If you’re one of the more than 38 million souls who visit the glittering desert city of Las Vegas every year, odds are you’re trying to get the best possible hotel deal imaginable. This is more than understandable, for you can often find some very good hotel bargains in this gambler’s paradise. But keep this fact in mind when you’re shopping around for that perfect motel or hotel bargain: Just because you see an ad for the cheapest rooms in Las Vegas is no sign you’re necessarily going to get what you’ve bargained for.
For instance, let’s say you’ve just seen an ad for a hotel room in Las Vegas for $19.95 a night. You might be thinking what a great deal it is, and these days it probably is if you don’t have to factor any hidden costs. Unfortunately, however, this is precisely what you’ll have to do. For one thing, there is a 7.75 percent sales tax on everything you buy in Nevada, and Las Vegas levies a 9 percent tax on all hotel rooms. Plus, if you’re lucky enough to get a room close to the Fremont Street Experience, you’re going to have to shell out an additional 2 percent in room taxes. By the time you’ve figured out all of this, you’re probably wondering where that great deal went.
But what, you may ask, can you possibly do to save money when you’re planning that Vegas trip? Actually, quite a lot as it turns out. First, book your room during the normal work week, i.e., Monday through Thursday, because accommodations become more expensive on the weekends. Next, take into account the fact that tourists love to go to Vegas during the holidays, so if you’re planning on being there on, say, Christmas, the Fourth of July or Labor Day, be sure to book your room well in advance or you could find yourself temporarily homeless when you arrive in Las Vegas. Finally, if you’re concerned about money, remember that rooms are more expensive during major holidays, so you might even want to consider rescheduling your trip for a more convivial time of year.
But planning your Las Vegas budget doesn’t stop with room accommodations. Maybe you’ve thought of it or maybe you haven’t, but you’ll have to take into account your transportation needs in and around the city. Luckily for you, there are many different alternatives from which you can choose. You can, for example, take a taxi from the airport, but airport shuttles are far and away the cheaper alternative. Plus, if you land in McCarran Airport, you can take a shuttle bus from there to downtown Las Vegas and/or the Strip, which will cost you less than $10.
But your transportation options and concerns are not limited to shuttles and buses. We mentioned earlier, for example, that you can always take a taxi when you want to go somewhere, but the base rate for a taxi is $3.20 with an additional $2.20 for each extra mile. You can also rent a car in Las Vegas for about $25-$30 a day, but be forewarned that the cost goes up on weekends and in instances when conventions or some other large events are taking place. This is because the demand for rental cars outstrips the available supply. Finally, while you should have no trouble finding free parking in and around Las Vegas, opting for valet parking means that you will be expected to tip at least $2.00 to have your car parked and retrieved when you need it.
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