Las Vegas: How to do it on the cheap
Many people going to Las Vegas know they’re going to spend a fortune. Let’s face it; it’s an easy place to lose money. But as we were on our US road trip and knew that our cash had to last, we wanted to make sure we didn’t get carried away. In fact it ended up being one of the cheapest places of our entire trip! Here’s how we saved the dollars:
Go mid-week
Everyone heads to Las Vegas at the weekend, and consequently prices for hotel rooms shoot up. We therefore decided to visit mid-week and got a real bargain by buying our room online for just £18 ($30) – one of the cheapest nights on our holiday. That price also included $20 of vouchers to spend in the hotel, which we used to pay towards breakfast the next day. Bargain!
Price includes real live birds!
We stayed at the Pink Flamingo hotel, which is on the strip, and for the price we’d paid for the room we were expecting something pretty small so we were surprised when this is what we got for our money:
Cheaper than a hostel, but way more fancy…
…and even a TV in the bathroom!
With a view to match:
It doesn’t get much better than this
Make the most of the deals
Food and drink are expensive in Las Vegas and people staying for a while tend to bring their own. But if you’re just there for a quick visit, when you arrive you’ll be given a booklet of deal vouchers. It’s worth looking through it, as there are lots of meal offers, as well as discounts for shows etc.
You don’t have to spend money to have a good time
Before going to Las Vegas I wasn’t too worried about stopping there on our US road trip. I felt like I’d seen so many photos of it, and read so much about it, that it would be exactly how I imagined. All I can say now, having visited, is that nothing can prepare you for Vegas. It is one of the craziest places I have ever been.
We spent our whole evening simply walking up and down the strip, ducking in and out of the different themed hotels and casinos. You want to go to France? There’s the Eiffel Tower. You fancy a trip to Italy? Step right this way. The Statue of Liberty? There she is.
When you’re walking down the street, in the desert, surrounded by huge brightly lit buildings calling for your attention, it’s as though reality is suspended for a night.
The ceiling of the Bellagio
The thing I loved most about Vegas is that it really represents the entire breadth of American society. There were old granny regulars there, still playing the slot machines at 2am. Groups of students, beside themselves with excitement on their first ever visit. Hen parties, rich businessmen, couples, families of four generations. Different individuals from all over the country – and the rest of the world – visit every single day and I found the people watching fascinating.
Don’t get carried away
Not to sound like your mum, but if you are intending to gamble: set yourself a limit and stick to it. You can see how in Vegas it’s easy to get carried away. You’re in your own little bubble, everything is nice and shiny and happy but, unfortunately, the real world lurks just outside. So don’t forget to save your pennies for the next bit of your adventure!
Good tips – accommodation can be a real bargain in Vegas and there’s so much to see without spending any money!
I agree – we couldn’t believe how cheap our hotel was and the people-watching alone could keep me entertained for days!
If you add up all the days I have spent in Las Vegas, it probably totals at least 300. It is my favorite place ever.
Some other ways to save a ton of money:
– Play the MyVegas game on Facebook. MGM properties give you free stuff (including rooms, and show tickets and food) just for playing a free slot game
– Buy the American Casino Guide – tons of coupons for food and free slot play. You can easily save multiple times the cost of the book
– Take a peek at the Las Vegas Advisor coupon book. It is very easy to get your cost back on this one as well, even with just the slot play.
– Downtown hotels are way cheaper than the Strip, gambling is better and food is so much cheaper. If you are going to Vegas for the first time, you should stay on the Strip. But if it is your second time, consider downtown
– Be aware that most hotels charge a resort fee (hate) which can easily double the cost of your hotel. Read the fine print. There are currently zero Strip hotels that do not charge this. Caesars properties even charge it on COMPED rooms (unless you are Platinum or higher)
– ALWAYS use a player’s card, even if you think you will never be back. There are a lot of casinos that are owned by the same company. You never know, you may end up gambling a small amount in several casinos and end up with $5 comp. Why would you not want that $5?
Wow, that is a lot of visits! Thanks for all of the tips, I’m sure they’ll help others who are planning a trip to Vegas 🙂
Totally agree with your thoughts.Its really very true about Vegas that its a very easy place to loose money specially for the travelers.To get a best accommodation is also a headache.I had some experiences in my Vegas trips.But you really did an amazing job by sharing such a helpful tips.Thank you so much