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General Las Vegas Tips for First Timers

Before we get to my recommendations about where to stay in Vegas for your first time and the must-do activities, there are a few things to know before you navigate Sin City.

Everything is Bigger and Further Away than it Seems

The scale of the strip is so deceiving. Because the hotels and casinos are ultra large, it makes everything appear closer than it actually is.

Honestly, I’ve been to Vegas about half a dozen times, and it still gets me.

This is important to know for planning purposes, especially if you’re travelling with a group and want to coordinate where to meet up.

You might think, “Oh we’re at New York New York and we’ll meet you at the Paris in a few minutes.”

Even though it’s pretty much across the street, it’s probably going to take you a minimum of 20 minutes to get over there.

For your very first visit to Vegas, I recommend booking a 3 hour tour to show you around the must-see places along the Strip.

With this tour, you can choose whichever time of day you prefer and your guide will bring you to the iconic places, but also hidden gems and secret spots (like the secret pizza shop and happy hour beer for 50 cents)!

Read Next: 5 Day Las Vegas Itinerary: A Mix of Top Attractions and Hidden Gems

Be Prepared to Walk A Lot

This also means you’re going to be doing a lot of walking. Again, no matter how many times I visit, I never get used to the amount of walking I do.

However, this does wonders for my competitive spirit when I want to track how many steps I can get on my fitness tracker (I use the Garmin Venu) in a day! Hint – it was over 30,000 one time.

The Strip (Las Vegas Boulevard) is over 3 miles long, in addition to the vast spaces within the hotels and casinos.

Consequently, you should bring your comfiest shoes that can handle this amount of walking. But don’t just bring one pair.

Bring a few different pairs (different styles) that you can rotate through to give your feet a break as well. Doing this is a huge life saver.

For me, I always bring a trusty pair of daytime sneakers, a pair of cushy birkenstock-style sandals and a nice pair of comfy wedges to wear at dinner.

Use Public Transit

The good news is that there are buses, trams and monorails that you can use as a low cost to cut down your walking time.

I recommended purchasing a three-day pass for the Deuce bus which is a double-decker city bus that cruises from the south end of the Strip up to Fremont.

This way you can hop on and hop off when you need to.

Another new option for transportation is to purchase bus fares through the Uber app! Just open the app and you can compare fares from the different buses and purchase your tickets through the app.

You could also try the monorail to go north to south on the east side of the Strip. If you’re staying at the Linq, Flamingo, Paris or the MGM Grand, the monorail runs right behind these hotels.

You can purchase one day or multi-day passes here.

There are also a few free trams to use on the other side of the strip that go in between the hotels owned under the same brand.

Should You Rent a Car in Vegas?

This depends on what you’re planning to do. In my opinion, I would avoid renting a car for your first trip to Vegas.

If you’re only in town for the weekend or a few days, there will be plenty of things on the Strip and Fremont street that will keep you busy.

And if you’re just sticking to this part of town, you really don’t need the hassle of renting a car. Most hotels charge for parking now and traffic is always busy.

Read Next: 32 Essential Things to Do In Vegas Besides Gambling

General Tips for Walking the Strip

I will never forget my very first trip to Vegas when I remember asking a staff person at the hotel if I could bring my can of beer outside the casino.

She smiled and replied “this is Vegas, honey, you can bring your drink anywhere.”

I mean, I knew you could drink anywhere, but as a first timer in Vegas, it was so cool to be able to walk around and bring your open drink anywhere!

Shopping with a glass of wine? Highly recommend!

Now, all that being said, if you want to save a little money on Vegas Vacation, purchase drinks at the CVS or corner stores instead of grabbing one at the casino bar.

Also, avoid anyone who approaches you on the Strip wanting to offer you free shows or discounts.

This is usually a timeshare presentation that will take an entire afternoon.

The same goes for people in the casinos. They usually approach couples and ask if it’s your first time in Vegas, how long you’re staying, etc.

It’s best to just avoid these people!

And there will be all kinds of characters and interesting people on the Strip.

Anything from impersonators, people dressed up in costumes to buskers and everything in between.

Definitely enjoy and have some fun, but know that if you take a photo with them you will be expected to tip them.

And if you’re planning to visit the famous Las Vegas sign (which is a must do as a first timer), there will usually be someone there who offers to take the photo for you so that you don’t need to take a selfie.

Again, if you let them do this you will be expected to tip.

>> Read more in my full guide to scams and tourist traps to avoid in Les Vegas (and how to not get ripped off).

Tips for First Time Gamblers in Vegas

If it’s your first time in Las Vegas, walking into a casino and choosing where to gamble might be a little intimidating. The hotel casinos are massive.

They’re full of people, lights and sounds and there are no windows so it’s easy to lose your bearings.

That being said, you don’t need to consider yourself much of a gambler to enjoy some games and have a little casino fun while you’re in Vegas.

Vegas Pro Tip: Order yourself a copy of the American Casino Guide which is the most extensive and trusted resource about all things gambling in Vegas. PLUS, there’s over 150 coupons and basically pays for itself after you use one or two (buffets, shows and match play coupons, meaning you’re paid out 2-1 on your bet).

How to Choose What to Play

I think the most important tip when it comes to gambling on your first trip to Vegas is that the house always has the advantage and therefore you should only gamble what you are comfortable losing.

I’m no expert, but generally speaking, table games provide you with a higher chance of winning.

Especially games like Blackjack, where you can incorporate a slight amount of strategy that you control.

CASINO TIP: You can book a gaming lesson with a local guide! On this 2.5 hour your, your guide will teach you how to play the most popular table games – roulette, craps and blackjack and share tips on how to get freebies.

For example, if you want to learn how to play blackjack, the dealer can let you know the suggested move based on basic strategy.

Just don’t ask them how much you should bet!

Slot machines typically have terrible odds, but that doesn’t stop people from playing them, myself included!

They’re entertaining and there are a variety of games to choose from. You can still find penny slots in most of the casinos, you just have to look for them.

Penny slots can be deceiving though, so be careful. Depending on how many lines you bet, each ‘bet’ can be a few dollars.

So if you’re new to gambling in Vegas and just want to try it out for your first time, scan the machines and look for the ones with a max bet of $0.50 or lower.

This will make your money stretch a little longer! Also, usually when you bet the maximum you have a higher chance of winning.

At the very least, you will never win the max payout if you’re not max betting.

Slot machines at budget friendly casino hotels, Fremont Street and off-strip casinos are known to have “looser” slots. They need to work hard to earn your business.

By contrast, higher end hotel and luxury casinos will have a much lower payout on slot machines, since most people are aleready drawn in to visit.

Branded slot machines usually have the lowest payout and worst return to play.

They’re used to draw people in because they’re flashy and entertaining.

Take Advantage of Free Drinks!

And yes, drinks are still free when you gamble in Vegas! Whether you’re sitting at a slot machine or table, servers will come around and offer you a drink.

This includes beer, cocktails, water, etc. Just make sure you tip your server a minimum of one or 2 dollars per drink so that they keep coming around!

You can also tip more than this to ensure they come back several more times.

Always Cash Out Before Leaving the Casino

All slot machines in Las Vegas use the ‘ticket in, ticket out’ system now. When you find a machine, insert your bill and when you decide to ‘cash out’ you will get a slip of paper with a bar code and how much it’s valid for.

If it’s your first time in Vegas, I highly recommend going to find a cashier and cashing out your vouchers before you leave every casino.

You’ll be jumping from casino to casino and you might not a chance to go back to the one that you have a voucher for.

Make sure you don’t leave any unclaimed money behind!

Bring Your ID

And it’s a good idea to always have your ID on you. If you look a day under 30, most security guards at the casinos will ask for your ID and you might not be able to enter if you don’t have it on you.


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