Part 1: Booking the Vacation
Whether if it’s your first time going to Vegas or your twentieth, there’s always something new to discover. That’s what makes Las Vegas so great and has people coming back for more. A new hotel, a new shopping center, or even a new show you’ll never get sick of the place even if you don’t gamble at all.
So if you’re going to go at all, why not try to limit how much you pay for your hotel and airfare so that you could spend that money on things you may want to buy or shows you might want to see? There are many online travel websites like Expedia or Trip Advisor that you could use to see what the best deals are.
Cheaptickets.com
I’ve personally used Cheaptickets.com in the past and have been very happy. You get several different prices when you select the hotel and airfare option. They give you a choice of multiple carriers or a single carrier, and tell you how many stops (if any) there are for that flight plan. You can also change the flight that comes with the plan, which could mean a price increase. You’ll usually see the cheapest price to the left side and the most expensive to the right.
Should I book the Hotel and Airfare together or Separately?
This is a question that I’m sure many have and usually the safe bet is to book the hotel and airfare together as it’s also cheaper most of the time. However, if you have a great deal from the hotel directly or if you gamble a lot and are given perks, like 2-3 free nights at a hotel then you might want to just get the airfare.
I’ve found that the airfare itself is usually expensive if bought separately, so do your research and check around on the airline sites or places like cheaptickets.com to see what the best deal is. Beware of the time of day the planes depart and leave, sometime you could be arriving at 7pm and that will leave you minimal time to spend that day. Instead, you could arrive around lunch and have plenty of time to have fun.
Promotion Code Search
If you use Cheaptickets.com, chances are you’ll find promotion codes online. Do a quick search on Google for “Cheaptickets.com promotion code” and you’ll find many sites that have promotion codes. The one that’s been around for a while (at least a year) is the $40 off a 4-night booking or more. Depending on where you’re booking from that you could be more than 10% off of your booking, so it’s a great deal. $40 could be well spent on a meal or two as well, every dollar counts!
Days to Avoid and Days to Go
If you’re like me, you want to avoid huge crowds and excessively busy times of the year. Obvious times would be holidays in the US and possibly in Canada as well as there are many Canadians that go down to Vegas on their holiday. You might also want to avoid Friday and Saturday nights not only because there will be more people, but because your fee likely jump quite a bit depending on the season.
From my research, I’ve found that leaving on Sunday or Monday for 3-4 nights is the cheapest. If you have some flexibility, play around with the dates and you’ll likely find a great deal. $50 per person might not seem like a lot, but it’ll easily pay for two buffets or even some new clothing.
Plan to Be Last Minute
If you know when you want to go, waiting for last minute deals might be a good idea. Although some say Vegas has no low season, you’ll still want to avoid the obvious busy times of the year like Christmas and the New Years. If you know when you’re going to have your vacation and know it’s generally a low season, you can wait until the last minute to book your vacation as most hotels could possibly lower their prices to fill their rooms. You might even find a great deal to go elsewhere!
Setting Money Aside for Your Vacation in Advance
As with anything in life, it’s a great deal to plan for your vacation. I have a separate banking account for my vacation funds and always limit my spending within my budget that I set out when I’m booking my vacation. This includes all expenses from hotel, airfare, tips, food, gifts and shopping. This way you’ll know exactly how much you spend for everything and won’t be surprised by the shocking credit card bill that has an extra zero at the end.
How can you be so precise with the money you spend? Research! Vegas is surprisingly affordable, and if you utilize coupons, buy shows at half price and don’t buy everything at the hotel you could save quite a bit of money. The great thing about Vegas is that the hotels make a lot of money from people that gamble, and therefore staying there is actually quite cheap.