I'm glad to hear you had a great trip Jimmy, which hotel did you stay in?

Steve

glad you enjoyed it Jim, do us a trip report!

I have also just come back from Vegas. I booked with Expedia 5 weeks before.

5 nights in Caesars Palace, flights,transfers and insurance. £709. Terrific value.

The whole place has to be seen to be believed. The sheer scale of everything is amazing. The americans are so eager to please that nothing is too much trouble.

Food.

The food is excellent value. Most larger hotels offer breakfast, lunch and dinner buffets. these vary heavily on price, but in my opinion, the bellagio Brunch buffet was a sight to behold. $28.95 per person + tax and EVERYTHING and i mean EVERYTHING you could imagine to eat. From bacon and eggs to Alaskan King crab claws to Shark to peach cobbler. Honestly you could never never go hungry there!

Shows.

We saw Mamma Mia and Celine Dion.Both were fab but i would recommend Mamma Mia as the atmosphere is great and at roughly £70 for a great seat its well worth the money. I was gutted that i missed Prince at the Mandalay Bay because i heard since that he was amazing.

Where to stay.

As i said i stayed in Caesars Palace but when i go again i will stay at the Mirage. The pool is out of this world with waterfalls every where. this is not knocking Caesars at all but just my preference.

Where to go.

Avoid the strip helicopter tours. They are not worth the money and you spend hours waiting around in the foyer just waiting to go up for 12 mins. You would be far better advised to pay more and go and land in the grand canyon. this IS expensive, but nothing can quite prepare you for the feeling you get when you are there. The pilot brings you back over the strip and you learn much more about Vegas ( this trip also incorporates the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead- which is an awesome sight!)

Bargains.

There is an outlet just past mcarran airport called The Las Vegas Premium outlet. They have a Nike store there that is soooo cheap i almost wet myself. Football boots for my 10 yr old son were $24 dollars and they arent out in the UK until 2006. Also, There are shops that sell Tommy Hilfiger trainers for $20 dollars or less and they are very comfortable. Also, Caesars Palace has a shopping mall in it with some other great shops, also a Nike store which is not so cheap as they have stuff that is brand new even in the US.

I hope this information is helpful to everyone. But it is obviously only my opinion. Feel free to message me with any questions.

Sarah

Good trip report.

I also love the outlets. There's another one up near Fremont Street which is also good. I'm off to Vegas in September for the 4th time..........I have to start writing up my list of must do's.

Have a great time LesleyAnne.

I am also returning in 2007 to renew my wedding vows at a tacky Elvis place. (Will be 15 yrs) SOunds like a long time but i want to go loaded!!! and also have other ideas up until then!

Didnt try Fredmont St mall. Thanks for the tip.

PS i think the new shops in the Caesars mall will be open by September.

Caesars had a lot of construction going on last September. We love to walk through forum shops, but the only thing I ever bought was trainers from Nike, and we ate at Bertolini's a couple of time, you know the Italian right in the middle of the mall?

I know what you mean about having 'other ideas until then'. We have other ideas too, but often Vegas wins over them.

I want to go to Australia, Dubai, Caribbean, .......... even Tenerife (which I've been to, and like in the winter).

I hope to be able to skip Vegas after this year, just so I can see some other places. I'm currently thinking about Australia for 2 weeks in Jan/Feb..........but as we've just come back from 2 weeks in Italy, soon off to Vegas for 11 nights, I'm wondering if it's rather greedy! We usually have a week Jan, week Jun, week or 10nts sept. Maybe if I do the Australia thing, I'll forego the June break.......ouch.

The main other ideas of ours are returning to Guardalavaca, Cuba.

It was sooooooo beautiful there, we are taking mum and dad and 11 other mates with us next year. Tis costing an arm and a leg but highly worth it as it is soo wonderful. And very very different from Vegas as americans are not allowed there. (Can be a blessing sometimes!)

Hi Jollyjim
Thought I would take you up on your offer of advice/info on getting married in Vegas! My partner are planning to do the same.
Did you get married in one of the chapels or a hotel??
Any advice about selecting a chapel - there are so many!!
Is the whole procedure as simple as it is made out?? i.e. Registering at the County Courthouse and receiving the wedding certificate??
I would be grateful for anything you can offer or if anyone else has been married in Las Vegas recently - grateful for any info.
Many thanks
Barbie39