"Las Vegas on a Budget" a Las Vegas Travel Page by windsorgirl

You can blow alot of money in Las Vegas if you want to, but it's not necessary. My pages are going to be a guide to those of us that like to save money while travelling, because the more you save....the more you can travel!!

Las Vegas has become more than just a gambler's paradise. Speaking as a non-gambler I can attest to the vast number of attractions that appeal to the rest of us. Las Vegas is definitely a must see destination, at least once in your life if only for a few days. Where else can you visit Egypt and New York in the same afternoon, then walk a few kms to find Italy across the street from Paris?

Las Vegas is a great city to fly into, there are plenty of cheap flights, so we chose this as our first destination in our tour of the American Southwest. We only spent 2 nights here before driving off in our rental car for 2 weeks to explore Arizona and Utah, returning to Vegas for our last night before flying home.

While here we did alot of walking. We walked the strip from Mandalay Bay to the Stratosphere during the day and back again that night! That's a seven mile round trip, but we didn't mind as we were conditioning ourselves for our upcoming hike into the Grand Canyon.

We also enjoyed the overindulgence at the All-You-Can -Eat Buffets, a decadent American tradition! Again, we considered it necessary nourishment to fuel our bodies for our 2 weeks of hiking throughout Arizona and Utah.

1. Don't Gamble! Or at least keep to a budget. Only plan to gamble away what you would normally have spent on an evening's entertainment, and be sure to enjoy the free drinks while you play!

2. Try to plan your stay in Vegas mid week. The cost of a hotel room can double on a Friday or Saturday night. The cost of your flight will also be cheaper.

3. Choose your accomodations off the Strip. There are plenty of hotels located just a block or two off Las Vegas Blvd.

4. Have your big meal at lunch rather than at dinner. Most of the buffets offer almost the same menu at lunch and dinner but for less money at lunch time.

5. Visit the tourist information located at the Las Vegas Convention Center on Paradise Rd. The staff was very helpful and gave us a list of free attractions and coupons and suggested inexpensive entertainment.