 liter of alcohol as a gift or for personal use; (2) 200 cigarettes, 100 cigars (but not from Cuba), or 3 pounds of smoking tobacco; and (3) $100 worth of gifts. These exemptions are offered to travelers who spend at least 72 hours in the United States and who have not claimed them within the preceding 6 months. It is forbidden to bring into the country almost any meat products (including canned, fresh, and dried-meat products such as bouillon, soup mixes, and so forth). Generally, condiments, including vinegars, oils, pickled goods, spices, coffee, tea, and some cheeses and baked goods are permitted. Avoid rice products, as rice can often harbor insects. Bringing fruits and vegetables is prohibited since they may harbor pests or disease. International visitors may carry in or out up to $10,000 in U.S. or foreign currency with no formalities; larger sums must be declared to U.S. Customs on entering or leaving, which includes filing form CM 4790. For details regarding U.S. Customs and Border Protection, consult your nearest U.S. embassy or consulate, or U.S. Customs (www.cbp.gov).
For information on what you’re allowed to take home, contact your home country’s Customs agency.
Disabled Travelers On the one hand, Las Vegas is fairly well equipped for travelers with disabilities, with virtually every hotel having wheelchair-accessible rooms and ramps and other requirements. On the other hand, the distance between hotels (particularly on the Strip) makes a vehicle of some sort virtually mandatory for most people with disabilities, and it may be extremely strenuous and time consuming to get from place to place (even within a single hotel) because of the crowds. Even if you don’t intend to gamble, you still may have to go through the casino, and casinos can be quite difficult to maneuver in, particularly for a guest in a wheelchair. Casinos are usually crowded, and the machines and tables are often arranged close together, with chairs, people, and such blocking easy access. You should also consider that it is often a long trek through larger hotels between the entrance and the room elevators (or, for that matter, anywhere in the hotel), and then add a crowded casino to the equation.
For more on organizations that offer resources to travelers with limited mobility, go to www.frommers.com.
Doctors Hotels usually have lists of doctors, should you need one, or you can use the physician referral service at Desert Springs Hospital (tel 702/733-8800; www.desertspringshospital.com). Hours are Monday to Friday from 8am to 8pm and Saturday from 9am to 3pm except holidays.
Drinking Laws The legal age for purchase and consumption of alcoholic beverages is 21; proof of age is required and often requested at bars, nightclubs, and restaurants, so it’s always a good idea to bring ID when you go out.
Beer, wine, and liquor are sold in all kinds of stores pretty much around the clock in Vegas; trust us, you won’t have a hard time finding a drink in this town.
Do not carry open containers of alcohol in your car or any public area that isn’t zoned for alcohol consumption (doing so is fine on the Strip and the Fremont Street Experience). The police can fine you on the spot. And nothing will ruin your trip faster than getting a citation for DUI (driving under the influence), so don’t even think about driving while intoxicated.
While walking around on the Strip with an alcoholic beverage is generally safe (provided you’re of age, of course), remember that glass containers are now illegal. You’ll see plenty of folks stumbling around with plastic, novelty-size yards and boots, but that doesn’t give you an excuse to act like a total fool when out in public. If the drink you ordered in the hotel came in a glass, you can ask the bartender to transfer it to a plastic cup so you can take your roadie to go.
Electricity Like Canada, the United States uses 110–120 volts AC (60 cycles), compared to 220–240 volts AC (50 cycles) in most of Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. Downward converters that change 220–240 volts to 110–120 volts are difficult to find in the United States, so bring one with you.
Emergencies Dial tel 911 to contact the police or fire department, or to call for an ambulance.
Family Travel Family travel can be immensely rewarding, giving you new ways of seeing the world through smaller pairs of eyes. That said, Vegas is hardly an ideal place to bring the kids. For one thing, they’re not allowed in casinos at all. Because most hotels are laid out so that you frequently have to walk through their casinos to get to where you are going, you can see how this becomes a headache.
Note also that the Strip is often peppered with people distributing fliers and other information about decidedly adult entertainment options in the city. Sex is everywhere. Just walking down the Strip might give your kids an eyeful of items that you might prefer they avoid. (They don’t call it “Sin City” for nothing!)
On top of everything else, there is a curfew law in Vegas: Kids younger than 18 are not permitted on the Strip without a parent after 9pm on weekends and holidays. In the rest of the county, minors can’t be out without parents after 10pm on school nights and midnight on the weekends.
Although still an option at most smaller chain hotels and motels, the major casino-hotels on the Strip offer no discount for children staying in your room, so you may have to pay an additional fee ($10–$40 per person per night) to have them bunk with you. You’ll definitely want to book a place with a pool. Some hotels also have enormous video arcades and other diversions.
To locate accommodations, restaurants, and attractions that are particularly kid-friendly, look for the “Kids” icon throughout this guide.
Health By and large, Las Vegas is like most other major American cities in that the water is relatively clean, the air is relatively clear, and illness-bearing insects and animals are rare. However, in a city with this many people coming and going from all over the world, there are a couple of specific concerns worth noting:
- Food Poisoning Food preparation guidelines in Las Vegas are among the strictest in the world, but when you’re dealing with the sheer volume that this city is, you’re bound to run into trouble every now and then. All restaurants are required by law to display a health certificate and letter grade (A, B, or C) that indicate how well they did on their last Health Department inspection. An A grade doesn’t mean you won't get food poisoning, but it does mean the staff does a better-than-average job in the kitchen.
- Norovirus Over the past few years, there have been a few outbreaks of norovirus at Las Vegas hotels. This virus, most commonly associated with cruise ships, is rarely serious but can turn your vacation into a very unpleasant experience of intestinal illness. Because it is spread by contact, you can protect yourself by washing your hands often, especially after touching all of those slot machines.
- Sun Exposure In case you weren’t paying attention in geography class, Las Vegas is located in the middle of a desert, and so it should come as no surprise that the sun shines particularly bright here. Heat and sunstroke are dangers that all visitors should be concerned about, especially if you are considering spending any amount of time outdoors. Sunscreen (stick to a minimum SPF 30) is a must even if you are just traveling from one hotel to another, and you should always carry a bottle of water with you to stay hydrated even when temperatures are moderate. The low desert humidity means that your body has to work harder to replenish moisture, so help it along with something other than a free cocktail in the casino. The good news: Low humidity means it’s hard to have a bad hair day.
Hospitals The closest full-service hospital to the Strip is Sunrise Hospital, 3186 Maryland Pkwy. (www.sunrisehospital.com; [tel] 702/731-8000), but for lesser emergencies, Las Vegas Strip Urgent Care, (www.lasvegasstripurgentcare.com; [tel] 702/796-1116), offers an on-call doc 24 hours a day who consults right in your hotel room. Additionally, most major hotels in Las Vegas can provide assistance in finding physicians and/or pharmacies that are well suited to your needs.
Insurance Traveler’s insurance is not required for visiting Las Vegas, and whether or not it’s right for you depends on your circumstances. For example, most Las Vegas travel arrangements that include hotels are refundable or cancelable up to the last moment, so insurance is probably not necessary. If, however, you have prepaid a nonrefundable package, then it could be worth considering insurance.
For information on traveler’s insurance, trip cancellation insurance, and medical insurance while traveling, please visit www.frommers.com/planning.
Internet & Wi-Fi Most major hotels in Vegas offer wireless access as a part of their nightly resort fee, although some still require an additional fee that can run upward of $20 per day. Some hotels offer free, advertiser-supported Wi-Fi in public areas, meaning you won’t have to pay to surf the Web when you’re hanging out at the pool, but you’ll have to put up with banner ads on your browser. In Las Vegas, you can find free Wi-Fi at most stand-alone McDonald’s, Starbucks, and in the Fashion Show mall.
Most major airports have Internet kiosks that provide basic Web access for a per-minute fee that’s usually higher than hotel prices. Check out copy shops, such as FedEx Office, which offer computer stations with fully loaded software (as well as Wi-Fi).
Legal Aid While driving, if you are pulled over for a minor infraction (such as speeding), never attempt to pay the fine directly to a police officer; this could be construed as attempted bribery, a much more serious crime. Pay fines by mail, or directly into the hands of the clerk of the court. If accused of a more serious offense, say and do nothing before consulting a lawyer. In the U.S., the burden is on the state to prove a person’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, and everyone has the right to remain silent, whether he or she is suspected of a crime or actually arrested. Once arrested, a person can make one telephone call to a party of his or her choice. The international visitor should call his or her embassy or consulate.
LGBT Travelers For such a licentious, permissive town, Las Vegas has its conservative side, and it is not the most gay-friendly city. This does not manifest itself in any signs of outrage toward open displays of gay affection, but it does mean that the local gay community is largely confined to the bar scene.
Mail At press time, domestic postage rates were 34 cents for a postcard and 49 cents for a letter. For international mail, a first-class letter of up to 1 ounce or postcard costs $1.15. For more information go to www.usps.com.
Always include a zip code when mailing items in the U.S. If you don’t know a zip code, visit www.usps.com/zip4.
The most convenient post office to the Strip is immediately behind Circus Circus at 3100 S. Industrial Rd., between Sahara Avenue and Spring Mountain Road (tel 800/275-8777). It’s open Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 5pm. You can also mail letters and packages at your hotel.
Medical Requirements Unless you’re arriving from an area known to be suffering from an epidemic (particularly cholera or yellow fever), inoculations or vaccinations are not required for entry into the United States. Also see “Health,” above.
Mobile Phones Just because your mobile phone works at home doesn’t mean it’ll work everywhere in the U.S. (thanks to our nation’s fragmented mobile phone system). Whether or not you’ll get a signal depends on your carrier and where you happen to be standing when you are trying to make a call. Hotel rooms and casinos are notoriously bad places to be if you want to chat with someone back home on your cellphone, but step outside and things usually improve dramatically. Note that if you can get a signal in a casino, don’t try to use your phone while sitting at a gaming table—that’s a big no-no.
Once you leave Las Vegas proper, you are in the wilds of the Nevada desert, and so unless you are near a major byway (like I-15), expect to get very few, if any, bars on your phone.
The Value of the U.S. Dollar vs. Other Popular Currencies
US$ Aus$ Can$ Euro (€) NZ$ UK£
1 A$1.35 C$1.37 €.91 NZ$1.45 £.77
Money & Costs Because Las Vegas is a town built on the concept of separating you from your money, it should come as no surprise that gaining access to money is very easy—sometimes too easy. There are ATMs (also known as “cash machines” or “cashpoints”) conveniently located about every 4 feet (okay, an exaggeration, but not by a lot); and check cashing, credit card–advance systems are omnipresent. Note that using any of these to access your money will cost you money; ATMs charge upward of $6 per transaction, and that’s before whatever fees your bank will add.
And while Vegas visitors used to require a great deal of change in order to play the slots and other gaming machines, few, if any, still accept coins. Gone are the once-prevalent change carts. All machines now take bills in most denominations, and you get “change” in the form of a credit slip that appears when you cash out. You then take this slip to the nearest cashier’s cage to exchange for actual money.
So getting to your money isn’t a problem. Keeping it may be.
Las Vegas has grown progressively more expensive, with the concept of a cheap Sin City vacation a distant memory. The average room rate on the Strip on weekends is over $200 a night, those formerly cheap buffets have been replaced by $40-a-person lavish spreads, and top-show tickets easily surpass $100 a head. And then, of course, there are the casinos, a money-losing proposition if there ever was one.
But there are Las Vegas vacations available for just about any budget, so pay (no pun intended) close attention to “Where to Stay,” and “Where to Eat,” which break down your choices by cost.
Beware of hidden credit card fees while traveling. International visitors should check with their credit or debit card issuer to see what fees, if any, will be charged for transactions in the U.S.
For help with currency conversions, tip calculations, and more, download Frommer’s convenient Travel Tools app for your mobile device. Go to www.frommers.com/go/mobile and click on the "Travel Tools" icon.
What Things Cost in Las Vegas US$
Taxi from the airport to the Strip 15.00–25.00
Taxi from the airport to Downtown Las Vegas 18.00–27.00
One-way Las Vegas monorail ticket 5.00
All-day Deuce or SDX bus pass 8.00
Standard room at Bellagio, Fri–Sat 179.00–499.00
Standard room at MGM Grand, Fri–Sat 99.00–249.00
Standard room at Bally’s, Fri–Sat 100.00–200.00
Dinner for two at Guy Savoy, prix fixe 580.00
Dinner for two at Nacho Daddy 45.00
Wynn Las Vegas buffet, weekend champagne brunch 35.00
Main Street Station Garden Court buffet champagne brunch 12.00
Ticket to Cirque du Soleil’s O 99.00–180.00
Ticket to Mac King (comedy magic show) 37.00
Domestic beer at Light 10.00
Domestic beer at the Double Down Saloon 5.00
Newspapers & Magazines The Las Vegas Review-Journal is the major daily periodical in the city, which is now partnered with the Las Vegas Sun, its former newspaper rival. Both offer the latest news, weather, and information and can be valuable resources for coupons and up-to-the-minute show listings.
LVM is a local magazine usually available in-room, listing shows, restaurants, and more, and it often features discount offers to attractions that could save you some dough.
Packing Most Las Vegas hotel rooms are fully stocked with basics—shampoo, conditioner, hand lotion, mouthwash, and in some cases things like sewing kits and cotton swabs. If you don’t have allergy or skin sensitivity issues to contend with, you may want to consider leaving those types of sundry items at home to free up some room in your suitcase. The same goes for your travel iron, as most rooms have a full-size iron and ironing board or they are available by request through housekeeping.
Comfortable walking shoes are a must for Las Vegas as you’ll be doing a lot of it. Yes, your Jimmy Choo’s will look fabulous for your night out at the party spots, but do you really want to navigate the crowds across a 100,000-square-foot casino in them?
Checking the weather forecast before your trip can provide you with guidance on what types of clothes to bring, but packing a light sweater or jacket even during the summer months is not a bad idea. It gets windy in Las Vegas and there can be a chill in the evenings, plus many of the casinos and showrooms set the air-conditioning on “Siberia,” so light layers that you can peel off when you go back outside into the heat are recommended.
If you are bringing your computer or other mobile devices, don’t forget to bring your power cords and chargers.
Lastly, consider safety when packing by tossing in a small flashlight. During an emergency, this could become invaluable in helping you navigate your way out of a 4,000-room hotel.
Police For non-emergencies, call [tel] 702/795-3111. For emergencies, call [tel] 911.
Safety CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, a popular U.S. TV show, may turn up new corpses in Vegas each week, but the crime rate in real-life Vegas isn’t higher than in any other major metropolis of its size.
With all that cash floating around town, pickpockets and thieves are predictably active. At gaming tables and slot machines, men should keep wallets well concealed and out of the reach of pickpockets, and women should keep handbags in plain sight (on laps). If you win a big jackpot, ask the slot attendant to cut you a check rather than give you cash—the cash may look nice, but flashing it can attract the wrong kind of attention. Outside the casinos, popular spots for pickpockets and thieves are restaurants and outdoor shows, such as the volcano at the Mirage or the fountains at Bellagio. Stay alert. Unless your hotel room has an in-room safe, check your valuables into a safe-deposit box at the front desk.
When in your room, be sure to lock and bolt the door at all times and only open it to hotel employees that you are expecting (such as room service).
A special safety concern for women (and even men occasionally) centers on behavior at nightclubs. Do not ever accept a drink from a stranger no matter how handsome he is, and keep your cocktail in your hand at all times, even while on the dance floor. Instances of people getting something slipped into their drink are rare but they have happened—singer John Popper of the band Blues Traveler was drugged and robbed in 2014—so it’s best to take precautions.
The mass shooting in October of 2017, where a man opened fire from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay into a music festival, killing 58 people and wounding nearly 500, brought on a whole slew of new safety concerns to the Strip. Almost all the hotels revamped their security measures after the incident. Some are obvious, like added security at elevators and large-scale events, and some are a little more aggressive, like doing welfare checks on rooms that have had their “Do Not Disturb” sign hanging on the door for two consecutive days.
On your end, always take a minute to know where your exits are, and the rule “if you see something, say something” should trump “what happens here stays here.”
Senior Travel One of the benefits of age is that travel to most destinations often costs less—but that’s rarely true in Las Vegas. Discounts at hotels, shows, restaurants, recreation, and just about anything else you want to do are rare. About the only discounts offered to seniors are at some of the local attractions, which will give a few bucks off to those over 62 or 65.
Members of AARP, 601 E St. NW, Washington, DC 20049 (tel 888/687-2277; www.aarp.org), get discounts on hotels, airfares, and car rentals. But be sure to check them against the discount websites we recommend earlier in the book, because sometimes these “special discounts” aren’t as good as the normal ones.
The U.S. National Park Service (NPS) offers an America the Beautiful—National Park and Federal Recreational Lands Pass—Senior Pass. The pass gives U.S. residents 62 years or older lifetimeentrance to all properties administered by the National Park Service—national parks, monuments, historic sites, recreation areas, and national wildlife refuges—for a one-time processing fee of $10. The pass must be purchased in person at any NPS facility that charges an entrance fee. Besides free entry, the America the Beautiful Senior Pass also offers a 50% discount on some federal-use fees charged for such facilities as camping, swimming, parking, and tours. For more go to www.nps.gov/findapark/passes.htm.
Smoking Vegas is decidedly no longer a smoker’s haven. Increasingly strict smoking laws prohibit puffing virtually everywhere indoors except in designated hotel rooms, nightclubs, bars, and on the casino floor itself. Because it’s frequently hard to tell where a casino ends and basic public area begins, don’t fret too much about stepping across some invisible line. Hotels still have dedicated floors for smokers and nonsmokers. There is a significant charge, approximately $300, for smoking anything in a nonsmoking room.
Taxes The United States has no value-added tax (VAT) or other indirect tax at the national level. Every state, county, and city may levy its own local tax on all purchases, including hotel and restaurant checks and airline tickets. These taxes will not appear on price tags.
The sales tax in Las Vegas is 8.25% and is added to food and drink bills. Hotel rooms both on the Strip and Downtown come with a 13.35% tax. Taxes are also added to show tickets.
Telephones Generally, Vegas hotel surcharges on long-distance and local calls are astronomical. You are often charged even for making a toll-free or phone-card call. You’re better off using your cellphone since pay phones are almost nonexistent these days. Some hotels are adding on an additional “resort fee” to the cost of the room, which sometimes covers local calls (as well as using the pool and other elements that ought to be givens). The fee can range from $3 to $25 per day.
Most long-distance and international calls can be dialed directly from any phone. To make calls within the United States and to Canada, dial 1 followed by the area code and the seven-digit number. For other international calls, dial 011 followed by the country code, city code, and the number you are calling.
Calls to area codes 800, 888, 877, 866, and 855 are toll-free.
For reversed-charge or collect calls, and for person-to-person calls, dial the number 0 then the area code and number; an operator will come on the line, and you should specify whether you are calling collect, person-to-person, or both. If your operator-assisted call is international, ask for the overseas operator.
For directory assistance (“Information”), dial 411 for local numbers and national numbers in the U.S. and Canada. For dedicated long-distance information, dial 1, then the appropriate area code plus 555-1212.
Time The continental United States is divided into four time zones: Eastern Standard Time (EST), Central Standard Time (CST), Mountain Standard Time (MST), and Pacific Standard Time (PST). Alaska and Hawaii have their own zones. Las Vegas is in the Pacific Time zone, 8 hours behind Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), 3 hours behind the East Coast, and 2 behind the Midwest. For example, when it’s 9am in Las Vegas (PST), it’s 7am in Honolulu (Hawaii Standard Time), 10am in Denver (MST), 11am in Chicago (CST), noon in New York City (EST), 5pm in London (GMT), and 2am the next day in Sydney.
Daylight saving time (summer time) is in effect from 1am on the second Sunday in March to 1am on the first Sunday in November, except in Arizona, Hawaii, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. Daylight saving time moves the clock 1 hour ahead of standard time.
For help with time translations, and more, download our convenient Travel Tools app for your mobile device. Go to www.frommers.com/go/mobile and click on the "Travel Tools" icon.
Tipping Las Vegas is a hospitality-driven economy, meaning many of the people you encounter depend on tips for their livelihood. This doesn’t necessarily mean you need to tip more than you would anywhere else, but average tips in other cities can be viewed as somewhat stingy here.
In the casinos, it’s common to tip cocktail waitresses $1 to $2 per drink and to tip dealers 5% of any big wins.
In hotels, tip bellhops at least $1 per bag ($2–$3 if you have a lot of luggage) and tip the chamber staff $3 to $5 per day (more if you’ve left a big mess to clean up). Tip the doorman or concierge only if he or she has provided you with some specific service (for example, calling a cab for you or obtaining difficult-to-get theater tickets). Tip the valet-parking attendant $2 to $5 every time you get your car.
In restaurants, bars, and nightclubs, tip service staff and bartenders 15% to 20% of the check, and tip checkroom attendants $1 per garment.
As for other service personnel, tip cabdrivers 15% of the fare; tip skycaps at airports at least $1 per bag ($2–$3 if you have a lot of luggage); and tip hairdressers and barbers 15% to 20%.
Toilets In Las Vegas, you are almost always near a bathroom as long as you are in one of the tourist areas, with the casinos being the most obvious example. All have multiple facilities and they are usually among the cleanest you’ll find in any public location. One small annoyance is that many hotel restaurants do not have their own restrooms, meaning you may need to go into the casino to find the nearest one.
Large hotels and fast-food restaurants are often the best bet for clean facilities. Restaurants and bars in resorts or heavily visited areas may reserve their restrooms for patrons.
Visitor Information The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (tel 877/847-4858 or 702/892-7575; www.visitlasvegas.com) provides information, hotel reservation assistance, show guides, convention calendars, and more.
Other popular Las Vegas travel websites include www.vegas.com, www.vegas4visitors.com, and www.cheapovegas.com.
Many hotels have their own mobile apps that you can download for special information and offers.
Water Ongoing drought conditions mean water is a concern in terms of its long-term availability, but for now it is plentiful from faucets, drinking fountains, and endless bottles of the stuff. As in most of the United States, the drinking water is considered safe and there have been no reported instances of sickness from it. Still, bottles of water are often free in the casinos, so you might as well pick one up.
Women Travelers Thanks to the crowds, Las Vegas is as safe as any other big city for a woman traveling alone. A woman on her own should, of course, take the usual precautions and should be wary of hustlers and drunken businessmen. Many of the big hotels have security guards stationed at the elevators at night to prevent anyone other than guests from going up to the room floors. If you’re anxious, ask a security guard to escort you to your room. Always double-lock your door and deadbolt it to prevent intruders from entering.
For general travel resources for women, go to www.frommers.com/planning.
Passports Virtually every air traveler entering the U.S. is required to show a passport. All persons, including U.S. citizens, traveling by air between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda are required to present a valid passport. Note:U.S. and Canadian citizens entering the U.S. at land and sea ports of entry from within the Western Hemisphere must now also present a passport or other documents compliant with the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI; www.getyouhome.gov). Children 15 and under may continue entering with only a U.S. birth certificate or other proof of U.S. citizenship.
Passport Offices
- Australia Australian Passport Information Service (tel 131-232; www.passports.gov.au).
- Canada Passport Office, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Ottawa, ON K1A 0G3 (tel 800/567-6868; www.ppt.gc.ca).
- Ireland Passport Office, Setanta Centre, Molesworth Street, Dublin 2 (tel 01/408-2000; www.foreignaffairs.gov.ie).
- New Zealand Passports Office, Department of Internal Affairs, 109 Featherstone St., Wellington, 6140 (tel 0800/225-050 in New Zealand or 04/463-9360; www.passports.govt.nz).
- United Kingdom Visit your nearest passport office, major post office, or travel agency or contact the Identity and Passport Service (IPS), 2 Marsham St., London, SW1P 4DF (tel 0300/222-0000; www.ips.gov.uk).
- United States To find your regional passport office, check the U.S. State Department website (http://travel.state.gov/passport) or call the National Passport Information Center (tel 877/487-2778) for automated information.
Money
Frommer's lists exact prices in the local currency. However, rates fluctuate, so before departing consult a currency exchange website such as www.oanda.com/convert/classic to check up-to-the-minute rates.
Because Las Vegas is a town built on the concept of separating you from your money, it should come as no surprise that gaining access to money is very easy -- sometimes too easy. There are ATMs (also known as "cash machines" or "cashpoints") conveniently located about every 4 feet (okay, an exaggeration, but not by a lot); and check cashing, credit card-advance systems, and traveler's-check services are omnipresent.
And while Vegas visitors used to require a great deal of change in order to play the slots and other gaming machines, few, if any, still accept coins. Gone are the once-prevalent change carts. All machines now take bills in most denominations, and you get "change" in the form of a credit slip that appears when you cash out. You then take this slip to the nearest cashier's cage to exchange for actual money.
So getting to your money isn't a problem. Keeping it may be.
Las Vegas has grown progressively more expensive, with the concept of a cheap Sin City vacation a distant memory. The average room rate is over $200 a night, those formerly cheap buffets have been replaced by $30-a-person lavish spreads, and top-show tickets easily surpass $100 a head. And then, of course, there are the casinos, a money-losing proposition for the traveler if there ever was one. But there are Las Vegas vacations available for just about any budget.
Beware of hidden credit card fees while traveling. Check with your credit or debit card issuer to see what fees, if any, will be charged for overseas transactions. Recent reform legislation in the U.S., for example, has curbed some exploitative lending practices. But many banks have responded by increasing fees in other areas, including fees for customers who use credit and debit cards while out of the country -- even if the charges are made in U.S. dollars. Fees can amount to 3% or more of the purchase price. Check with your bank before departing to avoid any surprise charges on your statement.
For help with currency conversions, tip calculations, and more, download Frommer's convenient Travel Tools app for your mobile device. Go to www.frommers.com/go/mobile and click on the Travel Tools icon.
What Things Cost in Las Vegas US$
Taxi from the airport to the Strip 15.00-25.00
Taxi from the airport to Downtown Las Vegas 18.00-27.00
One-way Las Vegas monorail ticket 5.00
All-day Deuce bus pass 7.00
Standard room at Bellagio, Fri-Sat 175.00-400.00
Standard room at MGM Grand, Fri-Sat 150.00-300.00
Standard room at Bally's, Fri-Sat 100.00-200.00
Dinner for two at Picasso, prix fixe 226.00
Dinner for two at Austins Steakhouse 75.00
Wynn Las Vegas buffet, weekend champagne brunch 37.00
Main Street Station Garden Court buffet champagne brunch 11.00
Ticket to Cirque du Soleil's Viva Elvis 69.00-175.00
Ticket to Mac King (comedy magic show) 25.00
Domestic beer at Haze 8.00
Domestic beer at the Double Down Saloon 4.00
Tips for Families
Family travel can be immensely rewarding, giving you new ways of seeing the world through smaller pairs of eyes. That said, Vegas is hardly an ideal place to bring the kids. For one thing, they're not allowed in casinos at all. Because most hotels are laid out so that you frequently have to walk through their casinos to get to where you are going, you can see how this becomes a headache.
Note also that the Strip is often peppered with people distributing fliers and other information about decidedly adult entertainment options in the city. Sex is everywhere. Just walking down the Strip might give your kids an eyeful of items that you might prefer they avoid. (They don't call it "Sin City" for nothing!)
On top of everything else, there is a curfew law in Vegas: Kids younger than 18 are not permitted on the Strip without a parent after 9pm on weekends and holidays. In the rest of the county, minors can't be out without parents after 10pm on school nights and midnight on the weekends.
Although still an option at most smaller chain hotels and motels, the major casino-hotels on the Strip offer no discount for children staying in your room, so you may have to pay an additional fee ($10-$40 per person per night) to have them bunk with you. You'll definitely want to book a place with a pool. Some hotels also have enormous video arcades and other diversions.
Tips for Senior Travelers
One of the benefits of age is that travel to most destinations often costs less -- but that's rarely true in Las Vegas. Discounts at hotels, shows, restaurants, recreation, and just about anything else you want to do are rare. About the only discounts offered to seniors are at some of the local attractions, which will give a few bucks off to those over 62 or 65.
Members of AARP, 601 E St. NW, Washington, DC 20049 (tel. 888/687-2277; www.aarp.org), get discounts on hotels, airfares, and car rentals. AARP offers members a wide range of benefits, including AARP The Magazine and a monthly newsletter. Anyone over 50 can join.
The U.S. National Park Service (NPS) offers an America the Beautiful -- National Park and Federal Recreational Lands Pass -- Senior Pass (formerly the Golden Age Passport). You'll find it useful for some of the side trips. The pass gives seniors 62 years or older lifetime entrance to all properties administered by the National Park Service -- national parks, monuments, historic sites, recreation areas, and national wildlife refuges -- for a one-time processing fee of $10. The pass must be purchased in person at any NPS facility that charges an entrance fee. Besides free entry, the America the Beautiful Senior Pass also offers a 50% discount on some federal-use fees charged for such facilities as camping, swimming, parking, boat launching, and tours. For more information, go to www.nps.gov/fees_passes.htm or call the United States Geological Survey (USGS), which issues the passes, at tel. 888/275-8747.
Tips for Women Travelers
Thanks to the crowds, Las Vegas is as safe as any other big city for a woman traveling alone. A woman on her own should, of course, take the usual precautions and should be wary of hustlers and drunken businessmen who may mistake her for a "working girl." (Alas, million-dollar proposals à la Robert Redford are a rarity.) Many of the big hotels have security guards stationed at the elevators at night to prevent anyone other than guests from going up to the room floors. If you're anxious, ask a security guard to escort you to your room. Always double lock your door and deadbolt it to prevent intruders from entering.
Tips for Travelers with Pets
Pet-Friendly Hotels -- Up until recently, if you wanted to bring Fido or Fluffy to Vegas with you, your options on lodging were fairly limited, with only one major hotel on the Strip allowing pets (The Four Seasons). Now, more hotels are jumping on the pet-friendly bandwagon including all of the Caesars Entertainment properties. Their popular Pet Stay program allows dogs up to 50 pounds to get a taste of Sin City. There are fees associated, of course ($25-$40), and plenty of restrictions, but you get things like food and water dishes, recommended dog walking routes, and more. The program is good at Caesars Palace, Paris Las Vegas, Planet Hollywood, Harrah's Las Vegas, Flamingo Las Vegas, Bally's Las Vegas, Rio Suites, and Imperial Palace. For more information on Pet Stay check out www.caesars.com. You can also contact the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (tel. 877/847-4858; www.visitlasvegas.com) for information on other pet-friendly accommodations in town.
Tips for Gay and Lesbian Travelers
For such a licentious, permissive town, Las Vegas has its conservative side, and it is not the most gay-friendly city. This does not manifest itself in any signs of outrage toward open displays of gay affection, but it does mean that the local gay community is largely confined to the bar scene. This may be changing, with local gay-pride parades and other activities gathering steam each year.
When to Go
Most of a Las Vegas vacation is usually spent indoors, so you can have a good time here year-round. The most pleasant seasons are spring and fall, especially if you want to experience the great outdoors.
Weekdays are slightly less crowded than weekends. Holidays are always a mob scene and come accompanied by high hotel prices. Hotel prices also skyrocket when big conventions and special events are taking place. The slowest times of year are parts of January and February; late June through August; the week before Christmas; and the week after New Year’s.
If a major convention is to be held during your trip, you might want to change your date. Contact the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (tel. 877/847-4858 or 702/892-7575; www.visitlasvegas.com), as convention schedules often change.
The Weather
First of all, Vegas isn’t always hot, but when it is, it’s really hot. One thing you’ll hear again and again is that even though Las Vegas gets very hot, the dry desert heat is not unbearable. We know this is true because we spent a couple of days there in 104[dg]F (40[dg]C) weather and lived to say, “It wasn’t all that bad, not really.” The humidity averages a low 22%, and even on very hot days, there’s apt to be a breeze. Having said that, once the temperature gets into triple digits, it is wise to limit the amount of time you spend outdoors, and to make sure you are drinking plenty of water even while you are inside enjoying the blessed air-conditioning (which is omnipresent). Dehydration and heatstroke are two of the most common ailments that affects—don’t be a victim of either one of them. Also, except on the hottest summer days, there’s relief at night, when temperatures often drop by as much as 20°.
But this is the desert, and it’s not hot year-round. It can get quite cold, especially in the winter, when at night it can drop to 30[dg]F (–1[dg]C) and lower. Although rare, it does snow occasionally in Las Vegas. The winter of 2008 to 2009 dropped nearly 3 inches of snow on the Strip. There’s nothing quite like the sight of Luxor’s Sphinx covered in snow. The breeze can also become a cold, biting wind of up to 40 mph or more. And so there are entire portions of the year when you won’t be using that hotel pool at all (even if you want to; most of the hotels close huge chunks of those pool areas for “the season,” which can be as long as the period from Labor Day to Memorial Day). If you aren’t traveling in the height of summer, bring a jacket. Also, remember sunscreen and a hat—even if it’s not all that hot, you can burn very easily and very fast.
Wild Weather -- Las Vegas rests in the middle of a desert, so how wacky can the weather possibly get? A lot crazier than you think. Although Las Vegas’s location results in broiling-hot temperatures in the summer, many people tend to forget that deserts get cold and rainy, while wind is also a potential hazard.
Winter temperatures in Las Vegas have been known to dip below 30[dg]F (–1[dg]C), and when you toss in 40 mph winds, that adds up to a very chilly stroll on the Strip. And snow is not an unheard-of occurrence. Most years see a flurry or two falling on Las Vegas, and since 1949, a total of 12 “storms” have resulted in accumulations of 2 inches or greater, with the largest storm dropping 9 inches on the Strip in January 1949. In December 2003, parts of Las Vegas got 6 inches of the white stuff, and although it didn’t stick around too long on the Strip, the sight of the famous “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign in the middle of a driving blizzard was quite a spectacle. And more recently (the winter of 2008–09), Vegas received nearly 3 inches of snow on the Strip itself, with nearly 10 inches accumulating in other areas of town. Locals usually find the snow a charming addition to the city (and the stuff melts completely in a day or two, so they don’t have to shovel it—lucky them).
Though snow is a novel quirk that many Vegas residents and visitors welcome, rain isn’t always as well received. The soil in Las Vegas is parched most of the year, making it difficult for the land to absorb large amounts of water coming down in a short time. Between June and August, when most of the area’s rainfall takes place due to the Southwest’s monsoon season, there is a good possibility of flash flooding.
At times, the skies just open up, resulting in flooding that wreaks havoc on Sin City. On July 9, 1999, Mother Nature unleashed more than 3 inches of rain in just a few hours on a city that averages about 4 inches of rain a year. The deluge killed two people, swamped hundreds of cars, and destroyed millions of dollars in property. A 2013 storm caused havoc up and down the Strip with collapsed ceilings in the Mirage, a flooded casino at Caesars Palace, and a waterfall inside Gilley’s at Treasure Island (go look it up on YouTube). This kind of storm (and rain in general) is rare, but even a light shower can make things treacherous on the roads, the sidewalks, and the slippery marble walkways that front almost every casino in town.
The topography of the Las Vegas region also makes it prone to high, often damaging winds. Situated at the bottom of a bowl ringed by mountains, 15 to 20 mph steady winds are not uncommon, and gusts of 70 to 80 mph have been recorded. In 1994, a brief windstorm knocked down the massive sign at the Las Vegas Hilton, and in 2010 a storm tore apart the Cloud 9 balloon, billed as the largest tethered helium balloon in the world.
Major Conventions
Las Vegas’s major annual conventions flood the city with people, driving up prices and making it difficult to find available hotel rooms. Believe us, unless you’re coming for one of them, you probably want to avoid the biggies. Because convention schedules frequently change, contact the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (www.vegasmeansbusiness.com) to double-check the latest info before you commit to your travel dates.
Holidays
Banks, government offices, post offices, and many stores, restaurants, and museums are closed on the following legal national holidays: January 1 (New Year’s Day), the third Monday in January (Martin Luther King, Jr., Day), the third Monday in February (Presidents’ Day), the last Monday in May (Memorial Day), July 4 (Independence Day), the first Monday in September (Labor Day), the second Monday in October (Columbus Day), November 11 (Veterans Day/Armistice Day), the fourth Thursday in November (Thanksgiving Day), and December 25 (Christmas).
Any holiday, especially ones that involve a day off work for most people, will mean big crowds in Vegas. This includes “holidays” like St. Patrick’s Day, Cinco de Mayo, and Spring Break.
Orientation
There are two main areas of Las Vegas: the Strip and Downtown. For many people, that's all there is to Las Vegas. But there is actually more to the town than that: Although maybe not as glitzy and glamorous as the Strip and Downtown -- okay, definitely not -- Paradise Road and east Las Vegas are home to quite a bit of casino action; Maryland Parkway boasts mainstream and some alternative-culture shopping; and there are different restaurant options all over the city. Many of the "locals' hotels," most of which are off the regular tourist track, offer cheaper gambling limits plus budget food and entertainment options. Confining yourself to the Strip and Downtown is fine for the first-time visitor, but repeat customers (and you will be) should get out there and explore. Las Vegas Boulevard South (the Strip) is the starting point for addresses; any street that crosses it starts with 1 East and 1 West at its intersection with the Strip (and goes up from there).
The Strip
The Strip is probably the most famous 4-mile stretch of highway in the nation. Officially called Las Vegas Boulevard South, it contains most of the top hotels in town and offers almost all the major showroom entertainment. First-time visitors will, and probably should, spend the bulk of their time on the Strip. If mobility is a problem, we suggest basing yourself in a South or Mid-Strip location.
The South Strip can be roughly defined as the portion of the Strip south of Harmon Avenue, including the MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, the Monte Carlo, New York-New York, Luxor, CityCenter, and many more hotels and casinos.
Mid-Strip is a long stretch of the street between Harmon Avenue and Spring Mountain Road, including Planet Hollywood, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, Bellagio, Caesars, The Mirage, Treasure Island, Bally's, Paris Las Vegas, the Flamingo Las Vegas, and Harrah's, among other hotels and casinos.
The North Strip stretches north from Spring Mountain Road all the way to the Stratosphere and includes Wynn Las Vegas, Encore, the Riviera, and Circus Circus, to name a few of the accommodations and attractions.
Just Off the Strip
With land directly on the Strip at a premium, it isn't surprising that a veritable cottage industry of casinos, hotels, restaurants, nightclubs, attractions, and services have taken up residence in the areas immediately surrounding the big mega-resorts. Within a mile in any given direction you'll find major hotels such as Rio Las Vegas, Orleans, the Las Vegas Hilton, and the Hard Rock to name a few, as well as important visitor destinations such as the Las Vegas Convention Center. You'll also find many smaller chain/name-brand hotels and motels offering reliable service at rates that are usually cheaper than you'll pay in a big casino-hotel on the Strip.
South and East of the Strip
Once you get a little bit of distance between you and the Strip, you'll start getting into the types of neighborhoods that will look much more familiar to you, except, perhaps, with a lot more desert landscaping. Shopping centers and housing tracts dominate the landscape of the bedroom community of Henderson while lower-priced motels and chain restaurants take up a lot of space along the Boulder Highway corridor on the far east side of town. But sprinkled throughout are some fun, low-cost casino-hotels and some out-of-the-way restaurants and attractions worth knowing about.
North and West of the Strip
The communities of Summerlin and North Las Vegas are where many of the people who work on the Strip live, shop, eat, and play. Yes, there are some major casino-hotels in the area including the stunning Red Rock Resort and a few notable restaurants, but for the most part what you'll find here are dependable chain stores and eateries that offer comfort shopping and food at better than Strip prices.
Downtown
Also known as "Glitter Gulch" (narrower streets make the neon seem brighter), Downtown Las Vegas, which is centered on Fremont Street, between Main and 9th streets, was the first section of the city to develop hotels and casinos. With the exception of the Golden Nugget, which looks like it belongs in Monte Carlo, this area has traditionally been more casual than the Strip. But between the Fremont Street Experience and other ongoing improvements, Downtown offers a more affordable alternative to the Strip. With prices on the Strip running amok, there is more reason than ever to focus your tourist attention and dollars down here. The area is clean, the crowds are low-key and friendly, there is a collection of great bars just east of the Experience, and the light show itself is as ostentatious as anything on the Strip.
The area between the Strip and Downtown is a seedy stretch dotted with tacky wedding chapels, bail-bond operations, pawnshops, and cheap motels. However, the area known as the Gateway District (roughly north and south of Charleston Blvd. to the west of Las Vegas Blvd. S.) keeps trying to make a name for itself as an artists' colony. Studios, small cafes, and other signs of life continue to spring up.
Entry Requirements & Customs
Passports
Virtually every air traveler entering the U.S. is required to show a passport. All persons, including U.S. citizens, traveling by air between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda are required to present a valid passport. Note: U.S. and Canadian citizens entering the U.S. at land and sea ports of entry from within the Western Hemisphere must now also present a passport or other documents compliant with the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI; visit www.getyouhome.gov for details). Children 15 and under may continue entering with only a U.S. birth certificate, or other proof of U.S. citizenship.
Passport Offices --
- Australia -- Australian Passport Information Service (tel. 131-232, or visit www.passports.gov.au).
- Canada -- Passport Office, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Ottawa, ON K1A 0G3 (tel. 800/567-6868; www.ppt.gc.ca).
- Ireland -- Passport Office, Setanta Centre, Molesworth Street, Dublin 2 (tel. 01/671-1633; www.foreignaffairs.gov.ie).
- New Zealand -- Passports Office, Department of Internal Affairs, 47 Boulcott St., Wellington, 6011 (tel. 0800/225-050 in New Zealand or 04/474-8100; www.passports.govt.nz).
- United Kingdom -- Visit your nearest passport office, major post office, or travel agency or contact the Identity and Passport Service (IPS), 89 Eccleston Sq., London, SW1V 1PN (tel. 0300/222-0000; www.ips.gov.uk).
- United States -- To find your regional passport office, check the U.S. State Department website (travel.state.gov/passport) or call the National Passport Information Center (tel. 877/487-2778) for automated information.
Visas
The U.S. State Department has a Visa Waiver Program (VWP) allowing citizens of the following countries to enter the United States without a visa for stays of up to 90 days: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. (Note: This list was accurate at press time; for the most up-to-date list of countries in the VWP, consult http://travel.state.gov/visa.) Even though a visa isn't necessary, in an effort to help U.S. officials check travelers against terror watch lists before they arrive at U.S. borders, visitors from VWP countries must register online through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) before boarding a plane or a boat to the U.S. Travelers must complete an electronic application providing basic personal and travel eligibility information. The Department of Homeland Security recommends filling out the form at least 3 days before traveling. Authorizations will be valid for up to 2 years or until the traveler's passport expires, whichever comes first. Currently, there is a US$14 fee for the online application. Existing ESTA registrations remain valid through their expiration dates. Note: Any passport issued on or after October 26, 2006, by a VWP country must be an e-Passport for VWP travelers to be eligible to enter the U.S. without a visa. Citizens of these nations also need to present a round-trip air or cruise ticket upon arrival. E-Passports contain computer chips capable of storing biometric information, such as the required digital photograph of the holder. If your passport doesn't have this feature, you can still travel without a visa if the valid passport was issued before October 26, 2005, and includes a machine-readable zone; or if the valid passport was issued between October 26, 2005, and October 25, 2006, and includes a digital photograph. For more information, go to http://travel.state.gov/visa. Canadian citizens may enter the United States without visas, but will need to show passports and proof of residence.
Citizens of all other countries must have (1) a valid passport that expires at least 6 months later than the scheduled end of their visit to the U.S.; and (2) a tourist visa.
For information about U.S. Visas go to http://travel.state.gov and click on "Visas." Or go to one of the following websites:
Australian citizens can obtain up-to-date visa information from the U.S. Embassy Canberra, Moonah Place, Yarralumla, ACT 2600 (tel. 02/6214-5600) or by checking the U.S. Diplomatic Mission's website at http://canberra.usembassy.gov/visas.html.
British subjects can obtain up-to-date visa information by calling the U.S. Embassy Visa Information Line (tel. 09042-450-100 from within the U.K. at £1.20 per minute; or tel. 866/382-3589 from within the U.S. at a flat rate of $16 and is payable by credit card only) or by visiting the "Visas to the U.S." section of the American Embassy London's website at http://london.usembassy.gov/visas.html.
Irish citizens can obtain up-to-date visa information through the U.S. Embassy Dublin, 42 Elgin Rd., Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 (tel. 1580-47-8472 from within the Republic of Ireland at €2.40 per minute; http://dublin.usembassy.gov).
Citizens of New Zealand can obtain up-to-date visa information by contacting the U.S. Embassy New Zealand, 29 Fitzherbert Terrace, Thorndon, Wellington (tel. 644/462-6000; http://newzealand.usembassy.gov).
Customs
Every visitor 21 years of age or older may bring in, free of duty, the following: (1) 1 U.S. quart of alcohol; (2) 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars (but not from Cuba), or 3 pounds of smoking tobacco; and (3) $100 worth of gifts. These exemptions are offered to travelers who spend at least 72 hours in the United States and who have not claimed them within the preceding 6 months. It is forbidden to bring into the country almost any meat products (including canned, fresh, and dried meat products such as bouillon, soup mixes, and so forth). Generally, condiments, including vinegars, oils, pickled goods, spices, coffee, tea, and some cheeses and baked goods, are permitted. Avoid rice products, as rice can often harbor insects. Bringing fruits and vegetables is prohibited since they may harbor pests or disease. International visitors may carry in or out up to $10,000 in U.S. or foreign currency with no formalities; larger sums must be declared to U.S. Customs on entering or leaving, which includes filing form CM 4790. For details regarding U.S. Customs and Border Protection, consult your nearest U.S. embassy or consulate, or U.S. Customs (www.customs.gov).
For information on what you're allowed to take home, contact your home country's customs agency.
Medical Requirements
Unless you're arriving from an area known to be suffering from an epidemic (particularly cholera or yellow fever), inoculations or vaccinations are not required for entry into the United States.
Sustainable Travel & Ecotourism
Las Vegas is a city that was built on the concept of mass consumption -- overconsumption, really -- of just about everything. Water, electricity, food, alcohol -- you name it and probably too much of it is used here. The fact that all of this consumption happens in the middle of a desert where such resources are scarce only amplifies the problem.
Drought is a major concern here, with water levels at the major lakes and reservoirs in the area falling to dangerously low levels. You can do your part by limiting the amount of water your vacation consumes in a couple of simple yet effective ways. First, although that soaking tub looks tempting, perhaps a short shower will do the trick. Second, reuse your towels whenever possible so they don't have to be run through the laundry every day. Most housekeeping staff will only launder towels left on the floor and will leave those on racks alone.
Many newer hotels (CityCenter and The Palazzo, to name a couple) have been built with sustainable practices that limit the amount of energy you use while visiting. Some have automatic shutdown systems that turn off all the lights when you leave the room and then restore your settings when you return, but if yours doesn't, there is always the light switch. Use it.
For transportation, the greenest (and most scenic) way of getting around is your own two feet. Vegas, especially on the Strip, is very pedestrian friendly provided you follow the marked crosswalks and signals. But if you need wheels, most major rental-car companies in town have hybrids or electric vehicles in their fleet. We don't recommend trying to use a bicycle around the Strip -- it's just too difficult to navigate the crowds and the traffic -- but if you really want to, your hotel's concierge can direct you to the nearest local bike rental company. And if you're staying at Aria Las Vegas, they'll even valet your two-wheeler for you!
General Resources for Responsible Travel
In addition to the resources for Las Vegas listed below see frommers.com/planning for more tips on responsible travel.
- Responsible Travel (www.responsibletravel.com) is a great source of sustainable travel ideas; the site is run by a spokesperson for ethical tourism in the travel industry. Sustainable Travel International (www.sustainabletravelinternational.org) promotes ethical tourism practices and manages an extensive directory of sustainable properties and tour operators around the world.
- Carbonfund (www.carbonfund.org), TerraPass (www.terrapass.org), and Cool Climate (http://coolclimate.berkeley.edu) provide info on "carbon offsetting," or offsetting the greenhouse gas emitted by airplanes during flight.
- Greenhotels (www.greenhotels.com) recommends green-rated member hotels around the world that fulfill the company's stringent environmental requirements. Environmentally Friendly Hotels (www.environmentallyfriendlyhotels.com) offers more green accommodations ratings.
Staying Connected
Telephones
Generally, Vegas hotel surcharges on long-distance and local calls are astronomical. You are often charged even for making a toll-free or phone-card call. You're better off using your cellphone or a public pay telephone. Some hotels are now adding on an additional "resort fee" to the cost of the room, which is supposed to cover local calls (as well as using the pool and other elements that ought to be givens). The fee can range from $1 (Motel 6) to $15 per day.
Many convenience groceries and packaging services sell prepaid calling cards in denominations up to $50. Many public pay phones at airports now accept American Express, MasterCard, and Visa. Local calls made from most pay phones cost either 25¢ or 35¢. Most long-distance and international calls can be dialed directly from any phone. To make calls within the United States and to Canada, dial 1 followed by the area code and the seven-digit number. For other international calls, dial 011 followed by the country code, city code, and the number you are calling.
Calls to area codes 800, 888, 877, and 866 are toll-free. However, calls to area codes 700 and 900 (chat lines, bulletin boards, "dating" services, and so on) can be expensive -- charges of 95¢ to $3 or more per minute. Some numbers have minimum charges that can run $15 or more.
For reversed-charge or collect calls, and for person-to-person calls, dial the number 0 then the area code and number; an operator will come on the line, and you should specify whether you are calling collect, person-to-person, or both. If your operator-assisted call is international, ask for the overseas operator.
For directory assistance ("Information"), dial 411 for local numbers and national numbers in the U.S. and Canada. For dedicated long-distance information, dial 1, then the appropriate area code plus 555-1212.
Mobile Phones
Just because your mobile phone works at home doesn't mean it'll work everywhere in the U.S. (thanks to our nation's fragmented mobile phone system). Whether or not you'll get a signal depends on your carrier and where you happen to be standing when you are trying to make a call. Hotel rooms and casinos are notoriously bad places to be if you want to chat with someone back home on your cellphone, but step outside and things will usually improve dramatically. Note that if you can get a signal in a casino, don't try to use your phone while sitting at a gaming table -- that's a big no-no.
Once you leave Las Vegas proper, you are in the wilds of the Nevada desert and so unless you are near a major byway (like I-15), expect to get very few, if any, bars on your phone.
If you're not from the U.S., you'll be appalled at the poor reach of the GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) wireless network, which is used by much of the rest of the world. Your phone will probably work in Las Vegas but it probably won't once you get into more rural areas. To see where GSM phones work in the U.S., check out www.t-mobile.com/coverage. And you may or may not be able to send SMS (text messaging) home.
Internet & Wi-Fi
Most resort hotels in Vegas offer wireless access, but for a hefty daily fee (usually starting around $14). Some chain hotels offer free Wi-Fi in public areas, while others still offer high-speed access. In Las Vegas, you can find free Wi-Fi at most stand-alone McDonald's, Starbucks, and in the Fashion Show Mall. To find additional public Wi-Fi hot spots, go to www.jiwire.com; its Wi-Fi Finder holds the world's largest directory of public wireless hot spots.
For dial-up access, most business-class hotels in the U.S. offer dataports for laptop modems.
Wherever you go, bring a connection kit of the right power and phone adapters, a spare phone cord, and a spare Ethernet network cable -- or find out whether your hotel supplies them to guests.
There are usually no easily accessible cybercafes in Vegas, and even those that open tend to close without warning. To check for possibilities, try www.cybercaptive.com and www.cybercafe.com.
Most major airports have Internet kiosks that provide basic Web access for a per-minute fee that's usually higher than cybercafe prices. Check out copy shops, such as FedEx Office, which offer computer stations with fully loaded software (as well as Wi-Fi).
Getting Around
It isn’t too hard to navigate your way around Vegas. But do remember: Thanks to huge hotel acreage, often very slow traffic, and lots and lots of people—like you—trying to explore, getting around takes a lot longer than you might think. Heck, it can take 15 to 20 minutes to get from your room to another part of your hotel! Always allow for plenty of time to get from point A to point B.
Getting into Town from the Airport
Getting to your hotel from the airport is a cinch. You can grab one of the roughly nine gajillion cabs that are lined up waiting for you, summon your favorite ride share service such as Lyft or Uber (designated pick up areas are in the parking garages of each terminal), or you can grab a shuttle bus. Bell Transportation (www.airportshuttlelasvegas.com; [tel] 800/274-7433) runs 24-passenger minibuses daily (3:30am–1am) between the airport and all major Las Vegas hotels and motels. The cost is $7 per person each way to hotels on the Strip or around the Convention Center, and $8.50 to Downtown and other off-Strip properties (north of Sahara Ave. and west of I-15). Several other companies run similar ventures—just look for the signs for the shuttle bus queues, located just outside of the baggage-claim area. Buses from the airport leave every few minutes. When you want to check out of your hotel and head back to the airport, call at least 2 hours in advance to be safe (though often you can just flag down one of the buses outside any major hotel).
Even less expensive are Citizens Area Transit (CAT) buses (www.rtcsnv.com/transit; [tel] 702/228-7433). The no. 109 bus goes from the airport to the South Strip Transfer Terminal at Gilespie St. and Sunset Rd., where you can transfer to the Strip and Downtown Express (SDX) or Deuce line that runs along the Strip into Downtown. Alternately, the no. 108 bus departs from the airport and takes you Downtown. The fares for buses on Strip routes are $6 for adults for 2 hours or $8 for 24 hours. Other routes are $2 for a single ride. Note: You might have a long walk from the bus stop to the hotel entrance, even if the bus stop is right in front of your hotel. Shuttles and taxis are able to get right up to the entrance, so choose one of those if you’re lugging lots of baggage.
If you have a large group with you, you might also try one of the limos that wait curbside at the airport and charge $45 to $65 for a trip to the Strip. The price may go up with additional passengers, so ask about the fee very carefully. The aforementioned Bell Transportation is one reputable company that operates limousines in addition to their fleet of shuttle buses (call in advance).
By Car
If you plan to confine yourself to one part of the Strip (or one cruise down to it) or to Downtown, your feet will suffice. Otherwise, we highly recommend that visitors rent a car. The Strip is too spread out for walking (and Las Vegas is often too hot or too cold to make strolls pleasant); Downtown is too far away for a cheap cab ride, and public transportation is often ineffective in getting you where you want to go. Plus, return visits call for exploration in more remote parts of the city, and a car brings freedom, especially if you want to do any side trips at your own pace.
You should note that places with addresses some 60 blocks east or west of the Strip are actually less than a 10-minute drive—provided there is no traffic.
Having advocated renting a car, we should warn you that traffic is pretty terrible, especially in and around the busy tourist areas. A general rule of thumb is to avoid driving on the Strip whenever you can and give yourself plenty of extra time during rush hour to get where you want to go.
When it comes to parking, it used to be that Las Vegas was where you could park on the most expensive real estate in the country for free. Sadly, that is no longer the case. In 2016, MGM Resorts properties announced they would institute fees for both valet and self-parking, and then unfortunately, most of the other Strip resorts quickly followed suit. There is no rhyme or reason to the fees, other than they go up incrementally depending on how long and at which property you’re visiting stay (the max you’ll pay overnight is $18) and visitors are begrudgingly paying them. But hey, you still get your first hour free. Your best bet to avoid a parking headache is to leave your car where it is.
The days of free valet are also gone, with most casinos now charging $13-$24, and that’s not including the $2-$5 tip. But you’re paying for convenience at this point, so if you’re feeling especially swank you can park right at the door. Valet usually fills up on busy nights and is restricted at some hotels to elite players’ club members.
It’s easier to keep a short list, so save for Venetian, Palazzo, SLS, Treasure Island and Tropicana, you’ll have to pony up to park on the Strip. A few other hotels, such as Planet Hollywood still let you self-park in their garages for free. Four Seasons is of course the Four Seasons, an only offers valet parking at $22.
If you’re visiting from abroad note that insurance and taxes are almost never included in quoted rental-car rates in the U.S. Be sure to ask your rental agency about these. They can add a significant cost to your car rental.
At press time, in Nevada, the cost of gasoline (also known as gas, but never petrol) is around $2.75 per gallon and tends to vary unpredictably. Taxes are already included in the printed price. One U.S. gallon equals 3.8 liters or .85 imperial gallons. Fill-up locations are known as gas or service stations. Las Vegas prices typically fall near the nationwide average. You can also check www.vegasgasprices.com for recent costs.
Renting a Car
All of the major car rental companies have outlets in Las Vegas, as do E-Z Rent-A-Car (www.e-zrentacar.com) and Payless (www.paylesscar.com).
Rental policies vary from company to company, but generally speaking you must be at least 25 years of age with a major credit or debit card to rent a vehicle in Las Vegas. Some companies will rent to those between 21 and 24, but will usually charge extra ($20–$30 per day) and will require proof of insurance and a major credit card; also, they may restrict the type of vehicle you are allowed to rent (forget those zippy convertibles).
All of the major car rental companies are located at a consolidated facility at 7135 Gilespie St., just a block off Las Vegas Blvd. near Warm Springs Rd. and about 2 1/2 miles from the airport. When you arrive, look for the signs for buses and shuttles in the baggage-claim area and follow them outside, where you’ll find blue-and-white buses marked McCarran Rent-A-Car Center. It takes about 10 minutes to make the trip, although it’s worth noting that the lines for buses and at the car-rental counters can be long—budget some extra time if you have somewhere to be right after you get to town.
The rental-car facility is modern and easily navigable, and just in case you resisted while at the airport, there are slot machines next to the rental counters as well. Welcome to Vegas!
When exiting the facility, take three right turns and you are on the Strip, about 2 miles south of Mandalay Bay.
Car-rental rates vary even more than airline fares. The price you pay depends on the size of the car, where and when you pick it up and drop it off, the length of the rental period, where and how far you drive it, whether you purchase insurance, and a host of other factors. Finding the answers, online or at the counter, to a few key questions could save you hundreds of dollars:
- Are weekend rates lower than weekday rates? In Vegas this is usually true, although holiday or special events weekends can be more costly. Ask if the rate is the same for pickup Friday morning, for instance, as it is for Thursday night.
- Is a weekly rate cheaper than the daily rate? Even if you need the car for only 4 days, it may be cheaper to keep it for 5.
- Does the agency assess a drop-off charge if you don’t return the car to the same location where you picked it up? Is it cheaper to pick up the car at the airport than at a Downtown location?
- Are special promotional rates available? If you see an advertised price in your local newspaper, be sure to ask for that specific rate; otherwise, you may be charged the standard cost. Terms change constantly, and reservations agents are notorious for not mentioning available discounts unless you ask.
- Are discounts available for members of AARP, AAA, frequent-flier programs, or trade unions? If you belong to any of these organizations, you may be eligible for discounts of up to 30%.
- Are there additional fees? In Las Vegas, expect to add about 35% to 40% on top of the rental fee, including a $1.60-per-day vehicle license fee, a $3.75-per-day facility fee, a 10% concession fee, and about 20% in taxes and state government surcharges. Ouch.
- What is the cost of adding an additional driver’s name to the contract?
- How many free miles are included in the price? Free mileage is often negotiable, depending on the length of the rental.
Some companies offer “refueling packages,” in which you pay for an entire tank of gas up front. The price is usually fairly competitive with local gas prices, but you don’t get credit for any gas remaining in the tank; and because it is virtually impossible to use up every last bit of fuel before you return it, you will usually wind up paying more overall than you would if you just filled it up yourself. There are several gas stations within a few blocks of the car-rental center, including three at the intersection of Las Vegas Blvd. and Warm Springs Rd. You may pay a few extra pennies at them than you would at stations elsewhere in town, but in the long run it’s still a better deal.
Many available packages include airfare, accommodations, and a rental car with unlimited mileage. Compare these prices with the cost of booking airline tickets and renting a car separately to see if such offers are good deals. Internet resources can make comparison-shopping easier.
Surfing for Rental Cars
For booking rental cars online, the best deals are usually found at rental-car company websites, although all the major online travel agencies also offer rental-car reservation services. Priceline (www.priceline.com) and Hotwire (www.hotwire.com) work well for rental cars; the only “mystery” is which major rental company you get, and for most travelers, the difference between Hertz, Avis, and Budget is negligible.
Demystifying Rental-Car Insurance
Before you drive off in a rental car, be sure you’re insured. Hasty assumptions about your personal auto insurance or a rental agency’s additional coverage could end up costing you tens of thousands of dollars—even if you are involved in an accident that was clearly the fault of another driver.
If you already hold a private auto insurance policy in the United States, you are most likely covered for loss of, or damage to, a rental car, and liability in case of injury to any other party involved in an accident. Be sure to find out whether you are covered in Vegas, whether your policy extends to all persons who will be driving the rental car, how much liability is covered in case an outside party is injured in an accident, and whether the type of vehicle you are renting is included under your contract. (Rental trucks, sport utility vehicles, and luxury vehicles may not be covered.)
Most major credit cards provide some degree of coverage as well—provided they were used to pay for the rental. Terms vary widely, however, so be sure to call your credit card company directly before you rent. If you don’t have a private auto insurance policy, the credit card you use to rent a car may provide primary coverage if you decline the rental agency’s insurance. This means that the credit card company will cover damage or theft of a rental car for the full cost of the vehicle. If you do have a private auto insurance policy, your credit card may provide secondary coverage—which basically covers your deductible. Credit cards do not cover liability or the cost of injury to an outside party and/or damage to an outside party’s vehicle. If you do not hold an insurance policy, you may want to seriously consider purchasing additional liability insurance from your rental company. Be sure to check the terms, however: Some rental agencies cover liability only if the renter is not at fault; even then, the rental company’s obligation varies from state to state. Bear in mind that each credit card company has its own peculiarities; call your own credit card company for details before relying on a card for coverage. Speaking of cards, members of AAA should be sure to carry their membership ID card with them, which provides some of the benefits touted by the rental-car agencies at no additional cost.
The basic insurance coverage offered by most rental-car companies, known as the Loss/Damage Waiver (LDW) or Collision Damage Waiver (CDW), can cost $20 per day or more. The former should cover everything, including the loss of income to the rental agency, should you get in an accident (normally not covered by your own insurance policy). It usually covers the full value of the vehicle, with no deductible, if an outside party causes an accident or other damage to the rental car. You will probably be covered in case of theft as well. Liability coverage varies, but the minimum is usually at least $15,000. If you are at fault in an accident, you will be covered for the full replacement value of the car—but not for liability. In Nevada, you can buy additional liability coverage for such cases. Most rental companies require a police report in order to process any claims you file, but your private insurer will not be notified of the accident. Check your own policies and credit cards before you shell out money on this extra insurance because you may already be covered.
It’s worth noting that rental-car companies seem to be pushing the extra coverage especially hard these days. Doing your research on what types of coverage you do and do not need will allow you to smile politely and decline if it is appropriate. Don’t let them pressure or scare you into spending extra money for items you don’t need.
Drive in Style
If the idea of tooling around Las Vegas in a pedestrian rent-a-box just doesn't sound appealing, you can indulge your fantasies by going with something more exotic.
Las Vegas Exotic Car Rentals (www.vegasexoticrentals.com; [tel] 866/871-1893 or 702/736-2592) has a fleet from makers such as Lamborghini, Bentley, Ferrari, and Lotus, plus a stable of classic American muscle cars like the Chevrolet Corvette. They even feature an Aston Martin, if you want to work out your inner James Bond while buzzing between casinos. Rates start at about $300 per day and go up from there—sometimes, way up. At press time, the Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder was $975 per day, or roughly what you'll pay for a week in a room at a nice Vegas hotel.
By Taxi
Because cabs line up in front of all major hotels, an easy way to get around town is by taxi. Cabs charge $3.30 at the meter drop and $2.60 per mile after that, plus an additional $2.00 fee for being picked up at the airport and time-based penalties if you get stuck in traffic. A taxi from the airport to the Strip will run you $15 to $20, from the airport to Downtown $18 to $25, and between the Strip and Downtown about $12 to $18. You can often save money by sharing a cab with someone going to the same destination (up to five people can ride for the same fare).
All this implies that you have gotten a driver who is honest. Long-hauling—the practice of taking fares on a longer route to the destination to increase fares—is rampant in Las Vegas these days. A 2013 audit by the state found an estimated $15 million in overcharges and nearly 25% of all fares from the airport were charged too much.
The simplest way to avoid this is to always know where you are going and roughly how much it should cost to get there. Use the maps on your phone or online to gauge the distance and calculate the approximate fare or let a website like taxifarefinder.com do the math for you. When you get into the cab and state your destination, don’t be afraid to add something like “that will cost about $20, right?” It puts the cabbie on notice that you are not a hapless tourist ready to be taken for a metaphorical ride.
If you suspect that you have been long-hauled, call the taxi company to complain and be sure to file a report with the Nevada Taxicab Authority at taxi.nv.gov.
Also be aware that in addition to various fuel surcharge fees, there’s an additional $3 fee to pay with your credit card, which definitely adds up after a weekend of cab rides.
If you just can’t find a taxi to hail and want to call one, try the following companies: Desert Cab Company ([tel] 702/386-9102), Whittlesea Blue Cab ([tel] 702/384-6111), or Yellow/Checker Cab/Star Company ([tel] 702/873-2000).
By Uber or Lyft
On-demand car service companies Uber and Lyft finally won their long battles to operate in Las Vegas. As in other cities, you can order either service via mobile app to come collect you and take you wherever you need. Rides are slightly cheaper than taxis, though price surging still happens on busy nights and will wipe out any savings. An Uber or Lyft from the airport to the Strip will run you $11 to $19, from the airport to Downtown $21 to $38, and between the Strip and Downtown about $12 to $21. Hotels now have designated ride share pick-up areas near valet.
By Monorail
The 4-mile monorail route runs from the MGM Grand, at the southern end of the Strip, to the SLS Las Vegas (formerly the Sahara), at the northern end, with stops at Paris/Bally’s, the Flamingo, Harrah’s, the Las Vegas Convention Center, and Westgate along the way. Note that some of the actual physical stops are not particularly close to their namesakes, so there can be an unexpected—and sometimes time-consuming—additional walk from the monorail stop to wherever you intended to go. Factor in this time accordingly.
These trains can accommodate more than 200 passengers (standing and sitting) and make the end-to-end run in about 15 minutes. They operate Monday from 7am until midnight, Tuesday through Thursday from 7am until 2am, and Friday through Sunday from 7am until 3am. Fares are $5 for a one-way ride (whether you ride from one end to the other or just to the next station); discounts are available for round-trips and multiride/multiday passes.
For more information visit the Las Vegas Monorail website at www.lvmonorail.com.
By Bus
The Deuce and SDX (Strip to Downtown Express) buses operated by the Regional Transportation Commission (RTC; www.rtcsnv.com/transit; [tel] 702/228-7433) are the primary public transportation on the Strip. The double-decker Deuce and double-carriage SDX run a route between the Downtown Transportation Center (at Casino Center Blvd. and Stewart Ave.) and a few miles beyond the southern end of the Strip. The fare is $6 for adults for 2 hours; an all-day pass is $8 and a 3-day pass is $20. There are no discounts for children or seniors. CAT buses run 24 hours a day and are wheelchair accessible. Exact change is required.
In late 2017, Las Vegas also launched its very own driverless shuttle— which crashed on the very first day (it was the other driver’s fault!). It’s free, holds up to 12 passengers, cruises along at a maximum 27 miles per hour and only does a short loop through the Downtown area on Fremont Street between Las Vegas Boulevard and 8th Street. The tech company that created it assures that the shuttle is now safer than ever, so if you’re feeling exceptionally curious as to how it works, and maybe even exceptionally lazy, it might be fun.
Although they are certainly economical transportation choices, they are not the most efficient as it relates to time or convenience. They run often but are usually very crowded and are not immune to the mind-numbing traffic that clogs the Strip at peak times. Patience is required.
There are also a number of free transportation services, courtesy of the casinos. A free monorail connects Mandalay Bay with Luxor and Excalibur; another connects Park MGM, Bellagio, and Crystals and Aria; and a free tram shuttles between the Mirage and Treasure Island. Given how far apart even neighboring hotels can be, thanks to their size, and how they seem even farther apart on really hot (and cold and windy) days, these are blessed additions.
Traffic Tips
Traffic in Las Vegas can be frustrating at times, especially near the Strip on evenings and weekends. Here are a few tips to help you get around the worst of it:
- Spaghetti Bowl: The "Spaghetti Bowl" is what locals call the mess where I-15 intersects U.S. 95. The latest billion-dollar construction overhaul, called Project Neon, has added to the ongoing traffic congestion and is supposed to be completed in November 2018. Avoid it if you can.
- Do D.I. Direct: Most visitors seem to get a lot of mileage out of the Strip and I-15. But if you're checking out the local scene, you can bypass both of those, using Desert Inn Road (D.I.), which is now one of the longest streets running from one side of the valley to the other. Plus, the 2-mile "Superarterial" section between Valley View and Paradise zips you nonstop over the interstate and under the Strip.
- Grin and Bear It: Yes, there are ways to avoid traffic jams on the Strip. But at least these traffic jams are entertaining! If you have the time and patience, go ahead and take a ride along the Strip from Mandalay Bay to the Stratosphere. The 4-mile drive might take an hour, but while you're grinding along, you'll see a sphinx, an active volcano, water ballet, the Eiffel Tower, and some uniquely Vegas architecture.
- Rat Pack Back Doors: Frank Sinatra Drive is a bypass road that runs parallel to the Strip from Russell Road north to Industrial. It's a great way to avoid the traffic jams and sneak in the back of hotels such as Mandalay Bay, Luxor, and Park MGM and T-Mobile Arena. On the other side of I-15, a bunch of high-end condo developers talked the city into re-christening a big portion of Industrial Road as Dean Martin Drive. From near Downtown to Twain, Industrial is now called Sammy Davis Jr., Drive, and it lets you in the back entrances to Circus Circus, Treasure Island, and others. It's a terrific bypass to the Strip and I-15 congestion.
- Beltway Bypass: The 53-mile 215 Beltway wraps three-quarters of the way around the valley, allowing easy access to the outskirts while bypassing the Resort Corridor.
Calendar of Events
You may be surprised that Las Vegas does not offer as many annual events as most other tourist cities. The reason is Las Vegas’s very raison d’être: the gaming industry. This town wants its visitors spending their money in the casinos, not at Renaissance fairs and parades.
When in town, check the local paper and contact the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (tel. 877/847-4858 or 702/892-7575; www.visitlasvegas.com) or the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce (tel. 702/735-1616; www.lvchamber.com) to find out about other events scheduled during your visit.
For an exhaustive list of events beyond those listed here, check http://events.frommers.com, where you'll find a searchable, up-to-the-minute roster of what's happening in cities all over the world.
February
The Super Bowl. Granted, the actual game is not held in Las Vegas but the numbers of people it brings to the city rival those that go to wherever the big game is being held. Sports fans and sports bettors come out in droves to watch the action on the big screens around town and to lay down a wager or two on the outcome. Usually the first weekend in February.
Valentine's Day. This is the marriage (and possibly divorce) capital of the world and the betrothed line up to exchange their vows all across town on Cupid's day. The city's Marriage Bureau stays open 24 hours during the weekend and some chapels literally perform dozens of weddings. February 14.
March
USA Sevens. Not a rugby fan? No matter, a day at the Sevens tourney is an experience. The most-widely attended rugby event in the country welcomes some 75,000 visitors to the Sam Boyd Stadium, 7000 E. Russell Rd. (samboydstadium.com; [tel] 702/895-3761), located about 20 minutes from the Strip. Teams from 16 countries compete in some 45 matches and fans travel from all around the world to cheer on their home countries or teams, dressed in jerseys, war paint, and outlandish costumes. Though the games are on the weekend, leading up to the tournament is a full week of events, including pep rallies, a beer festival, and a Parade of Nations. Held in early March. For more information, visit www.usasevens.com.
NASCAR. The Las Vegas Motor Speedway, 7000 Las Vegas Blvd. N. (tel. 800/644-4444; www.lvms.com), has become one of the premier facilities in the country, attracting races and racers of all stripes and colors. The biggest races of the year are the Sam's Town 300 and the Kobalt Tools 400, held in early March.
March Madness. Remember everything we just said about the Super Bowl? Apply it here for the NCAA college basketball championships held over several weekends in March.
April
Vegas Uncork’d. Once Las Vegas was crowned as a dining destination, it didn’t take long for the city to capitalize on having so much gourmet talent packed into a few square miles. This food and celebrity chef-filled long weekend lets the most discerning gourmands get a little closer to the culinary gods whose names grace the doors. When and where else can you rub elbows with Guy Savoy at the Grand Tasting, get to see Gordon Ramsay in action at a Master Series dinner, or drink margaritas with Too Hot Tamales Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger over a 4-day span? If you don’t leave this weekend with a huge food hangover, you’re doing it wrong. For more information, visit www.vegasuncorked.com.
May
Electric Daisy Carnival. One of the biggest annual Electronic Dance Music (EDM) events in the world draws upwards of 400,000 people to the city with a multi-day series of concerts from the biggest DJs and club music stars in the business. Past festivals saw EDM megastars like Tiesto, Afrojack, Eric Prydz, Richie Hawtin, Carl Cox, and Adam Beyer in front of the dancing mobs. If you don’t know who any of those acts are, it’s probably best to consider a different weekend, as rooms are scarce. Usually held the third weekend in May at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. For more information, visit www.electricdaisycarnival.com.
June
World Series of Poker. When Harrah’s Entertainment bought the legendary Binion’s Horseshoe, in Downtown Vegas, out of bankruptcy, it quickly turned around and sold the hotel but kept the hosting rights to this famed event, moving its location and place on the calendar. Now held at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino, 3700 W. Flamingo Rd. (tel 800/752-9746), in June and July (with the final table held in Nov for some incomprehensible reason), the event features high-stakes gamblers and showbiz personalities competing for six-figure purses. There are daily events, with entry stakes ranging from $125 to $5,000. To enter the World Championship Event, players must pony up $10,000 but could win a fortune (the 2013 top prize was $8.3 million). It costs nothing to crowd around the tables and watch the action, but if you want to avoid the throngs, you can catch a lot of it on TV. For more information, visit www.wsop.com.
September
Life is Beautiful Festival. Started in 2013, this festival takes over a huge chunk of Downtown Las Vegas with music from bands both big (Beck, Imagine Dragons, Janelle Monae) and small; food and cooking demonstrations from celebrity chefs; art projects and displays; a speaker series; performances from Vegas shows including Cirque du Soleil; and more. The friendly neighborhood vibe, terrific organization (at least so far), and endless array of things to see, do, and eat make this a favorite for more than 65,000 people.
October
Halloween. Las Vegas gets even scarier than normal on and around Halloween, with “spooky” twists to many of the major attractions (Adventuredome becomes “Fright Dome,” with haunted houses and more), debaucherous costume parties at the nightclubs, and a parade and festivities in Downtown Las Vegas.
December
National Finals Rodeo. This is the Super Bowl of rodeos, attended by about 200,000 people each year and offering more than $6 million in prize money. Male and female rodeo stars compete in everything from calf roping to steer wrestling, bull riding, team roping, saddle bronco riding, bareback riding, and barrel racing. In connection with this event, hotels book country stars into their showrooms, and a cowboy shopping spree—the NFR Cowboy Christmas Gift Show, a trade show for Western gear—is held at the convention center. The NFR runs for 10 days, during the first 2 weeks of December, at the 17,000-seat Thomas & Mack Center of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). Order tickets as far in advance as possible (tel 866/388-3267). For more information, see www.nfrexperience.com.
New Year’s Eve. Between 300,000 and 400,000 people descend on Las Vegas to ring in the New Year, making it one of the largest gatherings for the holiday outside of New York’s Times Square. Fireworks are the dominant entertainment, with pyrotechnics launched from the roofs of many hotels on the Strip and under the canopy at Fremont Street in Downtown Las Vegas. The Strip is closed to vehicles for the night, and so traffic and parking are a nightmare, as is booking a room (expect to pay a hefty premium), which should be done well in advance.