First Timers!! HELP!

Hi people

We are looking into booking our first ever trip to Las Vegas. We want to go around the middle-end of august.

Advice on cheap deals, nice hotels, things to do etc much appreciated!

Looking at some of the cheaper hotels, not wynn etc as doesnt suit my budget as a poor kindergarden teacher!!!

x

First Timers!! HELP!

I can%26#39;t really give you any advice since May will be my first trip also.

However, let me introduce you to the forums, reviews, pictures, videos and search feature of Trip Advisor. It is your new best friend.

I%26#39;d start with the tab over there on the left titled Las Vegas Hotels. Read the reviews and look at the pictures. Open another window on your browser and get some basic ideas on prices through the hotels websites or a travel site like Expedia, etc.... Do the same for Things To Do and Restaurants and Entertainment.

Also, scroll through the pages of this forum. If you see a title that you might be interested in - click and read the responses. I have had the majority of my questions answered because other people had the same question.

There is so much incredibly valuable information here just for research it%26#39;s amazing.

Once you%26#39;ve done that and gotten a good idea what Vegas is all about and what%26#39;s available, come back here and ask some specific questions - this group is by far the nicest and most helpful on any TA forum.

Good luck and happy planning! I think that%26#39;s part of the fun of the vacation :)

First Timers!! HELP!

less expensive hotel choices:

Flamingo

Bally%26#39;s

Excalibur

If you are arriving in August, rates should be cheaper anyway, because the heat of the summer is not our busy time. The weather will be 114 degrees or so....make sure you carry a water bottle with you everywhere! I%26#39;d recommend taking a taxi, or the monorail more than walking that time of year.

There should be great deals on hotels this august. But you won%26#39;t see the best deals until much later in the year. Book a fully refundable place to stay now, get your flights etc. made, then track a site like www.vegashotelspecial.com to keep track of the deals that come along.

I think mid-August is a great time. It%26#39;s very hot, but at least you can go to the beautiful pools that are around Las Vegas. With the economy being as it is, you can get some good deals.

If you go during the week, you can save loads of money at some of the better hotels (Caesars; Rio; MGM). You don%26#39;t want to go to cheap. I would really stay away from the old strip and some of the more seedy hotels (Casino Royale; Imperial Inn).

I would start looking now and also do some research on airfares.

Enjoy your first trip of many to come!

Don%26#39;t cross Wynn of your list so soon. You may be able to stay there on as little as $100 per night or less. Especially that time of year.

But, judging from your profile, you are under 30, so Wynn may not be the best choice for you. If you are going to be partying, then maybe Mandalay Bay or MGM Grand would be better for you. Those 2 also have a great pool scene. Even if not a partier, those 2 will be the best choice for you.

If you are looking for cheaper options than that, Excalibur, Tropicana, Stratosphere, Imperial Palace and Sahara would be just OK. Tropicana would probably have the best pool scene of those 5.

For your first trip though, I would really try to fit either the MB or MGM into the budget. You will get the true Vegas feel from them. Also, The Mirage and Flamingo have cool pool scenes as does Hard Rock, but it is off the strip a bit.

www.kayak.com

www.smartervegas.com

www.fatwallet.com

southwest or us airways vacations websites will be good for discounted promotional pirces.

Good Luck and enjoy

First time to vegas on a budget I would reccomend the Flamingo. It will put you in the middle of all the action and you will have a great pool to go to. Try and get a Go-Room if you can swing it. I would wait until at least May to book as the good deals for the summer wont come out for a while

Since this is your first trip I would try to stay mid-strip. This way you can easily get from your hotel to the casinos on the south strip and most on the north strip. Bellagio, Caesars Palace, Mirage, Bally%26#39;s, Paris and Flamingo would be good choices.

The monorail really isn%26#39;t such a great way to get around IMHO. It is a hike to get to the stations and a hike to get back from the stations on the strip. You can walk from a centrally located hotel-even in the summer. I have gone in August for 17 years and I have no problems. If you do see a hotel rate you like- check here for opinions. If you make a reservation with the hotel directly and it is not non-refundable deal you can always cancel within the cancellation period. Or- if the rates drop you can contact the hotel and they will give you the lower rates. But I would wait a bit longer.

Things to do? You can do everything in Vegas- gamble, drink, go to lounges for music, clubs, shopping-both regular malls and outlet malls, shows, great restaurants, attractions (lots of them),spas, rides- you name it and Vegas has it! What exactly are you looking for?

I%26#39;d put in another plug for the Flamingo. Great location mid-strip for the first-time visitor and a great pool to enjoy in the heat. Keep an eye out for good deals, they seem to be coming out more and more.

My first visit was at the Flamingo and i was very happy with the location. I also thought the hotel was very pretty. The room wasnt much, on the small side, but we faced the strip and really were not in there but to sleep. It was a very clean room. I know others here love the GO rooms. I have no complaints about the Flamingo. I only wish we had gone when it was hot enough to swim. I would have scheduled an extra day, to just hang around the pool. I will be there in a few days with 2 gf%26#39;s and we picked Bill%26#39;s. I just loved the feel of it. And it wont be warm enough to pack a bathing yet for us. Have fun trip planning.. this is a great sight with alot of great experts.

holidayheart...I%26#39;d rethink the time of year. That%26#39;s beastly hot.