Las Vegas Overview

Rising out of the Nevada desert, Las Vegas is a shimmering tribute to excess. Those who embrace it find vice, greed, and one very, very good time. Those not immediately enthralled by its frenetic pac may still find sleeping (and decision-making) nearly impossible with sparkling casinos, cheap gourmet food, free drinks, and spectacular attractions at every turn. Nowhere else do so many shed inhibitions and indulge with abandon. A word of caution: know thy tax bracket; walk in knowing what you want to spend and get out when you’ve spent it. In Las Vegas, there’s a busted wallet and a broken heart for every garish neon light.

• Airport: McCarran International (LAS); (☎261-5743), at the southwest end of the Strip. Bell Trans (☎739-7990) runs shuttles to the Strip ($5.50) and downtown ($7). Operates 24 hr. Taxi to downtown $10-15; to the Strip $16-20.
• Buses: Greyhound, 200 S. Main St. (☎384-9561 or 800-231-2222; www.greyhound.com), downtown at Carson Ave., near the Plaza Hotel/Casino. Runs to Los Angeles (5-7hr., 16 per day, $41.50) and San Francisco (14-16hr., 6 per day, $74).
• Public Transportation: Citizens Area Transit (CAT; ☎228-7433; www.catride.com). The “deuce” bus serves downtown and the Strip; #302 offers express service on the same route. Buses #108 and 109 serve the airport. Buses run daily 5:30am-1:30am (24hr. on the Strip). Strip routes $2, residential routes $1.25; seniors and ages 6-17 $1/0.60. Day pass $5. Wheelchair-accessible. Downtown Transportation Center, 300 N. Casino Center Blvd. (☎229-6025), at Stewart Ave. near the Fremont Street Experience, has schedules and maps. Las Vegas Strip Trolleys (☎382-1404) cruise the Strip every 20min. daily 9:30am-1:30am. $2.50; day pass $6.50. Exact fare required. The Monorail (☎699-8299; www.lvmonorail.com) runs along the Strip, connecting major casinos daily M-Th 7am-2am, F-Su 7am-3am. $5; day pass $8.
• Taxi: Yellow, Checker, and Star, ☎873-2000. Ace, ☎736-8383.
• Car Rental: Sav-Mor Rent-A-Car, 5101 Rent-A-Car Rd. (☎736-1234 or 800-634-6779). Dollar Rent-A-Car, 3790 S. Las Vegas Blvd. (☎400-5836).
• Limousine Rental: For those livin’ large. Presidential Limousine (☎731-5577; www.pllv.com). $35-80 per hr.

Orientation And Practical Information

Driving to Vegas from L.A. is a straight, 300 mi. shot on I-15 N (4hr.). From Arizona, take I-40 W to Kingman and then U.S. 93 N. Las Vegas has two major casino areas. The downtown area, around 2nd and Fremont St., has been converted into a pedestrian promenade. The Strip, a collection of mammoth hotel-casinos, lies along Las Vegas Boulevard. In its shadow is Paradise Road, which is also strewn with casinos. Some areas of Las Vegas should be avoided, especially downtown areas far from the casino district. Despite its debauchery, Las Vegas has a curfew. Those under 18 aren’t allowed in most public places late at night (M-Th and Su 10pm-5am, F-Sa midnight-5am), unless accompanied by an adult. Laws are even harsher on the Strip, where no one under 18 is allowed unaccompanied 9pm-5am—ever. The drinking and gambling age is 21.

• Visitor Info: Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, 3150 Paradise Rd. (☎892-0711 or 877-847-4858; www.visitlasvegas.com), at the corner of Paradise and Convention Center Dr., 4 blocks from the Strip in the big pink convention center by the Hilton. Helpful staff with up-to-date info on headliners, shows, hotel bargains, and buffets. Open M-F 8am-5pm.
• Marriage: Marriage License Bureau, 201 Clark Ave. (☎671-0600), in the courthouse. 18+; under 18 with parental consent. Licenses $55. Witness required. Open daily 8am-midnight. Cash only. Little White Wedding Chapel, 1301 Las Vegas Blvd. (☎382-5943 or 800-545-8111; www.littlewhitechapel.com). Frank Sinatra, Michael Jordan, and Britney Spears all got hitched here. Basic packages from $55. Available necessities include photographer, tux and gown, flowers, and, for honeymooners, a pink Caddy. Grab your marriage license 1st. Open 24hr.
• Hotlines: Compulsive Gamblers Hotline, ☎800-522-4700. Gamblers Anonymous, ☎385-7732. Rape Crisis Center Hotline, ☎366-1640. Suicide Prevention, ☎731-2990 or 800-885-4673. All operate 24hr.
• Post Office: 4975 Swenson St. (☎736-7649), near the Strip. Open M-F 8:30am-5pm. Postal Code: 89119.

Accommodations

Rates in Las Vegas fluctuate greatly; a room that normally costs $30 can cost hundreds during a convention weekend. Vegas.com (www.vegas.com) or casino websites often have the best prices. Free publications like What’s On in Las Vegas, Today in Las Vegas, 24/7, and Vegas Visitor list coupons, discounts, and event schedules. Hotels along the Strip are the center of the action and within walking distance of each other, but they sell out quickly and are much more expensive than comparable, off-Strip hotels. A number of motels concentrate around Sahara Road and South Las Vegas Boulevard. If you stay downtown, it is best to stay at one of the casinos near the Fremont Street Experience . Budget motels also stretch along the southern end of the Strip, across from Mandalay Bay. In the rooms listed below, the hotel taxes of 9% (11% for downtown Fremont St.) are not included.

Find and compare Las Vegas Hotel rates here!

• Excalibur, 3850 S. Las Vegas Blvd. (☎597-7777 or 800-937-7777; www.excalibur.com), at Tropicana Ave. Best deal of all the major resort casinos. Features a moat and drawbridge, 2 pools, a modern spa, and a monorail station with service to Luxor and Mandalay Bay. Rooms M-Th and Su $49-109, F-Sa $109-309. AmEx/D/MC/V.
• USAHostels Las Vegas, 1322 Fremont St. (☎385-1150 or 800-550-8958; www.usahostels.com). Though far from the Strip’s action, this hostel’s staff keeps guests entertained. Nightly events include champagne limo tours of the Strip. Laundry facilities. Breakfast included. Free Wi-Fi. Passport, proof of international travel, or out-of-state college ID required. Dorms M-Th and Su $17-22, F-Sa $22-28; suites $50-52/60-62. About $3 higher in summer and peak times. ISIC discount. MC/V.
• Sin City Hostel, 1208 S. Las Vegas Blvd. (☎868-0222; www.sincityhostel.com). North of the heart of the Strip but south of Fremont St., this new hostel balances the pace of the city with a restful atmosphere. International passport or student ID required. Breakfast included. Dorms M-Th and Su $20; private rooms with shared bath $40, F-Sa $44. AmEx/D/MC/V.

Food

From swanky eateries run by celebrity chefs to gourmet buffets, culinary surprises abound in Las Vegas, usually at a great price.

• Dishes, 3300 S. Las Vegas Blvd. (☎894-7111), in Treasure Island. A classy buffet with offerings ranging from sushi to made-to-order salads and filling pastas. The carving stations and scrumptious desserts are hard to beat. Breakfast $12. Lunch $15. Weekday dinner $20, weekend dinner with steak and lobster $26. Champagne brunch Sa-Su $18. Open daily 7am-10:30pm. AmEx/D/MC/V.
• Peppermill, 2985 S. Las Vegas Blvd. (☎735-4177; www.peppermilllasvegas.com). A Vegas favorite for over 30 years, this Day-Glo purple restaurant serves up heaping plates of comfort food ($8-28). Open 24hr. AmEx/D/MC/V.
• El Sombrero Cafe, 807 S. Main St. (☎382-9234). Where locals go for authentic Mexican food. Small room, huge portions, efficient service. Their combination plates ($12) are a good value. Lunch $7. Open M-Sa 11am-9:30pm. AmEx/D/MC/V.

Entertainment

Entertainment is Las Vegas’s forte, and all hotels have city-wide ticket booths in their lobbies. Check out What’s On, Showbiz, or Today in Las Vegas for shows, times, and prices. For a more opinionated perspective, try one of the independent weeklies—Las Vegas Mercury, City Life, Las Vegas Weekly, or “Neon,” the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s weekly entertainment supplement.  Blue Man Group stuns audiences with a stimulating blend of percussion, visual effects, and audience participation. The show’s unique multimedia concept is wildly entertaining and popular, filling the group’s custom theater at the Venetian on a regular basis ($76-126). Cirque du Soleil’s artistic shows—O, Mystère, Zumanity, LOVE and KÀ—are awe-inspiring but bank-busting ($60-150). Performed at the Bellagio, O is easily the best of the four, with agile performers suspended above a moving pool. Mystère, at Treasure Island, is almost as impressive, with less pricey seats. At New York-New York, cabaret-style Zumanity, hosted by a drag queen, caters to an adult audience. KÀ explores duality through the experiences of twins at the MGM Grand. The newest production, LOVE, is an acrobatic tribute to the legendary Beatles, and runs at the Mirage. Jubilee!, at Bally’s, and Folies Bergere, at the Tropicana, are two of the last remaining true Vegas-style revues with showgirls dancing about in rhinestones and feathers ($65-88). The Tournament of Kings, at Excalibur, is a (k)nightly dinner show where guests feast at a medieval banquet using only their hands, while rival kings joust and evil is vanquished ($50). Those looking for an illusionist will be thrilled by David Copperfield (appearing often at MGM; $97), while those who think the genre of magic needs a few new tricks will enjoy the irreverent Penn and Teller at the Río ($75). For a (relatively) cheap laugh, Second City Scriptless, at the Flamingo, is an improv show that inspired the TV hit Saturday Night Live and features the country’s best up-and-coming comedians ($45).

Casinos And Nightlife

Casinos spend millions attracting big spenders to Las Vegas. Efforts to bring families to Sin City are evident everywhere, with arcades and thrill rides at every turn. Still, Vegas is no Disneyland. With steamy nightclubs, topless revues, and scantily clad waitresses serving free liquor, it’s clear that casinos’ priorities center on the mature, money-toting crowd. Casinos are open 24hr. Almost every casino resort has a full casino, several restaurants, a club, a buffet, and a feature show. There is valuable art and architecture at every corner. Look for casino “funbooks” that feature deals on chips and entertainment. Gambling is illegal for those under 21.

The Strip

The undisputed locus of Vegas’s surging regeneration, the Strip is a neon fantasyland teeming with people, casinos, restaurants, and sadly, inflated prices. The nation’s 10 largest hotels line the legendary 3 mi. stretch of Las Vegas Blvd.

• Mandalay Bay, 3950 S. Las Vegas Blvd. (☎632-7777; www.mandalaybay.com). Undoubtedly Vegas’s hippest casino, Mandalay Bay tries to convince New York and L.A. fashionistas they haven’t left home. With swank restaurants and clubs, gambling seems an afterthought. Shark Reef has all kinds of aquatic beasts, including 15 shark species ($16, children $11). House of Blues hosts some of Vegas’s best music. Also check out the Foundation Room. Non-locals $30, locals $10. Open M only 11pm-5am.
• Bellagio, 3600 S. Las Vegas Blvd. (☎693-7444 or 888-987-3456; www.bellagio.com). The world’s largest 5-star hotel, made famous in the 2001 remake of Ocean’s Eleven. Houses a gallery of fine art, the world’s tallest chocolate fountain, and a floral conservatory. Check out the dancing fountains in front of the casino and see the water leap several stories set to music (free; every 30min. in the afternoon, every 15min. 7pm-midnight). For nightlife, enjoy Light. Cover $30. Open Th-su 10:30pm-4am.
• Wynn, 3131 S. Las Vegas Blvd. (☎770-7000 or 877-321-9966; www.wynnlasvegas.com). This latest addition to the Strip more than competes with the Bellagio for classiest casino. The gambling floor is tastefully decorated—flashing slot machine lights are noticeably absent. Don’t be put off by the subdued appearance; even if table limits are high, the dealers are friendly and the grounds are beautiful. To find late-night excitement, check out Tryst. Cover men $30, women $20.
• New York-New York, 3790 S. Las Vegas Blvd. (☎740-6969 or 866-815-4365; www.nynyhotelcasino.com.) An eye-catching, fun-filled casino brings the Big Apple to Sin City. Towers mimic the Manhattan skyline, the streets of a miniature Greenwich Village lead to an ESPNZone, and a walk under the Brooklyn Bridge brings you to the Manhattan Express ( open M-Th and Su 11am-11pm, F-Sa 10:30am-midnight; $12.50), a wild, loopy rollercoaster from the top of the casino to the bottom. For nightlife, check-out Coyote Ugly. Cover $10. Casino open daily 6pm-4am. Nightclub open daily 9pm-4am.
• Luxor, 3900 S. Las Vegas Blvd. (☎262-4000 or 888-777-0188; www.luxor.com). This architectural marvel recreates ancient Egypt’s majestic pyramids in steel and opaque glass. Popular with young adults, but still family-friendly, Luxor has an IMAX theater, a full-scale replica of King Tut’s Tomb, and numerous clubs.
• Treasure Island (TI), 3300 S. Las Vegas Blvd. (☎894-7111 or 800-288-7206; www.treasureisland.com). Caters to a younger crowd with clubs and chic lounges. See the Sirens of TI, one of Vegas’s most scantily-clad shows (daily 7, 8:30, 10, 11:30pm). For drinks and dancing, Tangerine is the place to be. Cover $20. Th-Sa 10pm-4am.
• Paris, 3655 S. Las Vegas Blvd. (☎946-7000 or 877-603-4386; www.parislasvegas.com). From faux French cafes to replicas of the Arc de Triomphe, the Opera House, and the Eiffel Tower, this resort adds a Parisian je ne sais quoi to Vegas. For an American version of Parisian nightlife, try Risque. Cover $20. Open F-Sa 10:30pm-early morning.
• Venetian, 3355 S. Las Vegas Blvd. (☎414-1000 or 877-883-6423; www.venetian.com). Singing gondoliers serenade passengers on the chlorinated “canal” that runs through this palatial casino. Elaborate ceilings, the Guggenheim Hermitage Museum, and Madame Tussaud’s wax museum evoke a little bit of old Europe, while the Blue Man Group adds some edge. For loud music and willing dance partners go to Tao. Cover men $30, women $20. Open Th-Sa 10:30pm-5:30am.
• Caesar’s Palace, 3570 S. Las Vegas Blvd. (☎731-7110 or 866-227-5938; www.caesars.com). At Caesar’s, busts abound; some are plaster and others are barely covered by low-cut cocktail waitresses’ outfits. The expensive Forum Shops and the Italian wishing fountain replicas provide numerous opportunities to leave your winnings in Vegas. The party never stops at OPM. Cover W-Th and Su $20, F-Sa men $30, women $20.
• The Mirage, 3400 S. Las Vegas Blvd. (☎791-7111 or 800-374-9000; www.mirage.com). This tropical oasis is home to a 20,000 gal. aquarium, a dolphin habitat and “secret garden,” and several rare white tigers and lions. A volcano that puts science fair projects to shame erupts every hr. 8pm-12am. Don’t forget to check out Mirage’s club Jet. Cover $30. Open F-Sa and M 10:30pm-4am.
• MGM Grand, 3799 S. Las Vegas Blvd. (☎891-1111 or 877-880-0880; www.mgmgrand.com). A huge bronze lion guards Las Vegas’s largest hotel (5000 rooms) as it glows like the Emerald City from The Wizard of Oz. Watch big cats frolick at the Lion Habitat. The MGM often hosts world-class sporting events and concerts. Check out club Tabu. Cover W-Th and Su $20, F-Sa $25. Open W-M 10pm-early morning.
• Circus Circus, 2880 S. Las Vegas Blvd. (☎734-0410 or 800-634-3450; www.circuscircus.com). Though far less glamorous than its younger neighbors, the free circus acts are reminiscent of the Strip’s early, outlandish days. While parents run to card tables and slot machines, children flock to one of the world’s largest indoor theme parks.
  
  Find and compare Las Vegas Hotel rates here!
  
  

Downtown And Off-Strip

Many of the Strip’s theme park elements are absent in “old” downtown. Glitter Gulch (www.glittergulchlv.com) has smaller hotels, cheaper alcohol and food, and table limits as low as $1. Years of decline were reversed with Vegas’s rebound and the 1995 opening of the Fremont Street Experience (www.vegasexperience.com). Now, a protective canopy of neon and a pedestrian promenade have aided the area’s renaissance, making it almost as entertaining as the Strip and much more welcoming to the budget traveler.

• Golden Gate, 1 Fremont St. (☎385-1906 or 800-426-1906; www.goldengatecasino.com). Opened in 1906, Las Vegas’s oldest hotel-casino now anchors the Fremont Street Experience and offers a thoroughly modern good time. Grab a famous $0.99 shrimp cocktail and sharpen your gambling skills in the laid-back atmosphere.
• Golden Nugget, 129 Fremont St. (☎385-7111 or 800-846-5336; www.goldennugget.com). An outpost of Strip-like class downtown, this 4-star hotel charms gamblers with marble floors, elegant chandeliers, and high-end gambling.
• Palms, 4321 W. Flamingo Rd. (☎942-7777 or 866-942-7777; www.palms.com). The spot to see celebrities and party with the young and beautiful. The Skin Pool Lounge has swings and cabanas to enjoy before you hit the bars and clubs on the property.

Daytrips From Las Vegas

Hoover Dam

From Las Vegas, take U.S. 93/95 26 mi. to Boulder City. From Boulder City, head east 5 mi. on U.S. 93. Parking on the Nevada side costs $5; parking on the Arizona side is free.

Built to subdue the flood-prone Colorado River and give vital water and energy to the Southwest, this ivory monolith took 5000 men five years to construct. By the time the dam was finished in 1935, 96 men had died. Their labor rendered a 726 ft. colossus that pumps more than four billion kilowatt-hours of power to Las Vegas and L.A. A lasting tribute to America’s “think big” era, the dam is a spectacular engineering feat, weighing 6.6 million tons and measuring 660 ft. thick at its base and 1244 ft. across the canyon at its crest. Tours and an interpretive center explore the dam’s history and future. (☎494-2517. Open daily 9am-6pm. Last entry 5:15pm. Self-guided tours with short presentations $11, seniors $9, ages 7-16 $6.)

Lake Mead

From Las Vegas, take Lake Mead Blvd./Hwy. 147 off I-15 east 16 mi. to North Shore Rd.

The largest reservoir in the US, Lake Mead was created when Hoover Dam was constructed across the Colorado River in the 30s. First-time visitors will benefit from a trip to the Alan Bible Visitors Center, 4 mi. east of Boulder City on Hwy. 93, where the helpful staff has brochures and maps. (☎293-8990; www.nps.gov/lame. Open daily 8:30am-4:30pm. 5-day pass $5 per vehicle, $3 per pedestrian.) Falling water levels have left Lake Mead roughly half its usual depth, forcing boat ramps to close and exposing previously submerged hazards. Despite these conditions, Lake Mead is still a water recreation haven. Park service-approved outfitters rent boats and more on the shores; www.funonthelake.com has more info. Popular Boulder Beach, the departure point for many water-based activities, is accessible from Lakeshore Dr. at the south end of the lake. (Restrooms, water. Sites $10.) Because of the oppressively hot summer temperatures, it may be a better idea to head for the higher (and cooler) elevations west of Las Vegas in July and August.