Cheap Holidays to Las Vegas

A cheap holiday to Las Vegas may seem like an oxymoron but in fact, it’s very feasible to visit Sin City without emptying your bank account. While it’s true that the most popular shows, attractions and restaurants on the Strip are anything but cheap, in reality most of things to see and do in Vegas are free. With a bit of creativity and flexibility, visitors can do Las Vegas on a shoestring budget.

Getting to Las Vegas is often the most expensive part if travelling from anywhere other than North America. While daily, direct flights exist from London courtesy of British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, they are still nearly 12 hours long and significantly more expensive than indirect flight options.

To save money on the travel end of cheap holidays to Las Vegas, you’ll have to suffer through an indirect flight with a layover and transfer somewhere in the eastern portion of the US. While this option will definitely save you some serious cash on airfares, be prepared for a gruelling 24-hour bout of commercial air travel.

Arranging accommodation in Las Vegas is perhaps the easiest aspect of a budget holiday here. Independent travellers will have no trouble finding and booking an affordable, standard room, especially if they plan to come during one of the slower periods like in the middle of summer or during winter.

The spring and autumn months boast wonderful sun-drenched weather and perfect temperatures, and thus are the busiest times of year. Whenever there’s a major business convention in town (which is often) or a big sporting event like a title boxing match, standard rooms sell out fast and deals are hard to come by.

Plan to visit when nothing is scheduled in Vegas and it’s very likely you can score deep discounts on rooms, special hotel packages and other goodies from the most popular places on the Strip. Don’t be afraid to ask for a reduction on the room rack rates quoted. Booking agents at the hotels almost always have the power to offer a lower rate to those who request it.

Consider staying in a regular hotel that is not right in the middle of the Strip and has no casino. Big American chains like Budget Suites, EconoLodge and Super 8 have hotels very close to the action, with room rates often cheaper than the big casino resorts. The downside, of course, is paying for transportation to get to the Strip and the relative absence of Vegas ambiance.

Another way to save money on a vacation to Las Vegas is to book a travel package with a company like Virgin Holidays or Thomson Holidays. By combining airfare and hotel, it’s often possible to find excellent deals at the Strip’s leading mid-range resort casinos like Circus Circus, Treasure Island and Luxor.

One advantage of staying right in the mix of the Strip is the savings on transportation. It’s possible to walk anywhere, though it can be slow going due to the sidewalk crowds and the distance between casinos at one end of the Strip and the other. The public bus is cheap and runs up and down the Strip and beyond.

Several casinos have free shuttles between Treasure Island and The Mirage, and between Mandalay Bay, Luxor and Excalibur. The slick, new monorail is another great choice, running between the MGM Grand at the southern end to the Sahara at the northern end.

It’s true that seeing a performance of Cirque du Soleil’s O will set you back when it comes to forking out for tickets. But there are lots of entertaining attractions in Las Vegas that are completely free. The Bellagio is well worth a wander to enjoy its amazing greenhouse atrium Conservatory and mesmorising dancing fountains out front. Wynn Las Vegas has a similar attraction with its own equally pleasant Conservatory that’s open 24 hours.

The Mirage’s volcano is another hallmark of Vegas entertainment. You’ll have to enter the hotel grounds, but it’s well worth it to see this eruption every hour after dark. There are even a couple of performances open to the public at Treasure Island and the Rio. While certainly a bit cheesy, it’s hard to complain about these free shows.

Perhaps the best way to manage a cheap holiday to Las Vegas is to simply enjoy the visual spectacle of the Strip itself. All of the hotels are open to the public and are attractions in themselves. From big winners to crushed losers, the casinos can provide an endless people-watching and of course, the Strip itself is overflowing with a bizarre mosaic of humanity that makes for some of the best gawking on the planet, especially in the early hours.

The ubiquitous Vegas buffet can be found in every hotel, and while not always top quality, it’s always cheap. Happy hours seem to pop up at all hours of the day and night for budget drinking in the casinos and it’s even possible to saddle up to the penny slots and spend a few hours pretending to be a high roller.