So I finally got a chance to visit Las Vegas. Vegas was one of the places in the United States that has been on my travel bucket list forever, and I finally got to scratch it off!! Vegas…..was……LITTTTTTTT!!! It was so much to take in. I literally needed another week to be able to experience more. Although it was a good time, I wasn’t able to let my guard down because….hello, it’s Vegas!! Regardless if it was Vegas or France, I had to be aware of my surroundings and keep my belongings close. While I was at the airport, I sat next to a lady that was telling me that her phone was stolen right in front of her while she was playing the slot machine! She was distracted by the person that came up to her and started talking to her and WHAM…..there went her phone…and her good time. Since Vegas was so much to take in, I decided to break down my tips and take-always.
Tips:
BEWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS
The first thing I was told (from the bus driver from the airport) was to beware of our surroundings. He said, people will come up and talk to you and spark conversation with you to distract you, and before you know it, your wallet is gone. I recommend putting your important things inside of a zipped pocket inside of your bag or inside your bra, or in your hand. Never sit your belongings down unless you know you aren’t going to take your eyes off of them. If traveling with a backpack or purse, have your travel companion walk on the same side as your purse or backpack so that a set of eyes are always on it.
TRAVEL LIGHT
Don’t take your whole life with you when you are going anywhere in Vegas. Nine times out of ten you will be walking a lot, and the most annoying thing is having to tote a bag around that is 10lbs. Just bring your essentials, money (cash and a debit/credit card), sunglasses, phone, camera, water bottle. Less is more my friend.
STAY HYDRATED
Vegas is just plain hot for no reason at all. It has it’s own tier of heat in my eyes. It is a dry heat and when the wind blows it feels like heat is blowing. It’s rough my friend lol. Bring a water bottle with you. When you go out to eat, get a large to-go water with lots of ice and just refill it with your water bottle as it needs replenishing.
TALK TO YOUR CONCIERGE NOT THE EMPLOYEES
The concierge at your resort/hotel is there to work for YOU! They will give you the valid information you need to know. Tell them what you want to do and they will tell you where to do it, what to expect, and anything else you need to know about. For example, my friend and I wanted to go to see Tee Grizzley and also go to a day party, eat like locals (cheaply), zipline, etc., and our concierge Katie at the SLS made that happen for us. She was able to get us on the guest list for Tee Grizzley even after it had been sold out (we got to skip line and got 3 drinks free/person), she got us on the guest list for another day party (with a poolside table included), and she gave us the 411 on where to go to eat. NEVER talk to promoters or employees on the streets. They don’t work for you, they work for themselves. They are just hustling and know you are not from there and are out to get your money because they know you don’t know any better. Promoters will promise to get you into clubs and will try to get you to get a packaged deal and when you get to the event they are nowhere to be found. Your concierge 9 times out of 10 works directly with the clubs and venues and can talk to the people to get you on the correct lists. When we were put on lists we got texts from the people that work the actual events confirming us. When we got there they would pull us to the front of the line and the rest was history. Promoters disappear once they take your money, just because they have a company name on their shirt does not make them legit…STAY AWAY!
GROUPON
If you want to save money, Groupon is the first place to search. Just search nearby and there will be a ton of places nearby that will get you what you want for an affordable price.
USE THE BUS
The “Deuce” bus is what we used. It is $8 for 24 hours and it stops almost everywhere on the strip you will need to be. My suggestion would be to look on the board of the stops it is taking and make sure it is going the direction you will need to go. My friend and I learned the hard way. We wasted so much time by getting on the wrong Deuce because it took us the opposite direction than where we needed to be. We literally wasted hours when the places we needed to be were like 3 miles away from us. Ask someone operating the bus if necessar or ask your concierge how it works. I found the Deuce was cheaper than Ubering because $8 lasted 24 hours and you get on it as much as you need to with the ticket you get. With Uber, you have to pay for drop off and pick up. Taxis are a big no-no per they are the most expensive!
TRY NEW THINGS
Eat like locals instead of what you can have at home. Do things that you can only do in Vegas and no where else. Ask your concierge about free shows. Plan ahead and make sure you cross those things off of your trip bucket list. The worst thing is to get back home and realize you regret not doing this or not trying that. My friend and I told each other what we absolutely had to experience, and we made it happen.
DON’T SLEEP
Obviously I don’t mean don’t sleep at all. But sacrifice sleeping in and also try to go to sleep as late as possible. You can catch up on your sleep when you get home. You only have a limited time so get some Red Bulls and live it up love!
BE COMFY
There is a lot to see and you will be walking EVERYWHERE! Wear comfy clothes and shoes. It is hot year-round so dress accordingly. My friend and I regretted wearing heels to the pool party because when we got there hardly many other people did, and as soon as we sat down we took our heels straight off from all the walking we did walking into the venue. Everyone is different, use your own judgement.
ITEMS TO BRING
Sunblock
Case of water
Camera or cell phone
Comfortable clothes and shoes
Liquor: drinks typically start off at $30 at parties and that is just the cheap ones (like a shot of their house tequila). Go to Walgreens or the liquor store and pregame before you get to any parties unless they are giving you drink vouchers at the party
SHOP SMART
Get liquor from CVS or Walgreens and drink on your own as much as possible per it is cheapest this way. Get some waters to bring and have a reusable cup to refill it as necessary. Don’t overdo your shopping, there are souvenir shops that are $10 and below for everything so shop there first.
PREGAME ON YOUR OWN
This is a tip from my concierge and another local bus driver.
Drinks at events or wherever you go can be super expensive. For example, a shot of their house tequila can start off at around $30. My best suggestion is to pregame (with your CVS or Walgreen’s liquor) before you go anywhere. The only time I would say you are okay without pregaming is if you are on the guest list at a party and you know that they are supplying you with drink vouchers. When my friend and I went to see Tee Grizzley at Daylight, (at Mandalay Bay) we skipped line and they gave us three drink vouchers a piece.
PARTY!!!!
There’s no party like a Vegas party. The highlight of the trip for me was definitely the Tee Grizzley pool party we went to. Vegas is always lit so there is always going to be a celebrity making an appearance or performing where you are going. Eventbrite.com is really good for being in the know (or ask your concierge). If you’re interested, talk to your concierge about getting on the list to go see them. Go to a day party, or just bar hop. Even if you are going to Vegas through the week there is always going to be a lit party to go to (ask around which ones to go to on which nights).
I hope this helps someone. I can’t wait to plan my next trip to Vegas! Drop me some comments on your experiences and if you have any questions feel free to ask away. Have fun love and stay safe!!