Help booking a cheap vacation in Vegas from Midwest...

[Matt Reynolds]

Hey guys,

I'd like to take my wife to Vegas over Christmas break (we're teachers - so probably the week after Christmas).

Anyway, I know a bunch just went there for nationals. Any tips on booking cheap flights from St. Louis, KC, or Tulsa would be appreciated. Also want to stay in a nice but relatively cheap hotel/casino.

I was hoping to get a deal on 3-4 nights and be in and out for $1000 or so. Surely I can do that? I hear Vegas is the cheapest place in America to stay. And we aren't really gamblers - more just to get away and do some sight seeing.

Any help?

[Ryan Rhodes]

12-31 to 1-4; KC to LV; @ Circus Circus w/ rental car for $1095 @ Expedia. That's the best deal I could find and the only one in the $1000 range right after Christmas.

[Mike Westerling]

I was just looking at trips for 12/26-12/29 on expedia including flights, 3 nights hotel and car. If you stay over new years eve the price goes up considerably.

The cheapest on the strip was the Stratosphere if you fly out of st louis on the 26th at 2:22pm and come back on the 29th at 6am. Slightly more if you pick better flight times. (There were a few cheaper places by $25-50 that weren't on the stip that I wouldn't stay in if they were free-lol!)
$1220.28

Flying out of Tulsa with basically the same times and staying at the stratosphere the total was $1093.30

I personally would spend a few extra $$ and get and earlier flight in and a late flight out. That way you can spend a whole day there when you arrive and almost a full day before you depart. I would also consider staying somewhere a little nicer like mandaly bay with nice glass showers, his and hers bathroom sinks and a nice deep tub for 2. My wife loves those type of ammenities and Mandalay bay was by far her favorite place we stayed. However, if you don't really care how nice of a room you have and don't care if you are on the strip or not you could save maybe another $100 by staying in a travel lodge or some similar motel.

Flying out of Tulsa with better flight times on the same dates and staying at Stratosphere:
Leave Tulsa 12/26 at 6:55am and arrive in vegas at 9:36am
Depart Vegas 12/29 at 9:55pm and arrive Tulsa at 7:50am (next day)
Total: $1315.80


Flying out of Tulsa with better flight times on the same dates and staying in Planet Hollywood:
Leave Tulsa 12/26 at 6:55am and arrive in vegas at 9:36am
Depart Vegas 12/29 at 9:55pm and arrive Tulsa at 7:50am (next day)
Total: $1497.24
Pretty nice hotel and in the center of the strip. Also, there was a $25 buffet credit attached to this one.

Flying out of Tulsa with better flight times on the same dates and staying in Mandalay Bay:
Leave Tulsa 12/26 at 6:55am and arrive in vegas at 9:36am
Depart Vegas 12/29 at 9:55pm and arrive Tulsa at 7:50am (next day)
Total: $1565.54

Flying out of Tulsa with better flight times on the same dates and staying in Gold Spike Hotel (cheapest hotel, off strip but with good flight times):
Leave Tulsa 12/26 at 6:55am and arrive in vegas at 9:36am
Depart Vegas 12/29 at 9:55pm and arrive Tulsa at 7:50am (next day)
Total: $1247.24

I hope this helps. Have a great trip.
-Mike
PS I, my wife, and all our freinds hated Circus Circus by the way......

[Dave Bourgeois]

To tell you the truth Matt, I used a travel agent, and I got a better deal with them. I would check with one in your area and go from there.

[Matt Reynolds]

That all seems really expensive. I found plane tickets for $99 each way out of KC on the 31st and returning the 3rd. That $400 for ticket. Surely 3 nights won't cost me a ton at a hotel? Those packages seem crazy.

[Brandon Campbell]

if ya can afford it bro try and stay someplace better then circus circus and treasure island its worth it trust me.

three hotels i stay clear of on the strip are excalibur, circus circus, and treasure island. I stayed at all of them and the smoke and stuff really got to me. Each time i came home with a severe sinus infection.

Just a little info lol

[Eric Jett]

Sidestep.com is the best site I have used.

Quick lookup from KC to LV:

3-star hotels, a car, and plane fare for two(leave 26th, return 30th):
$749 and up

[AaRoNSnider]

Ill stay just about anywhere,but never want to go back to circus circus(and we didnt even stay there).Dealing with the hotel staff just to find the weigh in room,contest,and banquet locations was enough to make me quite angry and frustrated.I donthave much other advice on where to stay.We stayed at Paris,which was very nice,but we were only able to stay there because our room was comped.

[Mike Westerling]

The Luxor came up as one of the cheapest on the strip at an avg price of $167 per night on travelocity.

Americas Best Value Inn came up at $81. (off strip)

Hooters came up at $96.(off strip)

I've stayed at the Luxor and I would never go back. I heard Hooters isn't too bad but I've never even been inside it.

Don't forget the packages I originally listed include a car too. Which you'll need if you want to site see unless you are willing to pay for tours that drive you out to things which can get expensive. I personally thought the Stratosphere was okay and if I where going and trying to stay cheap I would stay there. Check the times on the $99 tickets you got. They could have you getting in at 10pm and leaving at 6am which means you miss 2 whole days there that you are paying for a room for.
Just something to think about,
-Mike

[Brandon Campbell]

The Luxor came up as one of the cheapest on the strip at an avg price of $167 per night on travelocity.

Americas Best Value Inn came up at $81. (off strip)

Hooters came up at $96.(off strip)

I've stayed at the Luxor and I would never go back. I heard Hooters isn't too bad but I've never even been inside it.

Don't forget the packages I originally listed include a car too. Which you'll need if you want to site see unless you are willing to pay for tours that drive you out to things which can get expensive. I personally thought the Stratosphere was okay and if I where going and trying to stay cheap I would stay there. Check the times on the $99 tickets you got. They could have you getting in at 10pm and leaving at 6am which means you miss 2 whole days there that you are paying for a room for.
Just something to think about,
-Mike


lol we dropped some asian tourists off at the american best value inn, its = to a motel 6 :LOL: doesnt mean its bad and its not really off the strip to far.

[Ryan Bakke]

if you are looking to score some heroin anywhere between the circus circus and the straosphere is the place to be. :LOL:

[Declan Mac Daid]

I stayed at the Venetian, yes it's expensive but that's the way I roll! In fact they sent me an email recently - $149 a night.

[Rachel Prince]

I'm headed to Vegas on the 21st through the 23rd. Good luck on under a grand...our flights were $700 for the two of us from Portland. But it is the weekend so you might find something better. I usually use priceline.com for places to stay...you choose the exact area and within 5 miles I think, the stars (I usually choose 2+) and you decide the price. The catch is, you are stuck with it once you pay and you don't know what it is until you pay. I've ended up in many nice executive suites for $50 a night. I always choose 2 stars and I have never been stuck in a gross motel. (I consider Super 8 gross)