There are a lot of misconceptions about Las Vegas that you might hear before you go; the main one being it is only good if you like to gamble. Although that may have been true in the past when it was all about spending most of your time in casinos and blowing all your money on the slots machines and game tables. Now, however, Las Vegas is a paradise for anyone to visit regardless of whether you want to hit the casinos, spend your time sightseeing, catching your favourite artist live in concert or just chilling by the pool with a cocktail in hand.

Before you go though, it is important to be aware of a few tips that will improve your overall experience, from things you must try to things you must avoid. Let’s take a look:

AIRPORT TRANSFERS

The first tip I want to give you starts before you even arrive at your hotel. DO NOT GET A TAXI from the airport to your hotel. It is a rip off. Not only do most of them try and take you the long way to bump the charge up but even if they don’t it still cost a lot more than getting an airport shuttle. Right outside the airport there are little huts where you can order a return shuttle for a fraction of the price and you will know exactly how much you are paying as opposed to the surprise you get jumping out your taxi to a $30-40 fare.

FREE/ CHEAP ALCOHOL

If you are a big drinker, heading to Vegas can certainly hit you hard in the wallet as the alcoholic drinks such as cocktails can cost a fortune in certain areas. The first thing you want to avoid is buying any drinks from the actual casino floor; the price of these is quite honestly ridiculous. The good news is, if you sit playing at a slots machine then the cocktail waitress will come and take your drink order for you and get you some drinks for FREE, this is something you certainly won’t get playing at an online casino. All you have to do is tip the waitress and keep playing your slots and they will return to you all night. A small tip of $2-3 per drink is a much better deal than paying $15-20 for certain cocktails if you order from the bar.

There are many places outside of the casinos where you can get much cheaper drinks such as $1 beers and $1 margaritas. so if you plan on drinking a lot then search these out as there are many on the strip. My personal recommendation would be to visit Ocean One Bar and Grille located in the Planet Hollywood Casino. In here you can get 3 (strong) cocktails for $10 plus all the lunch menu items are only $4.99.

GETTING AROUND

On your first time arrival in Vegas one of the first things you will notice is just how big the strip actually is. It may seem like a good idea to walk everywhere but after a few days it starts to wear on you and takes up quite a lot of your time. The deuce on the strip is a bus service that runs 24 hours per day taking you from one end of the strip to the other. For a few $ per day this will save you a lot of time and energy.

If buses aren’t your thing you might want to sign yourself up for a Lift or Uber account and use these services rather than going down the taxi route as mentioned earlier.

STAY HYDRATED

Vegas can get warm; in fact, really warm, so it is vitally important to stay well hydrated especially if you are drinking alcohol on a regular basis. However you should avoid buying your bottled water from the casino shops (up to $9 per bottle) or the street vendors you will see situated up and down the strip. Instead pop into one of the many Walgreens or CVS along the strip and get a case of bottles water from as little as $3.

SHOWS/ATTRACTIONS

As mentioned earlier, there is so much more to Vegas than just casinos, slots and alcohol. There are so many shows, attractions and concerts to go see that you will be spoiled for choice and most likely have to miss out many that you would ideally like to see. Before you go jumping right into the first deal you see for your favourite show, check out your local TIX4TONIGHT. They have small booths at certain points on the strip which give heavy discount on shows and attractions coming up over the next few days. Always check these out before you go paying full price from the casino where the show is playing. There’s an added bonus of something catching your eye that you may not have thought about.

HAVE FUN

Most importantly, have fun. Soak up the sun and see as much of the strip as you can.