What is the legal age
for gambling?
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You must be 21 or over to drink or gamble. Those under
21 can walk through the casino, but they cannot stand
around the gaming areas.
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Can I go
into a casino if I'm not staying there? |
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Yes. You are encouraged to explore all the casinos. Feel
free to also take advantage of other casino's free
parking and valet services. Casinos really want you to
visit them.
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What are the
drinking laws in Las Vegas? |
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You must be 21 or over to drink. Drinks are served and
can be purchased 24 hours a day. You are also allowed to
drink in the street and have an open container. However,
drunk driving is highly enforced and you will get a DUI
if stopped by police. In addition, a server may choose
not to serve you if they feel you have had too much to
drink. Have fun, but be sure to drink responsibly.
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Are children
permitted in the hotels and hotel shows? |
Many shows are suitable for children, but a lot have
adult content and will not allow children. There has
been a recent trend in Las Vegas to bring back more of
the sin in "sincity." Please check with each
casino property for their policy regarding children.
Some hotels are more kid friendly and will provide
things such as arcades, babysitting, etc. See
Las Vegas Kids or
Kids in Las Vegas for more information. Las Vegas has
many attractions for kids. Our
attraction
guide has a list of many things to do for kids of
all ages. Visitors often do not know this, but the Las
Vegas Strip has a curfew. Children under 18 are not
allowed to be out after 9:00 PM unless accompanied by a
parent or guardian.
Finally, those under 21 can walk through the casino, but
they cannot stand around the gaming areas. Some hotels,
like Bellagio are even more strict and won't allow
anyone under 18 in unless they are a guest and
accompanied by an adult.
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What
transportation is available to Las Vegas? |
Air
McCarran International Airport is the primary airport serving Vegas. See our
Air Travel page for a list of airlines
flying into Las Vegas. If you live near an airport serviced by
Southwest Air, we recommend them for their very competitive pricing
and excellent service, but there are many other good airlines you
can choose with flights from your city. Some people choose to fly into Los Angeles
International (LAX), rent a car, and drive the five hours to Las
Vegas. You can also have a great time visiting Los Angeles.
Sample flying times to Las Vegas are: from New York, 5 hours; from
Dallas, 2 hours; from Chicago, 4 hours; from Los Angeles, 1 hour;
from San Francisco, 1˝ hours; from London, 11 hours; from Sydney, 18
hours.
Car
Approximately half the visitors to Las Vegas arrive by automobile.
The principal highway is I-15, which connects with southern
California to the southwest and Utah to the northeast. U.S. 93
(Boulder Highway and Fremont Street in Las Vegas) extends into
Arizona to the southeast, where it merges with I-40. U.S. 95 brings
traffic from northern California and Reno. When there's an
opportunity to fill up, drivers en route to Las Vegas should keep in
mind that the next gas station can be an hour away.
See our
driving directions and maps to
help you plan your trip.
You might want to
rent a car before you go to save mileage and wear on your car
(you will be driving through the desert). If you're going on
a weekend, know that there will almost always be traffic. Even with
traffic, one can drive to Las Vegas from Los Angeles in about 5
hours. Most visitors leave L.A. between Friday morning and very late
Friday night, but everyone heads back to L.A. between noon
and 8 p.m. on Sunday. The trip to L.A. is almost always slower than
the trip to Vegas. If you can take Monday off and travel then,
you'll be traffic free. It is advisable to take some breaks every
hour or so during the drive to make the trip easier. There are
places to visit, such as a stop in Baker (try the
Mad Greek
for some of there strawberry and date shakes) and stop by the
Calico silver mining town
in Barstow.
Train
Amtrak is currently planning to operate a new Los Angeles - Las
Vegas train in the near future.
For now, you can't take a train to Las Vegas, but Amtrak (PHONE:
800/872-7245, www.amtrak.com) can get you there via a Thruway bus
from Los Angeles. You can pick up a timetable at any Amtrak station
or request one by mail. Amtrak accepts all major credit cards and
personal checks. You can purchase tickets aboard trains; however, an
additional charge applies if the ticket office is open at your time
of departure.
Bus
Greyhound (200 S. Main St., Las Vegas. PHONE: 800/231-2222,
www.greyhound.com) runs bus service in and out of Las Vegas; the bus
terminal is downtown. Reservations are not accepted on Greyhound.
Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. The most frequently
plowed route out of Las Vegas is the one to Los Angeles, with
departures approximately every two hours around the clock. Arriving
at the bus station 30 to 45 minutes before your bus departs to
purchase tickets nearly always ensures you a seat. On Sunday evening
and Monday morning, arriving an hour or more before departure is
recommended as buses fill up quickly on those days.
Limo
f you want to really live it up
and can afford it, one can arrange to have a limo pick you up at
your house and drive you to your hotel in Las Vegas. See our
limo guide for details. If you go with a large enough group and
share the cost of the limo ride, the cost may not be as much as you
think and can be be comparable to going by air on a per-person
basis.
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Are pets
permitted on the Strip or in the hotels? |
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The larger resorts
do not generally allow pets. The exception to that rule is if you
gamble large amounts of money you may be able to bring in your pet
hippo (check first before you go). However, some of the smaller
hotels will allow pets. They include Amerisuites,
Howard Johnson, La Quinta Las Vegas Convention Center,
La Quinta Summerlin, Best Western Motor Inn, Holiday Inn Express
West, Travelodge Las Vegas Downtown East, and Vagabond Inn.
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What
type of transportation is there when I get to Las Vegas. |
| Most people use taxi cabs which
are available at any time by waiting in front of a hotel. You will
see taxi waiting lines. You will need to take a taxi to get to your
hotel from the airport. However, your own feet will be how you are
most likely to get around once you get to your hotel. The strip is
very compact, so you will often find that you can get to your
destination by taking a 15 to 30 minute walk. Also, part of the fun
of Las Vegas is exploring new things... there will be plenty to see
when you get there almost anywhere on the strip. Walking is one of
the best ways to explore Las Vegas. There is also bus service that
covers the Las Vegas strip and downtown area. The busses run often
and are a good source of transportation.
A very new form of transportation is the Las Vegas monorail.
It links eight major Las Vegas resorts and nine convention
facilities, including the Las Vegas Convention Center. See our
monorail guide.
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How can I
get a good deal on hotel prices? |
| The key to getting a good deal is
to book during the Las Vegas off-season. Avoid convention dates.
Book online. When you call the hotel, or even call a booking
company, the rates are often higher than an online quote (they have
higher overhead when you call). Check with the hotel website and
shop around with all the major sites. Another big way to save
is to go during weekdays. Friday and Saturday nights are always
priced the highest. See our
hotel savings guide.
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What
entertainment is playing at the casinos? |
| See our
calendar
guide and show
tickets section.
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What conventions are scheduled?
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| See
convention guide for a listing of conventions. |
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Can you suggest
what to do for a bachelor or bachelorette celebration? |
answer coming soon ...
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What is there
to do in Las Vegas if you do not gamble? |
Visit our
forum for suggestions.
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What are the
closest hotels to the Las Vegas Convention Center? |
See our
hotel map.
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Where can I
park in Las Vegas and what is the cost? |
Most hotels have free parking. Valet
parking is also available for a fee.
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Is the Las
Vegas open all year? |
Yes, but some shows may be dark during
the winter months.
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Where can I go
shopping? |
| See our
shopping guide. |
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Is it safe in
Las Vegas? |
Las Vegas is like any other city. The
major hotels are considered safe, but you should be careful when
wandering off the
main Las Vegas strip in sections that don't have a lot of people. See
our safety tips
guide.
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Is Las Vegas
handicap accessible? |
Most of the major hotels are handicap
accessible, but you should always check first.
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What are some
great restaurants in Las Vegas? |
See our
restaurant
and buffet
guide.
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What can we do
to entertain children in Las Vegas? |
See our
Vegas kids guide
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Who has
babysitting services? |
You can find them by asking the
hotel. Many third-party agencies are available, but you should always
use a trusted reference, like asking the hotel front desk.
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How can I get
the “freebies” I hear about from the casinos? |
Each casino has its own
promotional program and qualifications for providing freebies, or “comps
” as they are known here. Visit the promotions booth in the casino of
your choice. They will be able to assist you. You can also check our
Vegas Freebies Section and
Vegas Coupon Guide.
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How should I dress in Las Vegas? |
Las Vegas is a very casual
place, but you need to be more dressy for certain clubs and shows.
Please see our
Dressing Guide.
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How much should I tip? |
See our
Tipping Guide.
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What is the weather like? |
See our
Weather
Guide.
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How do I find a good club? |
See our
Club Guide.
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Is prostitution legal in Vegas? |
| No. See our
strip club section for information on adult clubs. There are "bunny
ranches," but those our outside of Vegas. |
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How can I get
directions and a street map of Las Vegas? |
| Most hotels
will have them available. You can also get them at the Las Vegas airpot. |
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