I've stayed off-strip at the Hampton on Flamingo Road. Quiet, easy to walk/drive to the Strip (less than 3 blocks).

I've stayed at Gold Rush (in old LV). It's OK - HUGE complex - but far from the strip...

Also, at the Bellagio. Again, huge...

What do you want to do?

Thank you Chloe. We're mostly wanting to site see. We do want to see the neon sign museum and a lot of other things.
Has anyone driven from PA to Vegas? We're curious about how long it would take to get there.
One thing we want is to be able to park our car and not use it while we're there.

Vegas has lots of public transportation, walking is always the best you can see so much and wanding in and out of casinos. Traffic is a bit much so good for you not wanting to drive your car around.

My DD and her DH go to Vegas about 8-10X's a year it is crazy. They are on their way home from there today. This time they were at the Belliagio~~next month several friends, family and clients of his are meeting there. They will stay at The Hotel Manadel Bay, they get 2 roomsuites there~~they say that the rooms at Mandalay Bay the original part are nice also. They go there when a lot of people are going they can rent cabanas in the private pool area .

We stayed at the Paris once I love it, I have stayed off strip before and just walked downtown also, very nice. It all depends on how much you want to spend~that's Vegas they have something for everyone.

Use mapquest (.com) from your city to LasVegas for a pretty accurate driving time.

PAs a big state so it's hard to guess. I agree with MapQuest recommendation.

We've stayed on strip at the Riveria. It was easy to get in an out of with a car (if you wanted to drive somewhere) and close enough to everything else that you could walk/access public transportation. It was about 10 years ago and we got rooms at a really good price ($39/night?). It is an older property but it was nice. May be renovated by now. We had no issues and I would stay there again.

Circus Circus has a lot of inexpensive rooms but I personally would not stay there. It's a circus....literally....

Thanks everyone for the great tips. We're not sure where we're going to be staying but we plan on having fun when we get there. We're making this his 69th birthday and our 20th year anniversary trip. I did see where they have a tour bus similiar to the one's in New York where they stop at all the different hotels and sites, so we plan on taking that to see the sites.

Depending on how far you drive each day, I would figure at least 4-5 days...it's roughly 2500 miles.

It is going to be VERY hot....so take that into consideration when you are thinking about doing most things on foot...you may not be able to walk long distances like you normally might. At some hotels it can even be quite a hike from the parking lot. And, to me anyway, things are sometimes not as close as they appear.

Google "hotels las vegas strip" this will give you an idea of location and prices, then you can narrow it down by price,etc and check out each hotel's website for specials or call directly.

I agree about the heat. Be sure to wear hats and sunscreen. I would not want to be walking in that heat. Sometimes the heat is so bad that the hotel air conditioning has trouble keeping up.

I walk everywhere I go in Vegas. It's not hard. But taxis aren't that expensive, though. One time, we went and just toured the hotels. That was fun. It was the Bellagio's grand opening. Long time ago!

I've only been there once and stayed at the Mirage. It was very nice and close to everything. Once was enough for me, but my dh would go back in a heart beat.

Yes, it's hot but it's not humid which helps. My hair totally frizzes ooin humidity, but in Vegas, it was shiny like a mirror!

It is a fun place with lots to see and do. The last time we went, we stayed in New York, New York. Loved it! Just take your time, don't over do. There are buses that you can jump on, on the strip.

There are great shows and entertainment. We had tickets in advance for Bette Midler.

We stayed in NY, NY last time too! Great hotel. I also liked the MGM, but I wouldn't pick it again. Too many cool places to stay there.

I don't know where you live, but from PA half of that drive or more passes through areas that most would say are of little touristic interest. Unless there are people or places on detours you want to visit along the way, why not fly? Flying could be cheaper too.

It has been 15 years since my wife and I was in Nevada, and we had a dining surprise. We found that a hotel/motel with a casino was a good place to buy breakfast. The food was good and reasonable priced in hopes you'd drop a few dollars gambling. That was as long time ago - things can change.

One night, we stayed in a motel/bar/diner that sat on the state line. The state line divided the bar in half and the enterprising owner had marked the state line with tape. The tape ran from the back bar, across the bar, and across the floor to the far wall. Liquor laws were different in the two states of Utah and Nevada. One one side of the bar, he could sell liquor only by the drink; on the other side he could sell unopened bottles and these had to be removed to the outside before opening. There were 2 cash registers, one in Utah and the second in Nevada. On weekends, the place was popular with hunters.

When I met my DH, I was astounded that he never was west. He wanted to see Las Vegas. We spent a couple of days there, and then drove north of Vegas, and circled all around the Grand Canyon and back to Vegas, in a few days. I strongly recommend what we did...it was fascinating, and he still talks about it.

The last time I went to Las Vegas was for 7-7-7... July 7, 2007. It was 116 degrees when we left to fly home. It was so hot, our plane had a hard time getting up in the air. At that temperature, it doesn't matter if it is humid or dry heat. The heat is just miserable. Drink plenty of water and carry some in your vehicle.

Things change so I can't give you tips on specific places to stay or where to go. We like to go in and look at the different casinos. They each have a theme and something neat to see.

We always take in at least one nice show. You can find reviews online for what people like or think is the best. We always ask the people working there. They've made recommendations like Carrot Top that we would never have seen otherwise. He was actually very funny.

I used to like to play the slot machines. Most of the casinos went to a ticket system instead of dispensing coins. I had a system that involved keeping all my winning coins in one cup and only playing off my money I brought to spend . They ruined it so I quit winning as much money. LOL! If you're not into that, there is plenty else to do.

Also...the website lasvegas.com....has tons of info on hotels, shows, tours, just about everything you would need to know...you can book through them as well.

let me clue you..depending on the heat it can be horrible to walk...they do have a bus system, but i'd love to see you take the drive down the strip, but look for ethel m's chocolate factory and garden, head out of town to red rock, and of course the dam...gambling is cheaper downtown, I think they still have nickel slots...
do take in one of the shows...try for someone you can't see of tv all the time...pick up the local paper. they used to have coupons for some of the buffets...and be prepared..las vegas isn't cheap eats anymore....

thank you everyone for all the tips. we are not flying because I have the greatest fear of being so far up that there's is not enough money in the world to get me in plane. we plan on taking the bus tour to get around the hotels. they have one in the day and one in the night so we are going to do both. they are the ones you can hop on and hop off. we plan on taking the hoover dam tour. we don't have an exact time table for anything but we do want to put our feet into California before we leave. on our way back we will be stopping at the grand canyon and roswell and if we still have enough time I would love to stop at the diamond place in Arkansas and hopefully drive home through the smokey mountains.

The bigger and fancier the hotel and the closer to the strip the higher the cost...so if your budget will accommodate that then just pick and choose the one that suits your fancy. We have stayed at several along the strip...any of them will please you..that's there business;;;we have stayed at Caesars Palace, NY, NY. Bellagio and a few others but there are some that are not one the strip that are just as nice and since you have a car you don't need to be on the strip...there is plenty of transportation around town...from one hotel to the others; I think the one that we had the most fun at was the NY, NY..but we are not the kind of people that have to have the plushest of the plush...

Sounds like a fun trip...Enjoy Las Vegas...its fun just don't get in a rush cause there is a lot to do and see there.

This post was edited by ruthieg__tx on Sun, Jun 15, 14 at 11:17

If you're afraid of being high up, you might want to find a motel outside of town. Many of the downtown and strip hotels are 20-30 floors high. Not sure if you can request a lower floor or if you just get what they give ya.

Naughtykitty. The height of the hotels don't bother me. They are anchored to the ground. It's just the thought of being in an airplane that is so high up the sky just terrifies me.

We stayed at the Luxor when we were there. It was very nice.

Start searching, deals and activities abound. You might be a tourist and take 2 weeks to get there, who cares? Try the roller coaster on top of the Stratosphere (its attached to the ground!!) Hope everything you choose is a worthwhile adventure. It's awesome by night, boring during daylight. Someone recently found a big diamond in Arkansas too.

About the hotels and "deals".....be aware that almost all of them now add a daily "resort fee" to the advertised price. It wasn't just a couple dollars either...more like $20-something..... Just knowing in advance helps the shock! Have fun!!

There is also a 12% tax added to the resort fee.

linda have you decided on a route yet? and how long do you like to drive? if you access to triple a or know of someone who does ask if they'll get a trip-tic for you...it's a custom map based on what you want to see or how long you want to take....the trip tic comes with tour guide books and lists of all the hotels in cities...I'd probably go on I70 into colorado/utah, then head down thru salt lake city on I15...I'd plan on 3 weeks?

if you want to do diamond hunting in Arkansas. go home on I40....

either way is gonna be hot...