Find Cheap Airfares - Tips and information on discount travel

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The sight of all of those gigantic Las Vegas hotels rising off the strip in areas that look as though they could be small cities is enough to make anyone want to clutch their wallets. They must be terribly expensive, right?

Some people actually make the mistake of staying off the strip in an effort to save money. This is not necessary and is a mistake that a lot of beginners to the city often make. (Of course, some people prefer staying off the strip in general, but that’s a different story.) In fact, even though there are lots of expensive hotels in Las Vegas, you might be surprised at the deals that they offer and how reasonably priced they are. After all, they want you to spend your money on gambling-not blow your budget on the room price!

Take for example, a recent search of Las Vegas hotels. A room at the Flamingo cost only $75 per night. While the Flamingo might not be one of the flashier, new hotels, it offers fairly big rooms, 3 restaurants, one of the best swimming pools in Vegas, a nice casino, and you absolutely can’t beat its location in the center of the strip.

On the other hand, a room in a chain hotel 2 miles off the strip with an average pool, one café, and no other amenities was going for $60. In order to get back to the strip, a taxi would be needed and this could easily cost $15 one way. Renting a car and trying to park it at one of the hotels on the strip is not financially practical, unless you are staying there.

Some of the smaller, more moderately priced hotels on the strip include the Flamingo, Harrah’s, Imperial Palace, and Tropicana. None of these are bad places and all of them will put you right in the action. There have been times during late summer and early December when rates for Harrah’s have dropped down to as low as $49 per night.

Excalibur, Monte Carlo, Treasure Island, Paris, Planet Hollywood, the Mirage, and Luxor often have good prices as well. Even better is the fact that they are great for running web sales that can be found on their own website. Excalibur, for example, might offer 3 nights and a meal at one of their restaurants for 2 people for $150.

Of course, there are high-priced hotels in Vegas, too. Mandalay Bay, the Bellagio, Venetian, Wynn, Palazzo, and Encore all have tons of amenities, offer 4 and 5 star service, and look like mini palaces. However, good deals can be found at these hotels, too. Although it might take some searching, sometimes when booked along with airfare on Expedia or Travelocity, you can save as much as $100 per night off the room rate.

A recent search for a week in Vegas yielded 6 nights at the Venetian in a suite, airfare included from Cincinnati, for $540 per person. This also included 2 tickets to their show, 50% off all of their restaurants, and $75 credit in the casino. The same dates for a hotel off the strip yielded a cost of $400 per person, without the added extras. So, for only $140 more, you could stay in one of the top hotels, see a show, and gamble!

It can’t be stressed enough that staying far away from the action might not always save you money in the long run. Not only should you factor in transportation costs, but you should also factor in how much your time is worth to you. You don’t want to spend your entire vacation in a taxi, or on a bus, getting from Point A to Point B.