Las Vegas questions
Discussion
Couple of questions for anyone who has done Vegas. We are going for the 1st time and want to visit the Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon. We do not like organised trips and dont really fancy hiring a car so can we visit the above by public bus or special attraction coaches etc ?
Also, where is the best place for breakfast ?
Also, where is the best place for breakfast ?
These guys were good for helicopter tours: http://www.papillon.com/
As for eating.... yes, everywhere.
As for eating.... yes, everywhere.
The Grand's buffet is indeed pretty damn good, as is the Wynn - both get damn busy though. Other good places are Raffle's Cafe in the Mandalay Bay, The Pyramid Cafe at the Luxor which does a mean no-frills breakfast, not the best hotel / casino but it's worth the trip if you're hungry and not too far away (Go through Mandalay Place shops which link the Mandalay Bay and Luxor), there's also McDonalds and the like upstairs.
My favourite is House Of Blues which you'll find in the Mandalay Bay. Given the choice I could happily eat there 3 times a day. The big platter they do is ace, and the cornbread is heaven.
New York New York has a fair few eateries packed in too - if you're having a late brekkie try Greenberg's deli - superb hot sarnies and I'd sell my mother on ebay for one of their Ruben on Rye w/ pastrami ones at this point in time. Planet Dailies at Planet Hollywood is also good for a feast, monster portions and a regular for us. I forget it's name, but at the back of NYNY's food court between Ben & Jerry's and Greenberg's Deli there's a great restaurant / cafe.
A bit further up the strip you've got the Bellagio which has a couple of places worth checking out, Cafe Bellagio is 24 hours and worth it, buffet is pretty damn good too. Caesar's Palace I've never been enthused by food wise, but there's a few places in the Forum Shoppes that are much better, but still nothing special.
I could keep going, but there's hundreds of places, been 3 times for no less than a week at a time and still don't feel like I've scratched the surface when it comes to sampling them all
Just about all of them will serve a decent breakfast.
My favourite is House Of Blues which you'll find in the Mandalay Bay. Given the choice I could happily eat there 3 times a day. The big platter they do is ace, and the cornbread is heaven.
New York New York has a fair few eateries packed in too - if you're having a late brekkie try Greenberg's deli - superb hot sarnies and I'd sell my mother on ebay for one of their Ruben on Rye w/ pastrami ones at this point in time. Planet Dailies at Planet Hollywood is also good for a feast, monster portions and a regular for us. I forget it's name, but at the back of NYNY's food court between Ben & Jerry's and Greenberg's Deli there's a great restaurant / cafe.
A bit further up the strip you've got the Bellagio which has a couple of places worth checking out, Cafe Bellagio is 24 hours and worth it, buffet is pretty damn good too. Caesar's Palace I've never been enthused by food wise, but there's a few places in the Forum Shoppes that are much better, but still nothing special.
I could keep going, but there's hundreds of places, been 3 times for no less than a week at a time and still don't feel like I've scratched the surface when it comes to sampling them all
Just about all of them will serve a decent breakfast.Edited by Stu R on Tuesday 26th July 16:08
Rs2oo said:
Thanks so far. Best company/bus for the Grand Canyon and Hoover dam please ?
Also, what part of the Grand Canyon is best to visit ?
Is hiring a car to do these a better choice ?
The only bus company I've used you'll find at the back of NYNY - go through the food court and there's an exit, there you'll see a bus, and boards with prices etc on. Never used them though. Also, what part of the Grand Canyon is best to visit ?
Is hiring a car to do these a better choice ?
Edited by Rs2oo on Tuesday 26th July 21:19
There's a few good helicopter experiences that'll stop off for lunch, personally I'd look at one of these instead if they're within budget (few hundred bucks). Car wise, it's always a good idea, but WRT the canyon, you'll find it's a rip off whichever mode of transport you choose - but if you avoid the hilariously overpriced owned car parks etc and go somewhere a bit more remote it'll save you getting a punch in the wallet.
Can't help with busses - always hired cars. You don't need one for the whole vacation, but why not just hire for a few days? Most of the hotels have rental desks, but check the rates at different pickup points beforehand even with the same company. To date we've usually found the airport is cheapest (but I've never rented there, as I drink too much on the 'plane), most of the hotels are equal, and then the Wynn is more expensive again. We've been at the Wynn/Encore the last few trips and we've saved over $100 just walking across to Caesars to rent the same car with the same company [Hertz]. What's always worked for us is to taxi into town from the airport and spend the first few days car-less. Then pick up something for the last few days on the strip with a one-way rental back to the airport. Saves messing with taxis on the way home and no real premium on the rental.
We usually hire something neat (had Corvettes, Shelby Mustang, Camaro etc) BUT all the neat cars have limited miles and will cost a fair bit to take to the Grand Canyon and back. When we've done the grand canyon we've swapped for something like a V6 Mustang or V6 Camaro which have unlimited miles.
The Grand Canyon is a good 4-hour drive in a car - a bus has got to take longer, and it's not a particularly scenic route, but worth it when you get there. It has to be 5 hours in a coach each way? That's enough to put me off! You can pull off the main highway just before the Grand Canyon turnoff and get your kicks on [a very small part of] route 66. There is only one real vantage point on the south rim of the canyon (where you'll be going from Vegas), but there are a few car parks with a mile or two between them so you can get a couple of different perspectives. The one at grand canyon village has a pathway down into the canyon, but it's a long way down and back. We've never made it pasy a few hundred yards!
The sky walk thing run by the Indians is NOT the grand canyon - no where near.
Given the travel time you can't realistically do Hoover Dam on the same day as the grand canyon if you want to do the tour of the dam as opposed to just stopping and taking photos unless you were to leave at the crack of dawn, even though it's en route. If Hoover Dam's your thing it's also neat to hire a powerboat from the marina at Lake Mead and 'drive' up to it from the lake; you don't get that close as there's a line of bouys, but it's a different perspective from the water....and cooler.
If you do end up with a car, I'd also suggest doing Valley of Fire (which on a bright day is more impressive that the Grand Canyon IMHO) and maybe even Death Valley. Unlike the GC where you have to go and return the same [boring] way, you can go to valley of fire on the north shore road in the national park which is a great driving road, then scoot back by the freeway; and for death valley you can go via Pahrump and back via the freeway, GC is mightily impresive, but it's a whole day's trip for an hour or two's gawping. Unless of course you get a helicopter trip...
Breafast
Vegas
Does not compute.
...and we're back again for a wee visit at the end of August; got tickets for Rod Stewart at Caesars
We usually hire something neat (had Corvettes, Shelby Mustang, Camaro etc) BUT all the neat cars have limited miles and will cost a fair bit to take to the Grand Canyon and back. When we've done the grand canyon we've swapped for something like a V6 Mustang or V6 Camaro which have unlimited miles.
The Grand Canyon is a good 4-hour drive in a car - a bus has got to take longer, and it's not a particularly scenic route, but worth it when you get there. It has to be 5 hours in a coach each way? That's enough to put me off! You can pull off the main highway just before the Grand Canyon turnoff and get your kicks on [a very small part of] route 66. There is only one real vantage point on the south rim of the canyon (where you'll be going from Vegas), but there are a few car parks with a mile or two between them so you can get a couple of different perspectives. The one at grand canyon village has a pathway down into the canyon, but it's a long way down and back. We've never made it pasy a few hundred yards!
The sky walk thing run by the Indians is NOT the grand canyon - no where near.
Given the travel time you can't realistically do Hoover Dam on the same day as the grand canyon if you want to do the tour of the dam as opposed to just stopping and taking photos unless you were to leave at the crack of dawn, even though it's en route. If Hoover Dam's your thing it's also neat to hire a powerboat from the marina at Lake Mead and 'drive' up to it from the lake; you don't get that close as there's a line of bouys, but it's a different perspective from the water....and cooler.
If you do end up with a car, I'd also suggest doing Valley of Fire (which on a bright day is more impressive that the Grand Canyon IMHO) and maybe even Death Valley. Unlike the GC where you have to go and return the same [boring] way, you can go to valley of fire on the north shore road in the national park which is a great driving road, then scoot back by the freeway; and for death valley you can go via Pahrump and back via the freeway, GC is mightily impresive, but it's a whole day's trip for an hour or two's gawping. Unless of course you get a helicopter trip...
Breafast
Vegas
Does not compute.
...and we're back again for a wee visit at the end of August; got tickets for Rod Stewart at Caesars
SWH said:
These guys were good for helicopter tours: http://www.papillon.com/
Seconded, I did their Grand Canyon South Rim tour, which was a flight out from Boulder City to the South Rim and also included a helicopter flight over the canyon.They pick you up and drop you off from your hotel in Vegas too.
The West Rim of the Canyon is a big tourist trap apparently.
Hire a car. V8 Mustang, Challenger and Camaro not to mention Corvette all available from Hertz. We've had Corvette and Shelby Mustang from them at LAS before and never had mileage limited. Had a V6 Camaro from SFO and that wasn't limited mileage either.
Go to the South Rim. Stay the night - watch the sunset and make the effort to get up for Sunrise. You won't regret it!
Death Valley is just awesome. Valley of Fire is good if you don't want to drive for hours and hours, but doesn't have the same "Wow" factor.
Go to the South Rim. Stay the night - watch the sunset and make the effort to get up for Sunrise. You won't regret it!
Death Valley is just awesome. Valley of Fire is good if you don't want to drive for hours and hours, but doesn't have the same "Wow" factor.
Edited by Breadknife on Tuesday 2nd August 13:31
We used these people for helicopter into Canyon:-
http://www.maverickhelicopter.com/ - they were really good. Looks like they may have some association to the Papillon one listed above. Again I cannot help with the bus. Next time back we will head into Vegas - hire a car - and then drive ourselves to the Canyon and stay over on a longer trip.
As for breakfast question.
You cannot beat Dennys! So wrong, it must be right........
BTW - everyone that has been to Vegas raves about it. Most have been more than once. Before I went (Jan 2011) I did not understand this, I like a drink, but don't really gamble, and typically if I have been somewhere, (even though I may love it), there is so much else in the world to see that I cannot justify going back.
Then there is Vegas. You will see what I mean. I will be back there next year......
http://www.maverickhelicopter.com/ - they were really good. Looks like they may have some association to the Papillon one listed above. Again I cannot help with the bus. Next time back we will head into Vegas - hire a car - and then drive ourselves to the Canyon and stay over on a longer trip.
As for breakfast question.
You cannot beat Dennys! So wrong, it must be right........
BTW - everyone that has been to Vegas raves about it. Most have been more than once. Before I went (Jan 2011) I did not understand this, I like a drink, but don't really gamble, and typically if I have been somewhere, (even though I may love it), there is so much else in the world to see that I cannot justify going back.
Then there is Vegas. You will see what I mean. I will be back there next year......
Rs2oo said:
Couple of questions for anyone who has done Vegas. We are going for the 1st time and want to visit the Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon. We do not like organised trips and dont really fancy hiring a car so can we visit the above by public bus or special attraction coaches etc ?
Also, where is the best place for breakfast ?
What hotel are you planning to stay at?Also, where is the best place for breakfast ?
Fats25 said:
We used these people for helicopter into Canyon:-
http://www.maverickhelicopter.com/ - they were really good.
So did we - very good, and right across the road from where we were staying (worth noting that some others bus you a good chunk of the way there, which can cut into your day quite a bit)http://www.maverickhelicopter.com/ - they were really good.
I used Sundance hlicopters for a flight into the Grand Canyon, they are expensive now the exchange rate is not near 2:1 when we went a few years back.
As for breakfast, beyond spending $50 in the main buffets for brunch I also echo Dennys, we found the Peppermill Diner - a bit down the strip from WYnn/Encore was a brilliant, smart but traditional American diner, which will rustle up a huge breakfast at a great price.
As for breakfast, beyond spending $50 in the main buffets for brunch I also echo Dennys, we found the Peppermill Diner - a bit down the strip from WYnn/Encore was a brilliant, smart but traditional American diner, which will rustle up a huge breakfast at a great price.
For anyone that's going soon, have a look at this Groupon deal I was just sent: Clicky!
There are some great deals for Vegas floating around on Groupon so it's certainly worth signing up to their mailing list. We managed to find some for Quad Biking through the Valley of Fire and it was just awesome. The scenary was fantastic but more importantly, the terrain was tricky and the Quad Bikes were quick too.
There are some great deals for Vegas floating around on Groupon so it's certainly worth signing up to their mailing list. We managed to find some for Quad Biking through the Valley of Fire and it was just awesome. The scenary was fantastic but more importantly, the terrain was tricky and the Quad Bikes were quick too.
Gassing Station | Holidays & Travel | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff