Las Vegas, Nevada, was a simple quiet town until the mob decided to turn it into a gambling mecca. Established in 1905, it became a city in 1911 and from then onwards grew rapidly. Today some of the world's most famous casinos are here and wild nights can be experienced here. The city's tolerance for various forms of adult entertainment earned it the title of Sin City. If you want to hit up the big casinos on the strip or some of the smaller ones in downtown there is a casino for everyone. If you don't want to gamble, there are plenty of musicians, dance clubs, magic acts and even some outdoor activities around to entertain you. Remember: what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas and VIVA LAS VEGAS!
The Las Vegas Strip is where all the action takes place in Sin City. It's a 7-kilometre stretch of the Las Vegas Boulevard where all the hotels and casinos are located and where almost all of the gambling and other activities in the city can be found. Although historically, Downtown Las Vegas had all the gambling going on, the casinos that were not in here along Fremont Street were restricted to outside of the city limits on Las Vegas Boulevard. Quickly, this part, the Strip, grew rapidly and now is the centerpiece with all the famous hotels, shows and casinos.
Las Vegas has an arid climate with low precipitation year round, just over 100 mm annually. From June to September, average daytime temperatures are between 35 °C and 40 °C, sometimes hitting 45 °C. Nights are pleasantly warm during this time. Winter days are between 15 °C and 20 °C, with nights around zero. Occasionally, snow is possible during this time. March to May and October and November are pleasant months for a visit.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Max | 14.1 °C | 17.4 °C | 20.4 °C | 25.3 °C | 31 °C | 37.9 °C | 41.1 °C | 39.6 °C | 34.8 °C | 27.8 °C | 19.7 °C | 14.2 °C |
| Avg Min | 0.9 °C | 3.8 °C | 6.6 °C | 10.4 °C | 15.7 °C | 20.8 °C | 24.6 °C | 23.4 °C | 19 °C | 12.4 °C | 5.9 °C | 1.1 °C |
| Rainfall | 12.2 mm | 12.2 mm | 10.7 mm | 5.3 mm | 7.1 mm | 3 mm | 8.9 mm | 12.4 mm | 7.1 mm | 5.3 mm | 10.9 mm | 9.7 mm |
| Rain Days | 2.1 | 1.8 | 2.1 | 1.2 | 0.9 | 0.5 | 1.6 | 2 | 1.2 | 1 | 1.3 | 1.7 |
McCarran International Airport (LAS) is the main gateway to Las Vegas and Southwest Airlines offers most flights to/from here. Destinations include Albuquerque, Baltimore, Buffalo, Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, Los Angeles, Houston, Oakland, New Orleans, Phoenix, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, Tampa, Salt Lake City, Washington, D.C. and San Diego, among many more.
US Airways offers a lot of flights as well, including most of the above places and Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Toronto and Vancouver. Westjet has flights to quite a few Canadian cities as well.
New York is served by Continental and Delta and international connections include Mexico City, Frankfurt, Guadalajara, London, Manila, Belfast, Glasgow, Manchester and Monterrey.
The airport is located about 5 miles (8 kilometres) from the business district of Las Vegas, and just a mile or so from the Strip.
To/from the airport
Las Vegas can be approaced from all directions. The main Interstate 15 (I-15) runs from northeast (Utah) through southern Nevada and Las Vegas, towards the southwest crossing into Caliornia at the Mojave Desert and continuing towards LA. Route 93 runs from Kingman, Arizona, into Nevada passing Las Vegas and continuing north. Route 95 from southern California runs to Las Vegas and onwards in northwestern direction parallel at the California-Nevada border.
Megabus offers three daily connections to Los Angeles. They take around 4 to 4.5 hours. It works as a lowcostairline, that is if you book well in advance you can get seats for as little as one dollar! Greyhound has buses to San Diego, LA and San Francisco, among other places. There are even buses run by Amtrak (train company) from LA as well.
Many international rental companies have a wide selection of rental cars and these include Hertz, Avis, Dollar, Thrifty, Enterprise, Budget and Alamo/National. Most companies will require you are at least 25 years of age, although younger people might be able to rent cars at slightly higher rates and with some insurance differences as well. A national driver's license is usually enough, but an additional international one is recommended. Also note that it usually costs more to include lots of other extra things. For example extra drivers, GPS, the first full tank, SLI (Supplemental Liability Insurance), PAI (Personal Accident Insurance, usually covered already at home), road assistance/service plan, and drop-off costs for one-way rentals.
If you want to book a car, it is recommended that you book your car before arriving in the USA. This is almost always (much) cheaper compared to just showing up. Also, try and book with a so-called 'broker', which usually works together with a few or many car rental companies and can offer the best deal. Some examples include Holidayautos, Holidaycars and Sunny Cars. Some of the cheapest deals to book from Europe, includes Drive-USA, which also has a German version.
For more information and tips about renting cars and campers, additional costs, insurance, traffic rules, scenic routes and getting maps and fuel it is advised to check the USA Getting Around section.
Citizens Area Transit offers city and suburban bus routes usually from 5am to 2am daily, with the double-decker Deuce buses running 24/7 along the Strip and to downtown. The regular fare is $1.25 per ride, except on Deuce buses ($2). Exact change is required!
The Las Vegas Monorail travel up and down the main part of The Strip between the Sahara hotel and the MGM hotel.
| Property | Address | Type | Popularity |
|---|---|---|---|
| AAE Casino Wild West Las Vegas | 3330 W. Tropicana Ave. Near The Strip | Hostel | 76 |
| AAE Las Vegas Palace Station Casino | 2411 W. Sahara Ave Las Vegas, NV | Hotel | 78 |
| Sin City Hostel | 1208 Las Vegas Blvd., South | Hostel | 75 |
| Las Vegas Hostel | 1322 Fremont St. | Hostel | 71 |
| Travelodge Las Vegas | 2830 Las Vegas Blvd | HOTEL | 77 |
| Las Vegas Airport Travelodge | 5075 Koval Lane | Hotel | 77 |
| Bonanza Lodge | 1808 Fremont Street, Downtown - Fremont Street | Hotel | - |
| Desert Moon Hotel | 1701 Fremont Street | Hotel | - |
| Emerald Suites Hotel - Las Vegas Boulevard | 9145 S. Las Vegas Blvd | Hotel | - |
| Howard Johnson Inn Las Vegas Strip | 1401 Las Vegas Boulevard | Hotel | 74 |
| Motel 6 Las Vegas | 195 E Tropicana Avenue Las Vegas, NV, 89109 | Hotel | - |
| HI Las Vegas Tod Hostel | 1508 S. Las Vegas Blvd | Hostel | 68 |
| West Coast Hostel | 1150 Las Vegas Blvd S. | Hostel | 72 |
| Hostel Cat | 1236 South Las Vegas Boulevard Las Vegas, Nevada | Hostel | 78 |
| Shalimar Hostel | 1401A Las Vegas Blvd S. | HOSTEL | 77 |
| Siena Suites | 6555 Boulder Highway | Hotel | - |
| Super 8 Las Vegas | 1213 S. Las Vegas Blvd | Hotel | - |
| Best Western Mardi Gras Hotel & Casino | 3500 Paradise Road | Hotel | - |
| Bridger Inn Hotel | 301 S. Main St. | HOTEL | - |
See also International Telephone Calls
The US Postal Service is very good and well priced mail system. There are hundreds of big and small post offices in Las Vegas. If wanting to send a letter or postcard it is best just to leave it in a blue mail box with the proper postage. There are also private postal services like FedEx, UPS and DHL.
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