Las Vegas Travel Tips: Accommodation, Tours & Getting Around
Las Vegas US in May 2006
(website blog links updated 2025)
VEGAS BABY, YEAH!
So, the plan was to leave LA in the morning, but the soccer was on, and the Cat and Fiddle was packed with Aussies, mostly from Adelaide! The American patrons must've thought we were bonkers as we jumped around, yelling at the TV and cursing the disallowed goals! Despite the chaos, it was a fantastic game, and we left happy, though we had to sprint to the bus stop in our soccer strips - not exactly the ideal outfit for California weather! 😅
We hopped on at Hollywood and then had to get off 20 minutes later in the sketchiest part of downtown L.A. Rushed off the bus, jumped into another line for Vegas, and finally snagged seats together. It was probably the comfiest Greyhound trip ever, no awkward knee-knocking with grumpy or fresh out of prison seatmates!
Arriving in Vegas, we stepped off the bus….and immediately started sweating - it was 47 degrees Celsius! 🥵 Got to the hostel and discovered the air conditioning was on for only half the day. Lucky me, I scored the bed next to the air con! LOL.
Second night, we hit up Barbary Coast (now called the Cromwell): $2 drinks (anything you want) plus $1 tips per drink. Our bartender, Fred, was a legend in his 50s, mixing drinks faster than I've ever seen!
First impressions of Vegas? WOW. Just... wow. Rolling into town on the bus, I was like, "Oh... my... gawd." Unbelievable place.
Oh, and thanks for all the birthday wishes! We celebrated in a HUMMER LIMO, baby! Over 20 of us, champagne flowing, lots of r&b. Met some interesting folks: a crazy Canadian from Montreal and a guy from Manchester who thought he was Texan after living in Texas for a year. Never thought I'd hear "y'all" and "innit" in the same sentence, but each to their own!
Got carded and rejected at Coyote Ugly (The New York New York Hotel Casino) on my 24th birthday; they thought my ID was fake. Ended up watching a band downstairs, which had a member from Earth, Wind & Fire - more my style and way better than girls dancing on the bar! 😂
Then we hit House of Blues, which was overrated and busy, so we headed back to Barbary Coast for $2 drinks and bartender Fred, the fastest hands in the West! LOL. There was a Chinese cover band and hilarious dance-offs, including one between a girl and a guy, who looked like a cool version of Steve Urkel. They'd strut their stuff, cross their arms, and wait for the other to copy. The crowd was in stitches.
After my birthday, we moved from the hostel to the Sahara Hotel (https://www.saharalasvegas.com/) This has since been renovated, it was an original rat pack hotel with lots of photos of the rat pack and well suited to me because anything crooners, big band or jazz, i’m in. We really enjoyed this hotel and two double beds, 24/7 air conditioning, and TV was just $3 more per night than the hostel! Buffets galore, perfect for our budget. We were stuffed 24/7, usually just one big meal a day, haha.
Nights were too sweltering to be outside, so we tried a bit of gambling, which in Vegas, comes with free drinks. You just tip the waitress a buck, so you can get Coronas for $1. Or if you're feeling fancy, Chivas Regal!
Checked out the daily free shows: Treasure Island and Bellagio’s water show and we filmed most of it. If you're in Vegas, you have to see the Bellagio water show. So cool!
Visited the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam - both were mind-blowing. Loved the Hoover Dam, especially at night. Our tour guide was a hoot, and we learned that if the Hoover Dam blew up, it would wipe out L.A. and San Diego. Yikes!
Crossed into Arizona (didn't know the Grand Canyon was there!) which was very kool and another state we visited. The Grand Canyon was... amazing. You walk up expecting "big hole in the ground" and instead just stand there feeling tiny. It goes on as far as you can see, layers of orange and red rock stacked up. Definitely one of those "you had to be there" moments - the pictures don't do it justice, but we took about a million anyway.
I also got to catch up with some family in Vegas. Some of my granny’s side of the family immigrated to the US and my first visit to see them was in New Jersey when I was 7. When they retired they moved to a suburban neighbourhood for retirees and it was nothing like Vegas - beautiful and serene. They took me out to lunch at their ‘local casino’ and I had my first Vegas buffet: prawns, salmon, desserts galore. Janine opted for the pool and missed out on the best desserts ever and I’m not even a dessert person.
We left Vegas $24 richer from Keno, with cheap drinks and a full belly. What more could you ask for?
Getting around Vegas:
Regularly caught "The Deuce," a bus that runs 24/7 down the Strip. Walking's doable, but you'll be drenched in sweat after two minutes, so The Deuce is great (and air conditioned) even if it’s slow as.
It serves the Welcome to Las Vegas sign, major Strip resorts (like Mandalay Bay, Bellagio, and Caesars Palace), the STRAT, and the Fremont Street Experience.
It is available 24 hours a day, arriving roughly every 15 to 20 minutes depending on the time of day.
Las Vegas Accommodation Recommendations:
Backpacker:
Recommend a budget hotel because there’s really good deals
Budget and Family Accommodation in Vegas:
Luxury Accommodation in Las Vegas:
Recommended Attractions in Las Vegas:
Cirque Du Soleil
Grand Canyon Tour
Includes:
Grand Canyon West entry ticket
Hoover Dam photo stop
Skywalk entry ticket (phones are now allowed) plus complimentary zipline (if skywalk option selected)
Pickup and drop-off at selected hotels
Transportation by air-conditioned bus with bathroom on board
Bathroom onboard the bus and panoramic windows
Professional guide, plus a separate driver
Freshly cooked, sit-down restaurant breakfast
Lunch (vegetarian/vegan/gluten free and chicken options are available)
Bottles of ice-cold water
VIP bus access at the canyon
Direct access to the canyon viewpoints
Vegas Tips
Best time to visit: Spring (March - May) or Autumn (September–November) - we went in June and it was already 47°C, so unless you love sweating, avoid peak summer.
Getting around: Skip the rental car on the Strip — The Deuce bus runs 24/7, is air-conditioned, and covers all the major resorts for a few dollars.
Budget tip: Buffets are your best friend for value, and gambling floors often mean free drinks if you tip your waitress a dollar.
Where to stay: Budget travellers do well on or just off the Strip (think The Linq); if you want old-school Vegas charm, the Sahara's rat-pack history is hard to beat.
Don't miss: The Bellagio water show (free, nightly, genuinely spectacular) and a Grand Canyon/Hoover Dam day trip if you have a spare day.
Nightlife: $2 drink specials still exist if you know where to look - ask locals or bartenders rather than sticking only to the big-name clubs.
For the adults
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Best Cheap Drinks in Las Vegas (2026 Guide)
Vegas isn't the bargain it used to be, but cheap drinks are still out there if you know where to look. Here's where to find the best drink deals on and off the Strip right now.
Cheapest Drink Deals in Vegas
Slots A Fun (The Strip) — $2 draft beer, plus $2 popcorn, hot dogs, and shrimp cocktail
Stage Door (behind The Cromwell) — $2 Bud Light, $5 Jack and Coke, cocktails under $10, all day
Excalibur casino bars (The Strip) — $3 margaritas, with a $2 tequila float add-on
These are as close to old-school Vegas pricing as you'll find in 2026 — no happy hour needed, since prices stay low all day.
Best Las Vegas Happy Hour Deals
Peppermill (near Wynn/Encore) — 3–6pm daily, rotating deals, plus a vintage Vegas atmosphere worth the visit alone
18 Bin — 5–8pm daily: $5 draft beer, $6 wine, $6 well drinks
Bin 702 — 3–6pm daily: $5 draft beer, $6 well cocktails, $7 wine, $20 bottle specials
Best Drink Deals for Groups
$16 beer pitchers — available at a handful of off-Strip bars during happy hour; split four ways, it's basically free beer
108 Eats & Drinks — 2-for-1 cocktails and appetizers, 3–7pm Monday to Thursday, plus 2-for-1 tower admission if you're visiting the STRAT
Standing Deals (No Happy Hour Required)
Most casino bars run $3 premium shots and $5 beers as a standing offer, any time of day — no clock-watching required.
Note: Vegas happy hour deals change often. Prices above are current as of 2026 — always worth confirming with the bar before you go.