Lonely Planet Pocket Las Vegas , livre ebook

Contents

QuickStart Guide

Welcome to Las Vegas
Top Sights
Day Planner
Need to Know
Las Vegas Neighborhoods

Explore

The Strip
East of the Strip
West of the Strip
Downtown & Fremont Street
Grand Canyon
Hoover Dam & Lake Mead

Best

The Best of Las Vegas
The Center Strip
Downtown
Best Buffets
Best Architecture
Best Shopping
Best Nightlife
Best Casinos
Best Live Entertainment
Best Fine Dining
Best Local Culture
Best Off-Strip Dining
Best for Newlyweds
Best for Kids

Survival Guide

Survival Guide
Before You Go
Arriving in Las Vegas
Getting Around
Essential Information
Behind the Scenes
Our Writers
Welcome to Las Vegas
Vegas, baby! An oasis of indulgence dazzling in the desert. The Strip shimmers hypnotically, promising excitement, entertainment, fortune and fame. Where else can you spend the night partying in ancient Rome, wake up for brunch beneath the Eiffel Tower, watch an erupting volcano at sunset and get married in a pink Cadillac? All in Sin City. It's yours for the taking.

The Venetian | DUANE WALKER/GETTY IMAGES ©
1
Las Vegas Top Sights

Golden Nugget
Downtown's classiest old-school casino haunt.

TRAVELVIEW/SHUTTERSTOCK ©


Las Vegas Top Sights
Bellagio
The Strip's original opulent palazzo.

MAXIMILIAN MILLER/GETTY IMAGES ©


Las Vegas Top Sights
Mob Museum
Where Las Vegas began.

IMAGE COURTESY OF THE MOB MUSEUM ©


Las Vegas Top Sights
Wynn & Encore
The Strip's sassiest trendsetting twins.

KOBBY DAGAN/SHUTTERSTOCK ©


Las Vegas Top Sights
National Atomic Testing Museum
Mushroom clouds over the desert. (Geiger counters)

RICHARD NOWITZ/GETTY IMAGES ©


Las Vegas Top Sights
Mandalay Bay
The Mojave's ultimate 'tropical' oasis.

BRIAN S/SHUTTERSTOCK ©


Las Vegas Top Sights
New York–New York
Las Vegas' little Big Apple.

CHRIS HEPBURN/GETTY IMAGES ©


Las Vegas Top Sights
LINQ
Outdoor shopping-dining-drinking fun.

KOBBY DAGAN/SHUTTERSTOCK ©


Las Vegas Top Sights
CityCenter
Amazing Aria. Classy Cosmo. Crystals.

MIUNE/SHUTTERSTOCK ©


Las Vegas Top Sights
Paris Las Vegas
Paris in the desert.

TRAVELVIEW/SHUTTERSTOCk ©


Las Vegas Top Sights
Venetian & Palazzo
A little slice of Italy.

TRAVELVIEW/SHUTTERSTOCK ©


Las Vegas Top Sights
Springs Preserve
A real-life desert oasis.

COURTESY OF THE SPRINGS PRESERVE ©
R
Las Vegas Day Planner

Short on time?

Day One
M Start your day by taking a peek or renting a cabana at Mandalay Bay Beach . Explore the casino and get your bearings: you might return for classy cocktails at Skyfall Lounge or French fine dining at Rivea . Walk north past Luxor to the streets of New York–New York and take a selfie with Lady Liberty, then duck into classy Cosmopolitan to gawk at its mind-blowing lobby – but be quick, or you won't make it to Paris for lunch with views of the Fountains of Bellagio .
R Follow the signs for the Bally's & Paris Monorail station and ride one stop. Walk north beneath the track to the unmissable High Roller . Take a ride, or turn left and walk the length of the fun LINQ Promenade . If you fancy a first flutter, try LINQ , or if you prefer pink, the Flamingo . Cross the street to Caesars Palace for dinner and a show.
N After dinner, hit Drai's (atop Cromwell, opposite), if you're game and appropriately attired. Tip: swap walking between stops with rides on the Deuce/SDX buses.


Day Two
M Head to Aria to admire the eclectic CityCenter fine art collection . Pop next door to the Shops at Crystals or head back to Cosmopolitan to further explore this playground of the nouveau riches. Take note of the Chandelier Lounge for cocktails later…or have one now. Walk north past Paris Las Vegas and the Venetian to the latter's sophisticated little sister, Palazzo .
R Continue north, walking across the skybridge to Steve Wynn's signature showpiece, Wynn . Stroll through the sumptuous atrium, perhaps stopping at the whimsical Parasol Up & Parasol Down lounge to gaze upon the Lake of Dreams, then cross the opulent casino floor to Encore and check with the concierge for last-minute tickets to Cirque du Soleil's underwater masterpiece, Le Rêve the Dream .
N Grab a taxi/rideshare to Stratosphere for cocktails-with-a-view at 107 SkyLounge .


Day Three
M Head to the western corner of N Las Vegas Blvd and Fremont St to begin your exploration of Downtown Las Vegas, where it all began. Ride the Slotzilla zipline (if you're game) or walk the length of Fremont St to the iconic Golden Nugget with its famous shark tank and the largest gold nugget ever found. Opposite, you'll find antique Binion's – a must for Elvis fans! Continue one block north to Stewart Ave and the excellent Mob Museum to learn how the Mafia shaped Sin City.
R Grab a taxi/rideshare up the street to the Neon Museum (resist the temptation to walk – it's not the best part of town). When you're done, head to the Burlesque Hall of Fame , then get a shot of El Cortez , opposite, and continue a block east to the quirky Container Park .
N The bars of Fremont East await: kick off at the speakeasy-style Downtown Cocktail Room , hipster-haven Beauty Bar or on the rooftop patio at Prohibition-era-inspired Commonwealth .


Day Four
M You've hit the Strip and done Downtown, so what else is in Vegas? Lots! Start by heading west of the Strip to family-friendly Springs Preserve to explore Sin City's natural and cultural side, then head south to the Rio to scream your head off while wooshing 400ft in the air on the VooDoo Zipline . Stay at the Rio to gorge yourself at the Carnival World Buffet or join the locals for noodle soups or barbecue at nearby Chinatown Plaza .
R Head east of the Strip for a spin around the eerily fascinating National Atomic Testing Museum to learn about the days when watching atomic bomb explosions was considered a tourist attraction. More kooky sightseeing? Work a trip to the Pinball Hall of Fame into your schedule; otherwise, head to Firefly for happy hour drinks.
N Steer the compass to the hippest hotel east of the Strip – the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino . Ogle the rock-and-roll memorabilia before reporting for dinner duty at Culinary Dropout . Afterwards, hit the show at the Joint or get a dose of hilarious madness at the Double Down Saloon .
Need to Know


Currency
US dollar ($)

Language
English

Visas
Not usually required for citizens of Canada or the 37 Visa Waiver Program countries with ESTA pre-authorization.

Money
ATM transaction fees inside casino gaming areas are high. Credit cards are widely accepted.

Cell Phones
Cell (mobile) phones must be a multiband GSM model.

Time
Pacific Time Zone (GMT/UTC minus eight hours)

Tipping
The standard tip is 18% to 20% of the bill. If a service charge has already been included (usually for groups of six or more), don't tip twice. At buffets, leave a couple of dollars per person on the table.

1 Before You Go

Your Daily Budget
Budget: Less than $100
A Downtown casino hotel room: $30–80
A Takeout meal: $6–12
A 24-hour RTC bus pass: $8
Midrange: $100–250
A Standard Strip casino hotel room: $65–150
A Discounted show ticket: $30–90
A Casual restaurant meal: $20–45
A 24-hour self parking at a Strip hotel: $10–15
Top end: More than $250
A Luxury Strip hotel suite: $200-plus
A VIP show ticket: $125-plus
A Celebrity-chef dining: $100-plus

Useful Websites
Lonely Planet ( www.lonelyplanet.com/usa/las-vegas ) Destination information, hotel bookings, traveler forum and more.
Las Vegas Tourism ( www.lasvegastourism.com ) Official website of Las Vegas Tourism.
Las Vegas Weekly ( www.lasvegasweekly.com ) Popular weekly magazine with listings, in print and online.

Advance Planning
One month before Book flights, a hotel and a rental car for trips out of town.
Three weeks before Score tickets for production shows, mega-concerts or headliner events.
One week before Book a table at a happening chef's restaurant or an outdoor adventure tour.

2 Arriving in Las Vegas
Most travelers arrive in Las Vegas by car or by plane. The airport is located relatively close to the Strip. Shuttle buses depart for casino-hotels around the clock, and taxis are readily available.

A McCarran International Airport
McCarran offers free wi-fi and gadget-recharging workstations; ATMs, a currency exchange booth and full-service bank; first-aid and police stations; a pharmacy and walk-in medical clinic for nonemergencies; a lost-and-found office; a post office; and tourist information desks.
Shuttle buses run to Strip hotels from $7 one-way, and from $9 to Downtown and off-Strip hotels. You'll pay at least $20 plus tip for a taxi to the Strip – tell your driver to use surface streets, not the I-15 Fwy airport connector tunnel ('long-hauling').

J Greyhound Terminal
If you're arriving in Vegas via long-distance bus, you'll disembark at a downtown station just off the Fremont Street Experience. To reach the Strip, catch a southbound SDX bus.

K Driving
Most travelers approach the Strip (Las Vegas Blvd) off the I-15 Fwy. Try to avoid exiting onto busy Flamingo Rd; opt for quieter Tropicana Ave or Spring Mountain Rd.

3 Getting Around
The Strip is miles long. Though you can walk between some casino resorts, you’ll need a ride – bus, monorail, taxi or driving your own car – to reach others, or to go downtown.

J Bus
Deuce buses to/from downtown stop every block or two along the Strip. Quicker SDX express buses stop at some Strip casino hotels and at some off-Strip shopping malls. A 24-hour pass costs $8.

K Car & Motorcycle
Driving on the Strip can be stressful. Parking at Strip casino hotels and shopping malls is no longer free.

V Monorail
Expensive, inconveniently located on the east side of the Strip and with a limited route, but has great views and regular services.

Rideshare
Uber and Lyft are