My hubby to be and I are going to Vegas in May to get married. We have never been there before, and I don't know where to go and what to do. We are staying 3 nights and 4 days. I don't even know where to get married or where to get the license.

Any helpful suggestions out there?

Well, as far as marrage is concerned - pretty much anywhere.

I'm a semi-regular Vegas traveller. The real trick is what sort of budget do you have in mind? This is kinda my breakdown:

- On the cheap:
-- Excalibur, Circus Circus, Treasure Island

- Upscale / little more $$$
-- MGM Grand, Luxor, Mandalay Bay (high recommened), NY NY

- Top Shelf
-- Bellagio (expensive but saucy), Venetian (my favorite spot to hang out), The Hotel @ Mandalay Bay (modern and swanky - actually undervalued too), The Wynn (brand new - should be exceptional!)

As far as things to do for a newlywed couple:
- **** like rabbits - for a, errr... 'romantic' opportunity, ask about in room hot tubs, etc.
- take a helicopter tour of the hoover dam (I've heard its a pretty cool experience)
- gamble BUT ONLY PLAY WHAT YOU'RE WILLING TO LOSE. For me, this is usually $100 / trip. Usually I return home with about $30 of that (last time I came up $50, but thats rare)
- Dancing:
-- If you're 20-30: Hard Rock, Studio 54 @ MGM, Rain @ the Palms
-- 30+: Light @ Bellagio, Rum Jungle @ Mandalay
- Dining:
-- Aladdin's Buffet is a damned good cheat meal.
-- Paris has some *great* upscale trendy restaurants.
-- Venetian has good food too.

Dave (hopes that gives you some ideas)

Thank you so much for the very usful info. I wanted to stay at the Venitian, but to book a room through their site is a fortune. I am still waiitng to hear from the travel agency to get the all inclusive packages. I still have not heard back form them...

Thanks for your time! :D

I didn't get to do much in Vegas (other than late-night gambling), as I was in meetings most of the time, but I stayed at Mandalay Bay and it was fabulous!!

I suppose that if you're there on a wedding/honeymoon it'd be different, but, from my experience, stay at the cheapest hotel you can. If you're anything like I was, you will be spending VERY minimal time there, so why spend more money then you have to on it?

Also, as for things to do, I would make it a point to get out to Fremont Street some evening, and take a look at the light show! :tu:

General:
-Vegas isn't as cheap as everyone says, at least, not if you don't gamble. There are few $1.99 steak buffets anymore.
-Weekends are the most expensive time to go. If you can plan your trip from a Mon-Thursday, you will run into a lot fewer crowds and much better prices.
-You will still get free drinks in casinos. Tip about 50 cents-1 dollar

Wedding:

Depends what you want to do. If you want to have one on the cheap, there's plenty of little chapels. Most of the hotels will have wedding packages, check their websites. For fun, look for things like the Pirate ship at Treasure Island.

Dining:

-Stay away from the north end of the strip - i.e. Circus Circus, etc. A lot of older hotels/casinos here that are pretty crappy and run down. This is a good general rule
-Lawry's Prime Rib is just off the strip and is fantastic. It's more upscale, dinner for 2 with dessert and drinks is about $50. They serve prime rib almost exclusively, but it's fantastic
-Interestingly, the Star Trek restaurant at the Las Vegas Hilton (not the flamingo) is pretty good, and about as much as any midscale restaurant (~$10-20 a person)
-Buffets that I like include Excalibur, Aladdin and Mandalay Bay. Bellagio is good, but expensive

Hotel:
-Again, stay near the south/middle of the strip if possible. Newer hotels, most in nice shape. I like Treasure Island, Mandalay Bay, Aladdin and Paris.

-If you want to stay off the strip, try Sam's Town. It's likely cheaper to stay and they offer shuttles to the strip (~2 miles away).

Gambling:
-Assume any money you're going to gamble is spent. Don't assume winning. :)

-If you're going to gamble a moderate amount ($200+), you might as well go to one place and sign up for the free club membership. By using the club cards, you earn points towards hotel amenities, such as clubs, shows, room upgrades, meals and attractions. Your odds are the same in one hotel as another, so try to find one where you'll enjoy the comps.

-Have a backup plan to gambling. It's simple to drop $50 in less than 5 minutes, even on nickel machines. Your best bet is table games, where the pace is a little slower. Most hotels will have instruction on a channel in your room.

Other entertainment:

-Stay away from the roller coaster at the NY NY. It was $12 a person last time I went, for a 2 minute ride. Ouch.
-A lot of the casinos have shops. These shops are generally very expensive, depending on the casino. Come in to these as a respite from the heat.
-Hoover Dam is best by helicopter, though some tours can be okay as well.
-I agree with the above clubs. Two I would add would be the Avi casino and the one at Luxor. Make sure that you have appropriate attire (dress shoes and slacks for men, dunno what for women). Again, weekdays are your friends. Many clubs will be packed like sardines on Friday and Saturday nights
-Another club tip: Some clubs have VIP sections that you can call ahead for. They will charge anywhere from $100 up, depending on the night. Generally this assures you a table and some dollar amount for drinks. Ask if you're not sure. This is a great idea if you have friends going with you, because it can work out to about the same as drinks + admission alone

Getting around:
-Cabs are a great way to get around. Be sure that you are on the side of the street that goes in the direction you want to go. For instance, if you want to go from south to north, cross one of the many overhead bridges and get on the east side of the street. Cab drivers have no compunction about going roundabout ways to get places.

-The trolley is a good way to get to Fremont Street (recommended at night). It's something like $2 a person each way.

-There is also a Vegas monorail on the east side of the strip, now. Not sure the price of the ride, but I believe you can get a multi-day pass.

-If you're driving, just leave your car if you're staying on the strip. At busy times, walking is much faster.

Other:
-Stay on the strip. Plenty of lights will keep potentially unsafe people away. Vegas isn't actually too dangerous, but like any city, you don't want to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

-There are lots of migrants handing out semi-risque brochures for escort services on the strip. Just be aware.

-Keep in mind that Vegas has one aim: to take your money. You can still get deals, but you'll have to earn them via comps (gambling with the casino club cards). If you're not going to gamble much, you won't get many deals.

-If you're sick/bored with Vegas (and driving), consider heading about an hour south to Laughlin. There's not much to recommend it, except the Colorado river is there, and it can be a lot of fun to rent a boat or jet ski and play in the cool water.

WOW THANK YOU all so much for your replies. These are so awesome! I do not gamble, since it were not for bad luck, I would have none at all. I was thinking of staying at a less expensive hotel, exactly for the reason that was stated. We will never be there. I was having dilemnas about what days to go, and figured a Sunday to a Thursday would bet. We have a package choice of Thursday to Sunday, or the other option. I figured during the week would be better.

I am going to absorb all this info ten fold. I am so glad I posted about this. I was not sure of the response. You are all stupendous! :tu: