Las Vegas, Nevada is a vibrant and popular travel destination throughout the year, with many options for entertainment, dining, shopping, and nightlife. The city is also known to be a relatively expensive destination. However, with a little planning, you can make the trip to Vegas on the cheap.
To make a trip to Las Vegas affordable, you can travel during times of the year when flight tickets or car rental fees are lower; find inexpensive accommodations away from The Strip; make a budget ahead of time, and practice cost-friendly dining while in town.
In the remainder of this article, we’ll review each of these tips in greater detail so that you can focus on having fun instead of funds on your next Vegas trip.
5 Tips on How to Travel to Vegas on the Cheap
From picking the right time of year to travel to making the right lodging and dining choices, planning for your trip to Las Vegas can save you a significant amount of money and help you stay within your travel budget. Here are five tips to help you make a trip to Las Vegas on the cheap.
1. Travel During the Cheapest Month to Go to Vegas
Because many of the popular destinations in Las Vegas are indoors, and the weather is temperate for most of the year, there is not a long “off-season” in the city. However, there are several months throughout the year when a trip to Vegas will be slightly less expensive.
In July and August, the two hottest months of the year in Las Vegas, hotel and flight prices drop slightly, as the town sees slightly reduced tourism. From mid-December through February, during and right after the holidays, Vegas also sees a slight decline in tourism and a corresponding drop in hotel and flight costs.
Also, do some research before you plan your trip to ensure that no conventions or major events like music festivals are happening in the city that will bring in huge crowds of travelers. Las Vegas is one of the biggest convention destination cities in the US. During big events, hotel rates and other rates will increase with the influx of travelers, and tourist destinations will be more crowded than usual.
Regardless of the season, you can also save some money by timing your trip in the cheapest part of the week for car rentals or hotels. Also, finding out the best day day to buy plane tickets could help you save quite a bit. Sundays through Thursdays are more inexpensive than weekends in terms of lodging, so if you’re able to make your trip during that portion of the week instead of over a weekend, you can save some money that way!
(Source: USA Today)
2. Find a Cheap Hotel in Vegas
You can also save money on lodging in Las Vegas by booking a hotel in a less expensive part of town. The Las Vegas Strip, a stretch of South Las Vegas Boulevard that features a high concentration of the most touristy hotels and casinos in the city, is a far more expensive place to find hotel rooms than nearby areas such as Downtown Vegas.
In Downtown Las Vegas, you’ll find far cheaper rates on hotel rooms, and will still be just a short distance from the action of The Strip.
As you search for hotel rooms, you may find it helpful to use a site like Expedia to seek out the lowest rates for rooms, both on The Strip and in Downtown Las Vegas. If you’re really looking for a deal and aren’t too particular about where you stay, a site like Priceline can usually find you the lowest rates on a room, if you agree to not find out the name of the hotel until after booking.
Again, like with flights and car rentals, booking a hotel during the week (Sunday night through Thursday night) rather than over a weekend will almost always provide you with many more affordable hotel options.
If you are willing to do your research, compare prices on various sites, book rooms early, and travel to Vegas on a week when no major conferences or events are going on.
Check out cheap flights to Las Vegas to get the best deals on plane tickets, places to stay, and more!
3. Budget for Vegas by Planning Ahead
An essential step in keeping your trip to Las Vegas affordable is to budget your trip out ahead of time. This can be relatively simple if you have a general plan of the lodging, travel, dining, and activities that your trip will include.
Consider your interests and general plans in the following travel categories, and do some research to figure out how much you should plan to spend in each category. (If you have a fixed budget for the trip, this will be an excellent opportunity to figure out how many and which activities, dining experiences, etc., you will be able to take part in during your trip.)
- Entertainment/Sightseeing: Las Vegas offers many options for shows and other activities every day. Your budget in this category will largely depend on your interest in seeing shows and sites and the types of entertainment you are interested in. In 2019, the average Las Vegas visitor spent $91.21 total on sightseeing and entertainment during a trip, or an average of $21 a day throughout their stay.
- Shopping: With many lavish designer stores and shopping malls, Vegas is a huge shopping destination. The amount you budget for shopping should depend, of course, on whether you plan to shop at all, and where you plan to shop.
- Food and Drink: There are many dining options in Las Vegas for all budgets and tastes. If you are operating on a tight budget but would still like to try some more expensive cuisine while in Vegas, it might be a good idea to leave room for one or two nicer meals by reducing your plans for spending in another category or planning inexpensive dining options for most of your other meals.
- Gambling: Part of Las Vegas’s reputation for being an expensive place to visit comes from its famous and ubiquitous gambling scene. Gambling can be one of the easiest ways to accidentally end up over-budget on your trip to Vegas. So if you plan to gamble, it is a good idea to budget a particular amount that you can spend throughout your stay on gambling, and stick to it.
- While the rates vary wildly depending on the person, the average traveler to Las Vegas in 2019 spent $591.06 total on gambling or an average of $134 per day.
- Lodging: Lodging rates will vary depending on how many people you are traveling with, where in the city you are staying, and the hotel you are staying in. As you budget your trip and book your hotel, make sure to pay close attention to any additional charges, such as “resort fees” or other fees, that may add to your total.
- Transportation: Your total trip cost will also include transportation to and from Las Vegas and transportation throughout the city while you are there. If you are flying to Vegas, then there are several options for getting around the city, with varying costs.
(For more information on how to travel on a budget, check out this article!)
4. Eat Like a King (or Queen) with a 24-Hour Buffet Pass
One cost-effective way to eat a whole lot of food during your trip to Vegas is to purchase a buffet pass.
These passes last 24 hours from the time of purchase, start at $69.99 per purchase, and qualify the purchaser for unlimited food at six different famous Las Vegas buffets:
- Caesars Palace
- Flamingo
- Harrah’s
- Paris Las Vegas
- Planet Hollywood
- Rio
5. Check Out These Cost-Friendly Places on the Las Vegas Strip
Even if you are out for a night on the Las Vegas Strip, there are relatively inexpensive dining and entertainment options. Here are just a few:
- Shake Shack: A favorite fast food option on the Las Vegas Strip is Shake Shack, a burger joint that will save you money and still provide you a delicious, filling meal.
- California Pizza Kitchen: Another great chain option on The Strip is California Pizza Kitchen, with great prices and a great patio for outdoor dining.
- Tacos el Gordo: If you are looking for authentic Mexican cuisine at a reasonable price, look no further than this taco spot.
- Yard House: With heaping portions and great happy hour specials, the Yard House in the LINQ on the Las Vegas Strip is an affordable option and a great one for large appetites.
- Earl of Sandwich: With two locations on the Las Vegas Strip (at Planet Hollywood and Caesar’s Palace), this is a great place to purchase a good and inexpensive sandwich while out and about.
- Moneyline Pizza & Bar: With affordable pizza and other options right on the Las Vegas Strip, Moneyline is a great place to stop with a group.
There are also quite a few affordable entertainment options on The Strip:
- The High Roller: With tickets starting at $21, the High Roller Ferris Wheel is a great way to take in a view of the Las Vegas Strip from 550 feet in the air. The price includes around 30 minutes in the wheel.
- Las Vegas Live Comedy Club: One of the most inexpensive shows you could attend in Las Vegas is a live comedy show at the Las Vegas Comedy Club, with tickets starting at $18.
- Neon Museum: With admission starting at $17 for adults, this quirky museum, which features over 120 iconic Vegas neon signs, is an inexpensive way to spend an afternoon in Vegas.
- Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art: A world-class museum with quality exhibits, the Bellagio costs just $18 and is right on The Strip. It provides an excellent opportunity to see some fine art amid all the kitsch of Vegas.
How Long Is the Vegas Strip from End to End?
Running about 4.2 miles, the Last Vegas Strip is a relatively expansive stretch of South Las Vegas Boulevard, which begins just south of the Las Vegas city limits. While it technically runs through the towns of Paradise and Winchester, this area is still commonly referred to as Las Vegas.
How to Get the Most Out of Your Las Vegas Trip
You will likely get the most out of your trip to Las Vegas if you plan ahead and schedule what you can in advance. This will enable you to budget for your trip accurately and save money on several purchases (such as lodging and transportation). You will then be able to dedicate the money you save for entertainment, shopping, dining, and other fun things while you are in Vegas.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, a trip to Las Vegas can be affordable and worth it with a little bit of planning and intentional budgeting. Try out all the above tips we covered here so you can make the most out of your next Vegas trip without breaking the bank.