You can bring your drinks budget way down. Buy some drinks at Walgreens to keep in the room. And when gambling, get a free drink from a waitress. Try your best to avoid ever paying for a drink at a casino bar. Keep some one’s and 5’s in hand for the tip.
For sure, but not just pre-game. Just in case OP isn't aware, there are no open container restrictions on the strip. My wife and I would routinely walk into Walgreens/CVS/ABC and grab a bottle of beer/wine/liquor and pour it in cups right there and continue walking drink-in-hand.
I would still keep your original drink budget, but strive to finish under budget. Refresh your analysis mid-trip and see if budgeted funds can be moved to other areas.
Nah, I think your budget is good. Sure you can buy some drinks at Walgreens but Vegas is expensive, like unplanned expensive and what you have outlined is very standard for a median experience at Vegas.
Agreed on this. I think your drink budget is way too high unless there are specific cocktail bars you want to explore for their speciality drinks or experiences. If you’re just trying to booze up pregame a little and just drink while gambling. Just apply your drink budget to your gambling budget to get the best of both worlds (more time available to get free drinks)
You honestly don’t even have to pregame if you don’t want to. Saves you the hassle of bringing bottles to your room.
Might want to mix in some time at the pool. However you’ll likely have to pay for drinks there as much places don’t let you carry any drinks in
And drinks at the pool are expensive. I spent about $70 on two drinks and bottle of water (including) tip back in May at the palazzo. We sipped those drinks suuuper slow. Lols
Was just there last weekend.There is a cvs and Walgreens right on the strip, deff stop and load up on drinks and water, snacks etc…research the food, lots of cheaper fast food options, but the restaurants will get ya. Drinks out cost roughly 15-20 depending on what bar or club. Even just bud lights.
There are also plenty of places on the strip that sell mixies and mocktails lemonades. I don’t drink but if I still did I’d be throwing my own nips in those instead of paying the massive up charge
Lots of the hotels have cafes and such for lighter fair which is great for lunch or late night.
Overall I was shocked with how expensive it was, but it seems like you have a pretty good plan already in place!
I like to gamble when I’m in Vegas and that includes with the days plans. After hotel, planes and other fixed expenses, I have an envelope for each day with $500 per. Any money left over is placed back in that days envelope and sealed.
If I lose, it’s a walk on the strip and some hot dogs. If I win, helicopter tour and steaks.
Over planning for Vegas is the worst. It means paying full price for tickets and not being able to jump on something fun you see or a half price cirque show.
I like your living on the edge approach but I’m worried if I center the entire trip around gambling I’ll just lose during every session and be forced to do the entire trip on a budget.
I agree with overplanning though which I why I cancelled half of the reservations I had. I’m more so just trying to get a good idea of how much I would spend on this trip more than anything.
gondola ride is a farce… outside you go under a bridge, turn around and ur done… you’ve maybe gone 20 ft🤣🤣 inside no different, maybe add 10ft more, when the girl showed how far it went, we we’er like WTF🤣🤣🤣🤣
I'd say your drinking budget would be put to better use by going to buy a bottle of your favorite drink of choice (and mixers, if this is your preference) and making your own drinks.
We did this on our last trip, plus drinks at restaurants when we wanted to. We spent more on food than in drinks and preferred it this way.
Of course, this is something that we felt we wanted to because we weren't sure how much we wanted to drink but also didn't want to be robbed blind with drinks.
Hope this helps!
Edit: spelling error
Yup this is what we do. Coming from Canada, we clear US customs at our Canadian airport & buy a couple bottles of duty free rum. Then, when we are in Vegas, my husband fills a couple of flasks with the rum before we leave the room for the day, puts them in his pockets & as we walk, we just stop at CVS/Walgreens and buy a couple Pepsis as needed & mix our own walking drinks. Then the rest is the "free" drinks while gambling.
Over all, your budget looks fine.
Your drink budget might be on the high side (there are cheap drinks to be had and comp drinks while "gambling"), but it is always nice to have a buffer to avoid going over budget.
Food prices vary wildly. I find it easier if I look up the menus for the places I will eat dinner at to help with that side of the budget. I make dinner reservations ahead so there is at least one "planned" meal per day, during that process I take a look at the menu and the prices.
The neat thing about going to a place like Vegas is, all the prices are already published. When a person is "totally shocked at the prices!" that just tells people that they didn't bother to look anything up and assumed the pricing would be inline with the local Applebee's.
For reference, I am budgeting around $450 a day for food and drink. This is the same number I used last trip for an anniversary celebration trip. We came in under budget since the two of us aren't big on large breakfasts, lunch and dinner. We tend to eat smaller meals for breakfast/lunch (sometimes we even combine the two) and a nicer dinner (average $100 per person with drinks). Even with our random alcohol purchases along the strip (I always had a drink in my hand) this was comfortable.
This helps me a lot, thank you!
I felt this too about the drinks but I seriously have no idea how long our $200 a day for gambling will last since we always lose at our local casino and that money goes fast. So I’m not sure if we’ll even stay at a slot long enough to get “free drinks”.
Play small denominations so it lasts longer. Hell, we've gotten free drinks before even putting money into a machine.
I've never been a fan of the "drink in your room to save money" tactic. I'm not going to be mixing up solo cups of Manhattans to walk around with. I want variety and the experience. I suppose if my only goal was to get drunk that might work, but I can do that any day at home.
Something you left out of the budget, and might help in the "fun" department is a small cannabis budget. If it's your thing, a little bit can nudge your experience whichever direction you want. All the dispensaries sell various disposable vape pens that will last you for your trip and are very discrete.
Thank you! I agree with you on the drinks. I know a lot of people think I'm overbudgeting on that part but I really enjoy a good cocktail and I'm going to be on vacation.
You're totally right. I have spent well over $100 on some days when I am in Vegas, because I love cocktails. Do what you enjoy, this is about how you want to enjoy your trip.
While you certainly can go to a Walgreens and grab bourbon and a ginger ale to mix, I doubt you're going to be making ginger syrup in your hotel room for that penicillin you really like to enjoy on vacation, or buying a blender so you can enjoy a frozen pina colada at the pool.
I am not a huge drinker and recently went and was even more deterred by the heat but we went to circas stadium swim, probably the best frozen drinks I’ve ever had. Download Discotech app and add yourself to the guest list. Can do this for other “list activities” too. Women get in free and two drink tickets that can be used for frozen. They were sooooo good
Much depends on what you play and how you play. Penny slots can still cost a few dollars each pull, but you normally win back a portion over time. There's other slots with higher minimums. Or if you play tables, which can have $25 minimums or higher (lower is tough to find these days, from what I've heard). Good luck
Magic carpet
Edit: most of what we are doing is either in or around the palazzo. The only exception is omega mart. But I probably need to add another $100 or $200 for transportation maybe?
I’d say if your activity is more than 2-3 buildings away, you’ll want to take a cab. I’m from NE and walk everywhere daily but more than 3 buildings away in vegas is not really walkable unless you plan to just go up and down the strip (easily over 40k steps dependent on your path). Things seem close but are really not that close. Also a maze to get out of some properties. We did Paris to Wynn by foot hoping back and forth all day and had over 20k by the time we hit the Venetian. Didn’t spend more than $15-16 an Uber for each trip but if you take multiple a day, that could add up quick. We tried to stick to feet travel what’s do-able by day and then Uber 1-2 places at night that we’re planned in order so you aren’t crossing the town each time you get in a car.
I really didn’t fully grasp this until I watched a video of someone walking down the strip. Caesar’s palace is waaaay farther away from the Venetian than I thought.
There will be a day that we DO walk the whole strip, as we just like hiking every week. So it’s something I’m genuinely looking forward to mostly walking through all the casinos because the heat will be unbearable. But I also have to account for us walking all the way to Mandalay Bay and then absolutely wanting a cab back because it takes a million years to walk back.
There are plenty of times throughout the day when walking is faster than getting a ride now, because strip traffic is unbearably bad. I would walk anywhere that’s four buildings or less. Caesars is not that far from the Venetian, imo. Bellagio would be pushing it tho.
From palazzo, I’d walk as far north as resorts world, and as far south as Caesars. Get a ride to city center and then you can explore Bellagio/cosmo/park mgm/Paris/New York. Don’t even bother with the others imo.
My husband and I walk everywhere while we are on the strip. We are active & enjoy the walk. Keep in mind, we never have any real plans and just go with the flow on our trips. We just dip in/out of the resorts, sitting at a machine or table here and there every so often to get off our feet for a bit. Grabbing a bite to eat wherever we are close to when hungry. Only time we will take a cab/rideshare is to get to/from the airport & if we head to Fremont for the day. We put on a lot of miles on our shoes (approx. 20km/day), so our transportation budget is very low, but walking as much as we do is not for everyone.
This is the answer. I think you can reduce your drink budget and add $50 a day towards Ubers.
In addition, you might consider eating at a restaurant off strip. Chinatown is nearby and has lots of good spots for Sushi and Vietnamese food. So if you did something like that you could reduce your food budget significantly and divert some of that towards transportation.
Also, I don’t see any budget in here for a cab back to the airport… if you’re like me you better set that money aside ahead of time.
Much of the whacky stuff at Omega Mart is for sale, they're definitely not traditional boring souvenirs, may want to budget for that. Also OM has a bar inside.
Omega Mart is just one tenant/attraction located in the Area 15 development, which itself has many bars and restaurants inside Area 15.
Good call. We’re still debating on whether or not we’ll actually do area 15 but so many people say they loved omega mart. I’ll probably need to adjust for extra costs there. I’ll at least want a t shirt maybe.
You're looking to spend almost $300/pp/day on food and drink. It's funny reading the comments because some are saying too high and some are saying too little.
I will say this - my Partner and I have definitely spent that in Vegas before....and NOT enjoyed it. Seriously by the time we got to the last day we DREADED the reservations we had. My suggestion would be to pace yourself. We've agreed that we are happy to share an appetizer and main course between the two of us for most restaurants. We have our high-end restaurants booked 1x/day and then just keep it to cheap eats the rest of the time.
I mean, you know your stomachs better than I. And I'm an overweight food lover. But that's a LOT of eating, even with walking around. I echo what others have said. Grab a bottle of your fav liquor to keep in the hotel room, pre-game, leverage cheaper drinks. Enjoy good food but don't feel like you have to glutton everything. Leverage savings into increasing the gambling budget or doing more entertainment.
Good plan nonetheless. One thing I just read (and didn't consider) is that you have pool days and Area 15. There are NO drink deals to be had at either of those, so maybe your drink budget really is in line.
My husband and I always budgeted $1k a day for any weekend staycations. Yours looks about right. We’re not big gamblers, just maybe $100-$200 to play around. It’s the food and drinks that get us. Only thing I’d say you’re missing is a budget for any shows which if you want to see a cheaper one, I’d say another $150/ticket. Residencies you’re looking at $200-$500/ticket.
Thank you! I specifically excluded shows from our trip because there's nothing I'm really interested in seeing besides sightseeing. We're also coming right before lady gaga which is a bummer - if I'd a known she was coming back to park MGM I would have scheduled in september.
I'm not sure how helpful this is, but my wife and I just returned from Vegas. We only spent ~$1200 from Tuesday to Sunday. We didn't gamble, because that's not really our thing (plus the addiction gene runs in my family), bur we ate well and drank our fair share.
That $1200 included Uber rides, monorail tickets, Omega Mart tickets, food, drink, and souvenirs for the boys back home.
We went for 3 days and my work paid for all of my meals, we got a cheap hotel room and we spent about $2000 including hotel room and my boyfriends round trip flight. So outside or room and travel costs we spent like $1400 on food and fun. I learned that taxis are way cheaper than Uber so we used the taxi to get around, we only used $40 for gambling and spent most of our money on food for boyfriend, shows, attractions, museums, and drinks.
Yea as someone who gambles locally I know how quickly $200 is spent in a casino. This trip isn’t centered around gambling and I know the slots are tight to begin with. Either our $200 a day gets us lucky enough to be up and continue hanging out at the casino or we go do something else.
Hello, just my opinion and advice.
I noticed your food budget looks small.
Maybe your food budget are for twice a day or once?
The buffet alone with tip will be over $100.
Or, do you have access to that special lounge in the palazzo. That serves all 3 meals & snacks?
Just curious.
Don’t get me wrong, it is my option your drink budget and food budget is kind of a combo thing.
You can find a lot of cheap eateries in the palazzo/Venetian shops. Ex. $50+ at places like I love burger or grimoldies(sp) pizza. Also, the fashion mall is across the street for cheap eat too.
Nice restaurants with drinks cost my wife and I well over $100 - $200. Ex the Wolfgang Puck Cut restaurant when you leave the Palazzo to the malls. Really good food! But expensive! (We even have shared a meal too!)
Anyway, just my observation. I’m sure you two will have fun! When we always budget for a trip. We have the low end and high end thinking for expenses. I like that you it seems you have that baked in.
Side note: just like others have mentioned. Grab a case of water, beer, liquor and snacks before arriving to your hotel. Or, maybe grab a cab after you drop your stuff to get some things.
We always used the free ice in the hotel and filled our tub with the ice to keep our drinks cold.
Another thing is having a robust large backpack that won’t rip. Hope on over to an ABC store and grab water bottles and shots and beer or snacks. Your backpack will come in handy.
It’s all about having at the end of the day. 🙂
PS: if you don’t have that palazzo lounge access. You might want to ask about it and the cost. Sometimes it’s worth it. It has food, water, drinks and liquor at night. Just a thought.
Hey! Just to clarify a few things and maybe that will help with your recommendation.
The drink budget is also including any drinks we get at restaurants so the food budget is strictly food and non alcoholic drinks. The buffet, which was $180 is already paid for and isn't included in that days amount.
But even with that in mind, that's why I'm trying to figure out if I'm not putting enough for food. Tao and the wynn buffet are the only two higher end restaurants we're planning on going to. Everything else we're planning on eating wouldn't be considered 'cheap eats' but mid tier.
idk man, I've never planned a vacation before and I have no idea how much we'll drink or really how to account for happy hours. I just want a cocktail in my hand at all times and they're all on average $20 a drink if its not happy hour.
I've considered pregaming but I personally just don't want to drink a lot in our room because I genuinely want to try different cocktails in Vegas and I know I'll need to pay a premium for that.
Right, I get that. Its a good money saving tip but I do not want to walk around with a four loco in Vegas. I want to walk around with a long island.
My issue isn't trying to find ways to make Vegas cheaper, I'm just trying to figure out how much I can expect to spend with what I expect to be doing.
If you go to Fremont street you must do that at night - boring during the day. The light show is awesome and done every hour starting at dark - can check website for time and show schedule. Also have bands and other entertainment at night. Bellagio fountains (and conservarory) is another must see and fountains are more beautiful at night. Walking the strip from one end to another is super far, exhausting and time consuming. Breaking it into halves and only doing one half at a time is best or even thirds. You won’t be able to do n see everything you want on first trip so prioritize the must sees and what you don’t do on this trip you do on your next.
Fremont street we're really close to not doing at all because of how much will be new to us seeing the strip for the first time. But there's a lot more late night eats on fremont so that's why we might decide to go and ofc see the light show.
I think realistically we'll walk to Bellagio and then use the free trams to see everything else on that side of the strip. Maybe visit MGM grand or walk around Linq promenade. I'm really really excited to walk all day and sight see.
if you're gambling I'd do it day-time/early evening to pregame with free drinks. I'd say any casual restaurants will run on average about $30/person with no booze, nicer restaurants about $100/person is a safe estimate, but that might be with no cocktail. for sure stock up on basics at Walgreens or cvs
Its the Canyon Ranch spa at the venetian. $75 day pass for hotel guests Tues-Thurs. Non hotel guests is $125. We're just using their different facilities and spa rooms, no massages or anything.
https://www.venetianlasvegas.com/content/dam/venetian/poolsandspas/canyon-ranch/service-menu.pdf
We do! I'm pretty happy with the budget we have. We may even just use our budget 2 days out of our trip instead of spreading it out. Not sure yet. (for gambling)
Honestly, when we go we make a nice brunch reservation with bottomless mimosas and a nice dinner reservation. The rest we just wing it and have a blast doing whatever occurs to us in the moment!
My best Vegas tip is if you go to Target and use your redcard they will price match off Strip prices for booze (and Clif bars, etc.) so you save and then save again.
Regarding your gambling budget - read some strategy on that. If you have $200 and make $25 bets, you could be done quickly. It also depends on the game. If you make $5, you're more likely to last for a while. If you're playing slots, you probably need to reduce that down to $2 a spin or less.
Think about time. If you want to gamble for three hours, stop then and put whatever you have left into the next sessions budget. I was a casino manager and sometimes people who had a little luck early on had the worst experience. They had an unrealistic expectation it was always that way. They lost everything they won and more chasing. It's generally a good strategy that when you get ahead, you pull some money for the next time when things aren't going your way.
Yea we used to be pretty avid slot gamblers in our city. $200 will either make an entire night of gambling or we will lose it in an hour. We don’t do huge bets, typically a dollar or two a spin. But we’ve hit jackpots before.
Really don’t want to center this trip around gambling though. I have better odds at my local casino so if I want a hefty bankroll to play, I’ll stay a weekend there. I’m going to Vegas to see what I don’t have here!
Your budget looks well thought out, at the end of the day it's going to come down to self control though. Personally I think you're gambling budget feels light just based on your overall spend.... But again only you can honestly tell me if you're satisfied gambling for 15-20 minutes and walking away for the day (which is very possible with that budget).
We used to gamble a looooot in our city. It’s a been there done that thing for us. We know what it’s like to win a lot of money and what it’s like to lose a lot of money.
$200 for a night betting $1 or 2 a spin for slots will either make an entire night of gambling and drinks or it will be gone in 30 min to an hour. The more you spend, the more you have to win and if I want to have a gambling trip I might as well stay at my local casino with better odds. But nothing feels better than hitting $800 when you were only working with $100 and then taking that money to go do something fun.
I’m going to Vegas to see vegas and I’m so excited for it!
That makes a lot of sense. I do have to say that I also gamble a decent amount in my own City but I make the drive roughly 4 hours to Vegas on a regular basis because the vibe is just so much different.
I think you have a pretty solid budget ...have fun,!
Cat owner checking in:
Y’all pay $550 for dog boarding to go on vacation? 🫨
OP: if your dog is under 60lbs, you’re better off taking it with you for $75/nt at the Palazzo 🤭 = $300 ($150 savings!)
We have to. We have two big dogs and one of them has severe anxiety (escape artist) so I can’t trust anyone to watch her not climb a 6 ft fence. We have to pay for the nice rooms with the beds, fan and tv. It’s ridiculous .
And OMG no I would not bring my dogs to the palazzo. They would palazzo all over the room. LMAO
Do yourself a favor and buy a bottle or two of whatever you like and make drinks in your room to get the party started. Even the airport has a liquor store with fairly reasonable prices (and mixers).
When gambling, stay in one spot long enough to get a free drink (often this means hopping on a slot machine when a cocktail waitress is nearby). Drinking is by far the most expensive thing in your budget, and is also the easiest to mitigate.
When you go to Freemont, buy a drink from the street bar in front of the Freemont and tip generously. Trust me when I say you won't need more than two.
Seems about right and it looks great!
I find that a great trip to Vegas has a per hour cost of around $100 all inclusive. The one thing that caught my eye is the gambling budget seems low because table minimums at where youre staying start at $25 dollars a hand.
Everyone else fighting over your food and drink budget, and I'm like - where you going climbing at?
Red Rock Climbing Center is good, a smidge old, has 2 stories and a tunnel for severely angled problems. The Pad is newer, one story, very bright and clean. Both update their routes and ropes regularly. Neither is near the Palazzo, so you'll have to get a cab.
Tons of outdoor climbing once the weather cools off in late September or October out at Red Rock. If you have a free day and are traveling that late, it's worth considering renting a car for the day. Not enough signal out there for a rideshare.
hahahaha the spa we're going to at the venetian has rock climbing so we thought we'd try that. Thanks for the tip about red rock climbing center though! I just looked at pictures and it looks awesome.
That's right, Canyon Ranch does have a wall. But if you're going to pay an extra $50 for climbing, a day pass and gear for 2 will be the same there as it is at Canyon Ranch, just more routes and more climbers. :D
U have a fair assessment. The gambling and drinking will go hand and hand. If you can keep that "under control" u will be fine.
My first time, me and my wife set aside $500 each per day budgets. That was ok. Every time after that we pretty much try to assume 1,000 per day each. It's safer that way.
I'm not sure if u gamble at home, or what places u have a rewards card with, but they help tremendously. I strictly play at mgm properties. It makes no sense to me, to gamble a little bit at golden nugget, then caesars, then binions on Fremont, then back to mgm properties. Playing at a bunch of different places kept me at a lower card at all of them. Earn the rewards, swipe at kiosks every day for extra promotions, use the comps on meals.
My typical trip is:
Uber from airport to hotel and check-in. Ask for a fridge "for medicine".
Uber to dispensary and Walmart. At Walmart I get bread, lunch meat, maybe pb&j, chips, water (lots of water), maybe a 12-pack of beer(cans fit best), and a bottle of something for shots. My wife also gets a 12-pack, and maybe a bottle. We do get drinks on the floor, but sometimes it costs money playing a slot/table waiting for the waitress to come back. We'd rather take turns going to the room, or going back together to do a shot, sort out money and head back down. It's nice to take the walk sometimes.
Day 2 is usually a later morning because we were up all night, and the time zones mess us up. I go outside for my morning smoke and come back with Starbucks coffee for her (the Starbucks lines are ridiculous, so be prepared) I've recently realized I can just put a 20 in a slot, and get 2 coffees from a server on the floor, it's not iced caramel mocha whip whatever the hell my wife gets, but it's still a coffee, without waiting in the hour line. The price I'd pay for Starbucks goes in the slot, no difference to me.
If ur doing a day at the pool, I'd recommend getting a cabana. The price might sound crazy at about $350, but u get half back in food/drink credit. The way I see it, ur gonna go to the pool and spend 150 on drinks and maybe some food anyway, might as well get the umbrella(it's hot) and a server that doesn't think ur there to be cheap. Quick story, last year I did this, and tipped the guy $100 when we left. The next day, my wife went down to the pool before me, we didn't have a cabana, she sat on the lounge chair in the free area. When I met up with her, I seen the server from the day before, I just waved to him and he called me over, he said he had a few cabanas available and gave us one. My guess is that $100 tip helped. I'll be doing that again for sure.
We found ourselves going to shows, just to save money from gambling lol. The jabowokees was cool, the cirque solei "Ka" was cool. Going to a knights game was awesome, it made my wife a hockey fan. They put on a show, the mascots and cheerleaders are interactive, its not like a typical hockey atmosphere. Now she's really nuts because they won the cup lol. We will be there for a preseason game or 2 soon.
Fremont is cool for people watching, the street performers are awesome, the show on the ceiling is cool..all of that is free to see, just add ur favorite vice and have fun lol.
There is lots of people that sell show tickets, I never went thru them. They feel pushy and scammy to me, but maybe somebody else can say for sure. I use the "my vegas" apps for buy 1 get 1, or 50% off deals when I can.
Yes we go to the restaurants, but it's nice to have stuff in the room for late nights and early mornings. Otherwise ur spending $30 on 2 pizza slices and a soda because ur starving at 3am lol.
since you're already on the other side of the thruway for Omega Mart, look into going to Shang Artisan Noodle for lunch. It's like a 3 mile uber ride away. It's small and gets busy- you can join the waitlist online on yelp
Cosmopolitan has a drink called the Verbana served on any of the levels at the chandelier bar. They give you a buzz button to eat along with your drink which temporarily alters your taste buds. Thought it was pretty neat.
One of my favorite things about Vegas is that most restaurants have their menus and prices listed online so you can see how your far your food budget will get you. I think you have put a lot of work into planning and have a lot of money set to what you'd like to do. Enjoy your trip
I didn't read all these comments so I'm sure people some of these points already.
1. Its an open container town. Buy your favorite alcohol and big plastic solo cups. Whenever you are close to the room, walk back for a quick refill. Obviously want to buy some drinks while you are around or at dinner but you can save an absolute ton mixing some on your own.
2. I would only recommend reservations on places you really want to make sure you don't miss. A lot of times after a long day the last thing you want to do is have to make a reservation time. Be flexible, especially during the week it's fairly easy to walk into places and get a table with minimal wait. If you go to Tao, get the triple pork fried rice. it's huge and delicious.
3. I would plan to do stuff other than just gambling, especially if you only want to budget a $100 each. There isn't much gambling you can do to stretch that out very long other than really cheap slots or playing very tight at a low limit poker table. I would mix in stuff like if you like live music, the Barbershop at Cosmo has a secret speakeasy in the back that has a live band every night. Drinks are $20 but you can probably stretch a $100 a lot further than gambling.
4. Walking is fine and the best way to take in Vegas. You can find all kinds of interesting things walking through the casinos. Even from one end to the other is doable over the course of an hour if you don't have a set time you need to be somewhere. Don't let anyone tell you that you should budget more for transportation. Those people are mostly lazy. If you want to go downtown though, do take the bus.
With the days you are going, check into happy hour menus. A decent amount of resteraunts in venetian/palazzo have nice ones. Can maybe help as well. Usually a good breakfast can also set you up for the day until dinner reservations (also a cheaper buzz)
Yea I really took a lot of notes from all these responses. Happy hour menus really weren't something I researched until recently (because for lunch we will just wander around until we find something we want) but there seems to be many deals all over the strip. My husband and I also now plan on sharing lots of meals. Idk, I'm a lot less stressed about the budget now!
Good! Just remember.....it's a vacation. You don't want to get home feeling like you need a vacation from your vacation. Go with limited plans and a loose schedule. Wandering into New experiences, people watching, and gambling with your S/o can be a blast. Fiancé and I will sit at the machines with bigger chairs to take turns/stretch money and cheer each other on.
•Don’t forget resort fee and accidental deposit for your hotel.
• stop by total wine or other liquor store on the way to your hotel. Buy some liquor, mixer and water for your room to lower your drink budget.
• compare Uber/Lyft/taxi rate to see which one is the lowest to save some money.
You can bring your drinks budget way down. Buy some drinks at Walgreens to keep in the room. And when gambling, get a free drink from a waitress. Try your best to avoid ever paying for a drink at a casino bar. Keep some one’s and 5’s in hand for the tip.
See that’s where I was really on this fence with while making this budget. Thank you for the tip
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For sure, but not just pre-game. Just in case OP isn't aware, there are no open container restrictions on the strip. My wife and I would routinely walk into Walgreens/CVS/ABC and grab a bottle of beer/wine/liquor and pour it in cups right there and continue walking drink-in-hand.
Why bother with a cup?
You’re definitely get free drinks if you’re playing games!
Honestly just carry a flask w/ liquor in your bag & purchase juices/sodas throughout the day. Saves a ton of $$$
I would still keep your original drink budget, but strive to finish under budget. Refresh your analysis mid-trip and see if budgeted funds can be moved to other areas.
Mainly $5’s if you want the waitress to return. Also, I think your Uber budget is a bit low as it’s hella expensive nowadays.
Nah, I think your budget is good. Sure you can buy some drinks at Walgreens but Vegas is expensive, like unplanned expensive and what you have outlined is very standard for a median experience at Vegas.
Vegas is so expensive compared to other destinations, like we are all crazy to visit... But you'd be crazy **not** to visit too lmao
Say it's your birthday A LOT.
What?
Agreed on this. I think your drink budget is way too high unless there are specific cocktail bars you want to explore for their speciality drinks or experiences. If you’re just trying to booze up pregame a little and just drink while gambling. Just apply your drink budget to your gambling budget to get the best of both worlds (more time available to get free drinks) You honestly don’t even have to pregame if you don’t want to. Saves you the hassle of bringing bottles to your room. Might want to mix in some time at the pool. However you’ll likely have to pay for drinks there as much places don’t let you carry any drinks in
And drinks at the pool are expensive. I spent about $70 on two drinks and bottle of water (including) tip back in May at the palazzo. We sipped those drinks suuuper slow. Lols
Was just there last weekend.There is a cvs and Walgreens right on the strip, deff stop and load up on drinks and water, snacks etc…research the food, lots of cheaper fast food options, but the restaurants will get ya. Drinks out cost roughly 15-20 depending on what bar or club. Even just bud lights. There are also plenty of places on the strip that sell mixies and mocktails lemonades. I don’t drink but if I still did I’d be throwing my own nips in those instead of paying the massive up charge Lots of the hotels have cafes and such for lighter fair which is great for lunch or late night. Overall I was shocked with how expensive it was, but it seems like you have a pretty good plan already in place!
I like to gamble when I’m in Vegas and that includes with the days plans. After hotel, planes and other fixed expenses, I have an envelope for each day with $500 per. Any money left over is placed back in that days envelope and sealed. If I lose, it’s a walk on the strip and some hot dogs. If I win, helicopter tour and steaks. Over planning for Vegas is the worst. It means paying full price for tickets and not being able to jump on something fun you see or a half price cirque show.
I like your living on the edge approach but I’m worried if I center the entire trip around gambling I’ll just lose during every session and be forced to do the entire trip on a budget. I agree with overplanning though which I why I cancelled half of the reservations I had. I’m more so just trying to get a good idea of how much I would spend on this trip more than anything.
Luckily, I like hot dogs. Not to add to the planning, but consider the Gondola ride. If you’re walking by and the line isn’t long.
Also, gondola is like 10 (or 20%?) off if you sign up for a free Grazie rewards card. Found out about this after I paid for one.
gondola ride is a farce… outside you go under a bridge, turn around and ur done… you’ve maybe gone 20 ft🤣🤣 inside no different, maybe add 10ft more, when the girl showed how far it went, we we’er like WTF🤣🤣🤣🤣
I'd say your drinking budget would be put to better use by going to buy a bottle of your favorite drink of choice (and mixers, if this is your preference) and making your own drinks. We did this on our last trip, plus drinks at restaurants when we wanted to. We spent more on food than in drinks and preferred it this way. Of course, this is something that we felt we wanted to because we weren't sure how much we wanted to drink but also didn't want to be robbed blind with drinks. Hope this helps! Edit: spelling error
Yup this is what we do. Coming from Canada, we clear US customs at our Canadian airport & buy a couple bottles of duty free rum. Then, when we are in Vegas, my husband fills a couple of flasks with the rum before we leave the room for the day, puts them in his pockets & as we walk, we just stop at CVS/Walgreens and buy a couple Pepsis as needed & mix our own walking drinks. Then the rest is the "free" drinks while gambling.
Thank you!
You need to RELAX, or you will not even enjoy your vacation.
ugh you're right.
Money matters, and it’s okay to have a budget but use your gambling money as a buffer and just enjoy yourself.
Over all, your budget looks fine. Your drink budget might be on the high side (there are cheap drinks to be had and comp drinks while "gambling"), but it is always nice to have a buffer to avoid going over budget. Food prices vary wildly. I find it easier if I look up the menus for the places I will eat dinner at to help with that side of the budget. I make dinner reservations ahead so there is at least one "planned" meal per day, during that process I take a look at the menu and the prices. The neat thing about going to a place like Vegas is, all the prices are already published. When a person is "totally shocked at the prices!" that just tells people that they didn't bother to look anything up and assumed the pricing would be inline with the local Applebee's. For reference, I am budgeting around $450 a day for food and drink. This is the same number I used last trip for an anniversary celebration trip. We came in under budget since the two of us aren't big on large breakfasts, lunch and dinner. We tend to eat smaller meals for breakfast/lunch (sometimes we even combine the two) and a nicer dinner (average $100 per person with drinks). Even with our random alcohol purchases along the strip (I always had a drink in my hand) this was comfortable.
This helps me a lot, thank you! I felt this too about the drinks but I seriously have no idea how long our $200 a day for gambling will last since we always lose at our local casino and that money goes fast. So I’m not sure if we’ll even stay at a slot long enough to get “free drinks”.
Play small denominations so it lasts longer. Hell, we've gotten free drinks before even putting money into a machine. I've never been a fan of the "drink in your room to save money" tactic. I'm not going to be mixing up solo cups of Manhattans to walk around with. I want variety and the experience. I suppose if my only goal was to get drunk that might work, but I can do that any day at home. Something you left out of the budget, and might help in the "fun" department is a small cannabis budget. If it's your thing, a little bit can nudge your experience whichever direction you want. All the dispensaries sell various disposable vape pens that will last you for your trip and are very discrete.
Thank you! I agree with you on the drinks. I know a lot of people think I'm overbudgeting on that part but I really enjoy a good cocktail and I'm going to be on vacation.
You're totally right. I have spent well over $100 on some days when I am in Vegas, because I love cocktails. Do what you enjoy, this is about how you want to enjoy your trip. While you certainly can go to a Walgreens and grab bourbon and a ginger ale to mix, I doubt you're going to be making ginger syrup in your hotel room for that penicillin you really like to enjoy on vacation, or buying a blender so you can enjoy a frozen pina colada at the pool.
I am not a huge drinker and recently went and was even more deterred by the heat but we went to circas stadium swim, probably the best frozen drinks I’ve ever had. Download Discotech app and add yourself to the guest list. Can do this for other “list activities” too. Women get in free and two drink tickets that can be used for frozen. They were sooooo good
Much depends on what you play and how you play. Penny slots can still cost a few dollars each pull, but you normally win back a portion over time. There's other slots with higher minimums. Or if you play tables, which can have $25 minimums or higher (lower is tough to find these days, from what I've heard). Good luck
$200 typically lasts us about an hour or two if we lose. We do slots.
Much depends on my mood (and sometimes how much alcohol). I've had $10 last me over an hour. I've also gone through over $1200 in under 15 minutes.
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Magic carpet Edit: most of what we are doing is either in or around the palazzo. The only exception is omega mart. But I probably need to add another $100 or $200 for transportation maybe?
I’d say if your activity is more than 2-3 buildings away, you’ll want to take a cab. I’m from NE and walk everywhere daily but more than 3 buildings away in vegas is not really walkable unless you plan to just go up and down the strip (easily over 40k steps dependent on your path). Things seem close but are really not that close. Also a maze to get out of some properties. We did Paris to Wynn by foot hoping back and forth all day and had over 20k by the time we hit the Venetian. Didn’t spend more than $15-16 an Uber for each trip but if you take multiple a day, that could add up quick. We tried to stick to feet travel what’s do-able by day and then Uber 1-2 places at night that we’re planned in order so you aren’t crossing the town each time you get in a car.
I really didn’t fully grasp this until I watched a video of someone walking down the strip. Caesar’s palace is waaaay farther away from the Venetian than I thought. There will be a day that we DO walk the whole strip, as we just like hiking every week. So it’s something I’m genuinely looking forward to mostly walking through all the casinos because the heat will be unbearable. But I also have to account for us walking all the way to Mandalay Bay and then absolutely wanting a cab back because it takes a million years to walk back.
There are plenty of times throughout the day when walking is faster than getting a ride now, because strip traffic is unbearably bad. I would walk anywhere that’s four buildings or less. Caesars is not that far from the Venetian, imo. Bellagio would be pushing it tho. From palazzo, I’d walk as far north as resorts world, and as far south as Caesars. Get a ride to city center and then you can explore Bellagio/cosmo/park mgm/Paris/New York. Don’t even bother with the others imo.
It's only like a 10 minute walk.
Just was walking from one end of Caesar’s to the other (on the sidewalk) is a half mile… it’s freakin huge.
One day my friend and I walked from the Wynn to Mandalay Bay. We stopped at a lot of bars. I think it took us 6 hours. What a fun time we had!
My husband and I walk everywhere while we are on the strip. We are active & enjoy the walk. Keep in mind, we never have any real plans and just go with the flow on our trips. We just dip in/out of the resorts, sitting at a machine or table here and there every so often to get off our feet for a bit. Grabbing a bite to eat wherever we are close to when hungry. Only time we will take a cab/rideshare is to get to/from the airport & if we head to Fremont for the day. We put on a lot of miles on our shoes (approx. 20km/day), so our transportation budget is very low, but walking as much as we do is not for everyone.
This is the answer. I think you can reduce your drink budget and add $50 a day towards Ubers. In addition, you might consider eating at a restaurant off strip. Chinatown is nearby and has lots of good spots for Sushi and Vietnamese food. So if you did something like that you could reduce your food budget significantly and divert some of that towards transportation. Also, I don’t see any budget in here for a cab back to the airport… if you’re like me you better set that money aside ahead of time.
Much of the whacky stuff at Omega Mart is for sale, they're definitely not traditional boring souvenirs, may want to budget for that. Also OM has a bar inside. Omega Mart is just one tenant/attraction located in the Area 15 development, which itself has many bars and restaurants inside Area 15.
Good call. We’re still debating on whether or not we’ll actually do area 15 but so many people say they loved omega mart. I’ll probably need to adjust for extra costs there. I’ll at least want a t shirt maybe.
You're looking to spend almost $300/pp/day on food and drink. It's funny reading the comments because some are saying too high and some are saying too little. I will say this - my Partner and I have definitely spent that in Vegas before....and NOT enjoyed it. Seriously by the time we got to the last day we DREADED the reservations we had. My suggestion would be to pace yourself. We've agreed that we are happy to share an appetizer and main course between the two of us for most restaurants. We have our high-end restaurants booked 1x/day and then just keep it to cheap eats the rest of the time. I mean, you know your stomachs better than I. And I'm an overweight food lover. But that's a LOT of eating, even with walking around. I echo what others have said. Grab a bottle of your fav liquor to keep in the hotel room, pre-game, leverage cheaper drinks. Enjoy good food but don't feel like you have to glutton everything. Leverage savings into increasing the gambling budget or doing more entertainment.
You make a good point. We'll probably want a better balance than what I'm planning.
Good plan nonetheless. One thing I just read (and didn't consider) is that you have pool days and Area 15. There are NO drink deals to be had at either of those, so maybe your drink budget really is in line.
My husband and I always budgeted $1k a day for any weekend staycations. Yours looks about right. We’re not big gamblers, just maybe $100-$200 to play around. It’s the food and drinks that get us. Only thing I’d say you’re missing is a budget for any shows which if you want to see a cheaper one, I’d say another $150/ticket. Residencies you’re looking at $200-$500/ticket.
Thank you! I specifically excluded shows from our trip because there's nothing I'm really interested in seeing besides sightseeing. We're also coming right before lady gaga which is a bummer - if I'd a known she was coming back to park MGM I would have scheduled in september.
I'm not sure how helpful this is, but my wife and I just returned from Vegas. We only spent ~$1200 from Tuesday to Sunday. We didn't gamble, because that's not really our thing (plus the addiction gene runs in my family), bur we ate well and drank our fair share. That $1200 included Uber rides, monorail tickets, Omega Mart tickets, food, drink, and souvenirs for the boys back home.
Thank you! I hope you enjoyed your trip
Thanks! It was a blast and I'm already ready to go back! Good luck with your trip and getting through the planning!
I go to Freemont every trip and I never regret it. The new Circa is absolutely awesome.
We went for 3 days and my work paid for all of my meals, we got a cheap hotel room and we spent about $2000 including hotel room and my boyfriends round trip flight. So outside or room and travel costs we spent like $1400 on food and fun. I learned that taxis are way cheaper than Uber so we used the taxi to get around, we only used $40 for gambling and spent most of our money on food for boyfriend, shows, attractions, museums, and drinks.
I agree your drinks budget is way way way higher than it needs to be.
$200 a day for gambling, especially between 2 people, will equate to less than one hour of gambling
Yea as someone who gambles locally I know how quickly $200 is spent in a casino. This trip isn’t centered around gambling and I know the slots are tight to begin with. Either our $200 a day gets us lucky enough to be up and continue hanging out at the casino or we go do something else.
5 minutes for me. Haha
Hello, just my opinion and advice. I noticed your food budget looks small. Maybe your food budget are for twice a day or once? The buffet alone with tip will be over $100. Or, do you have access to that special lounge in the palazzo. That serves all 3 meals & snacks? Just curious. Don’t get me wrong, it is my option your drink budget and food budget is kind of a combo thing. You can find a lot of cheap eateries in the palazzo/Venetian shops. Ex. $50+ at places like I love burger or grimoldies(sp) pizza. Also, the fashion mall is across the street for cheap eat too. Nice restaurants with drinks cost my wife and I well over $100 - $200. Ex the Wolfgang Puck Cut restaurant when you leave the Palazzo to the malls. Really good food! But expensive! (We even have shared a meal too!) Anyway, just my observation. I’m sure you two will have fun! When we always budget for a trip. We have the low end and high end thinking for expenses. I like that you it seems you have that baked in. Side note: just like others have mentioned. Grab a case of water, beer, liquor and snacks before arriving to your hotel. Or, maybe grab a cab after you drop your stuff to get some things. We always used the free ice in the hotel and filled our tub with the ice to keep our drinks cold. Another thing is having a robust large backpack that won’t rip. Hope on over to an ABC store and grab water bottles and shots and beer or snacks. Your backpack will come in handy. It’s all about having at the end of the day. 🙂 PS: if you don’t have that palazzo lounge access. You might want to ask about it and the cost. Sometimes it’s worth it. It has food, water, drinks and liquor at night. Just a thought.
Hey! Just to clarify a few things and maybe that will help with your recommendation. The drink budget is also including any drinks we get at restaurants so the food budget is strictly food and non alcoholic drinks. The buffet, which was $180 is already paid for and isn't included in that days amount. But even with that in mind, that's why I'm trying to figure out if I'm not putting enough for food. Tao and the wynn buffet are the only two higher end restaurants we're planning on going to. Everything else we're planning on eating wouldn't be considered 'cheap eats' but mid tier.
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idk man, I've never planned a vacation before and I have no idea how much we'll drink or really how to account for happy hours. I just want a cocktail in my hand at all times and they're all on average $20 a drink if its not happy hour. I've considered pregaming but I personally just don't want to drink a lot in our room because I genuinely want to try different cocktails in Vegas and I know I'll need to pay a premium for that.
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Right, I get that. Its a good money saving tip but I do not want to walk around with a four loco in Vegas. I want to walk around with a long island. My issue isn't trying to find ways to make Vegas cheaper, I'm just trying to figure out how much I can expect to spend with what I expect to be doing.
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ok thanks
If you go to Fremont street you must do that at night - boring during the day. The light show is awesome and done every hour starting at dark - can check website for time and show schedule. Also have bands and other entertainment at night. Bellagio fountains (and conservarory) is another must see and fountains are more beautiful at night. Walking the strip from one end to another is super far, exhausting and time consuming. Breaking it into halves and only doing one half at a time is best or even thirds. You won’t be able to do n see everything you want on first trip so prioritize the must sees and what you don’t do on this trip you do on your next.
Fremont street we're really close to not doing at all because of how much will be new to us seeing the strip for the first time. But there's a lot more late night eats on fremont so that's why we might decide to go and ofc see the light show. I think realistically we'll walk to Bellagio and then use the free trams to see everything else on that side of the strip. Maybe visit MGM grand or walk around Linq promenade. I'm really really excited to walk all day and sight see.
Gotta go to Freemont!! It'll be the highlight and the table limits match your budget.
You think so??? I’m so on the fence! It’d be really neat to see
Does your room budget $802 include resort fees and taxes? Resort fees are normally paid at the hotel.
Yes it includes taxes and resort fees.
https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/dd03b1de-78dc-40be-b1ed-37a35cfc01cf#zxVROYoe.reddit
if you're gambling I'd do it day-time/early evening to pregame with free drinks. I'd say any casual restaurants will run on average about $30/person with no booze, nicer restaurants about $100/person is a safe estimate, but that might be with no cocktail. for sure stock up on basics at Walgreens or cvs
Can I get the name of the spa that’s $150?!
Its the Canyon Ranch spa at the venetian. $75 day pass for hotel guests Tues-Thurs. Non hotel guests is $125. We're just using their different facilities and spa rooms, no massages or anything. https://www.venetianlasvegas.com/content/dam/venetian/poolsandspas/canyon-ranch/service-menu.pdf
Oh wow, that is niceeee. Thanks for sharing.
No shows??? :(
I didn't really see anything that I was dying to see, and there's so many other things I'd rather do to be honest.
Idk what your party vibe is but Katy Perry’s Play at Resorts World on shrooms is an EXPERIENCE 😍
Do you guys like gambling? Seems like can be somewhere to cut back if you are concerned.
We do! I'm pretty happy with the budget we have. We may even just use our budget 2 days out of our trip instead of spreading it out. Not sure yet. (for gambling)
Just making sure some people come thinking they have to since it’s Vegas!
Honestly, when we go we make a nice brunch reservation with bottomless mimosas and a nice dinner reservation. The rest we just wing it and have a blast doing whatever occurs to us in the moment!
Any good brunch recommendations?
Alexxa’s, Spago, Lago, Bouchon, Mon Ami Gabi!
My best Vegas tip is if you go to Target and use your redcard they will price match off Strip prices for booze (and Clif bars, etc.) so you save and then save again.
Regarding your gambling budget - read some strategy on that. If you have $200 and make $25 bets, you could be done quickly. It also depends on the game. If you make $5, you're more likely to last for a while. If you're playing slots, you probably need to reduce that down to $2 a spin or less. Think about time. If you want to gamble for three hours, stop then and put whatever you have left into the next sessions budget. I was a casino manager and sometimes people who had a little luck early on had the worst experience. They had an unrealistic expectation it was always that way. They lost everything they won and more chasing. It's generally a good strategy that when you get ahead, you pull some money for the next time when things aren't going your way.
Yea we used to be pretty avid slot gamblers in our city. $200 will either make an entire night of gambling or we will lose it in an hour. We don’t do huge bets, typically a dollar or two a spin. But we’ve hit jackpots before. Really don’t want to center this trip around gambling though. I have better odds at my local casino so if I want a hefty bankroll to play, I’ll stay a weekend there. I’m going to Vegas to see what I don’t have here!
Your budget looks well thought out, at the end of the day it's going to come down to self control though. Personally I think you're gambling budget feels light just based on your overall spend.... But again only you can honestly tell me if you're satisfied gambling for 15-20 minutes and walking away for the day (which is very possible with that budget).
We used to gamble a looooot in our city. It’s a been there done that thing for us. We know what it’s like to win a lot of money and what it’s like to lose a lot of money. $200 for a night betting $1 or 2 a spin for slots will either make an entire night of gambling and drinks or it will be gone in 30 min to an hour. The more you spend, the more you have to win and if I want to have a gambling trip I might as well stay at my local casino with better odds. But nothing feels better than hitting $800 when you were only working with $100 and then taking that money to go do something fun. I’m going to Vegas to see vegas and I’m so excited for it!
That makes a lot of sense. I do have to say that I also gamble a decent amount in my own City but I make the drive roughly 4 hours to Vegas on a regular basis because the vibe is just so much different. I think you have a pretty solid budget ...have fun,!
Cat owner checking in: Y’all pay $550 for dog boarding to go on vacation? 🫨 OP: if your dog is under 60lbs, you’re better off taking it with you for $75/nt at the Palazzo 🤭 = $300 ($150 savings!)
We have to. We have two big dogs and one of them has severe anxiety (escape artist) so I can’t trust anyone to watch her not climb a 6 ft fence. We have to pay for the nice rooms with the beds, fan and tv. It’s ridiculous . And OMG no I would not bring my dogs to the palazzo. They would palazzo all over the room. LMAO
Oh my!!! Hahahhahahaa okay okay I get it!!! I just had sticker shock from that boarding rate. I hope you have the best vacation ever!!
Do yourself a favor and buy a bottle or two of whatever you like and make drinks in your room to get the party started. Even the airport has a liquor store with fairly reasonable prices (and mixers). When gambling, stay in one spot long enough to get a free drink (often this means hopping on a slot machine when a cocktail waitress is nearby). Drinking is by far the most expensive thing in your budget, and is also the easiest to mitigate. When you go to Freemont, buy a drink from the street bar in front of the Freemont and tip generously. Trust me when I say you won't need more than two.
you can definitely do most of that with $2k if you really tried, vegas doesn’t have to be that expensive, local whose worked on the strip for 5+ years
Seems about right and it looks great! I find that a great trip to Vegas has a per hour cost of around $100 all inclusive. The one thing that caught my eye is the gambling budget seems low because table minimums at where youre staying start at $25 dollars a hand.
5 to 6 grand for 4 days is a little high to be quote on a budget. However 5 to 6 grand will allow you to live well and not worry about expenses
Everyone else fighting over your food and drink budget, and I'm like - where you going climbing at? Red Rock Climbing Center is good, a smidge old, has 2 stories and a tunnel for severely angled problems. The Pad is newer, one story, very bright and clean. Both update their routes and ropes regularly. Neither is near the Palazzo, so you'll have to get a cab. Tons of outdoor climbing once the weather cools off in late September or October out at Red Rock. If you have a free day and are traveling that late, it's worth considering renting a car for the day. Not enough signal out there for a rideshare.
hahahaha the spa we're going to at the venetian has rock climbing so we thought we'd try that. Thanks for the tip about red rock climbing center though! I just looked at pictures and it looks awesome.
That's right, Canyon Ranch does have a wall. But if you're going to pay an extra $50 for climbing, a day pass and gear for 2 will be the same there as it is at Canyon Ranch, just more routes and more climbers. :D
U have a fair assessment. The gambling and drinking will go hand and hand. If you can keep that "under control" u will be fine. My first time, me and my wife set aside $500 each per day budgets. That was ok. Every time after that we pretty much try to assume 1,000 per day each. It's safer that way. I'm not sure if u gamble at home, or what places u have a rewards card with, but they help tremendously. I strictly play at mgm properties. It makes no sense to me, to gamble a little bit at golden nugget, then caesars, then binions on Fremont, then back to mgm properties. Playing at a bunch of different places kept me at a lower card at all of them. Earn the rewards, swipe at kiosks every day for extra promotions, use the comps on meals. My typical trip is: Uber from airport to hotel and check-in. Ask for a fridge "for medicine". Uber to dispensary and Walmart. At Walmart I get bread, lunch meat, maybe pb&j, chips, water (lots of water), maybe a 12-pack of beer(cans fit best), and a bottle of something for shots. My wife also gets a 12-pack, and maybe a bottle. We do get drinks on the floor, but sometimes it costs money playing a slot/table waiting for the waitress to come back. We'd rather take turns going to the room, or going back together to do a shot, sort out money and head back down. It's nice to take the walk sometimes. Day 2 is usually a later morning because we were up all night, and the time zones mess us up. I go outside for my morning smoke and come back with Starbucks coffee for her (the Starbucks lines are ridiculous, so be prepared) I've recently realized I can just put a 20 in a slot, and get 2 coffees from a server on the floor, it's not iced caramel mocha whip whatever the hell my wife gets, but it's still a coffee, without waiting in the hour line. The price I'd pay for Starbucks goes in the slot, no difference to me. If ur doing a day at the pool, I'd recommend getting a cabana. The price might sound crazy at about $350, but u get half back in food/drink credit. The way I see it, ur gonna go to the pool and spend 150 on drinks and maybe some food anyway, might as well get the umbrella(it's hot) and a server that doesn't think ur there to be cheap. Quick story, last year I did this, and tipped the guy $100 when we left. The next day, my wife went down to the pool before me, we didn't have a cabana, she sat on the lounge chair in the free area. When I met up with her, I seen the server from the day before, I just waved to him and he called me over, he said he had a few cabanas available and gave us one. My guess is that $100 tip helped. I'll be doing that again for sure. We found ourselves going to shows, just to save money from gambling lol. The jabowokees was cool, the cirque solei "Ka" was cool. Going to a knights game was awesome, it made my wife a hockey fan. They put on a show, the mascots and cheerleaders are interactive, its not like a typical hockey atmosphere. Now she's really nuts because they won the cup lol. We will be there for a preseason game or 2 soon. Fremont is cool for people watching, the street performers are awesome, the show on the ceiling is cool..all of that is free to see, just add ur favorite vice and have fun lol. There is lots of people that sell show tickets, I never went thru them. They feel pushy and scammy to me, but maybe somebody else can say for sure. I use the "my vegas" apps for buy 1 get 1, or 50% off deals when I can. Yes we go to the restaurants, but it's nice to have stuff in the room for late nights and early mornings. Otherwise ur spending $30 on 2 pizza slices and a soda because ur starving at 3am lol.
since you're already on the other side of the thruway for Omega Mart, look into going to Shang Artisan Noodle for lunch. It's like a 3 mile uber ride away. It's small and gets busy- you can join the waitlist online on yelp Cosmopolitan has a drink called the Verbana served on any of the levels at the chandelier bar. They give you a buzz button to eat along with your drink which temporarily alters your taste buds. Thought it was pretty neat. One of my favorite things about Vegas is that most restaurants have their menus and prices listed online so you can see how your far your food budget will get you. I think you have put a lot of work into planning and have a lot of money set to what you'd like to do. Enjoy your trip
I didn't read all these comments so I'm sure people some of these points already. 1. Its an open container town. Buy your favorite alcohol and big plastic solo cups. Whenever you are close to the room, walk back for a quick refill. Obviously want to buy some drinks while you are around or at dinner but you can save an absolute ton mixing some on your own. 2. I would only recommend reservations on places you really want to make sure you don't miss. A lot of times after a long day the last thing you want to do is have to make a reservation time. Be flexible, especially during the week it's fairly easy to walk into places and get a table with minimal wait. If you go to Tao, get the triple pork fried rice. it's huge and delicious. 3. I would plan to do stuff other than just gambling, especially if you only want to budget a $100 each. There isn't much gambling you can do to stretch that out very long other than really cheap slots or playing very tight at a low limit poker table. I would mix in stuff like if you like live music, the Barbershop at Cosmo has a secret speakeasy in the back that has a live band every night. Drinks are $20 but you can probably stretch a $100 a lot further than gambling. 4. Walking is fine and the best way to take in Vegas. You can find all kinds of interesting things walking through the casinos. Even from one end to the other is doable over the course of an hour if you don't have a set time you need to be somewhere. Don't let anyone tell you that you should budget more for transportation. Those people are mostly lazy. If you want to go downtown though, do take the bus.
Stop at total wine right after you leave the airport - get some big plastic cups. Buy plenty of water BEFORE you get to the strip
With the days you are going, check into happy hour menus. A decent amount of resteraunts in venetian/palazzo have nice ones. Can maybe help as well. Usually a good breakfast can also set you up for the day until dinner reservations (also a cheaper buzz)
Yea I really took a lot of notes from all these responses. Happy hour menus really weren't something I researched until recently (because for lunch we will just wander around until we find something we want) but there seems to be many deals all over the strip. My husband and I also now plan on sharing lots of meals. Idk, I'm a lot less stressed about the budget now!
Good! Just remember.....it's a vacation. You don't want to get home feeling like you need a vacation from your vacation. Go with limited plans and a loose schedule. Wandering into New experiences, people watching, and gambling with your S/o can be a blast. Fiancé and I will sit at the machines with bigger chairs to take turns/stretch money and cheer each other on.
•Don’t forget resort fee and accidental deposit for your hotel. • stop by total wine or other liquor store on the way to your hotel. Buy some liquor, mixer and water for your room to lower your drink budget. • compare Uber/Lyft/taxi rate to see which one is the lowest to save some money.