There are many things essential to know when visiting Las Vegas. These tips are for both domestic and international travelers. The essential thing to do while visiting Las Vegas is to have a great time!
Tips for First Time Las Vegas Visitors
- Plan the basics of your vacation before leaving home.
- If not already a member of a Casino Players Card, sign-up online before booking your room. Once a member the rates will be lower. It is free to join (21+).
- Generally, room rates are lower Sunday to Thursday, unless a large convention or other major event is taking place.
- If staying on the Las Vegas Strip, you may want to book a room “Center Strip”. This would be around the Bellagio, Caesars Palace, Flamingo, Horseshoe, Paris, Cosmopolitan, etc.
- Wear comfortable broken-in shoes, distances are further than they appear on the Strip.
- Wear sunscreen and bring water when you venture out.
- Always sign up for a Players Club Card in the casino, and use them.
- Take free gaming lessons (most casinos offer these daily). If you have a question while playing table games ask the dealer. They will help you if they are not busy.
- If there is a must visit restaurant, be sure to make a reservation well in advance.
- Don’t agree to a timeshare presentation or engage with salespeople.
- Avoid taking photos with the street performers, showgirls, etc. They will expect a hefty tip and some can be aggressive.
- Unless venturing outside Las Vegas for other activities a rental car is not needed. Take Uber or Lyft.
- If you have never used Uber or Lyft, look for discount codes online. Your first rides could be free.
- The RTC Bus System is very convenient. The Deuce runs 24/7 on the Las Vegas Strip. Check here for our LINK to Transportation in Las Vegas.
- Las Vegas is the “Entertainment Capital of the World”. If you want to book a show, sporting event or concert book in advance. Check here for our LINK to Discount Show Tickets.
- Check for discount meals, drinks, rooms and more on our LINK to Deals in Las Vegas.
- Take advantage of the many Happy Hours from our LINK to Las Vegas Happy Hours.
- Scan down this page for more Travel Tips in Las Vegas, and have a great time!
Air Travel
Harry Reid International Airport (up to December 13, 2021 it was named McCarran International Airport) is the main commercial airport serving Southern Nevada. IATA: LAS. It is located in Paradise, Nevada about 5 miles from Downtown Las Vegas and 2-3 miles from the Las Vegas Strip. It is the 27th busiest airport in the world by passenger traffic and the 8th for aircraft movements. Over 52 million passengers travel through Harry Reid Airport annually.
The airport consists of four runways and two passenger terminals: Terminal 1 and Terminal 3. Terminal 1 is composed of four concourses, namely the A, B, C, and D Gates; Terminal 3 contains the E Gates. A people mover system is in place between the post-security area of Terminal 1 and the C and D Gates, as well as between the D Gates and Terminal 3. Arrivals LINKor Departures LINK.
Tip: Harry Reid International Airport is a cashless environment when it comes to airlines. No airline takes cash at the airport. Be prepared to use a debit card, credit card, or change cash into a prepaid credit card at a kiosk that charges a $6 fee that doesn’t give change, so either use exact money or you can still use the residual for other purchases. It is a real credit card that is printed.
Airlines serving Harry Reid Airport – Advanced Air, Aeromexico, Air Canada, Air Canada Rouge, Alaska Airlines, Allegiant Air, American Airlines, Avelo Airlines, Avianca El Salvador, Breeze Airways, British Airways, Canada Jetlines, Condor, Copa Airlines, Delta Airlines, Edelweiss Air, Eurowings Discover, Flair Airlines, Frontier Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue Airways, JSX (Charter Terminal), KLM, Korean Air, Norse Atlantic Airways, Porter Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines, Sun Country Airlines, United Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Viva Aerobus, Volaris and WestJet.
Fun Fact: Janet Airlines has a large and highly classified fleet of passenger aircraft operated by the U.S. Air Force to transport military and contractor employees to the Nevada National Security Site (including Area 51) from a private terminal at Harry Reid Airport. Some of the Janet planes are Boeing 737-600 aircraft painted white with a red stripe. (Photo above)
Helicopter Terminals – Maverick Helicopters and Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters each operate their own terminals at Harry Reid Airport. The companies operate tours of the Las Vegas Strip, Grand Canyon, and other tourist attractions.
Aircraft Watching – Tip: There is a small parking lot on the south side of the airport, on E. Sunset Road, between Las Vegas Blvd., and S. Eastern Ave. that allows the public to watch aircraft take off, land, and listen to the aircraft radios.
Fun Fact: Harry Reid Airport is one of only two airports in the world that have slot machines. The other is in Reno, Nevada.
LINK to Transportation in Las Vegas
Cannabis
Both recreational and medical marijuana are legal in Nevada. Recreational consumers who are 21 years of age or older can purchase up to one ounce of cannabis (or up to 1/8 ounce of concentrate) at a time. Recreational and medical marijuana dispensaries are located throughout the Las Vegas Valley.
Tip: Cannabis consumption is for private use only. It is illegal to smoke in public, on federal land, or in a vehicle without risking a fine. It is also prohibited in all casinos and hotel rooms. In February 2024, the first regulated cannabis lounge opened in Las Vegas.
LINK to where to buy legal marijuana in the Las Vegas Valley
Hours of Operation
Las Vegas is a 24/7 city, unlike any other. Every casino is open around the clock and many restaurants, bars, taverns, grocery stores, gas stations and more never close.
Media
Print:
Television:
- Channel 3 NBC LINK
- Channel 5 Fox LINK
- Channel 8 CBS LINK
- Channel 10 PBS LINK
- Channel 13 ABC LINK
- Channel 15 Univision LINK
- Channel 33 The CW LINK
- Channel 39 Telemundo LINK
Radio: There are 16 AM and 32 FM radio stations in Las Vegas.
Money
Las Vegas uses the US Dollar. Coins – 1¢ (penny), 5¢ (nickle), 10¢ (dime), 25¢ (quarter), 50¢ and $1 (dollar). Paper money (bills) – $1, $2, $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100.
Almost all businesses accept cash, credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover), debit cards and travelers checks. Travelers checks can be cashed at banks and casino cashiers cages.
Foreign currency can be converted into U.S. Dollars at most large casinos, some banks and Currency Exchange stores. Tip: Be careful on the exchange rate because it usually is not very good.
Fun Fact: Casinos generally do not like 10¢ (dimes) and $1 (dollar) coins. For many years they did not like 1¢ (pennies), but that has changed. These coins would jam their coin sorting machines.
Resort Fees
Resort fees are now in almost every Hotel and Resort in Las Vegas. This is a separate mandatory fee that a guest is charged by an accommodation provided in addition to a base room rate and taxes. The resort fee generally covers access to the internet, gym/fitness center, local telephone calls, coffee maker and fridge in your room, daily newspaper, use of the safe in room, and some include parking, mainly in Downtown Las Vegas. Resort fees vary by hotel but are generally $20-$50 per night, before taxes.
There are still a few holdouts not charging a resort fee in Las Vegas, but very few. Some of the options are Casino Royale (on the Las Vegas Strip), Four Queens & Binion’s (Downtown) and many of the branded hotels and motels without a casino, such as Hilton, Marriott and many timeshare properties.
HOTELS WITH NO RESORT FEES: Ahern Hotel, Ambassador Strip Inn Travelodge, Americas Best Value Inn, Bluegreen Club 36 resort, Casino Royale, Carriage House, Courtyard by Marriott, Desert Rose Resort, Emerald Suites Convention Center, Emerald Suites S. Las Vegas, Four Queens, Hawthorn Inn, Hilton Garden Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Hotel Apache at Binion’s, Hyatt Place Las Vegas, Hyatt Place Las Vegas at Silverton Village, Hilton Garden Inn, Jockey Club, La Quinta Inn, Lucky Club Casino, Marriott Convention Center, Marriott’s Grand Chateau, Motel 6 Tropicana, Nirvana Hotel, Red Roof Inn, Residence Inn, Siena Suites Hotel, WorldMark Tropicana, WorldMark Las Vegas Blvd, Travelodge Las Vegas Center Strip, Wyndham Desert Blue and Wyndham Grand Desert.
Resort fees are not unique to Las Vegas. Many vacation destinations charge them, including resorts in Hawaii, Florida, Mexico, the Caribbean, Europe and more.
Tip: When booking a room get the base room price, add the resort fee and taxes and that is the cost of the room.
Restrooms
All the casinos in Las Vegas have public restrooms. Most are well maintained and very clean. Many restaurants, shopping centers, large stores, parks, theaters, etc have public restrooms. Some establishments only allow customers to use their restrooms.
Fun Fact: Men can pee on a section of the actual Berlin Wall at the Main Street Station Hotel & Casino in Downtown Las Vegas. Women can take a look with a security escort. (Photo above)
Safety
Las Vegas is like any other large city and you should always be aware of your surroundings and do not let your guard down. The Las Vegas Strip (from Mandalay Bay to Fontainebleau Las Vegas) is generally very safe, if you stay in the tourist areas and do not wander off.
The same applies in Downtown Las Vegas. The Fremont Street Experience has a lot of security, city marshals, metro police (both in uniform and undercover) and all the casino resorts have many security guards and surveillance cameras. Tip: Even with all this protection – use common sense and have a great time in Las Vegas.
Services and Facilities
If you run into trouble in Las Vegas be sure to contact hotel security. If you have an emergency call 9-1-1 to reach metro police, firefighters or an ambulance. They are true professionals and will help you.
For situations that require the police, but do not require an immediate police response call the non-emergency number 3-1-1. If you need to file a police report, visit the local police station or call 702-828-3111 for assistance.
Las Vegas has many hospitals and medical offices located all over the Las Vegas Valley. If you need medical assistance while in a casino resort, contact hotel security or the hotel operator. If you are not in a hotel use the phone numbers listed above.
Here are some of the hospitals located near the Las Vegas Strip and Downtown. They are all open 24/7.
- Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center, 3186 S Maryland Pkwy (702) 961-5000
- University Medical Center (UMC), 1800 W Charleston Blvd (702) 383-2000
- Elite Medical Center, 150 E Harmon Ave (702) 546-0911
Smoking
Many people think that Nevada is a giant ashtray with smokers everywhere. That is far from the truth. Nevada has a very strict smoking ban with very few exceptions. Smoking is only permitted in bars, casinos, strip clubs, brothels, retail tobacco stores, taverns that serve food (with no minors) and designated family restaurants that have a room that is physically enclosed and separated from the non-smoking area and minors are prohibited inside.
Fun Fact: In September 2020, after over 20 years, Park MGM became the first Las Vegas casino to become 100% non-smoking. Many other casinos offer a smoke-free section.
Taxes
The combined sales tax rate for Las Vegas is 8.38%. This is the total of state, county and city sales tax rates. The Nevada state sales tax rate is currently 4.6%. The Clark County sales tax rate is 3.78%.
To find the full cost of your Las Vegas hotel room, add on the fees and the 13.35% hotel tax charged by Clark County, which is where Las Vegas is located.
Fun fact: Nevada is among seven U.S. states that forgo individual income taxes for residents as of 2024. The other states are Alaska, Florida, South Dakota, Texas, Washington and Wyoming.
Time
The State of Nevada (Las Vegas) uses Pacific Standard Time (PST) in the winter and Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) in the summer. Clocks move forward one hour the second week of March and back one hour the first week of November. PST to UTC is -8 hours. PDT to UTC is -7 hours.
Fun Fact: Very few casinos in Las Vegas have clocks.
Tipping
In many countries around the world tipping is not expected, but that is not the case in the United States. There are some people that you tip and others that you do not. This is especially true in Las Vegas, which might have been built by gambling, but many workers literally earn their living from tips. So who to tip and how much? It is always up to the customer, but here is a list of some of the people to tip and what is generally expected:
- Barbers/Hairdressers – 15%-20% of the bill
- Bartenders (in a casino where you are receiving free drinks while gambling) – $1-$5 per drink
- Bartenders (not in a casino) – 15-20% of the bill
- Buffet (if they bring drinks to your table) – $3-$5 per person
- Buffet (if they only clear plates) – $1-$2 per person
- Cab Drivers – 15%-20% of the fare
- Casino Dealers – A few dollars an hour. If you are winning, tip more
- co*cktail Waitress (when not receiving free drinks) – 15-20% of the bill
- co*cktail Waitress (in a casino receiving free drinks while gambling) – $1-$5 per drink (most tip $1-$2)
- Fast Food Workers – No tip is expected
- Hotel Bellmen and Airport Skycaps – $1-$3 per bag (more if they do you a favor)
- Hotel Front Desk Clerks – They do not expect a tip, but if they do you a favor like a upgraded room, suite, a room with a Strip View that you did not reserve, etc. you could give them a tip
- Hotel Room Service – 18%-20% of the bill (make sure it is not already included)
- Housekeeping – $3-$5 per day ($10 per day in a suite)
- Limousine Drivers – $20 from the airport to the Strip or Downtown
- Nightclub or Dayclub VIP Host – 18%-20% of the bill (make sure it is not already included)
- Restaurant Waiters/Servers – 15-20% of the bill
- Restroom Attendant – $1-$2
- Rideshare (Uber/Lyft) – 15%-20% of the fare
- Shuttle Van Drivers – $1-$2 per person
- Street Performers – Give them zero tip and do not take photos with them. They are a major nuisance in Las Vegas
- Tour Guides – This depends on the length of the tour. It could range from $5-$20, or more
- Valet – $5 when you retrieve your vehicle
Tip: Many restaurants and buffets will automatically add a 18% tip to your bill if you are a party of 8 or more.
Tipping is at your discretion and it is a sore subject for some visitors, but is is customary in Las Vegas and the United States. The list above should give you a brief guideline on what is expected.
Fun Fact: Many people still believe TIPS means “to insure proper service”. This is no longer the case in the USA. Tips for many workers are a way of life. Also, another term for a tip in Las Vegas is a Toke. A Toke Committee is usually established in the casino by a vote of the dealers. Tokes are split in most Las Vegas casinos on a 24-hour basis but some go “shift-for-shift”, meaning that the Day, Swing (Evening) and Graveyard (Early Morning) split their tokes separately.
Understanding the legalities
The legal age for drinking alcohol and gambling in Las Vegas is 21. You should always carry a government-issued ID if you plan to gamble, visit a nightclub, bar, tavern, strip club or pool party. They are very strict on this.
Minors (under 21) cannot loiter in casinos, even if accompanied by their parents. They can walk with their parents through a casino to go to their room, dine, shop, see a show or attractions, etc., but can’t linger in a casino. Keep moving, or you will be approached by security.
Weather
7 Day Las Vegas Weather Forecast:
LAS VEGAS WEATHER
Las Vegas is among the sunniest, driest, and least humid locations in North America. Las Vegas is the largest city in the Mojave Desert and has very hot summers; warm transitional seasons; and short, mild to chilly winters. There is abundant sunshine throughout the year, with an average of 310 sunny days and bright sunshine during 86% of all daylight hours. Rainfall is scarce, with an average of 4.2 inches dispersed between roughly 26 to 27 total rainy days per year.
Here is a list of the Las Vegas weather averages:
| January | 58° F (14° C) | 34° F (1° C) |
| February | 63° F (17° C) | 39° F (4° C) |
| March | 69° F (21° C) | 44° F (7° C) |
| April | 78° F (26° C) | 51° F (11° C) |
| May | 88° F (31° C) | 60° F (16° C) |
| June | 100° F (38° C) | 69° F (21° C) |
| July | 106° F (41° C) | 74° F (23° C) |
| August | 103° F (39° C) | 74° F (23° C) |
| September | 95° F (35° C) | 66° F (19° C) |
| October | 82° F (28° C) | 54° F (12° C) |
| November | 67° F (19° C) | 43° F (6° C) |
| December | 58° F (14° C) | 34° F (1° C) |
Fun Fact: The coldest day in Las Vegas was 8°F on January 13, 1963 and the hottest day was 117°F on July 10, 2021, June 20, 2017, June 30, 2013, July 19, 2005 and July 24, 1942.
