So I received a message from an APAT member this morning along the lines of…
“Am I right in thinking that if I want to travel somewhere then you are the person to see?
Looking at Vegas, two adults and one under 14 early in the New Year...”Well, I’m no travel agent but I like to do research (which should be obvious by now) and do have some experience in the area in question having been going to Vegas for over twenty years now.
The question above is a tricky one but, as I see it, it breaks down into three basic areas (and one overall one) which I will try and go through individually.
FlightsThe timeframe was ‘Early in the New Year’. This is a little vague but I’ll assume that cuts off about the end of February.
To be honest, I think it’s a little late to be looking but that doesn’t mean that deals can’t be had. I would only fly direct to LAS these days which basically means either Virgin or British Airways.
Virgin flights are daily from London Gatwick and, I think, twice weekly from Manchester (Thursday & Sunday).
British Airways are, I believe, daily from London Heathrow and around 3 flights a week from Gatwick.
Prices will range from £400+ at the cheapest times to over £600 in high peak times.
I think in all cases, a 14 year old will NOT qualify for a child fare.
Flight times are in the 10:30hr range going out and perhaps an hour less coming back.
HotelAs I am sure we all know by now, Las Vegas has hotels to suit pretty much any taste & budget so this one is going to be a little difficult to answer and kind of links in with the next subject.
Overall, if this is your first trip to Las Vegas (or not even), I would recommend staying somewhere central on the Strip.
I would also recommend staying at a Ceasar’s Group property purely because they won’t automatically slap on a ‘Resort Fee’ (except perhaps for Caesar’s Palace...I’m not sure on that one).
Be aware that you MAY need two rooms depending on whether you are comfortable with sleeping 3 to a room. Also, a 3rd occupant usually means an additional daily charge added on to the cost of the room. I think this is likely to be in the $10-15 range but will depend on the chosen hotel.
Your choice will depend on your required comfort level and budget AND on the following.
Non-gaming ActivitiesThis topic is a catch-all one because travelling with a teenager is going to have some, erm, ‘complications’ of which I have no experience.
Firstly, it will depend on how self-reliant / trustworthy the young person is and/or how willing one of you is to stay behind in the room after ‘bedtime’.
A teenager is NOT permitted on the casino floor except for being ‘in transit’ to somewhere.
Also, on the strip, ‘teenage’ entertainment options are pretty limited but this will depend on your teenager of course. The only ‘kid-friendly’ hotel is Circus Circus which I might suggest visiting but it might be too ‘young’ for a 14 year old. Sorry, you picked a tough age.
I would NOT recommend staying at Circus Circus…it’s been pretty universally considered a dump for some time…but they say that about the IP too and I didn’t find that bad at all.
Perhaps others who HAVE stayed at the CC know better than me.
So, what is available to a 14 y.o. teenager? As I said, it depends on your child’s preferences. The pools probably won’t open until mid to late March. Do they like sightseeing like the Grand Canyon (a full day trip), Red Rock Canyon is supposed to be nice, Hoover Dam?
I admit, my first instinct when someone asks me, “Should I take my kid to Vegas?” is to say ‘No’.; but, with most things, the answer is “It depends on the kid”.
Las Vegas is an ADULT playground and the vast majority of places will not have a wide range of kid-friendly activities. There will be shows in the daytime (usually magicians/comedians and others) but as before, what will appeal to your child is something I can’t answer.
Off-strip casinos, like the Orleans, South Point, Red Rock and others have video arcades, cinemas, bowling alleys etc.
PackagesTake a look at
Virgin Holidays,
LowCostUsa,
Expedia and even
Thomson as they can sometimes have very good packages including flights and hotels.
Although I am ‘The Travel Guru’, and like to think I know everything, I am sure that others will wish to weigh in as my personal experiences / opinions are just that…mine. Others may have different experiences &/or opinions.
Weigh in one and all.
