Good afternoon bloggers!  Things have been pretty busy on my end with work, and congruently, I been trying to plan for some much needed time off.  This is where my article leads into: Planning your Best Vegas Trip ever!  With the decline of the economy, deals for Las Vegas seem to be at an all time low.  Vendors and hotels are begging for business and their packages can be exceptional currently!  Heck, even during good times packages to Vegas always appeared reasonable.  The trick is that they hope to entice you with low airfare and lodging – in return to you giving it all away at the tables!  For me, gambling isn’t much of an issue though and sorry to say, you won’t hear much for gambling tips here.  What I will do is give you tips on how to use the Internet to plan your Vegas trip.

Anyone who knows me well, knows that I plan to the point of obsession (a bonus if you’re an IT person) and I love to shop for deals!  So I’ll try to pass on what I’ve learned, recommendations, information, and deals that I’ve taken advantage of recently.  This is our first trip to Vegas and we’ve taken quite a bit of time planning things out and trying to get the most bang for our buck.

I know you are interested, so…

Best Times to Travel and Visit

As I’ve read many other places, they say Las Vegas never has a low season!  But sure enough, they do have slower then normal seasons – if you want to ever call Vegas slow. 

RULE #1 – PLAN YOUR VEGAS TRIP EARLY – You’ll have better chance at cheaper rates, cheaper show tickets, better seating, and better rooms!

TIP #1 – Travel between June-August – It turns out to be quite cheaper then any other time.

TIP #2 – Find out when the Conventions are in town or huge events.  I also highly suggest you read The Unofficial Guide to Las Vegas 2009 (Unofficial Guides).  They have lists of the many conventions scheduled each year and the higher and lower seasons.  When conventions are in town, it’s harder to get reservations, upgrades, and comps.

TIP #3 – Try to book your flights MID-WEEK meaning Tues, Wed, or Thursday.  Travelling on Friday or Weekends is significantly more expensive because Vegas has a large weekend party crowd who fly in just to cut-loose for 2 days.  It also stands to reason that hotel prices are more expensive on the weekend – which is why we booked our trip from a Thursday to another Thursday, avoiding an extra weekend and the packed flights.

Hotel and Airfare

There is probably a hundred different ways to book your vacation online.  I do not suggest that you book directly from the hotel website and then the airline website.  Modern computing and bulk-buying from vendors like Expedia, Kayak, and Travelocity give you the option of saving some money while making a “vacation package”.

TIP #1 – We used Travelocity and really like it but HotWire is also very good. You plug in your airports, choose where you’d like to stay, then they give you your total price – upfront.  Many others add on fees only during checkout!  Travelocity is great for being upfront. 

TIP #2 – You save some money when you book your flight and hotel together, online.

TIP #3 – Do not book directly from the airline or hotel website.  If you do, compare prices with Travelocity too!

TIP #4 – If you skipped it earlier, you’ll save more money by planning to come to Vegas before Friday and leaving after Monday

TIP #5 – Got a rewards card?  Use it on this trip because you’ll most likely rack up a lot of points by charging on Travelocity, Car Rentals, etc.  Sometimes those rewards can pile up enough to give you discount tickets while you’re there.

TIP #6 – Be wary of adding in the “Activities” on your Travelocity package.  I made a rule to just have the flight and hotel together.  The activities to me seemed overpriced.  Plus, as Ill mention later, you can custom pick some better deals and quality trips if you buy them ala carte later.  Buying from the activities section lands you a pretty good chance of being piled into a “tour bus” with no elbow room while you’re off on a 5 hour trip to the Grand Canyon!

Theatre and Show Tickets

Almost anyone will tell you that going to a Las Vegas Show is a must.  Cirque du Soleil has taken Vegas by storm and there are several shows, so you should try to go see them.  There are also a lot of magician shows, hypnosis shows, comedy shows, headline shows, and musicals as well.

TIP #1 – Right now, Cirque is offering steeply discounted tickets – Check it out here: Celebrate 25 Years of Cirque and Bring a Friend for $25

TIP #2 – Do not overstress or overpay for the theatre tickets.  The theatre isn’t the size of a football stadium, most are small and you’ll find you may of saved yourself 50$ compared to a guy who is one row ahead of you sometimes.

TIP #3 – Book well in advance! I can not stress this enough for saving money.

TIP #4 – You can use Ticketmaster for quite a few shows – but you won’t find much price differences for shows online.  Going directly to the vendor site will work out just fine and you can print your tickets right there.

TIP #5 – There are a lot of shows, but the main ones that sparked our interest were: Jubilee!, Mystere, The Lion King Musical.

TIP #6 – Got your tickets paid for?  Now, a lot of times they wont send them to you or let you print them out. Make sure to read the instructions cause you’ll most likely have to show up a day in advance to the hotel that is hosting the show at the Box Office, to pick up your tickets. Make time for that!

TIP #7 – Already at Vegas and want a show? Check out the many Tix4Tonight locations – where you can probably find discount tickets for a show THAT night.  Of course, expect it to be harder during the weekends.

SHAKE YOU BON-BON: Vegas VIP Club & Bar Passes

If you like clubs and bars, Las Vegas probably has one for every night of the year.  However, the biggest, hottest, and coolest clubs are right on The Strip.  To name a few that seemed interesting to us: Moon, Tryst, Ghost Bar, LAX, Studio 54, Christian Audigier, The Bank, and Tao.  Vegas features pool parties as well during the day with DJ’s that sound like a blast.

The problem isn’t the fact that there’s too much variety – it’s how much it will effect your wallet!  Most clubs charge about 40$ for Men and 30$ for women.  For the average person, this leaves out club hopping on a tight budget.  Also remember, if you do want to club hop you’ll probably have to prepare yourself to wait in long lines!  I’ve read many reviews stating that even then, you may not get in or you’ll get suckered into “Bottle Service” – fancy name for giving you a personal booth, bouncer, cute waitress, and a $400-$700 bottle of Grey Goose Vodka.

RULE #1 – Do not buy your tickets from the vendors directly online!  They are overpriced and also at the door!

Want to skip some lines, get higher end service, club hop and do it all for a reasonable price?  You have to check out my buddy at Las Vegas Passes.  I all but gave up on our dream of having a club hopping experience until I found him online.  He has great packages online – for example, the one we bought for approx 30$ that’s called “$2500 VIP Club Passes Pack for 2”, which included 2 passes each for:

• Audigier Nightclub
• The Bank
• Body English
• Coyote Ugly
• JET
• LAX
• Moon
• Pussycat Dolls Lounge
• Prive
• Pure
• RAIN
• Revolution
• Tabu
• Tao
• Treasures
• Sapphires
• Tryst – Thursday
• Tryst – Friday
• Godskitchen
• Voodoo Lounge
• & a fat coupon book with all kinds of savings!

HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE? – You’re asking yourself.  I know it.  But you can believe it.  This is how my boy explained it on the site:

“These passes are distributed by the promoters to help bring more people to the club”

It’s great to have this kind of service plus it should keep them promoters happy by filling up the clubs!  If that isn’t enough, his EBay site has been up for years and he has wonderful reviews from all the customers he’s hooked up.  I also personally had a great experience with the site owner as he answered all my questions. 

Check out both his sites – I do not think you’ll regret it!

Final Tip – If you don’t want them sent to your home you can opt to have them delivered right to the hotel you’re checking it. VERY neat!

Great Tours

When it comes to tours, two really stand out – Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon.  Some others are Bryce and Valley of Fire.  Make sure you do your research ahead of time and make sure you’re getting the biggest bang for your buck.

TIP #1 – Vegas can get hectic and busy on the weekends with the crowds. To avoid this, we planned our tours on the weekends since they take up most the day.  We get to avoid the city and get some fresh air.

TIP #2 – If you can help it, make sure your tours include food and water!  These tours can run long and if the price appears cheap, its probably cause they aren’t feeding you and relying on you overspending at a rest-stop.

Who we are going with for our Grand Canyon Tour:  Grand Adventures Tour Company – They came highly rate from TripAdvisor users.  My experience with emailing customer service (or CJay) was top-notch.  BTW – If you don’t know TripAdvisor, make sure you learn.  Because it has people like you and me reviewing everything from room cleanliness at hotels to tours around the world. 

Who we are going with for our Hoover Dam Tour: Best Las Vegas Tours – They were offering the cheapest rate at the time and included food on the trip.  For the price, it couldn’t compare anywhere else.  Of course we’ll find out how nice it is and look forward to updating our review when we return.

Who we are going with for our Las Vegas Strip Tour: Look Tours Double Decker Bus Tour – Basically this looks like your typical Double Decker major city bus tour.  One thing extra though, Celebrity impersonators are the tour operators!

“It’s Time To Eat” with Coupons Galore!

Another things Vegas is so well known for is the FOOD!  Anyone who knows me, knows that I can pack in the groceries and am not ashamed of it at all!  In most places eating out would be expensive, but not so in Las Vegas.  There are so many choices for food and buffets, that it will make your head spin.  Seafood Buffets, Steak Buffets, Mid-Eastern Buffets, etc. 

As for restaurants, you name it – and most run till late at night.  Feel like Italian, Mexican, American, fine dining, 1$ for 1 foot long hot dog, or 99 cent Mega Shrimp Cocktails?  Vegas is sure to have it.

The prices are already pretty reasonable, but not enough for me.  I want to find the best deals in town and intend on getting the most for my money.  So guess what?  I go coupon crazy.  That’s right – I’ve searched out coupons for just about everywhere and printed them out.  We are going to put them in envelopes and label them by cuisine.  So it’ll go like this every night:

Me – Honey, where would you like to eat tonight?

<I throw all our envelopes on our Vegas hotel room bed>

My wife – Well lets see we have coupons for… Italian 2-for-1 meal up to 30$ value.. or wait how about that great Mexican Cantina? No no, Seafood.  There’s so many choices!

TIP #1 – Just go to Google and type in “las vegas coupons” and scour all the sites.  It’s pretty easy.  You’ll find a ton of them for dining (the rest for shows, etc tend to be advertisements).  Just print out as many as you want, though you’ll be quite limited.  This will get you started.

TIP #2 – Get an Entertainment Annual Book.  For anyone that doesn’t know what this is – it is a book/site that offers tons and tons of legitimate coupons based on the US top cities.  What city can top Las Vegas? (I hear New York screaming in my head, but I’ll silence it for now).  Anyway, order the book – there’s a bunch of 2-for-1 lunches and dinners at great restaurants.  The book is 25$ approximately – you’ll get your money back in the first meal. 

TIP #3 – Get and Entertainment.com Monthly Account – Want to get digital Entertainment coupons?  Then sign up for a monthly membership for 5$!  The trick?  You have to use the printed coupon within 14 days of printing it.  That’s fine, I can deal with that.  Then when I get back from Vegas, I cancel my account.  Or not – With the online account, you can print coupons from almost any major cities that are in the US – so maybe you’ll want to hold onto it.

TIP #4 – Go buy the American Casino Guide for this year.  This is highly coveted for it’s great match-play, buffet, and food coupons.  It is totally worth it so make sure you get a copy. 

Before you Go

Ok so you followed my recommendations.  Are you done?  Not Yet.

TIP #1 – Call your hotel, confirm your reservation dates, and then make them aware of your check-in times. 

TIP #2 – When calling the hotel – now is also the time to mention that you like smoking/non-smoking room, a King size instead of two doubles, that you want to be close to the elevator, that you want to be on a  higher floor, or that you don’t want to be in the room above the huge disco in the hotel!

TIP #3 – In some cases, confirm your show tickets and tours if needed.

TIP #4 – Print out all your coupons!

TIP #5 – Don’t forget the camera, passport, tickets, & sunscreen!  Bring an extra legal ID or drivers license if possible – Vegas has a law that everyone must carry ID at all times.

When you Arrive

TIP #1 – Don’t be shy – when all else fails, ASK.

TIP #2 – Don’t be afraid to tip for great service.

TIP #3 – The Internet is your friend.  You can find a bunch of resources from coupons to reviews.

TIP #4 – A smile goes a long way.

TIP #5 – Want a room upgrade when you check-in?  Try the $20 Dollar Trick out.  Apparently, it works often enough in Vegas and may be worth it to you to try – if you can pull it off.

TIP #6 – Enjoy the time you have cause it will probably go by fast!

When you get back Home

Post your experiences right here on the website! Contact tech4themasses@gmail.com or leave a comment.  We’d love to hear from you.

Reading Material to Keep you Hyped!

We will continue to update this article as needed – and follow-up after our trip!  We’d love to hear your tips also!