Misc. Visitor Tips
Misc. Visitor Tips
Misc. Visitor Tips
Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority welcomed over 35.5 million visitors to Las
Vegas in year 2001. That is a lot of people. You must realize that with this many people
coming and going, it is smart to check out some tips and tricks to make your visit as
comfortable and safe as possible.
The following are a few tips and tricks that may serve
you well, they are listed in no particular order so make sure you scan the entire list
to see what might be important to you. Then use the links at the bottom of the page for
additional information.
Las Vegas has 140-160 days when the ENTIRE town is sold out ...there are
currently over 124,000 hotel rooms in the area ...Plan your trip in advance.
The slowest times of the year, next to June and July, are the week before
Christmas and the week after New Year's. Actually, the entire month of December
is generally fairly good to avoid the large crowds. During the slowest months of
the winter, most hotel rates drop so it is much easier to get a decent room at a
good rate.
If you are looking for best rates and smaller crowds, booking a room from
Sunday thru Thursday is your best bet. Weekends get a lot of traffic from
California which increases the tempo of the city but also helps maintain higher
rates on weekends. Afternoon arival, early in the week helps keep stress levels
lower and alleviates a lot of baggage handling headaches. It is also important to
be aware that if you check into your hotel room on a Friday or Saturday, you will
pay top dollar and in many cases your cost will not go down if you stay extra days.
If you have a discount ad or coupon for a hotel room, check the bottom for
restrictions. One that you will almost always see there is that it is dependent on
"space available". That means that the hotel must be below 80% occupancy for you to
get the deal that is being advertised. Be aware that, except in particularily slow
times, most hotels in this town are ALMOST NEVER below 80% occupancy. Average
occupancy rates range in the 90+% range.
You are not going to want to carry a heavy bag or purse. It will be heavy to
carry, get in the way and there will be no where to safely put it when you are
gaming or anything else that uses your hands or takes your attention. Make sure
that your money is stored safely and conveniently. Zip up pockets, fanny packs,
body purses, belly bags are all good ideas. They let you get to your cash and cards
when you need to and discourage pick pockets. Any of them also make it less likely
that you will walk away and forget them.
Comfort is the keyword for what you should consider wearing most of the time.
The general mode of dress is informal and casual. There are times that you will
want to dress up, like going to a show or nice restaurant, but remember, during
the day, siteseeing will entail extensive excursions and you need to be comfortable.
You don't want tight clothes that restrict or pinch and the most important aspect
to pay attention to is your shoes. If you are going to do a lot of walking (and you
will) you want to make sure you have comfortable walking shoes that give you
adequate support.
It is a good idea to remember that in summer, the air conditioning in the
casinos is going full blast. It is usually a good idea to have a light sweater
with you in case you end up sitting directly in the cold air flow (and sooner or
later you will).
Concerning car rentals. If you rent a car by phone, make sure you ask for the
"drive-out" rate. This is the price of the rental and includes all the extra costs
that are added in like state and local taxes. In Las Vegas the added costs can add
up to an extra 20% or more. One tax that you can avoid is the airport access fee
that is imposed if you pick up your car at the airport. If the convenience is worth
the extra, then don't worry about it, but if you take a shuttle or bus to your
hotel first and then rent the car from your hotel room the rate will not include
the airport fee.
If you are staying on the strip and don't plan on renting a car, staying at a
location mid-strip will make it easier on you. The strip is a little over 3 miles
long, so the middle gives you lots of options within walking distance.
A word about safety. The Las Vegas Strip is one of the safest places in the
country. You will find people walking at all hours of the day and night without
any problem what-so-ever. However, as we mentioned earlier, there are over 35
million people a year that come through here and every city has it's share of
crime. Whether the criminal element comes from out of town with the rest of our
visitors or is local, simple common-sense precautions that you would use in any
large city will eliminate most of the risk so that you can enjoy your visit without
any undue restrictions or fear.
As mentioned earlier, zippered pockets, fanny packs or belly bags are a good
idea. Try to not carry a wallet in your back pocket, if you are carrying a purse,
keep it in close to your body and wrapped around your arm, not dangling at arms
length. Remember that you will be packed in close to many people at many
attractions, in casinos and even just walking down the street.
It is always a good idea to use the additional dead-bolt lock when in your
room and don't leave large amounts of cash or valuables in your room when you are
away. Most hotels have a safe or provide safe deposit boxes that you can use as a
free service.
Always carry a photo ID with your current name and address with you. Even if
you are obviously of legal age, if it becomes known that you do not have a legal
ID on you, the casinos are not allowed to let you continue gambling without one.
You will also need to have something with your name and social security number on
it available. If you hit a large jackpot or do very well at the tables the IRS
requires the casino to collect this information
If you have or get a slot club card (a good idea), be aware that the credits
you have on them will expire if they remain inactive for more than a certain amount
of time, usually 12 to 18 months.
Traveling by plane these days requires additional time at the airports, for
example. If you travel by Southwest Airlines, be sure to get to your plane ahead
of departure time. They are now strongly enforcing the ten minute flight rule. If
you happen to arrive at the last minute, you could find yourself coming back to
catch another flight on another day!
If you are driving on the strip going south, you may want to stay in the far
left lane as a general rule because traffic can come to a full stop when the
Bellagio Water show is on, or the Volcano is erupting at the Mirage or the
Sirens of TI is going on in front of the Treasure Island.
These are just a few tips that might come in handy for you. For additional
information and tips that might be helpful check out the following links.
Going to Vegas Travelers Tips
Going to Vegas Weather Page
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