Family Vacation in Las Vegas!

Planning a trip to Las Vegas with the family? Just recently we have returned from our vacation in Vegas. We enjoyed ourselves so much, we are planning our second trip!

Before we embarked on our vacation to Las Vegas, I spent three months extensively researching everything about taking road trips, airlines, hotels, area attractions, and budgeting. I would like to share with you some pointers that I have learned along the way, (and some hard lessons as well) about planning such a trip! I hope you find nuggets of gold from this review to make your vacation a memorable one!  (Please be aware that this review is PART I of Part II)

 DRIVE OR FLY? This was my first major decision. So many pros and cons on EACH decision.

Let me share with you MY own experience and then YOU decide what is best for YOUR family.

Originally, I wanted to drive to Las Vegas. My ambition was for my family to drive from our home state of Texas, take I-10 and drive through New Mexico, Arizona (see Tombstone) and pass up Nevada for a quick detour to Los Angeles. (We wanted to visit the Santa Monica Pier, and take our daughter to the American Girl (doll) store at the Grove, in Los Angeles.) Afterwards, drive to Las Vegas on our way home, stop to see the Hoover Dam, Grand Canyon... blah, blah, blah...  (pipe dream)...

Upon a quick search through MAPQUEST, we realized that we were logging in 20 hours to Las Vegas (1300 miles) and the detour to Los Angeles was actually only 4-5 extra hours out of the way. No biggie. But honestly, after an inquiry I made on an online ROADTRIP forum, I was given a huge reality check! Taking a 40-hour trip - 3000 miles -  ROUND TRIP, in less than a week (on top of seeing all the sights) is VERY unrealistic, and dangerous!

Sooo, I changed our itinerary to include FLYING.

Upon researching Cheaptickets, Expedia, and Orbitz, I found very little price differences other than flight schedules.

*Points to keep in mind on these services:

1.) They DO save you money.

2.) Unless you buy insurance, these tickets are NON-REFUNDABLE

3.) You have to pay FULL PRICE instantly to reserve your plane tickets

4.) You do NOT have your flight information automatically. They send you an email to cofirm within 24-48 hours

5.) You are NOT guaranteed seat assignments.

6.) You can NOT exchange these tickets or sell to someone else.

7.) They charge a service fee (each service is different, and I think Orbitz charges less, but you might want to reverify that.)

I decided to go with CheapTickets as they had the best FLIGHT SCHEDULE and the price (was basically the same as the other services) What I loved about this service was the fact that we could select MULTIPLE DESTINATIONS on our itinerary. In other words, we were flying to one destination and leaving from another!

This is how it works. You select the airport you plan to leave from, and the airport you plan to arrive to. We selected Austin to Los Angeles. Our intent was to DO our roadtrip from Los Angeles  to Vegas via a rental car. We used HERTZ, as they were more accomodating about driving out of state and with dropping off at a different location.

After our selection from Austin to Los Angeles, we chose our return flight to leave from Las Vegas -  1 round trip ticket (after taxes) cost about $300. (I have found some tickets as cheap as $200, but you have to catch them at the right time!)

Our trip consisted of a flight to Los Angeles, spend a day or two, and then drive to Las Vegas and drop off rental car ---- Spend a few days on the Vegas strip, and catch a flight home!

We found that our Hertz rental car could be dropped off at the Las Vegas strip. In our case, we dropped it off at CEASARS PALACE (but let me warn you, it's a nightmare trying to find the rental car section there. Some of these casino hotels are the size of 5 city blocks! More on that later....

Here's the pros and cons on driving versus flying:

DRIVING PROS:

1.) Enjoy the scenery longer

2.) In charge of your stops and destinations

3.) Cheaper than flying

4.) No cancellation worries

DRIVING CONS:

1.) More time spent driving to and fro (less time to spend at destination)

2.) Factor in hotels and extra food for a long trip

FLYING PROS:

1.) Quick arrival

2.) Safer than driving

3.) More time to spend at destination

FLYING CONS:

1.) airfare expenses

2.) Layovers at other airports

3.) Security hassles and long lines at airports

4.) Lost luggage

5.) Locked in on intinerary - no cancellations!

  Which Hotel?

That was my next big question. WHERE TO STAY?

The choices are endless, and all determinate on what your budget is, preferences, and ages of your family members.

EXCALIBUR is the editor's online choice for a family hotel. The casinos are more obliging towards kids, not to mention they have a nice game room downstairs. Circus Circus is another family option, more friendly towards the pocketbook, but unfortunately at the end of the strip. Some casino hotels require an adult present at ALL times for those under 18 (Wynn Casino Hotel, etc...)

It would be best to research your hotel, their accomodations, restrictions, etc, BEFORE you book.

This is my TWO-CENTS on selecting a hotel.

1.) Select a hotel ON the strip. Believe me, do not let the pictures fool you or the maps!

*The Las Vegas Strip is 4.5 miles long, and distances are very deceiving because all the hotels are so big. You might be able to see the Treasure Island sign and hotel and it looks like a 5 minute walk when in reality it is over a mile away!

So, unless you plan to walk a marathon, I can't stress enough to select your hotel ON the strip.

Here's some pointers:

1.) Check the casino hotel websites for specials (you can somtimes find CHEAPER deals with the hotel itself than on Expedia, Orbitz, etc!)

2.) Double check your ammenities. Not all hotels offer FREE INTERNET, or PHONE CALLS, etc.

3.) A "room with a view" doesn't mean you are going to get a PRIME room. Double check with your hotel on WHERE your window will face. (Our "view" was a squeezed side-way view of the strip from the 20th floor, which was better than a brick wall, but factor in an extra $10 a night...hmmmm)

4.) Inquire about their nearby food courts and buffets. Believe me, these casino hotels do NOT offer complimentary coffee or breakfasts! The lines get long in the food court at around 8:30 to 9:00 am. I know you didn't intend to eat at McDonalds on your trip, but believe me, when you have kids, it's nice to know there's a quick cheap alternative. Also, I have noticed that FAMILIES are up and about early on the strip. Those who stayed up all night gambling and casino hopping are the ones who sleep in and didn't bring their kids! Take advantage of those "crowd free" mornings!

5.) Make sure the pool is open! And pay special attention to the pool hours! That's right, some casino pools can be closed down for cleaning or rennovations. Also, believe it or not, some of these pools close EARLY! We were at the Luxor pool and it closed at 6pm!! Say what? This is Las Vegas!

6.) SHUTTLE SERVICES - Not all casino hotels offer shuttle services to and from the airport. Double check. Also, you may find it cheaper to take a cab than a shuttle!

*The Strip has a curfew. Children under 18 are not allowed to be out after 9:00 PM unless accompanied by a parent or guardian.*

WHAT TO DO IN LAS VEGAS?

Of course the possiblities are endless...

Please check  PART II on FREE ATTRACTIONS in LAS VEGAS and more tips on family vacations in Las Vegas!