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Guide to Las Vegas, USA (Nevada)
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Click to go to Flight Prices for Las Vegas
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Las Vegas
The entertainment capital of the world. The City of Lights. Sin City. Known for its glamorous shows, extravagant hotels and sprawling casinos, Las Vegas is a high-octane haven for gambling and entertainment. Situated in the middle of the Nevada desert, Vegas draws millions of visitors year to its gambling halls and convention centres. It is a wild mix of business and pleasure, and the people who work the Strip dont bat an eye when mentioning the billions of dollars that pass through the glitzy venues every year. With its bright lights, high rollers and wedding chapels, Las Vegas isnt called Sin City for nothing. How To Get There
Las Vegas is served by McCarran International Airport which lies 8km out of the city. A taxi or bus ride will get you into town quickly. International flights from Mexico and Canada usually fly direct into McCarran but many overseas flights come via New York or Los Angeles. Flight time is approximately 8 hours from London.
Travelling Around
Taxis, buses and trolleys are available 24/7. Trolleys are a fun way of getting up and down the strip to take in the sights and sounds.
When To Go
Despite the frenzy of parties and conventions, Las Vegas experiences some downtime from November through February. Whenever you visit therell always be hotels available - from motels to full-package suites. Winter nights can get chilly so you wont want to be walking down the Strip for long periods of time late at night. Spring and autumn are the peak seasons, and the prices go up along with the crowds. Summer is only for strong-willed heat lovers. Nevada is dry so you wont experience any humidity, but the sun gets incredibly hot.
What To See
Start your Las Vegas trek in Glitter Gulch- the street blocks around the intersection of Fremont & Main. The first neon sign in the city went up here in 1929. Two signs with street cred are Vegas Vic and Sassy Sal which consist of literally thousands of lights. Golden Nugget and Golden Spike are among the high-class casinos in the area.
Travelling up and down the Strip youll find two of the most famous casinos in Las Vegas: The Mirage and Imperial Palace. The Mirage is all about sights and sensations. It features a fake volcano with an artificial lagoon erupting four times an hour with 54 waterfalls cascading down the exterior; a miniature tropical rainforest at the casino entrance, and at a giant aquarium at the front entry desk containing more than a thousand fish (we told you Vegas is over-the-top). Imperial Palace is home to the famous Auto Collection 200 vehicles owned by the rich, famous and infamous.
If gambling isnt your thing, you can try boating, golf, hiking and rock climbing, and Las Vegas has numerous parks. The Las Vegas Motor Speedway just north of the city holds automotive events such as NASCAR and the Las Vegas Bowl holds NCAA football games. The themed shopping malls inside the casino complexes are worth a look, especially The Forum at Caesars Palace which is decorated with statues, fountains and piazzas.
Head further afield to see two of the most famous sites in the US: the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam. They are definitely worth the car rental price. Visit the Grand Canyon in the evening when the sun goes down for the best views.
Hotspot
The Stratosphere
The Stratosphere Las Vegas is a hotel and casino on the Strip with 2,444 rooms and an 80,000 square foot gambling hall. Its iconic tower holds two observation decks and a revolving restaurant, as well as three thrill rides. These arent for the faint hearted! The Big Shot is the highest thrill ride in the world at 1,081 feet (329 m). Insanity: the Ride opened in 2005 and at 900 feet (274 m) is the second highest in the world. It suspends riders over the edge of the tower and then goes in to a forty-mile-per-hour spin. At 866 feet (264 m) the XSCREAM is similarly hair-raising.
Night Life
Las Vegas is a 24 hour city. The concept of time is stretched in the casinos where the lights and temperature remain constant throughout the day and night to tempt gamblers into staying. Outdoors, things really come alive once the sun sets. The lights go on and the Strip becomes a neon paradise. There are bars, lounges, night clubs and restaurants to suit every taste from the serene to the wild. Casinos offer stage shows featuring dancing girls, magic acts and big-name stars (Elton John and Celine Dion have recently held in-house residencies).
fast facts
The city covers 84.272 square miles (219.1 square kilometres).Las Vegas means the meadows in Spanish.The first hotel casino was the Golden Gate which opened in 1906. The Stratosphere is the highest free-standing observation tower in the USA.Las Vegas is the most populous city in the state of Nevada.
Quick History
The land where Las Vegas now stands was originally home to the Native American Navajo people. In 1829 a Mexican trader discovered a grassy field which he called Las Vegas or meadow. In 1855 Mormons settled in the area to help the Navajos plant crops and set up a safe station between Los Angeles and Salt Lake City but this was soon abandoned. The city of Las Vegas was established in 1905. In 1931 two things happened that would shape the city forever. Construction began on the Hoover Dam and thousands of workers were brought in for labour. At the same time casino gambling was legalised. The real growth started when infamous New York mobster Bugsy Siegel opened the Flamingo Hotel in 1946. Today Las Vegas is the fastest growing city in the United States, with an estimated 4000 to 8000 people moving there every month.
Money
There are around two dollars to the pound. Up-to-date exchange rates can be found here.
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