Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Booking Hotel Rooms
There's an art to getting the best price on hotel rooms in Las Vegas and it's discussed
in chapter 3. For tips on booking online, go to p. 24; for tips on bargaining, go
to p. 23; and for information on renting an apartment or staying in a private
home, go to p. 17.
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Try booking through a consolidator:
Persons traveling to Las Vegas from
another country may wish to use a consolidator or “bucket shop” to snag a
ticket. These companies buy tickets in bulk, passing along the savings to
their customers. If you reside in Europe, the best way to find one that serv-
ices your area is to go to the website
www.cheapflights.co.uk
, which serves
as a clearinghouse for bucket shops both large and small. Many will also
advertise in the Sunday papers. Be careful, though: Some charge outrageous
change fees, so read the fine print before you purchase your ticket. Bucket
shops will not be useful for those flying within the U.S., as they are not gen-
erally able to undercut standard pricing on domestic travel.
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Don't be particular about airports:
Sometimes by driving an extra hour
and flying out of such so-called “secondary” airports as, say, Oakland instead
of San Francisco, or Providence in lieu of Boston, you'll pay far less. Cast a
wide net when you search for fares and prepare to be flexible.
PACKAGE DEALS VS. BOOKING INDEPENDENTLY
Las Vegas is a prime packaging destination simply because it has such a vast num-
ber of hotel rooms that it needs to keep filled year round. Go to p. 24 for my com-
plete write-up on the companies that specialize in packages and tend to get the
best rates.
A key to deciphering packages is to remember that their prices are always based
on double occupancy, so be sure to double the costs and then subtract the airfares
to get the lowdown on what you're actually paying for your room. The one excep-
tion to this rule may be packages that you create using such sites as Travelocity,
Expedia, and Orbitz. Very occasionally, if you have a specific hotel in mind, you
can save money on those websites. But it's a long shot.
TRAVEL INSURANCE—DO YOU NEED IT?
When purchasing a big-ticket travel item—a guided tour, a cruise, a safari—it's
essential to buy travel insurance. Many unforeseen circumstances can interrupt or
cause you to cancel a trip, and with these types of trips, those events can lead to
a large financial loss. But do you need such a policy for your trip to Las Vegas?
Not necessarily. If you're purchasing the insurance to cover unforeseen medical
expenses, lost luggage, or cancelled flight, you may already be covered by your
regular insurance if you're an American citizen. And hotel stays should never be
insured, as hotels will usually allow you to cancel 24 hours in advance with no
penalty (the only exception being if you book through a website such as Priceline
or other Web discounters that require payment upfront for your stay).
