 Las Vegas Budget Travel Guide
Las Vegas
Author: Forest & Kim Starr (Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported)
Las Vegas Budget Travel Guide is created to help budget travelers plan a trip to Las Vegas, Nevada. Please find on this website information on how to visit all the places of interest in Las Vegas using public transport.
About Las Vegas
Las Vegas is a major resort city in the United States. It is the most populous city in the state of Nevada. The city is famous for being an entertainment and gambling destination. The Las Vegas Metropolitan area has a population of 1.8 million people. The city is located in the arid desert floor of Clark County. It is surrounded by an arid landscape of desert plans. Nevertheless the city is vulnerable to torrential flash floods.
New York-New York hotel and casino, Las Vegas
Author: Severino666 (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0)
Las Vegas is the relatively young city, having been established only in 1905. This made it the most populous American city to be founded in the 20th century. In the early days, it was a stopover on the pioneer trails to the west.
Las Vegas started to gain prominence with the construction of Hoover Dam in 1935. Along with it was the creation of Lake Mead, which was the biggest man-made lake. The dam and lake became a tourist destination that helped developed the city's economy.
Gambling was legalized in Las Vegas in 1931. This led to the first casino-hotel in the city. Many of the early casinos had linked to organized crime. The success of gambling in Las Vegas doomed other aspiring gambling destinations including Galveston, Texas and Hot Springs, Arkansas.
Most of the hotel-casinos of Las Vegas are located along or near the 3.8-mile (6.1 km) Las Vegas Boulevard South, popularly known as the Las Vegas Strip. In fact it is not within Las Vegas proper, but rather in Paradise and Winchester, urbanized areas directly south of Las Vegas. Within this stretch are nineteen of the 25 largest hotels in the world by room count. The only major hotel-casino away from the Strip - by just half a mile though - is Las Vegas Hilton. Many of the hotel-casinos along the Las Vegas Strip are built to mimic famous destinations (Paris, Venice, New York City, etc.) or exotic periods in history (ancient Egypt, ancient Rome, etc).
Las Vegas Strip
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Budget Travel to Las Vegas
Most people go to Las Vegas by road from California. The main route to Las Vegas is Interstate-15, a highly congested highway linking the city to Southern California. I-15 offers scenic views, but driving this route can be slow and frustrating. The distance to Las Vegas is 280 miles and in summer the temperature here can hit 110°F (43°C).
By Plane
The Las Vegas McCarran International Airport (LAS) is the major hub for Southwest Airlines and a minor hub for USAirways. Some of the resorts including those owned by Harrah's Entertainment and MGM Grand have check-in desk and luggage transfers at the airport.
By Road
Budget travelers can leave the airport for downtown Las Vegas by bus. A taxi ride will cost you up to $20 while a limousine will set you back $35. A good way to explore Las Vegas is by car. Consider renting one while you're at the airport.
Renaissance Center, with GM Tower in the middle, Detroit
Author: Michael180 (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.5 Generic)
Budget Travel within Las Vegas
If your visit is limited to the Las Vegas Strip, then you can go on foot, as most of the casinos and hotels are packed close to one another. Do note that you are in a desert area, so it can get very hot in summer.
The Las Vegas Monorail covers the eastern part of Las Vegas Strip with stations at the major hotels and the Las Vegas Convention Center. It might not be the most practical option, and if you're in a small group, getting a taxi might work out to be cheaper. Moreover the monorail stations are not always right at the front door.
Excalibur, Las Vegas
Author: Forest & Kim Starr (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0)
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Places of Interest in Las Vegas
- Paradise
Neighborhood immediately south of Las Vegas, where Las Vegas Strip is located.
- Las Vegas Strip
Popular nickname for Las Vegas Boulevard, the main cluster of hotels, casinos and restaurants.
- Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino
43-storey luxury casino on the Las Vegas Strip, owned by MGM Mirage.
- Luxor Las Vegas
Hotel and casino owned by MGM Mirage that is housed in a pyramid and two ziggurat towers.
- New York-New York Hotel & Casino
Hotel and casino owned by MGM Mirage that replicates the New York City skyline
- The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino
Luxury hotel and casino with 4,059 rooms owned by Las Vegas Sands.
- Harrah's Las Vegas
2,677-room hotel and casino comprising several towers, owned by Harrah's Entertainment.
- The Palazzo
Luxury all-suite hotel and casino with the largest standard rooms at 720 square feet, owned by Las Vegas Sands.
- Wynn Las Vegas
Luxury resort and casino, owned by Wynn Resorts, considered one of the finest hotels in the world.
- Fashion Show Mall
One of the biggest shopping malls in the world, on the Las Vegas Strip.
- Guardian Angel Cathedral
Roman Catholic cathedral of the diocese of Las Vegas.
- The Riviera
2,100-room hotel and casino on the Las Vegas Strip, one of the oldest and most famous on the strip.
- Circus Circus Las Vegas
Hotel and casino with circus acts, owned by MGM Mirage.
- Sahara
1720-room hotel and casino on the northern end of the Las Vegas Strip
- Liberace Museum
Museum that celebrates the life and work of the late Liberace.
- Stratosphere Tower
At 350 meters (1,149 feet), tallest tower in Las Vegas, with attached hotel and casino, at the northern end of the Las Vegas Strip.
- Fremont Street Experience Light Shows
A colorful, bustling pedestrian mall.
- Binion's Horseshoe
Old-style Las Vegas casino.
- Lied Discovery Children's Museum
Museum housed in a conical teepee with interactive exhibits.
- Las Vegas Natural History Museum
Museum with a wide range of dioramas.
Excursions out of Las Vegas
- Boulder City & Hoover Dam
Well-ordered town built to house the construction workers of Hoover Dam.
- Lake Mead National Recreation Area
Lake created by Hoover Dam, the largest man-made body of water in the United States.
- Valley of Fire State Park
Scenic state park in a remote desert location.
- Los City Museum of Archaeology
Museum housing prehistoric artifacts discovered in the area.
- Red Rock Canyon
National conservation area with steep gullies of gray limestone and red sandstone.
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