The four-mile section of Las Vegas Boulevard known as The Strip is among the most visited areas in America. Las Vegas welcomes more than 40 million visitors each year, and gambling at hotels on The Strip generates $6 billion to $7 billion annually. Hotels, restaurants and attractions generate twice as much.
Making the most out of one's time on the Las Vegas Strip is a matter of strategy and timing. With free parking and limitless attractions, visiting The Strip can be a frugal trip, an extravagant adventure or anywhere in between.
The Las Vegas Strip has five five-diamond hotels--The Bellagio, Four Seasons Hotel, Skylofts at the MGM Grand, The Venetian and the Wynn Las Vegas. In addition, there are suites, villas and other accommodations that cost thousands of dollars per night. At the same time, a number of hotels--namely Bill's Gamblin' Hall, Harrah's and the Excalibur--offer on-Strip accommodations for the more budget conscious.
Parking is free at all hotels. Regardless of where one is staying, garages are self-service and unmanned at each hotel. The trade-off is that to exit the garage, drivers must walk through the hotel and casino to access The Strip.
Valet parking is available for those seeking a more secure option. Again, this service is open to anyone who pulls up to the hotel and requests it. It is customary for people parking to tip at drop-off and pickup. While the typical tip is $2 each time, more money will garner faster service and preferential treatment.
The distance between two streets in Las Vegas is larger than the average city block. Most blocks on Las Vegas Boulevard are more than one mile in length. So, while the Monte Carlo and Bellagio may be next to each other, the hotel entrances are more than one mile apart. It is nearly impossible to visit every hotel in one day. Breaking up the visits by area may be the best approach. The Excalibur, Luxor and Mandalay Bay are clustered together. The MGM Grand; New York, New York; and Monte Carlo are in a separate group. The Paris, Bellagio, Venetian and Palazzo, and Wynn Las Vegas are in another group. Break up each section and see the sites at a comfortable pace. It does not cost money to enter the hotels and there is no minimum bet to wander through the casino.
Better yet, check out the Las Vegas Monorail. The monorail runs parallel to The Strip, behind the east side hotels. Single-ride tickets are $5 per person and $13 for a one-day, all-you-can-ride pass. Monorail stations begin at the MGM Grand and end at The Sahara.
Las Vegas by day is an impressive attraction, but it takes on a whole new life at night. Cooler temperatures set in during the evening--with summertime lows in the upper 80s and wintertime lows in the 30s--which may be more comfortable for some. Casinos are open 24 hours a day and some may find the absence of the desert sun a more enticing time to venture out.
The Waters at The Bellagio are a dramatic display of synchronized music, light and water, made even more majestic when set against the night sky. The Sirens at Treasure Island and volcano at The Mirage offer similarly dramatic displays.
