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How to Take a Trip to Las Vegas for Under $350**
Ever want to go to Vegas, but figure it's too expensive? Think again. A trip to Vegas can cost you less than you think, if you can be flexible, and especially if you can go with a friend or two. We'll show you how. Planning Your Trip There are a few things to keep in mind when planning your trip. First, plan as far in advance as possible. The farther in advance you plan, the cheaper your tickets, fares, and other expenses will be. Secondly, be flexible in your travel dates and where you stay. If you're willing to stay off the Strip, and go during the week, you can sometimes save yourself some extra money. And do not travel during holidays or big vacation seasons, prices on hotels, airfare, tickets, and more can double and sometimes triple! Getting There This is usually the biggest obstacle for people looking to go on a vacation. For our purposes, we are using New York as our city of origin. Using New York as our city of origin will provide fares and rates that will be about average for travel anywhere within the United States to Las Vegas. The closer you are to Vegas, the less your fares and travelling expenses should be. If you can't afford to take a lot of time off work, you will probably be forced to fly. This will hamper your entertainment funds, however, it's still possible to have fun in Vegas for very little money. We found a flight on Orbitz.com from JFK to Las Vegas for $239. If you can afford to take the time off, and find yourself travelling alone, hitching a ride on the bus is the most cost effective for you. A round trip fare on Greyhound will run you $159. If you take the bus, be sure to give yourself an extra two days each way for travel time. If you can carpool with a friend or two, this is definitely the best way to go. The trip from New York to Las Vegas is approximately 2,500 miles. Assuming your car gets decent gas mileage at 30 miles per gallon, you're looking at buying about 84 gallons of gas each way, for a total of 167 gallons of gas. At $1.50 per gallon, this drive will run you $250 round trip. You split that between yourself and 2 others in the carpool, you'll each be spending about $84 each. Not bad! Once you get there, you'll need a place to crash... Where to Stay Staying in Vegas can actually be incredibly cheap. We'll give you a few hotel choices and general rates we've come across on the hotel companies' websites and through Orbitz.com to help you decide where to stay. These rates are midweek, one room, for two people and two nights (please note these rates are not guaranteed and you should check with any hotel you are interested in about current rates). If you can go with a friend or two and split a room, you'll save quite a bit! On the Strip... This will probably cost you the most. If you decide to stay on the strip, you're gonna pay more.
B-rated on the Strip Medium quality hotels, these are older and could often use some updating, but hey, they're on the strip!
Just off the Strip... These hotels are perfect if you don't mind walking, or if you bring your own car. Each hotel is within a few blocks of the Strip.
By choosing an inexpensive hotel, you'll have a lot more cash to spend for entertainment. Having Fun Las Vegas is a mecca of fun, and surprisingly, there's a lot of free fun stuff to do in Vegas. First of all, most people who go to Vegas looking for fun definitely want to drink. Here's a hint: plunk down at a nickel slot machine with a buck or two in nickels. As you gamble (and do it slowly, assume you're going to lose all your money), keep your eyes out for floor-girls decked out in uniforms. These gals (and sometimes guys) are there to provide free drinks to anyone gambling, and often times beer or wine is included. Flag one down and ask what's free to drink, then order your pleasure. Once she comes back with your drink, quit gambling until you want another. Here's a list of freebies to do at various Casinos on the Strip:
Of course, hoofing it through all the Casinos is quite interesting. The ones that top our list for interesting and entertaining decor are Bellagio, The Paris, Excalibur, New York New York, Luxor, Caeser's Palace, The Venetian, and Mandalay Bay. We also suggest taking a swim in your hotel's pool during the day to not only beat the heat, but to have some fun without spending a dime! Since you've got a little spending cash though, here are some cheap, fun things to do (prices per person, all are under $20)...
To put it simply, you cannot do everything that's free AND everything that's under $20 in 2 nights (well, maybe you could, if you never slept and left the shows after about 30 minutes). So figure out what's important for you to do, and do those things! Cheap Eats Basically, this is all about gettin' your meals for cheap, or free. Drinks are handed out on nearly every casino's floor (see above on how to get some free drinks, including liquor!), but this is where you can eat cheap (well, for under $10 per person anyways). These eateries are spread out all along the Strip, so no matter where you're at, you can find food! Ps...The food may not be the greatest, but you'll at least be able to recharge!
Some of these meals are things you have to ask for, such as the Monterey Room's Steak Dinner. Always ask about specials not on the menu! Gambling Strategies The best strategy to not lose your cash at gambling? DON'T GAMBLE! If that's not enough for you, or if you just feel going to Vegas just isn't going to Vegas without donating some of your money to the casinos, we can offer these tips: 1. Set your Limit, and Don't Exceed It. The fastest way to lose your cash is to lose your willpower. Decide ahead of time how much money you can tolerate losing, and only take that much with you to the casino floor. Have a friend guard your wallet from you, or leave it in your room's safe to keep yourself from over-spending. 2. Don't Waste a Lot of Time at Slots, Unless it's for Free Drinks. Slots have a terrible, terrible payout, among the worst of any games you could play in a casino. If you must play slots, choose the nickel and dime machines. They'll stretch your money a little farther, and you won't feel as though you're losing so much. 3. When it Comes to Tables, it's Blackjack and Poker. While Roulette, Baccarat, and Money Wheels offer the spinning of wheels and throwing of dice, they are also high-chance games, where it's more than likely that you'll walk away empty-handed. Poker and Blackjack, while still involving some chance, allow you control over your cards, and the ability to decide what's best for you and your hand. While no game ever has high chances of winning, you'll have better chances at these two games than any other. Saving Some Extra Dough The easiest way to save money in Vegas is simply not to gamble (or gamble away a buck to get a free beer, if you must). Gambling will suck all your cash out of you before you know it. You may know people who claim to have won big money in Vegas, but there's a reason the casinos stay in business! Ask your hotel (and those that you visit, for that matter) if they are offering any freebies. Sometimes just by asking you'll be comp'ed a buffet pass, a ticket to a show, or some money in chips. At worst, they'll say no, but you'll get to hear about all their shows, and maybe there will be someting within your spending limit. There are quite a few monthly publishings in Vegas that offer discounted, buy-one-get-one, or free admissions to shows, meals, and more. These can often be found in cabs, hotel lobbies, stores, and on the street in racks. Pick them up, they're free, and look for good deals. The Grand Total... Here are four scenarios we've worked out, so you can see how much a trip to Vegas might cost you. Roundtrip for one, Flight
Roundtrip for one, Bus
Roundtrip For Two, Driving (per person)
Roundtrip for Three, Driving (per person)
As you can see, a trip to Vegas is attainable for just about any budget, whether it's just for you or for a group of friends, and discounts may be available once you get there. The more people that go with you, usually the cheaper everything is (unless you and your friends have expensive tastes!). Save your pennies, spend wisely, don't get sucked into the glitz on the casino floor, and you'll have fun in Vegas without breaking the bank! Last But Not Least... A few things we thought might be helpful for your trip to Vegas. A Strip Map (click for larger printable image)
The Las Vegas Tourism Bureau: http://www.lasvegastourism.com/ The Nevada Tourism Bureau: http://www.travelnevada.com/ The Las Vegas Better Business Bureau: http://www.lasvegas.bbb.org Questions? Comments? Ideas? Leave us feedback... 
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**All prices quoted subject to change without notice. No guarentee or promise on any price, fare, or availability. Prices, fees, and fares all as of July 2003.
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