Vegas Vacation Tips (from someone who spent all of four nights there)

As AC/DC sang (in two separate songs), Sin City… Ain't a Bad Place to Be.  Having recently stayed there for one fourth of a fortnight, I must concur with these separate statements.  The weather's great, the drinks are cheap and there's plenty of stuff to see and do-even if you're not big into gambling.

  That said, you're probably still gonna blow a lotta dough in Vegas if you stay there for any significant amount of time.  After all, the drinks may be cheap, but they're not free-unless you plunk your ass down in front of a slot machine.  (And even then, your gambling losses will most likely more than make up for what you're drinking on the house.)  Here are a few ways to save a couple bucks.

Stay off the Strip-but not too far away.  Sure, you might miss out on some of the glitz and glamour, but if you're not there to gamble, then who cares how close you are to the biggest roulette wheel?  By resting my head a few miles north from all the action at the Stratosphere, I paid a lot less than 100 bucks (most nights) for a room that was bigger than my first three apartments in Toronto (combined?

  Well, maybe not quite).  There are also some cheaper resort/casinos downtown along Fremont Street, which are connected to the Strip by the Deuce and SDX buses.  That being said, I'm not sure I'd stay at one of those cut-rate motels that you'll find slightly off the beaten path.  My frugality has its limits…

Buy the 24-hour pass.  Another nice thing about the Stratosphere is that it was within walking distance of both the monorail and the bus routes.  (So's the LVH, if you're looking for a place off the Strip.)  Unlike the TTC day pass, which expires when service ends that evening, day passes in Vegas last a full 24 hours, and are roughly the cost of four transit trips (2.5 on the monorail, which you gotta purchase separately).  You can also purchase a three-day pass for $20, which might be worth it if you plan on riding the bus at least 10 times (honestly, the Monorail is much faster if you're going to a casino), but let me let you in on a little secret below…

Purchase your pass on a residential route.  The RTC sez here that a 24-hour pass for the Strip is eight bucks, but if you buy a day pass on a residential route, such as the Flamingo, Tropicana or the Paradise (and there are places you can go on all these streets), it'll only cost ya five.  And yes, you can still swipe 'em on the Deuce.  I know this through personal experience.  Thus, you could theoretically purchase three 24-hour passes for $15 instead of paying $20 for a three-day pass.

  Use the extra five bucks to buy yourself a beer (or two)!

Going to a show?  Tix4Tonight is your friend!  Although they don't quite offer half-price as advertised on their website, you still save a significant sum by scoring same-day tickets from a Tix4Tonight booth.

  There are several on the Strip-the northernmost being at the south entrance to Slots A Fun next to Circus Circus-so you don't even hafta go inside a casino.  I ended up getting tix for the Jubilee show on a Sunday for 66 bucks after tax (regular $97.50), and had a solid sightline for all the evening's, erm, entertainment.

Mac King is a funny guy.  Another way to save on shows is to go in the afternoon.  Of course, the stars don't come out at 3 pm, but the Mac King Comedy Magic Show is well worth the $45 (after tax) price-tag when compared to the pricier evening fare.  Despite what the promotional materials lead you to believe, this isn't strictly a kids' show.  In fact, if you take your kids (to Vegas?

  Really!?), you might end up having to explain some of the jokes to them.

The Mob Museum is worth the trip.  If you're going-and especially if you're staying-on Fremont St, and have an afternoon to spare, this converted cop shop is worth the price of admission ($20, a lot less than most of the attractions in the casinos).  If you've ever wanted to see family photos of the Capones or the barber's chair where Albert Anastasia had his last haircut, well, this is the place.  Mind you, this piece alone is probably worth the price of admission:

(Yuuup, the St. Valentine's Day Massacre occurred against this wall.  You can still see the blood stains!)

Bored of buffets?  Flamingo Rd is the place to go!  East of the strip, you'll find lotsa fine dining on Flamingo, including Roy's, the top-rated restaurant on TripAdvisor.  And if the prices have you spooked, let it be known that Happy Hour is alive and well on the West Coast.  Three-dollar microbrews and six-dollar tapas?

  Yeah, I can dig it!

Wanna beat the crowds?  Hit the town on a Monday.  Saturday is by far the biggest night in Vegas, so be forewarned.

  On the other hand, Monday afternoon is pretty much dead.  If you want the public range to yourself at The Gun Store and don't wanna worry about the slow foursome ahead of you at KISS Mini Golf, you'd be best to go during the week.

Want the best rate?  Stay Sunday-Thursday.  If you're not in town for a particular event, you might as well avoid the weekend all together.  Sure, you won't see so many drunken fratboys on the strip, but you'll save a lotta money on your stay.

  Most hotels have different prices for each night of the week-for instance, my room at the Stratosphere cost me 78 bucks on Friday, $130 on Saturday… but just 52 bucks on Sunday and a mere $27.50 Monday night.  Even at its most expensive, it's still a pretty decent rate, but $27.50 is a total steal-and I suspect that Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights aren't much pricier.

You can buy cheap booze everywhere and drink it while you walk the Strip.  Like the French Quarter in New Orleans, there are no open-container laws on the Vegas Strip, so you'll see folks sucking back on everything from tallboys to five-foot-tall cocktail tower cups.  It's not hard to spend your entire trip in a drunken haze, so pace yourself.  After all, you're not in college anymore.

  Unless you are in college, in which case… chug-a-lug, chug-a-lug, broseph!

Any questions?  Leave a comment and I *might* be of some assistance.  Keep in mind that I was only there for for nights, though.

And on a somewhat related note (considering the purpose of my trip), this has gotta be the greatest Harlem Shake evar!!!

GO ZAGS!!!