Vacation in Vegas for Cheap

Let's face it, Vegas is expensive! Taking a trip there requires quite a wad of cash, and unless you win Megabucks, plan on leaving with an empty wallet. I love to travel to Vegas. Having family there always makes it worth the trip, and means that I have been there more times than I can count. When I go, I prefer not to spend all my money. Vegas is full of freebies and discounts, after all the hotels want you to spend your money while you are there, not on accommodations and travel. Here is where I look to help me save when I go to Sin City.

On line
There are numerous places that you can look on line for discounts. One of the best is www.vegas.com. This site always has current promotions and often times link to hotel websites for discounted booking.

On line travel sites are another good option. The key is to shop around; nobody saves money by taking the first thing that they see. Try Expedia and Travelocity first, if you don't want to book through them, take down the prices to see if the hotel or travel agent can match them. Hotels.com and Priceline are O.K., but beware that you don't get to pick your hotel; it is shown after you commit to stay.

Phone
Vegas hotels like to keep their guests happy. If you find a hotel that you really like, stay there every time you go. This will earn you points with the hotel and means that you are more likely to get great rates and coupons. Call the hotel you want to stay at and simply ask the agent if there are any discounts for your stay. Being nice to your agent is the best way to get them to hook you up!

Other
Go in the off season. Vegas is usually booming when it is the hottest. If you can plan your trip for another time of the year, you can usually get major discounts on rooms. Try early in the year, around February and March, or later like October and November. You will still have warm weather, but you won't suffer from heat stroke when you explore the strip.

Get to know a local. The Strip is one of the biggest tourist attractions around, but vendors and businesspeople want the locals to venture out there. Therefore they offer huge discounts, sometimes up to 50%, when a local books something. Knowing someone who can make the reservations for your is a major plus...trust me!!

Saving money on your Vegas vacation can help you to enjoy it more. Constantly thinking about how much things cost will definitely damper your trip. So before you go, regardless of the cost, make up your mind that the money is there to be spent, after all you worked hard to save for a vacation!