shoegirl

A few years ago, I went on a trip to Europe and got some wonderful suggestions from you all. I'm hoping you'll be able to help me out again.

I'm going to Las Vegas in June, the 12th - 15th. I'm going with a group of girls, kind of a bachelorette party weekend. Since I've never been to Vegas, I'm hoping you all have suggestions of: what to do, where to go, where to eat, what not to do, etc.

I'm open to any advice or suggestions that you've got. Thanks!

NoSoup

Must Do:

Free Treasure Island show - it's fantastic, plays several times a day.

Visit New York New York, The Luxor, Planet Hollywood and the Bellagio

See at least one Cirque De Soleil show - since it's a bachelorette party, Zumanity would probably be suitable

Head downtown to Fremont Street.

Things I would recommend avoiding -

Leaving the Strip or Fremont Street at night on foot

Don't stay at the Circus Circus

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Just in case you were wondering...

spectre

See Penn and Teller! Awesome show and after, they hang out to talk, sign stuuf, and take pictures with you. Great show as well. Stay away from the older, downtown area. It's nasty and sleazy (and not in a good way).

Have fun!

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dippin

there are several booths of a service called "tix4tonight" or something like that. If a show is not sold out, they will sell the extra tickets at deep discounts at these places.

fresnelly

Work out a budget ahead of time and plan on spending it.

If you're fretting about how much you're spending all the time, you won't be having any fun. Everything in Vegas is designed to take your money so you won't have much to do if you're scrimping. I was there on business for a couple of days and found everything overpriced.

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shoegirl

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions so far!

NoSoup - We'll be staying at the MGM Grand (I believe) - so no Circus, Circus for us. And I think we'll definitely check out the free Treasure Island Show.

Spec - I'll check the schedules and see if they're doing any shows while we're there. I think they're fantastic, so I'd like to check that out.

dippin - Thanks for the ticket information - that should help as there will be a few girls on fairly tight budgets.

Fres - I'm already working out a budget of how much I'm willing to spend per day, since I know everything will be priced high. I'm not counting on winning any money gambling, so if I do, that will just be an added bonus.

Thanks again everyone!

cdwonderful

it "tixs tonight"and its next to the giant m&m store on vegas blvd
half price the day of show

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dippin

thanks for the correction. But there is more than one. There is one at the m&m store, one I think by the MGM, and Im quite sure there is one across from the Wynn.

cdwonderful

not really a correction, just the one I mentioned has the deepest discounts in the city. and those girls are on a budget...

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dippin

I meant that they are the same store, and therefore have the same prices and stuff. Sometimes I bought my tickets next to the m&m store, sometimes on the fashion mall. Same prices, same store, etc.

snowy

The Monorail is your friend.

If you gamble for any amount of time, you will get a free drink. I allotted $20 to support my free drinking habit at the various casinos. I only lost $5 and drank more margaritas and Coronas than $5 would buy.

Bottled water is pricey. The water in Vegas doesn't taste great, but it's okay, and packing a reusable water bottle will save you a lot of money.

Comfortable shoes are essential to surviving in Vegas. You will regret it otherwise. It can be quite a hike between casinos.

The Venetian was the casino that smelled the least like smoke when we were there, and we had a great time gambling there. We also really enjoyed Bally's. The sports book there is a nice place to rest and watch some games. It's at the way back of the casino, but very close to the Monorail.

Downtown Vegas is not worth it. It's like Reno in Las Vegas. If I wanted to go to Reno, I'd go to Reno.

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dippin

Oh, yeah, the monorail is great, but can be a bit of a walk at certain parts of the strip (convention center to wynn, for example)

An alternative are the 2 deck buses, called the deuce. They go up and down the strip. One way is 3 bucks, 24 hour pass is 7, and 3 day pass is 15.

genuinegirly

I wasn't really a fan of Vegas until this last time that I visited. What really made the difference for me is that we stayed in a smaller hotel off the strip. I felt removed from the noise and the lights, and I wasn't utterly surrounded by smoke every second of the day. We stayed at Sam's Town. It's nothing special, but it's cheap and comfortable. I think it only really worked for us to stay off the strip because we had a car. It's free to park at the casinos.

I'm a big fan of the lion display at the MGM grand. Though if they're not interacting with their trainers at the time you happen by, it may not be much fun. $0.00 (FREE)

Also if you like animals, you'll want to visit the Secret Garden at the Mirage. Lions, white tigers, and even a dolfin habitat. $15.00.

I can never get enough of walking around the indoor Venice. Though the stores aren't anything different from what one would typically see in a suburban shopping mall. Still, it's a fun environment. $0.00 (FREE).

I've heard excellent things about the conservatory botanical garden at the Bellagio, though I haven't had an opportunity to visit them myself. Oddly enough, open 24 hours. You can view the fountain show while you're at it. $0.00 (FREE).

If you're interested in seafood, there is an excellent all-you-can-eat seafood buffet at the Rio. $38.00 + tax.

If you decide to stay at the Luxor, ask for a room in one of the towers rather than the pyramid. The rooms in the pyramid are smaller and have slanted ceilings.

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Fotzlid

Check out the water show at the Bellagio from the top of the Eiffel Tower at night. Be warned though, the ride up is vertigo inducing. Not the speed, just an open elevator.

There is a dolphin tank at the Mirage and a shark tank at Mandalay Bay.

The buffets I like the best: Mandalay Bay, Monte Carlo, Planet Hollywood.

The top of the Stratosphere Hotel has a remarkable view of the strip and surrounding environs.

I hear the coaster at New York,New York is pretty good.

+1 for the Cirque shows. Seen them all and enjoyed every one of them.

Freemont Street at night. Seedy area, but the show is worth the effort.

All booze is free so long as you are gambling in the casino.

There are 2 malls on the strip. Fashion Mall near the Wynn and the Miracle Mile at Planet Hollywood. Should you need better footwear or some nice clothes for a club.

I always rent a car. Easier to get around and cheaper, in the long run, than cabs. Free parking at all casinos.

There is currently a Bodies exhibit at the Luxor if you are interested in that type of thing.

Hoover Dam, Lake Meade, Red Rock Canyon and Valley of Fire are nice breaks from the city and are a short drive away.

The_Jazz

Given the dates and circumstances of your visit, I suggest staying at Mandalay Bay, the Hard Rock or Caesar's, assuming that they fit into your budget. I've picked those three because they all have great pools. Only so much time can be spent at the tables or shows, and pools, in my opinion, are an underappreciated amenity. If those don't fit into your budget, think about when your prime pool-time will be (morning or afternoon) and plan accordingly. The Strip runs north/south, so the pools on either side tend to be shaded by buildings part of the day.

If you're looking for a good spot to relax, have a few drinks and all be together, try a sports book. I'm partial to the one at the Bellagio, but if you're gambling on an event being televised, you can watch it and get comped drinks (and also order food). Under the circumstances, though, that might not be in the cards.

Despite what Spec says, parts of downtown are ok, specifically Fremont St. That's where all the older casinos are, and they have "roofed" the street with a screen that has a show I think every half hour. It's pretty neat. But if you're not going to Fremont Street, stay away from downtown.

The Stratosphere (the space needle-looking hotel) has amusement rides, etc. on the roof, but it's $10 (the last time I was there) to get up there, and a bit touristy. It's also getting towards the bad part and is isolated, so I advise staying away. Sorry, Fozlid, I just don't think that it's worth the price.

Ditto on the car suggestion that Fozlid made. If you're planning on going to a hotel on the other end of the Strip, cab lines can be a half hour long. That said, Vegas has really been cracking down on drinking and driving, so be careful.

The good free shows are the Bellagio water show, the TI pirate show, the Mirage volcano and the ambiance in the Venitian. The Rio also has a bar with a 1 drink minimum on their west roof that is great to watch the city and Strip at night. The clientele tends to be a bit older (mid-30s). Depending on when you go, though, you may need to make a reservation.

The cool night clubs are in the Mandalay and the MGM (in my experience).

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ASU2003

I stayed at the Stratosphere last time (I had a convertible, upgrade to a convertible. It is well worth it.) Cruising up and down the strip at night time in a convertible is a great thing to do. But, don't feel like you need a convertible. You can get a taxi or shuttle to your hotel and walk everywhere.

The pools are great, but you tend to only be allowed to go to the pool of the hotel you are staying at. And on a side note, a bunch of girls could probably get into the topless pools, however the Stratosphere one isn't private. If you are in the enclosed observation deck up high, you can look down on the topless pool. It's a strange layout.

If you decide to walk to the Vegas sign about 1/2 mile south of MGM, be sure to bring water if you go during the day. I had to stop by Subway and needed lots of water to drink after walking 1-2 miles in that heat.

And since this is a girl trip, you should see the Thunder From Down Under. Maybe someone else here can give a review.

(For the guys reading this or if you girls think it would be fun to go to a female strip club in Vegas, it isn't really all that good. At least not from what I would expect in Vegas. I've seen worse, but I would rate it a 4/10, but your experience may differ.)

Forget about diets and calories. If you are serious, eat two meals a day. One decent brunch and one dinner buffet. There are coupons, and the expensive places aren't always the best. I've been to most of them (only once so far), and I liked the Luxor quite a bit, but try one (under $20 one, you don't get that much more to justify the more pricey ones).

And if you've never been to the southwest before, I would recommend a helicopter or airplane flight to the Grand Canyon. It might cost a little, but when is the next time you would be able to have lunch at the bottom of the Grand Canyon with your friends. Then again, you could save a bunch of money by driving over there and seeing it and driving back. Actually, you probably should save that for another trip, it's more of a family trip type of thing.

Fremont Street at night is interesting, but free parking is hard to come by. And the night light show is pretty interesting, but use it as a backup plan for something to do if you girls are bored for some reason. And only go up there if you have rented a car.

Walk around the different hotels and ask about events going on. Try to get into a nightclub or two there.

And remember, What Happens In Vegas, Stays In Vegas. And listen to Elvis - Viva Las Vegas a few times to get in the mood.

Anexkahn

i'd second the notion to check out pen&teller at the rio. well worth the money, was without a doubt the best show i went to last time i was there. I also hit up quite a few of the buffett's and found the MGM's to be the best for the price. also a big fan of the monorail, makes hopping from place to place really easy and it is nice to get out of the noise and smoke for awhile when moving from place to place.

yournamehere

I'm a big Penn and Teller fan, but was disappointed by their show at the Rio - I thought it was uninspired. Perhaps I caught them on an off night. You've gotta wonder how entertainers can stay "up" for two performances a night; six nights a week, for years.

If you'll be at the MGM Grand, you can catch a Cirque de Soleil show without leaving the hotel - see KA. It has a great moving, human-Plinko stage.
If you're not too young to appreciate The Beatles, see Love at the Mirage. It's not your average Cirque De Soleil show, though, but the music is great!

Getting around on the monorail is easy - and cheap if you buy 24-hr passes. However, as mentioned, it can be a long walk from the stations to your destinations. And don't forget - its route is far behind most of the hotels. The Hilton is one exception - it's right in front. Also, the Strip buses are cheap, too.

Can't agree enough about sticking to the tourist spots after dark. However, I would check out Fremont Street. In fact, we usually stay at the Golden Nugget - it's a great hotel. Don't wander, though.

Last but certainly not least - divide your gambling money into daily budgets - and stick to it. Nothing is worse than spending five days in Vegas and being broke the first night with 4 days to go! I'm talking from experience here.

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