Doing Vegas on the cheap? (flight, hotel, etc)

[IHateMyJob2004]

What is hte best way to do this?

I want to stay on the strip (or atleast in walking distance to it).
I want to stay for 3 nights.
I want a hotel that is well kept. I just don't want a cheap piece of garbage.
I need to fly there with my wife (2 peope total) from Connecticut. Could fly out of Hartford or one of the NYC based airports.
I would like to see a show every night. 2 can be less expensive (but not crap) but I want to see atleast one good show that costs more. Could do just 2 shows.

Waht is hte best way to do this? Any advice is appreciated. Heck, even just tips about saving money while in vegas would be great like how to get cheap theater tickets.

UPDATE 1:
These are some great ideas.

I initially went to travelocity to see what rates are. $1800 for flights and a 3 night stay was a bit much.

I'm going to be running this by my wife.

If I can get to Vegas for under $1200, I'd probably do it. I'd want to live for 3 days on $300 for entertainment. Maybe another $150 tops for food. I'd do a nicer meal for dinners but my wife and I are not foodies. No interest in getting $100 dinners. A buffett would be fine most nights. We'd splurge one night though.

So food and entertainment is $500 probably. It's getting there and staying there cheaply that is the trick. Under $1000 for both of us would be awesome.

Well, I'll do some good research tonight.

 

[purbeast0]

nothing about what you want to do really sounds "cheap".

any nice, well kept hotel on the strip, is going to be more expensive than the lower quality hotels, off the strip.

but if you go during the week that is when the rooms will be the cheapest, regardless of what hotel you stay at.

i've gone there once and am going again in july, and both times found the cheapest flights with southwest and it was direct. when i went it was lke $420, the one i booked for july was $320.

shows can be expensive as well. we paid like $125/ticket when we went to see one last time we were there.

only having been to vegas once, it is definitely not a place i would want to go if i was being budget conscious. but that is just me personally. i hate going places and then seeing things i want to do, then not being able to do them due to money.

 

[DrPizza]

My old boss used to go to Vegas a couple of times each year. I wish I had a copy of his itinerary for people visiting the city for the first time - he had a schedule that took up several days of time with very little or zero expense, so it can definitely be done & be entertaining. There were a bunch of "must see at least once" types of things, like the fountains at whichever hotel that is, a few things inside lobbies of a couple of casinos, heading out to the Grand Canyon for part of a day, etc.

 

[jaedaliu]

What is hte best way to do this?

I want to stay on the strip (or atleast in walking distance to it).
I want to stay for 3 nights.
I want a hotel that is well kept. I just don't want a cheap piece of garbage.
I need to fly there with my wife (2 peope total) from Connecticut. Could fly out of Hartford or one of the NYC based airports.
I would like to see a show every night. 2 can be less expensive (but not crap) but I want to see atleast one good show that costs more. Could do just 2 shows.

Waht is hte best way to do this? Any advice is appreciated. Heck, even just tips about saving money while in vegas would be great like how to get cheap theater tickets.

I just stayed at the Orleans. Wasn't too expensive, and the bed was quite comfortable.

You can get a bigger room at the Rio for less. Maybe a groupon for Palms Place if you want to scale it up a bit and spend a bit more.

whoops. above suggestions are off strip. (1/2 mile to 1 mile. that can be a long walk)

Monte Carlo is pretty nice and somewhat inexpensive. Imperial Palace was turning into a hellhole. They've relaunched it as the Quad. Don't know if it's still so sketchy. I would avoid Excalibur. It's fine, but not nice. Mandalay Bay is at the far end of the strip, so for the quality of place, it's inexpensive. But it sounds like you aren't planning on renting a car, so that may not work out.

as for shows: Many of the shows sell same day tickets at the half price ticket booth. (many along Las Vegas Blvd. They have a website.) There aren't always many tickets for the nice shows, so maybe pre-purchase a ticket before you head there for the first night, then get in line each of the following mornings? (I was told that all shows in Vegas are good. I didn't believe it, but got the cheapest show tickets possible from the booth because my girlfriend and I were getting destroyed at the tables. Paid $16 for 2 tickets for the world's greatest magic show. It was pretty darn good.)

edit: Oh, and my favorite thing to do on the strip (other than gambling and eating) is taking some time walking up and down. The casinos are large, so the distance between them is pretty big, but it's a nice tour of styles and themes. Downtown is a nice glimpse into the past, too.

 

[Wreckem]

Best "cheap" show is Carrot Top. Its about $55 a person. Its one of the best shows in Vegas.

Terry Fator does a good show as well thats about $65 a person.

Rock of Ages is also a really good show and is on the cheaper side for a production show. I think it was $55 a person back in March.

Cirque shows can be had for reasonable prices if you join Cirque Club and get tickets on special sales. Don't bother with Tickets 4 Tonight, the prices aren't good and you can get better pre-booking in advance if you do some research. I think I paid $60 a ticket for good seats at KA by booking directly through Cirque du Soliel's Cirque Club when they had their Winter Special, the tickets were $25 cheaper than the cheapest(shittier) seats available at Tickets 4 Tonight.

Another option for "cheap shows" is Luxors/Excaliburs deal of 2 shows for $75.

As for hotels, find discount codes online at smartervegas.com or other similar websites. Time of year and day of week has big impact on hotel prices. If you are wanting to save money, go Monday-Thursday,

Personally here is what I would do for shows.

Cirque Beatles Love (seen it twice, would see it again even though it never changes)
Rock of Ages (I'd see it again, was a blast, way better than the movie or broadway version)
Carrot Top (I'd see it again, it changes nightly)


As for hotel, what ever is cheapest that meets your standards. I've stayed in many different ones, a room is for sleeping and convenience(returning to room when drunk, finding late night munchies, etc). For cheap well kept properties that are reasonably nice I'd say look at NYNY, Monte Carlo, and Treasure Island.

 

[purbeast0]

i'd also recommend making a post in the travel deals/discussion forum over on slickdeals. those guys are great at helping out with things like this. i actually saved 25% on my stay at the cosmopolitan booked for july thanks to them lol.

 

[Tweak155]

Generally the hotels are "nice enough" and you can get them as cheap as ~$150 or less even on the strip. They try to make the money back from people gambling in the hotel (pretty much every hotel on the strip will have at least slots).

How to save money: Do not gamble!

I too paid about $120/ticket for tickets to a show there, but found it was money well spent. You have lots of entertainment options, but yes most of them are shows / gambling. You can't go cheap in Vegas and have a good time, but I think comparatively it can be cheaper than many other vacation options.

 

[EPCrew]

Tip for cab from the airport. Take local or Paradise Road over the highway. Taking the highway (depending on your final destination) will generally double your fare.

 

[Ns1]

define "cheap"

i would subscribe to travelzoo email alerts - they got deals to vegas every week.

Tip for cab from the airport. Take local or Paradise Road over the highway. Taking the highway (depending on your final destination) will generally double your fare.

FWIW they will tell you to take the long way because the short way is full of traffic. Up to you whether or not you want to believe them.

 

[EPCrew]

You can find promo codes on the internet. I know they exist but unfortunately the one I have now is expired. If I find a new one I'll post it here. My wife and her friends are all booked at the Wynn for $150/night within the next couple of months. That's a great rate for Wynn second to being fully comped.

 

[jaedaliu]

define "cheap"

This is important.

the $150/night that people are mentioning gets you into almost all the on strip hotels.

 

[EPCrew]

define "cheap"

i would subscribe to travelzoo email alerts - they got deals to vegas every week.



FWIW they will tell you to take the long way because the short way is full of traffic. Up to you whether or not you want to believe them.

Yes, you are absolutely right about that. The strip itself is many times full of traffic.

However, in the last 8 years I've been there probably 20 times and have never encountered much traffic when travelling along Paradise Road or any road parallel of the strip.

 

[Ns1]

Yes, you are absolutely right about that. The strip itself is many times full of traffic.

However, in the last 8 years I've been there probably 20 times and have never encountered much traffic when travelling along Paradise Road or any road parallel of the strip.

I get that, but the cabbie will tell you otherwise.

 

[slag]

I was just there. Saw Rock of Ages and Le Reve. Both were great shows but each was about $130 ish.

My sister just picked up a package deal, flight from KCI to Vegas and back and 5 nights stay at the hilton there for like $500ish or so, give or take. I'm checking with her for specifics, but the Hilton is very close to the strip and a cab ride anywhere is only $20-$25 or so tops.

 

[Chrono]

Circus De Soleil has a deal right now... even 'O' is discounted to 8x.xx bucks or so. The other shows are about 50 or so dollars. I recommend 'O' and Ka.

 

[EPCrew]

I get that, but the cabbie will tell you otherwise.

Of course he will. He wants to collect an extra $20 on a $20 cab ride. I could be mistaken but I remember reading that this tactic is known by DOT and is considered a violation.

 

[Chrono]

BTW, you can pay $5-10 or so for the bus... and ride it all day I think. It goes up and down the strip as well as to Fremont.

 

[Ns1]

Circus De Soleil has a deal right now... even 'O' is discounted to 8x.xx bucks or so. The other shows are about 50 or so dollars. I recommend 'O' and Ka.

Ka was fucking great.

MGM had a deal where if you book for 2 night minimum they would give you free show tickets, and Ka was included. Not sure if deal is still valid.

 

[jaedaliu]

I was just there. Saw Rock of Ages and Le Reve. Both were great shows but each was about $130 ish.

My sister just picked up a package deal, flight from KCI to Vegas and back and 5 nights stay at the hilton there for like $500ish or so, give or take. I'm checking with her for specifics, but the Hilton is very close to the strip and a cab ride anywhere is only $20-$25 or so tops.

Curious. Which Hilton? Grand Vacations? LVH (no longer a Hilton)? Tropicana (now a doubletree)?

That's a good point. Maybe do a quick consult with a travel agent. They have access to package deals that include flights.

 

[Wreckem]

I was just there. Saw Rock of Ages and Le Reve. Both were great shows but each was about $130 ish.

My sister just picked up a package deal, flight from KCI to Vegas and back and 5 nights stay at the hilton there for like $500ish or so, give or take. I'm checking with her for specifics, but the Hilton is very close to the strip and a cab ride anywhere is only $20-$25 or so tops.

This is another tip from me inregards to shows.

There really aren't any bad seats for any of the shows. It is wholly unnecessary to buy the high priced seats, more so for Cirque shows, because in Cirque shows the closer you are the more you miss.

 

[brainhulk]

Make sure you check bedbug registry if you're planning to stay at a skank hotel

http://bedbugregistry.com

 

[Ns1]

There really aren't any bad seats for any of the shows. It is wholly unnecessary to buy the high priced seats, more so for Cirque shows, because in Cirque shows the closer you are the more you miss.

+infinity

better to sit somewhere in the middle rows.

 

[tHa ShIzNiT]

I lived in vegas for the past 10 years and cant really add much here...when my cheap buddies come in from LA they stay at the rio, its much cheaper than staying on the strip and there is a shuttle that will take you over there (its less than a mile away and you can walk if you want).

Not to be a party pooper but its unfortunate to be on a tight budget because we have some of the best restaurants in the world here. If you can squeeze it into the budget, I'd recommend lunch at bobby flay's Mesa Grill. Not too expensive and one of the most delicious lunches imaginable. And thats just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to delicious food in vegas.

 

[brainhulk]

I lived in vegas for the past 10 years and cant really add much here...when my cheap buddies come in from LA they stay at the rio, its much cheaper than staying on the strip and there is a shuttle that will take you over there (its less than a mile away and you can walk if you want).

Not to be a party pooper but its unfortunate to be on a tight budget because we have some of the best restaurants in the world here. If you can squeeze it into the budget, I'd recommend lunch at bobby flay's Mesa Grill. Not too expensive and one of the most delicious lunches imaginable. And thats just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to delicious food in vegas.

Can you provide us with a list of the best?!! Had Bobby Flay's at Atlantis, it was very good

 

[Wreckem]

+infinity

better to sit somewhere in the middle rows.

The first time my wife and I went to Vegas, I purchased front row tickets to Mystere without knowing any better. Yeah, she ended up being part of the show. Big Baby choose her as mama. Yeah she was none to pleased with my decision to buy front row tickets. She was spotlighted every time Big Baby came out and said mama. It could have been worse, it could have been the original Big Baby(the giant fat guy), they had just replaced the original with a tiny female.

Ever since then its been back of the lower section or the front of the upper balcony and honestly the views are much better.