Cheap Flights To Las Vegas

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Cheap Flights To Las Vegas

Overview
When to Go
Airport Information
Weather
Things to Do
Local Attractions
Must See Sights
Insider Tips
Getting Around

Overview
Las Vegas has morphed from a railroad town in the desert to the "Entertainment Capital of the World," full of extravagant hotels and resorts, lavish spas, celebrity chef restaurants, award-winning shows and musicals, and of course, gambling of all kinds in dozens of casinos.

Sin City is full of fun, from the inexpensive exuberance of Fremont Street to the glamour of the Vegas Strip. Whether you're ready to hit the blackjack tables at the Golden Nugget, see a risqué show at the Tropicana, view the jungle animals at the MGM Grand, or wander around the newly constructed Aria, there's plenty of Vegas to go around. Plan to arrive at night so you get a bird's eye view of the millions of twinkling lights and huge flashy signs on the 4-mile long, 13-block stretch that is the Vegas Strip.

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When to Go
High Season
Spring and fall are the most pleasant seasons to visit, attracting crowds to the city's sunny climate. Visitor population peaks on New Year's Eve, Super Bowl Sunday, Valentine's Day and pro sporting events such as boxing matches and NCAA basketball championships.

Low Season
Climate dictates the decrease in visitors and hotel rates, with July and August temperatures averaging over 100 degrees and offering the best travel deals. Las Vegas is less crowded between Christmas and New Year's Eve and in the months of January and February, but most outdoor pools are closed from Labor Day to Memorial Day.

Best Time to Go There's hardly a bad time to visit Las Vegas. If you want to avoid the crowds and get a better deal on one of the 250,000 hotel rooms available on the Strip, book your trip during the week. If you want to enjoy the wild nightclub scene and don't mind crowds in the bigger casinos, opt for a three-day weekend.

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Airport Information
McCarran International Airport (LAS)
Distance: 1 mile south of the Strip
Drive time: 10-15 minutes to your hotel and longer during peak traffic times

If you're staying on the Strip or downtown, getting to your hotel is a cinch. Taxis, shuttles, limos and buses are all available from the airport. Shuttles are inexpensive and Bell Trans (800/274-7433) runs 20 passenger SUV's daily from 7:45 am to midnight between the airport and all major hotels and resorts. Shuttles depart outside the airport, west of the baggage claim area and costs are approximately $5.50 per person.

Even less expensive are CAT local buses, which depart from the airport and drop off riders at the Stratosphere on the Strip, where you can catch the #301 bus which makes stops close to most hotels. Fares average $2 per adult. You can also opt for a taxi which runs about $15, or if you want to splurge and spend $40 to $50 you can hire one of the many limos available outside of the airport. Taking advantage of one of the many cheap flights to Las Vegas is a great way to see what lies beyond the casinos on the Strip, such as a day trip to Hoover Dam. Cheap flights to Las Vegas from New York City or Chicago start from $275 to $325, and at $350 from Miami. For weekend getaways, book cheap flights to Las Vegas on Thursdays, Saturdays and Mondays.

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Weather
Las Vegas weather runs in extremes. The summer months in the desert are hot and dry, with temperatures ranging from the mid-90s in June to 110 degrees and above in July and August. The winter season is relatively short and mild, with daytime highs in the 60s and nighttime lows in the low to mid-40s from November to March.

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Things to Do

Stay
Las Vegas has tons of options for hotels, from budget accommodations to opulent suites. The Palazzo, located next to sister property the Venetian, is 50 stories tall with 3,066 rooms, world-class restaurants, luxury shopping, and nightly shows. At Planet Hollywood, each room lives up to the hotel's name by featuring one-of-a-kind movie memorabilia. In the dead center of Las Vegas Boulevard, the Bellagio offers refined elegance, high-end shopping and amazing dining, plus its nightly water fountain show. Further down the Strip, the Mirage offers a sophisticated oasis from the desert, with views of its tropical pool as well as the glittery Strip. If you want to stay off the Strip, check out the uber-hip Hard Rock Hotel, with three different towers that offer a variety of accommodations, from basic rooms to massive suites, all chockfull of amenities. The Palms has even more ways to stay, with hotel rooms that include suites, sky villas, bungalows, fantasy suites and penthouses.

For those on a budget, check out some of the great Las Vegas hotel deals on Fremont Street, such as the Golden Nugget. Other casino resorts on the Strip that offer special deals throughout the week include the Luxor, Excalibur, Tropicana, and more.

Play

The Strip
This glittery stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard South is the heart of the city. Home to many of the largest hotels and casinos on the planet, the variety of sights is endless and includes theme casinos, such as Luxor, Excalibur, MGM Grand, Monte Carlo, Treasure Island, Mirage, Paris, and New York New York, as well as the megaresorts Bellagio, the Aria at City Center, Caesars Palace, Mandalay Bay, the Wynn and Encore, and the Venetian and Palazzo. Stop by any of these casino resorts for gambling, fine dining, and amazing shows from Broadway, Cirque du Soleil and more.

As you make your way down the Strip, make it a point to stop by the Bellagio for a nighttime viewing of the free Bellagio Water Fountains show. Giant spouts send water shooting hundreds of feet in the air, dancing, swirling and swaying to music ranging from Sinatra to symphonic.

Shows
Las Vegas show used to be limited to scantily clad numbers back in the Bugsy days. Nowadays, you can catch a number of Broadway blockbusters along the Strip. Jersey Boys examines the careers of 1960s pop stars Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Watch the unique theatrical performance of the Blue Man Group at the Venetian. Elvis lovers can attend Cirque du Soleil's Viva Elvis, featuring singers, dancers and gymnasts who convey Cirque's unique interpretation of Elvis' life and music. If you're more of a Beatles fan, watch Cirque's other musical show Love at the Mirage, featuring music from the Beatles catalog.

Eat
In the past ten years or so, Las Vegas has gone from cheap eats and budget buffets to esteemed culinary delights. As gamblers flock to the casinos to get lucky, foodies flock to Vegas restaurants to indulge in fine dining.

Some of the best Las Vegas restaurants lie on the Strip. All of the megaresorts offer a multitude of restaurant choices, from sushi and Italian to economical lunches and all-you-can-eat buffets. Paris is known for its French fare during its brunch buffet, while the Rio off the Strip offers a glutton's dream of dishes to choose from, including seafood, Italian, and American fare.

World renowned chef Joel Robuchon has set up shop at the MGM Grand, offering a meticulous and sumptuous meal inspired by French cuisine, with menu items such as foie gras and passion fruit cheesecake. For a more casual setting, try the sister restaurant, L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon, also located in the MGM Grand. At the top of the Forum Shops at Caesar's Palace, Il Mulino specialized in Northern Italian cuisine, whipping up rich pastas like the truffle ravioli. Andre's at the Monte Carlo is one of the most awarded restaurants in the city, with a wide array of cognacs and vintage wines with your French meal brought to you by Vegas celebrity chef Andre Rochat.

Shop
If you're lucky enough to win money at the craps tables, Vegas has no shortage of places to spend your new cash. At the megaresorts along the Strip, you're likely to find high-end retail shops like Gucci, Prada, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Chanel and more, as well as typical mall fare like Urban Outfitters and Victoria's Secret. Nevertheless, there's plenty of Las Vegas shopping to keep even the biggest shopaholic busy.

Roman columns line the walkways of the massive Forum Shops at Caesars Palace, with a blue sky painted above and hundreds of designer retailers and luxury boutiques. The Venetian offers cobblestone walkways at their Grand Canal Shoppes, echoing the real Venice right down to the gondolas and St. Mark's Square. The Italian lined promenade is home to over 80 designer boutiques and restaurants.

Outside the Strip, Las Vegas still has even more shopping options. At the Fashion Show Mall houses seven anchor department stores, plus 250 other boutiques and restaurants. For bargain hunters, the Las Vegas Premium Outlets offer 150 outlet stores for major labels like Burberry, Armani Exchange, Lacoste, Coach, Calvin Klein and more. If you're into collectibles and antiques, a trip to the 24-hour Gold & Silver Pawn Shop is a must – the owners, also the stars of "Pawn Stars" on the History Channel, have in their possession a 2001 New England Super Bowl ring , a 1930 French "death" clock, and fine artwork by Salvador Dali and Pablo Picasso.

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Local Attractions
For culture beyond sky-high drinks and poker tables, the Bellagio hotel boasts artistic masterpieces at the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art. Both private collections and pieces from internationally known museums have contributed to exhibitions of Monet, Pierre-August Renoir, Andy Warhol, Alberto Giacometti, Roy Lichtenstein, David Hockney, Vanessa Beecroft, Pablo Picasso, Keith Haring, and Faberge eggs from the Kremlin.

Fremont Street Experience
This four-block stretch of Fremont Street is a pedestrian-only zone that's covered with a video screen with 12.5 million lights and a 500,000 watt sound system. Every night from 8pm to midnight, an hourly sound and light extravaganza entertains the crowds below.

Off the Strip
Discover the history of Vegas by starting with the Hoover Dam. One of the top construction achievements of the 20th century and the highest concrete dam in the Western Hemisphere at more than 725 feet above the Colorado River, the Hoover Dam attracts over a million visitors a year.

During the 1950s, Las Vegas was a viewing site for mushroom clouds rising from the Nevada Test Site (NTS). At the Atomic Testing Museum, you can learn how military officials tested the effects of nuclear weapons and their fallout in the Nevada desert.

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Must See Sights
Nightlife
One of the biggest draws to Las Vegas is its dizzying club scene. From sundown to sunrise, Sin City is home to dozens of trendy clubs and bars. TAO at the Venetian, XS at Encore, Pure at Caesar's Palace, Jet at the Mirage, The Bank at the Bellagio, Rain at the Palms, Haze at Aria, and LAX at the Luxor are all popular hotspots. Cover charges will apply, with most clubs charging anywhere from $30 to $50 on a happening weekend. Check with your hotel to see if you can get discounts on clubs located in the hotel, especially if you are traveling with a group of people.

Staying true to its roots, Las Vegas also offers plenty of adult entertainment.

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Insider Tips

• Las Vegas deals for weekends are very common. Check with hotels to see if there are any special rates on rooms before booking.
• Many hotels offer free shuttle services to and from the airport. It's best to check before you fly to see if one is available.
• There are two discount ticket offices where you can purchase cheaper seats to top shows. Tickets2Nite (888/TIX2NITE) puts any unsold seats for that evening on sale. Tix 4 Tonight (877/849-4868) also offers day-of-show discounts.
• Ladies in groups of two or more usually can score free tickets to the best clubs during the weeknights. Just walk through the casino and before long a promotions person will hand out free passes.

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Getting Around
Las Vegas is a sprawling city with nearly two million residents. Renting a car is the best way to get around if you want to visit sights outside of the Strip.

If you're staying in a Las Vegas hotel on the Strip, you can walk to get to most destinations. To go from one end to the other, taxis are your best bet. Be warned that during rush hour traffic and late night peak hours, traveling down the 13 blocks of the Strip can be agonizing. Ask your cab driver to take shortcuts.

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