Ten Common Mistakes of Visitors to Las Vegas, NV
“We will never do that again!” Both experienced and novice visitors to Las Vegas make mistakes before and during their trips simply because of their humanity. The English poet Alexander Pope coined the phrase “To err is human… to forgive is divine.” Planning and executing an enjoyable getaway to Las Vegas is truly a learned art and individual visitors’ accounting for their own real or perceived mistakes varies widely due to personal likes, dislikes, budgets and Las Vegas visiting experience. However, there are some common mistakes that many Las Vegas hikers (including this author) have made. Ten common mistakes are outlined here.
1. Underestimating the scale and size of the hotel: casinos on the Strip:
I once turned the corner of Tropicana Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard in front of the MGM Grand on foot with my partner. This was our initial trip to Las Vegas and we were blown away by the kitsch visual spectacle the city is partially famous for. As we walked north in front of MGM, I saw Caesar’s Palace that seemed to be on the not-too-distant architectural horizon. Wrong, Boo! As we approached Caesar’s, I was fully prepared to pay someone to throw me into traffic on Las Vegas Boulevard. The sheer inherent size of the monstrous concrete monoliths we refer to as casinos (hotels can make us blunder) is prone to judging walking distances. On each and every subsequent trip to Sin City, car rental has been a regular occurrence because of this experience.
two. Staying too long at playgrounds :
Staying longer at an individual table game or slots/video poker in an attempt to recoup losses is common and reckless. It’s almost always wiser and cheaper to get up and do something else.
3. Poor or inadequate overall travel planning :
This mistake can add significant costs to a Las Vegas trip budget for those who consider costs important. That said, it’s also nice to leave some time slots for spontaneous unplanned activities (see next post).
Four. Excessive planning of trips to Las Vegas:
Visitors who plan down to the last minute detail can exhaust themselves and their entire travel party into a condition of extreme fatigue…or anarchy.
5. Failing to sign up for the player’s club and/or casino website email memberships:
This is a huge no-brainer if any games are anticipated, particularly in light of the current economic environment in Las Vegas.
6. Gambling on casino games that have an unbeatable house edge:
Keno comes to mind, even though this may upset a large collection of sweet grannies.
7. Bad driving habits:
That unique Las Vegas adrenaline rush can be a detrimental factor when you’re behind the wheel. Driving like your hair is on fire to get to the next exciting event can be dangerous. On occasions this author has committed such a crime.
8. Not wearing comfortable walking shoes:
Simply navigating within a single casino on foot can sometimes resemble the Trail of Tears. Have you ever wandered around the MGM Grand or Mandalay Bay in uncomfortable shoes?
9. Not using valet parking services when carrying luggage:
This is particularly true for those locations that have parking garages that are one county away from hotel check-in counters. It’s a hike in some of these (eg MGM Grand) even without luggage. Consider valet services at any time to get luggage from one place to another, such as on arrival and departure days or during hotel changes within the trip. The minimal costs (visitors can still choose to maneuver their own bags) are usually worth it to avoid a marathon walk on concrete.
10 Do not use alternate access routes to strip hotels when driving:
Driving down Las Vegas Boulevard in heavy traffic conditions can be time consuming. There are some well-known alternative driving routes that can save a considerable amount of time and frustration. There are some thoroughfares that roughly parallel Las Vegas Boulevard on the east (Koval Lane and Audrie Street) and west (Frank Sinatra Drive and Dean Martin/Industrial Road) sides that allow access to strip properties from behind.