Las Vegas, Nevada is one of the most dazzling and most sought after travel destinations in the world, but it is also one of the most expensive. However, there are a number of ways for any traveler to save money before booking and especially when walking in the middle of the Las Vegas Strip wondering where to start.
Saving Money Before You Leave
Depending on the resort, while in Las Vegas there are strategic ways to save a sizeable amount of money. First off, the casino-hotels will do anything they can to get guests inside their building and in front of a slot machine or blackjack table. They will send out coupon codes with their weekly emails trying to entice new and old guests to take a spontaneous trip. These coupons might seem like nothing, but they can offer substantial discounts. The easiest way to obtain these coupon codes is by sharing an email address with the casino's website. Keep in mind that signing up for coupon codes with the MGM-Mirage hotel-casinos, this is linked with multiple resorts from the MGM Grand to the Luxor to the Monte Carlo. It certainly opens up options.
Beyond the weekly coupon codes there are also special deals for discounted buffets, shows, and drinks credits that come with certain codes. It must be stressed that these deals usually are limited to booking through the resort itself. Like Expedia.com and Orbitz.com the resorts allow potential travelers to book a flight and hotel together, but often those travel websites do not offer the added spectrum of incentives the hotels will offer you.
Cheap Las Vegas Show Tickets
There are countless great Vegas shows that play year around and there are also many ways to find cheap tickets to these shows: as long as you're not too picky. The first option for attaining discounted show tickets is through the hotels. It is no secret that the hotel-casinos want to keep guests in their building for as long as possible, and they understand that everyone has to stop gambling eventually, so they will routinely offer deals on tickets to keep people in the building and at an arms reach of the casino floor. One thing to consider before rushing off to book a show is that more often than not there are limited shows offered at certain hotels. This means that at the Monte Carlo a guest might have to choose between either the magician Lance Burton or comedian Frank Callendo. Two great shows, but perhaps not everyone's cup of tea.
The second option for finding cheap show tickets is through a company called Tix4Tonight. This company has seven locations all along the strip and on Fremont St. This company boasts “Half Price Show Tickets”. It can be as good as it sounds, but with a few hitches. The way Tix4Tonight works is when Vegas shows have a large number of unsold tickets they contact Tix4Tonight the day of the show and Tix4Tonight sells them at a discounted rate to make sure seats are filled. What happens is that the tickets are first come first serve when they open at 10:00 a.m. Often a time a popular show may not be available because it sold too many regular tickets and Tix4Tonight were not offered any tickets. The big name shows like the various Cirque du Soleil are offered at times and even stage acts like Cher, but not everyday.
The service is for those who are willing to wake up early and get in line (there will always to a line in the morning) and for those who are willing to see whatever show is up on the board. It’s not a perfect system, but it is an excellent way to save a large amount of money on tickets that routinely run over $100. For those impatient folks who want to use Tix4Tonight, but not wait in line, a VIP pass is offered for $25 that gets customers to the front of the line making it more possible to get the most wanted tickets. The passes are only one per party, so if there are several people needing tickets the VIP pass might me worth it.
Use Coupons
Vegas is an expensive town, there’s no way around that. Most people go there seeing the cheap hotel rooms and if they received perks when booking they think the city will hand them anything they want for free: this is a mistake. To help, use coupons wherever possible. They can be found in many places such as in small information booklets on the tram between the Excalibur and Mandalay Bay or even handed out by vendors. Keep in mind that any traveler should be wary to do anything that sounds out of the ordinary, like go and see a timeshare for a chance to get some free tickets or dinners. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Lastly, be patient. The second a first time visitor starts to walk along the Vegas Strip and try and take in the surroundings there is going to have the urge to do and see everything the town has to offer. The key is to be patient and look for the deals. But most of all have fun.
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