Las Vegas. Just saying those two words evokes images of Elvis impersonators, flamboyant showgirls and sounds like “cha –ching”. Nevada's largest city attracts people from all over the world to book flights to Las Vegas and promises an experience like no other. The city is home to some of the wackiest themed hotels and resorts in the world, from acrobats performing in the lobby to rooms built inside a pyramid.
The first thing travellers coming off their Las Vegas flights will notice is the bright tacky neon signs that line the Strip; a distraction from what the city really has to offer. So look beyond the flashing lights and you’ll be amazed to find world-class museums, botanical gardens, Venetian canals, even a miniature version of the Eiffel Tower.
While exercise might be the last thing on people’s minds while visiting Vegas, outdoor enthusiasts might feel a little confined after spending a day in a casino. If that’s the case then the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is great for hiking or climbing, while Lake Mead provides plenty of water sports and a 550-mile shoreline.
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Nevada is in a mountain region with semi-arid grasslands, alpine forests, and deserts. Average temperatures range from the mid tens (C) in the northeast to 15 in the west and central areas and the mid-20s in the south. Summers in the northeast are short and hot; winters are long and cold. The west’s summers are also short and hot, but the winters only moderately cold. The south has long and hot summers, with the temperature frequently above 50, and short and mild winters.The humidity is usually low, which makes the higher temperatures less disagreeable. However, there’s a wide range in daily temperatures. Even in summer, the nights can be 30 to 35 degrees cooler than the daytime high.
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Las Vegas is a year-round destination and travellers can always find deals on Las Vegas flights and hotels. However, there are particular times of the year when Las Vegas is at its peak and when travellers can best the Las Vegas flight and hotel deals.
Peak Season:Fall and winter are peak seasons in Las Vegas and when most people book Las Vegas flights. New Year's celebrations are world-renowned so if you're planning to party in Las Vegas for New Year's it's best to book flights and hotels in advance. Las Vegas is also a big business conference and expo site. If you're planning a Las Vegas vacation you'll want to check ahead and see if any conferences are taking place when you plan your Las Vegas trip. Hotels and flights can be more expensive if there is an international conference taking place.
Off Season:Summer in the desert is hot and the Las Vegas Strip is no exception. Thankfully, the hotels and casinos are air-conditioned so Las Vegas tourists can seek relief from the desert heat. If you plan to travel to Las Vegas in the summertime, bring light clothes and plenty of sunscreen. It's hot and humid, but summer is also the best time to find cheap flights to Las Vegas and discounted Las Vegas hotel and resort rates.
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McCarran International Airport (LAS)
Distance: five miles south of the business district and immediately east of the southern end of the Strip.
Drive time: normally under ten minutes.
All major car rental companies have desks at the airport. These include Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Dollar, Hertz, Alamo / National and Payless.
Bell Trans runs 20-passenger minibuses daily between the airport and all major Las Vegas hotels and motels (7:45am-midnight). Fares to Strip hotels from $4.75 (£2.38).
Citizen's Area Transit (CAT) buses are even cheaper. Routes 108 and 109 have stops at McCarran Airport at ground level zero. Route 108 connects to the Downtown Transportation Centre and route 109 connects to the South Strip Transfer Terminal. Route 109 runs 24 hours a day.
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The Las Vegas Strip is four miles long and serves as home base to Las Vegas hotels and casinos. If you’re staying on the Strip, your best bet for getting around is walking. However, there are options for faster travel.
Monorail: a four-mile route runs from the MGM Grand at the southern end of The Strip to the Sahara at the northern end taking in Paris/Bally's, The Flamingo, and The Las Vegas Hilton along the way. Trains operate Monday through Thursday 7am to 2am and Friday through Sunday 7am to 3am. Fares are $8 (£4) for a single ride ticket (as of December 2007). Insider tip: check with your airline and/or hotel after booking Las Vegas flights and hotels. Some airlines and hotels will provide free vouchers for Monorail rides between hotels.
Citizens Area Transit: Strip buses run 24 hours a day, seven days a week. A one-day pass costs $5 (£2.50).
Las Vegas Strip Trolley: every 15 minutes from 9:30am until 1:30am daily, cost $1.75 per person (exact change). The trolley route covers all of the major Strip hotels.
Taxis park in front of all major hotels, and charge $3 at the meter drop and 20¢ for each additional 1/9 mile.
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- There's more to Las Vegas than casinos and conventions. There is a wealth of culture too, with several museums including the Atomic Testing Museum, Liberace Museum and the Neon Museum.
- There are no closing hours in Las Vegas for the sale or consumption of alcohol, even on Sunday. It is legal to have an open container while walking on the Strip but you must be at least 21 to drink or gamble.
- Malls and shopping centres with indoor rainstorms, animatronic gods, light shows and even a Grand Canal (in the Venetian) offer almost as much entertainment as the hotels.
- Watch out for a St Patrick's Day Parade in March, the Helldorado Days Rodeo and Western Festival in June and the National Finals Rodeo in December.
- October brings both the Jaycee State Fair and the Cashman Field PGA Invitational Golf Tournament.
- Las Vegas hotels are always advertising deals for guests. Before booking your Las Vegas flights, check with specific hotels to see what rates and promotions they have during the time of your travel. In many cases, booking Las Vegas flights and hotels together is cheaper and more economical.
- Don’t miss out on star-infused dining by top chefs including Wolfgang Puck, Todd English, and Bradley Ogden. When booking Las Vegas flights and accommodations it’s possible for travellers to also receive vouchers to hotel casinos and restaurants. After enjoying a late night meal, head to one of Las Vegas’ high-profile nightclubs. Ghostbar at the Palms, PURE, Rain and The Pussycat Dolls Lounge are among some of the top clubs on the Strip.
Thinking of getting hitched in Vegas? Read our Getting Married Abroad travel tip which has all the information you need before planning your big day.
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There is one major airport for travellers taking flights to Las Vegas:
McCarran International Airport (LAS)
McCarran Airport on Wayne Newton Boulevard is the primary airport serving Las Vegas, and is unique in that it has more than 1,300 slot machines throughout the aerodrome.
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Visitors entering the country under the Visa Waiver Programme (VWP) must have a machine-readable passport (MRP) that has a bar code on the photo page. From October 2006 eligible travellers under the VWP must include biometrics in their machine-readable passports if they wish to enter the country without a visa, containing unique personal data such as fingerprints or iris details. All new passports issued on or after October 26, 2005, must contain a digital photo image in order to travel visa-free. Due to new security measures, all visitors to the USA will have a photograph and two fingerprints taken by an inkless scanner on arrival, including those traveling visa-free under the Visa Waiver Programme.
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UK passport holders require a valid passport for travel to the USA. Under the Visa Waiver Programme (VWP), most British citizens do not require a visa for holiday, transit or business purposes providing their passports are machine-readable, the stay does not exceed 90 days and a return or onward ticket is held. Note: Holders of UK passports with the endorsement British Subject, British Protected Person, British Dependent Territories Citizen, British Overseas Citizen or British National (Overseas) Citizen do require a visa.
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