Viva Las Vegas…Without Breaking the Bank

A trip to Las Vegas is something most everyone should do at least once. Before you go, there are some things you can do to make your trip fun and not put you in too much debt. It can be as easy as picking the right hotel to planning to do some research before you go.

For Vegas first timers, there is so much for you to see and do. A full three days should be sufficient to see it all. You can spend more days if you think you will need more time. However, you could save your hotel, steep food, and beverage costs; and, save it for another trip or take a trip to Hoover Dam instead. Three full days is probably the magic number for days in Vegas. Anything more than that can be a little over-kill. Be ready to do some walking, though. The strip does not seem that long, until you have walked about half of it on a nice 109 degree day. Things that look really close, in reality, may be quite a distance away.

Before you even book your hotel, you need to assess what things you would prefer. Each hotel has different amenities, perks, and bonuses. Maybe you would like something in the middle of the strip for its accessibility. Maybe you want a hotel that has a 24 hour restaurant. If you plan on spending your days by the pool, you need to find a hotel with a decent pool area. Do you want something on the strip, off strip, or on the old strip? The old strip is fun and the hotels tend to be cheaper. However, unless you plan on spending the bulk of your time there, it will not be cost effective. A cab ride, one-way, from downtown to the strip is about $20.00. Do that round trip more than once or twice, and you have made up the difference in what you saved. Some off strip hotels have free shuttles to the strip, but not all of them do. Make sure you know this before you book. Other people like to be in the middle of the action on the strip. Do your homework. When you are looking for the best deal, check the usual online vendors first, but also check with the hotel directly. They may have similar or better deals, and these reservations (unlike some other online sites like Priceline or Hotwire) are refundable.

What do you want to do once you get there? If you go to the Las Vegas Official Website, there are lists of must do’s and sees. They also have suggestions for any kind of traveler you can imagine, including the budget traveler. Find out what attractions there are and how much each of them costs. Many of the attractions are free, but it is good to know which ones are before you plot out your day. If you want to see shows while you are in Vegas, check out the site for possible discounts and specials. If you want to go to the clubs, the site offers a link to a legit site that offers VIP passes. Some clubs have special nights where they offer their passes for free, or you can buy packages that will save you money on cover charges. The earlier you check into these discounts, the better your chances are of finding a great deal.

If you gamble, plan ahead. Set aside a certain amount of money that is designated for gambling. If it is built into your budget, you do not have to worry about over spending and not being able to afford the taxi back to the airport…or food for that matter.

Speaking of food, meals do not have to kill your budget. If you look in the right places, you can find reasonable (well for Vegas) prices. My usual plan of attack is to get something cheaper for lunch, so if I choose to go to a buffet or a nicer place for dinner, I’m not spending $40+ a day on food. There is a Chipolte, Panda Express, McDonalds, and a Denny’s on the strip. There are also hidden gems, like the food court in O’Shea’s Casino (located right next to the Flamingo). Yes, the prices may be steeper than you are used to back home, but you can still get a slice of pizza and a drink for $3.50.

Now, here is a bit on alcohol. If you go to the clubs, plan on it being at least $10 for a drink. Drink prices are more than most of us are used to. You can still find deals here and there. If you are hard pressed for cash, Sanctuary, a club held at the Krave lounge on Friday nights (next to Planet Hollywood), has $2 drink specials on well drinks before midnight and $5 specials after that. Also, there are some liquor stores in the area. You can always mix up your own drinks!

Las Vegas is a great place to vacation, even if you do not have a huge budget! It just takes some planning and preparation.

Las Vegas Mini Tip

When you are planning your first big trip to Las Vegas, it may should like you need to spend five days to a week three to see it all.  Really, you should be able to do it all in three days.  Five days is just overkill, and you will be out of things to do before the trip is over.  Stick to three…at most four days, and you have a much more pleasant trip.

Travel Complaints…Rookie Mistakes

Sometime travel plans do not go the way we want. Sometimes it is our own lack of planning. Other times it is no ones fault. Mother Nature can have a sick sense of humor. Of course, there are the moments where the fault lies with the hotel, the travel agent, the travel site, the airline, the car rental place or another one of the companies you have trusted to help you with your journey. When this happens, can just let it go, or you can try and make things right. If you are going to make things right, there are some steps you need to take to make your case.

 

First, keep your cool. It might seem like a good idea to verbally eviserate the agent on the phone or scream at the unhelpful person at the counter, but that might not be the best plan. Stay calm. Remember that in some cases the front line customer service is only going by the rules they have been given. Even if they are being totally rude, do your best to stay collected. When you are foaming at the mouth, rememebering names and specifics is not that easy. By keeping the drama and the emotion out of the arguement, you are keeping it civil and you are helping yourself in the long run.

 

Another tip is to use e-mail or good old fashioned mail for your correspondence. If you write letters, make copies of your letters. If you use one of those “contact us” forms, be sure to keep a record of what you said and when it was sent. This method will give you the time to think and retool what you want to say. It will also give you a paper trail. Now you have exactly what you have sent them and (especially with e-mail) you will have their exact reply an sometimes even a name and department of the person responding. You can track your correspondence, and you now how examples in black and white to back your self up. It is one thing to whine that “someone” told you you could get a refund. It is another to be able to say you have it in print and you can identify the person in question.

 

One mistake I see made time and time again is that people make complaints and expect lofty things in return. It is one thing if you are mildly disappointed by a flight crew. It is another thing if an airline cancels your flight to to restructuring and then refuses to let you rebook your flight because “we are rebooking flights by date. We will contact you when it is your turn” only to never contact you and then you are stuck with taking a commuter propeller plane for a leg of your flight. I have had both of these happen, and I also witnessed people demand the same compensation for both offenses. Okay, I admit, I did call Southwest Airlines after a Labor Day weekend flight that left a great deal to be desired. However, I did not think it warrented a letter. I also did not make any demands or ask for anything in return for the rude flight crew. I just alerted them to the situation. It was probably an isolated incident, but if it isn’t, customers should not be treated like this. Yes it was annoying, but it in the grand scheme of things there was not all that awful. Southwest didn’t owe me anything. Now ATA airline did. There error and negligence cost me money, time and a little bit of sanity. At one point, the airline told me that I would not be able to fly on the says I had booked my travel. It was a nightmare. I chose to fight this battle. I didn’t make demands, but I plead my case and I won.

 

The last bit of advice I have is please, please, please read the fine print. If you book ANYTHING online, please read the terms of agreement they make you click those checkboxes for. These things are the rules. Yeah it might not be what you condsider to be fair, but if you want the service for that rate, those are risks you will have to take. Like with sites like Hotwire, if you buy from them, they make it very clear the services are non-refundable. In extreme cases, Hotwire can be nice and extend some goowill and refund your money or assist you in getting rebooked. However, they are under no obligation to do so based on the terms of agreement. Before you take a company to the rails, make sure you know what you agreed to BEFORE you go on the offensive.

Hostelling for Dummies

Are you planning on staying in a hostel for your next trip? Hostels are a great cost effective way to find lodging, but there are some things to keep in mind as you pack for your trip.

The first is try and pack light. Chances are you will be sharing a room with several other people. You will most likely not have the same amount of room you will have in a hotel room. Plus if you have lockers for storage, you will have a very limited amount of secure space for all your belongings. Try only to pack enough clothes for a week. If you are traveling for more than a week, you can always go to a Laundromat. Bring your own detergent in a baggie and you can save space.

If the hostel has lockers in the dorm rooms, make sure you know whether or not they supply locks. If not, bring one of your own. This way you can keep you items in a secure location. I have stayed in both Hostels with and without safes. I have never had any issues with my items being messed with or stolen at the hostels without lockers. However, if lockers are provided, it is better to be safe than sorry.

Make sure you know all the particulars of the hostels. Most US hostels do not have lock out (meaning the doors do not lock at a certain time and you can no longer get in), and they do not require guests to so chores. However, this might not always be the case. Some hostels only will take student or international travelers. Yes, this is unfair, but make sure your hostel does not fall into that category (unless you are a student or international traveler). I know it is to ensure that the guests are in fact tourists, not transients, but you would think proof of travel would be enough.

When you are packing there are some key items you need to remember to include. Be sure that you bring flip flops for the shower if the bathroom is shared. Don’t forget your PJ’s. Just because you sleep naked doesn’t mean it is appropriate for everyone to see. Bring earplugs. You might not think you are a light sleeper, but it is better to have them in case of an emergency. Bring a laundry bag to sort out the dirty from the clean clothes. See if the hostel provides linens, if not, you will need to provide your own bedding and towels. If that is the case, make sure you check to see what kind of bedding the hostel allows. Some places so not allow sleeping bags.

Hostels can be really fun, you just need to prepare a little differently that if you were staying in a hotel. By following a few simple steps you can uncomplicate your trip and ensure you will have one less thing to worry about.