My 1st trip to Las Vegas

We are planning a trip to Vegas, its my 1st time, so unsure what to expect, the price of things, the best value hotels etc.

We%26#39;re looking at going in March.

Any help would be appreciated

My 1st trip to Las Vegas

First - book your hotel directly with the hotel, not through a travel agency or as part of an airline ';deal';. Prices change constantly and that will give you the ability to take advantage of any price reductions between now and March.

The best value hotels are ';downtown'; rather than on the strip. Browse sites such as www.cheapovegas.com to get an idea of what is available where. Then browse each hotel%26#39;s website and when you see something interesting, ask about it here. Sign up for email notifications everywhere. You don%26#39;t need to book your hotel until mid-January at the earliest.

UK visitors seem to get drawn into a few common hotel mistakes, specifically Circus Circus, a rather run down, but very inexpensive, hotel that while technically on the strip is in a construction wasteland. The Riviera, more or less across the street is also a poor choice. The Stratosphere is at the far north end of the strip, and while not as bad a choice as the last two, is quite inconvenient.

Meal costs are reasonable (particularly by London standards) and can vary wildly, just as everywhere else.

Finally, be aware that mid-March is college ';spring break'; in the US so prices tend to tick up a bit then.

Good Luck!

My 1st trip to Las Vegas

Don%26#39;t plan on doing the Grand Canyon as a day trip. Most day trips go to the West Rim, while scenic, it is not part of the GC National Park. The GC is a destination by itself and needs an overnight visit to appreciate its beauty. Avoid getting sold a whirlwind tour that is costly and gives you only a brief glimpse of something that is not even the GC (the West Rim).

Its hard to recommend hotels without having more information about who you are, what you are looking for and your budget. Search a site like Expedia to give you an idea of the price range. Then check out the hotels own website to get a feel for the rooms and facilities. Book directly with the hotel, unless you get a HUGE savings on one of the third party booking sites.

There are a lot of things going on in March so it is not one of the cheaper months to visit.

You want to stay on the strip on your first visit. Downtown is great but the strip is where the hotels, casinos, restaurants, shows and attractions that most people associate with Vegas are- not downtown.

You will do better if you reserve a room directly with the hotel. If the rates drop-you can contact them and they will usually give you the lower rates.If you find another hotel you can always cancel within the cancellation period (check before reserving your room). You can%26#39;t do that if you book through a third party site.

Rooms are much cheaper Sunday through Thursday night. Fridays and Saturdays are much more expensive.

You can pay $15 per person for a meal or $300 per person. Visiting Vegas can be as inexpensive or expensive as you want.

I think it would help if you gave us some idea of what you were planning to spend on a hotel. This way people could give you suggestions. You have plenty of time to decide.

Have some time, go to MGM/Mirage and Harrahs and sign up for email promos.

Marc is spring break in US and March madness for basketball some some hotels will be busy.

Value all depends on you. Luxor, NYNY are priced right. So are many of the Harrah%26#39;s hotels.

Again get on the email lists and see what is going on.

One note: if you could provide an idea of how much you want to pay for a room, it will give folks an idea of where it would be best for you to stay and not go over your budget.

You%26#39;ll be better served by staying on the strip for your first time. Ballys, Bills, and IP are very central and are not too expensive. Next highest would be Paris, NY NY, and MGM. Prices will vary from month to month based upon lots of things so check with the hotel web sites.

Food, can be found very inexpensive to boocoo expensive. Get both the AGC and the PoV, they have some great coupons for money off on food, shows, and gambling. Check www.vegas.com for more info on cheap eats.

Stuff to see, take a look at the 125 things to do in Vegas for a quide.

If you have the time, take a wander downtown. If you don%26#39;t, make sure you see it the next time you go to Vegas.

Buffers

1) Book flights %26amp; hotel seperately, not as a package as it%26#39;s much cheaper

2) stay in the centre of the strip. Paris is a nice hotel but depends on your budget. We got a good deal on cityandshow.com which was way cheaper than the deals the hotel was offering.

3) Take comfy shoes, you will walk plenty of miles each day.

4)Have breakfast @ the buffet in the Paris, eat the nachos @ Margaritaville (pic on my profile) and have drinks @ VooDoo lounge @ the top of the Rio, best view in Vegas and free!

4) Make sure you see a cirque de soleil show. Both Mysetere and O were fantastic.

5) prices vary so hard to say, depends were you eat and drink beers can vary from $1 in Casino Royale to $15 in a club. Ditto with food you can eat cheap or expensive really is up to you. We budget $170/day per couple for food, drinking, taxis etc. Hotels, shows etc were all paid for in advance and gambling money was separate.

and

Have Fun!

Clare

This is a good site to look for hotel room promotions:

www.fatwallet.com/forums/travel-deals/704925

seems like many visitors from the uk stay at excalibur due to its king arthur connection.

Bill%26#39;s Gambling Hall is small, but in the middle of the Strip. I have never stayed there, but the price is very reasonable.

We don%26#39;t plan to do much gambling, but would still like to watch and have a little dabble. We%26#39;re more interested in clean, nice hotels rather as we can%26#39;t really justify the expense for the extortionate ones, but we do love the look of Ceasars. We plan to lounge around the pool during the day and just people watch/walk the strip/have a browse in a casino and then go to clubs for some dancing.

We have only just thought about going so no savings as such for it, so obviously with the dollar rate and the impending recession we haven%26#39;t got large amounts of money to spend

When does the spring break end? we don%26#39;t want to be overtaken by countless college kids ruining our holiday

Any help would be appreciated.