Hotels all booked. Got certs for Mix, Envy, Harley-Davidson and Stripburger. Still to sort out shows. Hoping that Absinthe will be extended beyond April.

luci

I booked rod and we are going to see tournament of kings but we dont want the chicken so we will have to book that when we get there, the dates for some shows are not released on our dates and we have our normal list for meals with more on it than we have nights

No shows booked for us as yet although I am tempted by Gordie Brown at the Golden Nugget. My Wife and I watched the fly on the wall documentary about the former owners Tim Poster & Tom Breitling (Tom's book is great about the purchase and subsequent sale by the way) and Gordie was an unknown thrust into the legendary GN showroom and he went down a treat. I gather he has spent time at the Venetian since but is now back at the GN. I think tickets on Travelzoo are going for $25, which isn't really a gamble is it? It will be nice to spend some time Downtown for the first time in a few trips now. Undecided on CDS at the moment, we have seen KA (our favourite) Mystere (Ok) and Zumanity (better than expected) so I am thinking Love is probably the next choice for us or Viva Elvis. We shall see.

As for restaurants well the plan is to eat more lunches to get value out of our 6 days and nights but we have tentatively agreed to try new places rather than the tried and tested. This will be tough. In fact, it won't happen because we have a Restaurant.com certificate for Harley Davidson to use and we have eaten there many times before. Could this be the first trip to the USA ever without a Cheesecake Factory visit? I suppose we could cheat with Grand Lux.....

Clearly lots to plan and think about in the 12 weeks before we go....I really am very excited to be staying at Planet Hollywood for the first time!

So much to do and so little time........

I quite fancied seeing Gordie Brown then went off the idea for no good reason. Yes he was at the Venetian for a while before going back to the Nugget.

We (I) didn't really like Harley Davidson the first time we went, but I think it was a bad menu choice as I had steak and steak should be ordered at a steakhouse. On our return visit we really liked it.

Cheesecake Factory - we have managed to not go there a few times as we always run out of nights compared to our lists of places to go, even if we are there for 14 nights.

Not sure if the $20 trick is still working at PH since Harrah's took it over, but no harm in trying. It worked for us every time we have stayed there. The location is great and no room is more than 6 doors away from the elevator so you can be on the strip really quickly, just avoid the timeshare touts at the bottom of the elevators.

luci

Hi, we have never been to vegas before and are going in may me, Mum and 5 year old. We managed to win our holiday through channel 5 and have no idea what to expect/do. we are staying at the mgm grand in a queen suite for 5 nights. and have tickets to the csi experience. I have loads of questions.

what is vegas like? i can imagine it being massive and overwhelming.

how much is a taxi from the airport?

what would there be for my 5 year old to do?

can children go into the machine/casino areas?

do i need a visa?

mum can't walk for long periods. is there any other way of getting around? (cheap)

where is the mgm as apposed to location?

sorry I have lots of other questions too xxx

Congratulations on the win!

Do you have any more information on the room type? Queen just means that there will be 2 Queen beds which are the equivalent of a UK king and 5ft wide. There are several types of suite. We have stayed in the Bungalow and Celebrity Spa Suites.

what is vegas like? i can imagine it being massive and overwhelming. - Yes. You need good walking shoes as even to walk between 2 hotels can take 15 mins.

how much is a taxi from the airport? To the MGM around $15-20. Do not let on it's your first time to the taxi driver and as soon as you get into the taxi just say, "MGM please. No tunnel thank you". Taking the tunnel could put $10-20 onto the fare and it's definitely not needed to go to the MGM.

what would there be for my 5 year old to do? Diagonally across from the MGM is the Excalibur Hotel which has a games arcade suitable for children where you can win soft toys, etc. There is also the Adventuredome at Circus Circus at the north of the strip which is easily accessed by bus.

can children go into the machine/casino areas? No. They can walk through accompanied by an adult, but cannot stop.

do i need a visa? Probably not provided you are eligible for an ESTA. All travellers require their own ESTA which costs $14 https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/

mum can't walk for long periods. is there any other way of getting around? (cheap) There is a bus stop in front of the MGM and the Deuce costs $7 for a 24 hour ticket. There is a monorail at the back of the MGM which is $5 per trip with limited stops.

where is the mgm as apposed to location? The MGM is to the south of the strip on a crossroads with the Tropicana, New York New York and Excalibur

thank you for the reply.

the room is a bungalow queen suite.

do you reccommend a show for families?

thanks

You will be able to spread out nicely in a Bungalow Queen Suite. I have stayed in a Celebrity Spa Suite which is basically a Bungalow but with a far superior bathroom and it was huge!

I have stayed at the MGM Grand three times, it is a lovely hotel and for a hotel so big, the service certainly for me over those trips has been outstanding. The staff tend to go that extra few yards compared to other Vegas hotels I have stayed in.

Congratulations on the win and enjoy Vegas! Fire away with any further questions, there are quite a few people on here who go on a regular basis. This March will be my first trip in nearly 4 years and I am getting withdrawal symptoms.

As Ju has said, the Bungalow suite is huge with the bedroom and sitting area separated by an armoire SEE HERE Only the bathroom is different as the CSS has a spa bath and the Bungalow suite has a normal bath with shower over and a separate shower cubicle. Ask for a strip view when you check in.

I'm not sure which shows I would recommend for a 5 year old. They might like one of the Cirque du Soleil shows if acrobatics would interested them, but the shows aren't cheap. Keep an eye on http://www.travelzoo.com/entertainment/las-vegas/ for offers and to get an idea of prices.

Terry Fator is a ventriloquist at the Mirage and is very good. You can find clips on You Tube.

The MGM is a huge hotel with over 5,000 rooms, but is easy enough to navigate once you get your bearings. Unfortunately the Lion Habitat is closing on 31 January so you will miss that as the wee one might have enjoyed it.

If one of you decides to have a go on the slots while the other is babysitting, be aware that drinks are free while gambling. You just have to tip the waitress at least $1 per drink.

Which dates in May are you going? There is likely to be a big fight announced at the MGM the first weekend in May and the place will be jumping if it is.

luci

Ok, a coupon related question for our trip in March.

Las Vegas Advisor MRB 2012 or American Casino Guide 2012?

I have looked at both and definitely keen to get one or the other. The LVA is more expensive but it is a membership and looks overall better than ACG 2012. LVA seems to have better buffet deals, i.e. 2 for 1 at Mirage Cravings, 2 for 1 Rio Buffet, $10 off at PH Spice Market Buffet and the 50% off (up to $50 value) at Palms is definitely a tempter. 2 for 1 burgers at Le Burger Brasserie at Paris is good value also. This is not even taking into account shows or gambling deals. I am particularly keen on the 2 for 1 Gordie Brown tickets at the Nugget, although I think this is in both.

Anybody got any thoughts? I seem to remember comments that ACG 2011 was not as good as previous years. Has it declined further?

Roll on 24th March.....

I just went with the MRB last year and while we didn't use half the coupons, we felt like we got good value out of it.

There are several $10 free play ones, and they pay for the book before you get to using the buffet coupons and the 50% off up to $50 at the Palms. We used it to go to Garduno's for the Sunday brunch, (all you can drink Margarita's) but thought we might use it at one of the other restaurants this year.

I didn't miss the ACG at all to be honest.

How was Garduno's at the Palms Pebbles?

We went to one of the Garduno's in Albuquerque (it is a New Mexican chain if anybody is interested) and aside from a poor choice of dessert, thought the meal was outstanding as was most of the food in New Mexico to be honest. We are probably going to go there on the 50% deal through the MRB.

We enjoyed the meal. The staff were lovely, and we got chatting to a couple on the next table and ended up staying there until 3pm. It wasn't busy, and they didn't rush us at all.

I totally agree about the dessert selections. Not a wide choice at all, although the rice pudding I had was very nice.

Been looking at flights for first 2 weeks in September from Glasgow. Prices silly at £785, and I thought £650 was silly last year.

Messed about with airports etc, and discovered that (unexplainably) it's only £580 ish to fly from Glasgow to LA via London with BA. This becomes worth thinking about.

I had a quick look at the map and thought we could drive across towards Laughlin, via London Bridge, stay over in Laughlin, and then drive to Vegas. Ha ha then I remember how blooming hot Laughlin is, and it would be v early September and I don't like the heat there at all!!! Anyway, we'd be hiring a car for at least 4 days, but would be nice to have it longer anyway. So maybe this isn't such a bad idea. However, neither of us have any interest in LA, although not sure why. I guess maybe someone could convince us, but I don't want to see streets where celebrities live or be overcharged for everything. Maybe it has some good points though surely? A colleague of mine comes from that area, but as a local she may not know what I'd like about it!! I'll try asking though.

I'm curious if anyone can offer any input on this idea. Also, has anyone got good deals for this year at all on their fights?

We've been a bit sidetracked because we've been planning a trip to India in March, so really focussing on that just now, but I would like to get the flights booked for Vegas. Don't want to pay £785 though!!!

LA does have one thing going for it....the road to Vegas. We went in 2002 as a twin centre with Vegas and have never even considered a return. Disney fix maybe, but nothing else. So many better cities and places to visit in the US IMHO.

On the plus side....a possible Vegas trip. Go Lesley!

I booked in August for May in the BA sale and that is the lowest I have seen our dates. Vegas is such a popular destination that they don't need to discount it.

As for LA, been once for a week and have no desire to go back. We spent most of our time at theme parks apart from the days that we traipsed along Hollywood Boulevard.

Have you tried looking at flights to San Francisco? That's a nice place to spend a few days. Haven't been, but have heard nothing but good things about San Diego.

luci

You've both let me down, you were supposed to tell me it was a great idea

I think my instincts are right about LA. I did just read another thread on here about Santa Monica and that sounded promising

San Francisco - been and didn't much like it. Wouldn't return in a hurry and longer drive to Vegas so not an option I was considering.

San Diego - yes could be of interest. Just looked and there's a road that goes across form there and could take us up to London Bridge while avoiding the LA area if we wanted. Just checked flights though and they're up in the region of £650 so not overly competitive in that sense. Someone once recommended San Diego with a trip to Tijuana, but then someone else said definitely DON'T do that.

I also looked at cruises, in case there was a great idea there, but nothing till the 3rd for 4 nights from Long Beach. Then it would be 7th drive to Vegas, till 15th, so too short a time in Vegas.

Are you still not liking my London Bridge, Laughlin idea? I've now thought about putting Skywalk in there. Drive back would be on the I-15 though, the shorter route.

Interesting that neither of you much liked LA. We definitely wouldn't split our trip 50/50 or anything like that. It would be minimal time in LA, like 1 night or maybe 2 at a push! Maybe flying out on the Friday, and arriving in Vegas on Labor Day the Monday. It would save us the expensive weekend rates in Vegas for Labor Day.

For a couple of days then yes, it would make sense to hit LA but along with Miami it is a city I have absolutely no intention of ever returning to. Of course with both, there is an argument that the city itself is not the main attraction, Santa Monica for example is nice enough but Venice Beach is horrid. For theme park addicts there is more to see and do and I do like Disneyland and California Adventure, but Universal is better in Florida and as for Six Flags, 6 major rides down for two days on the trot. Err, no thanks.

I think your route would work if you fancy the driving. I catergorically said that after all the driving I id in Washington State and Oregon last year that our next USA holiday was going to be car free, what better place to do this than Vegas.....

Ju, we don't like theme parks, so even that doesn't attract us to LA. I asked my colleague and she agreed that Santa Monica was nice. She also ventured out to London Bridge when she was younger, and said it was nice. It looks quite nice in pictures.

I don't mind the drive much, but I may also be underestimating. We drove out to Hoover Dam and back via lake mead and Valley of Fire and I found that drive a bit boring towards the end. I guess it was a long day though. Was quite funny, one of the passengers got quite scared in her own head because we were out there with no mobiles and there were hardly any other cars passing us. Thankfully she didn't say this until afterwards, but maybe we'd have all laughed at her anyway. We certainly had a laugh when she confessed later that night.

Now Kevin has suggested flying to LA but driving down to San Diego. He won't be driving though, wonder if he'd be saying that if he was going to be driving

Just don't know what to do!!!