US help.

[invisible999]

yayy caesar is like 3 times the pricing of MGM.

OK, let me say that

1. Having a car in Vegas is must
2. Staying off the Strip would save you considerable amount of money.

However if one wants to stay on Strip and pay least amount of money with great enjoyment than you must know that Priceline and Hotwire are way to go. In last 10 years using Priceline I stayed @:

1. Mandalay Bay for $95/night
2. NY-NY for $80/night
3. Luxor for $35/night (yes, no typo)
4. Hilton for $50/night (four times)
5. Cosmopolitan: Vdara and Aria for $90/night

Regarding the last one - this is the newest property and really worth to stay there, however you must know that they will nickel and dime you on every single occasion. First of all, those properties have Resort title and will charge you $30/night resort fee regardless the amount you paid. Secondly, if you open minibar, just pick up any item from there and do not put back within 10 seconds it will automatically charge you. Simply avoid all those charges and come to room just to sleep.

One more recommendation - the best spa is at Mandalay Bay and at TheHotel. Spend $35/person, take your SO there and stay for several hours enjoying dry and wet sauna, multiple pools and relaxation. Worth every $.

Last recommendation - if you want to see Vegas from top, go to the TheHotel around 9PM and go at TheMix. If you go the after 9:30PM it is $20 entrance fee, but there is no fee before that.

This photo was taken from there.

 

[archcherub]

OK, let me say that

1. Having a car in Vegas is must
2. Staying off the Strip would save you considerable amount of money.

However if one wants to stay on Strip and pay least amount of money with great enjoyment than you must know that Priceline and Hotwire are way to go. In last 10 years using Priceline I stayed @:

1. Mandalay Bay for $95/night
2. NY-NY for $80/night
3. Luxor for $35/night (yes, no typo)
4. Hilton for $50/night (four times)
5. Cosmopolitan: Vdara and Aria for $90/night

Regarding the last one - this is the newest property and really worth to stay there, however you must know that they will nickel and dime you on every single occasion. First of all, those properties have Resort title and will charge you $30/night resort fee regardless the amount you paid. Secondly, if you open minibar, just pick up any item from there and do not put back within 10 seconds it will automatically charge you. Simply avoid all those charges and come to room just to sleep.

One more recommendation - the best spa is at Mandalay Bay and at TheHotel. Spend $35/person, take your SO there and stay for several hours enjoying dry and wet sauna, multiple pools and relaxation. Worth every $.

Last recommendation - if you want to see Vegas from top, go to the TheHotel around 9PM and go at TheMix. If you go the after 9:30PM it is $20 entrance fee, but there is no fee before that.

This photo was taken from there.

wah the photo is great!

im a big fan of booking.com, generally prices there are one of the cheapest. even better than agoda.com
agoda.com is cheaper when its 3rd world countries like bangkok though...

 

[archcherub]

In the USA now!
Black Friday is really over hyped.
But love this country haha... Really full of interesting people...

Travelling has been smooth. I'm just curious why network here is so weak... Think T mobile is the weak telecom here.... Zzzz

Happy thanksgiving everyone!

 

[fone]

In the USA now!
Black Friday is really over hyped.
But love this country haha... Really full of interesting people...

Have you been to the outlet mall or retailer at 12am sharp? First few sometimes get the limited super deals.

Travelling has been smooth. I'm just curious why network here is so weak... Think T mobile is the weak telecom here.... Zzzz

Network depends on size. You pay $40 a month in sg for use in 710km2 coverage, how much did you pay for coverage in USA (9800000km2)?

Plans are typically US$40 to US$60 per month, for so much more coverage. Also note that T mobile is not the top carrier in US. With not as much population density and lower price (per square km coverage), do not expect as good coverage (ie unable to have higher cell tower density).

 

[Shiny Things]

In the USA now!
Black Friday is really over hyped.

Aha, yeah - Black Friday is just a sh!tshow. I've been sitting well back and watching people taze each other on Youtube instead of going out there myself.

Travelling has been smooth. I'm just curious why network here is so weak... Think T mobile is the weak telecom here.... Zzzz

It's because T-Mo has the smallest network by a long shot - I had trouble getting T-Mo coverage in the middle of San Francisco, the most wired city in the USA.

Verizon, on the other hand, has a phenomenal network - I've driven through the deserts of Utah and Nevada and never lost signal once - but you pay through the nose for it.

 

[invisible999]

Verizon, on the other hand, has a phenomenal network - I've driven through the deserts of Utah and Nevada and never lost signal once - but you pay through the nose for it.

When in 2001 ATT installed coverage on I-5 it was phenomenal... On our previous trips we had to rely on walkies-talkies to get in touch with each other's cars.

BTW, on Highway 1 is not completely covered, I am not even talking about my favorite road trip US-50 from Delta, UT till Fallon, NV and US-93 in NV as well.

Definition of 'middle of nowhere': when you can't pick up any radio stations on your car not only on FM but on AM as well!

 

[shimmeringlilies]

Anyone going to US around 13 Dec to 31 Dec? Wanna see if can jio someone to join us for partial road trip somewhere especially between the drive of LA to Vegas.

 

[renai24]

Dear all, I am planning an east-west USA trip May/June'14 for my family (parents + 1 adult sister). I have done some research and read all 83 pages of this thread (phew, lots of good info!), and I have come up with a backbone for my itinerary:

Delta Airlines
SIN-JFK-LAS-SFO-LAX-SIN

5 days: New York
(Museum of Natural History, MET, MoMa, Fifth avenue, Empire State building, Woodsbury Premium Outlet, Wall Street, Times Square, Central Park, Statue of Liberty, etc)

2 days: 2-day Washington DC tour, return to New York at night

4 days: Las Vegas
(Hoover Dam + Grand Canyon Tour, Hotels: Luxor, Bellagio, Venetian/Caesar’s)

5 days: San Francisco
(Muir Woods tour, 2-day Yosemite tour, Alcatraz)

4 days: Los Angeles
(Hollywood, Beverly hills, Santa Monica beach, Griffith Observatory, Kodak Theatre)

Can only settle for 20 days in US.

I need the no. of days set because my dad insists that we should buy the air tics as soon as possible. Would anyone be so kind to check this itinerary and comment whether this itinerary seems reasonable enough?

 

[patryn33]

In the USA now!
Black Friday is really over hyped.
But love this country haha... Really full of interesting people...

Travelling has been smooth. I'm just curious why network here is so weak... Think T mobile is the weak telecom here.... Zzzz

Happy thanksgiving everyone!

The deals this yr wasn't good to begin with.
5-7 yrs ago much better.
Pottery barn this yr pretty good but u not buying those things there

 

[patryn33]

Dear all, I am planning an east-west USA trip May/June'14 for my family (parents + 1 adult sister). I have done some research and read all 83 pages of this thread (phew, lots of good info!), and I have come up with a backbone for my itinerary:

Delta Airlines
SIN-JFK-LAS-SFO-LAX-SIN

5 days: New York
(Museum of Natural History, MET, MoMa, Fifth avenue, Empire State building, Woodsbury Premium Outlet, Wall Street, Times Square, Central Park, Statue of Liberty, etc)

2 days: 2-day Washington DC tour, return to New York at night

4 days: Las Vegas
(Hoover Dam + Grand Canyon Tour, Hotels: Luxor, Bellagio, Venetian/Caesar’s)

5 days: San Francisco
(Muir Woods tour, 2-day Yosemite tour, Alcatraz)

4 days: Los Angeles
(Hollywood, Beverly hills, Santa Monica beach, Griffith Observatory, Kodak Theatre)

Can only settle for 20 days in US.

I need the no. of days set because my dad insists that we should buy the air tics as soon as possible. Would anyone be so kind to check this itinerary and comment whether this itinerary seems reasonable enough?

Did u factor in traveling times btw cities? Your cd trip maybe only 1 day really.

U jointing tour? Or drive?
Should drop by Utah and see arches 4 days la and 5 days San Fran a bit long for me

 

[Shiny Things]

Dear all, I am planning an east-west USA trip May/June'14 for my family (parents + 1 adult sister). I have done some research and read all 83 pages of this thread (phew, lots of good info!), and I have come up with a backbone for my itinerary:

Can only settle for 20 days in US.

I need the no. of days set because my dad insists that we should buy the air tics as soon as possible. Would anyone be so kind to check this itinerary and comment whether this itinerary seems reasonable enough?

That's pretty good. I'd take a day off LA and SF and do a longer round trip from Vegas - with four days out of Vegas you could easily do Zion, Bryce Canyon, Valley of Fire, the Grand Canyon, and still have time to hit the Hoover Dam on the way back. (Update: also the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff is seriously cool.)

One full day in Vegas itself is plenty - the real gold from going to Las Vegas comes from getting out of the city and seeing the phenomenal natural beauty that's right next door in Utah and Arizona.

I'd also cut the Woodsbury Premium Outlets, and do the outlets near Las Vegas (or the Napa Premium Outlets near SF, because wine) instead. Woodsbury is an all-day trip, but there are ones near Vegas that won't take up a whole day of your valuable time with mindless consumerism.

Also don't fly Delta; they're called "Delta" because they get a "D" grade from anyone who's ever flown them. If the budget stretches far enough, fly SQ SIN-JFK and LAX-SIN (or SFO-SIN, because LAX is a hellhole), and Virgin America or JetBlue in between.

 

[invisible999]

2 days: 2-day Washington DC tour, return to New York at night

Why do you need to do this? Fly directly to Vegas from DC.

 

[catalyxt]

Hi all,

i have some questions.

1) does anyone have a list of suggested things to do in phoenix arizona? will be there for 2-3 days in early jan.

2) which domestic airline to use for flying from SF to Vegas and Vegas to Arizona? most likely will be lugging along quite heavy luggages.

hope to get some help over here.

 

[invisible999]

1) does anyone have a list of suggested things to do in phoenix arizona? will be there for 2-3 days in early jan.

Yes. Get a car and get away.

2) which domestic airline to use for flying from SF to Vegas and Vegas to Arizona? most likely will be lugging along quite heavy luggages.

Southwest. Two suitcases for free.

 

[Shiny Things]

1) does anyone have a list of suggested things to do in phoenix arizona? will be there for 2-3 days in early jan.

I dunno, buy a house or something? Phoenix (along with Sacramento and Tampa) was one of the ground-zeroes of the housing bubble.

Seriously, though, rent a car and FLEE. Phoenix is boring and awful and tacky and sprawly, basically Las Vegas without the fun. If Interstate 17 is open, you can head north to Sedona (which is delightful) and Flagstaff (which has the Lowell Observatory). Don't bank on it being open, though, because it's prone to wintry weather; check this webpage before you go.

If I-17's closed, head the other way to Tucson, which I've never been to but is apparently quite nice.

2) which domestic airline to use for flying from SF to Vegas and Vegas to Arizona? most likely will be lugging along quite heavy luggages.

Probably Southwest; PHX is one of their hub airports. It's also a hub for US Airways but they are awful.

 

[catalyxt]

Yes. Get a car and get away.


Southwest. Two suitcases for free.

I dunno, buy a house or something? Phoenix (along with Sacramento and Tampa) was one of the ground-zeroes of the housing bubble.

Seriously, though, rent a car and FLEE. Phoenix is boring and awful and tacky and sprawly, basically Las Vegas without the fun. If Interstate 17 is open, you can head north to Sedona (which is delightful) and Flagstaff (which has the Lowell Observatory). Don't bank on it being open, though, because it's prone to wintry weather; check this webpage before you go.

If I-17's closed, head the other way to Tucson, which I've never been to but is apparently quite nice.



Probably Southwest; PHX is one of their hub airports. It's also a hub for US Airways but they are awful.

thanks for the suggestion. will be using southwest.

 

[TiOnGSquare]

going ny for 12days in may, any hostel can recommend? Thanks!

 

[invisible999]

going ny for 12days in may, any hostel can recommend? Thanks!

You probably will have better living conditions at the same or slightly higher prices by using Airbnb/Wimdu in Brooklin than staying at hostel.

 

[invisible999]

About US - unrelated/related comments

/rant on/

OK, biased American's comment here:

People!

Coming from a place where people live like ants (Singapore) to go see another place where people live like ants (NY) is not a smartest move on this planet. Because except Broadway, Times Square, NY style pizza, The Metropolitan Museum of Art and American Museum of Natural History that city does not quite offer too much to remember and does not worth to spend weeks there.

America is NOT New York. Seriously. America has SO much to offer if you just willing to step outside and see on your own:

- Do you know what Milky Way looks like when you see it at night while staying at Border Inn at the border of Utah and Nevada on US-50?
- Did you walk around geysers at Yellowstone, hoped to witness Steamboat's eruption?
- Have you driven on CA-1 across the coast or US-6/US-191 in Utah?
- Have you tried to hug General Sherman Tree?
- Did you have your morning cappuccino and your dinner clams served at Bodega Bay?
- Have you see salmon run in Alaska?
- Did you hike Half Dome or Angels Landing and went down to the bottom of Grand Canyon?
- Have you seen rays of sun at the morning shining Grand Teton?

...list goes on.

Go, travel, see those marvels. The beauty of this country is amazing natural wonders and not only concrete jungles in a few places.

/rant off/

P.S. Do not try to argue with me.

 

[Shiny Things]

America is NOT New York. Seriously. America has SO much to offer if you just willing to step outside and see on your own:

This, this, a million times this! God, it makes me so depressed whenever I see people saying "I'm going to spend an entire day at the Woodbury outlets" or "I want to go to Los Angeles and then to Orlando so I can do Disneyland AND Disneyworld" or "I want to go to Las Vegas so I can see the Bellagio fountains and then never leave my hotel room except to go to the outlet malls".

America is so much more than that, and if you're spending eighteen hours each way to fly here and ignoring the place's natural beauty and its cultural history, you're wasting your money.

I've got a few things to add to Invisible's list:

• Have you ever rafted down the Colorado River on a hot, dry day, and watched the bright-red mesas and canyons drift by?
• Have you ever touched something that's four thousand years old and still alive?
• Have you ever seen the Bear's Tooth? Have you ever stopped your car on a mountain pass three-and-a-half-thousand metres high, where the air is crisp and thin, and looked around at the views you won't see anywhere else?
• Have you ever seen what a meteorite can do?
• Have you ever sat in the lobby of a perfectly-preserved 1930s Art Deco hotel with a cold gin and tonic in one hand and imagined what life was like back then?
• Have you ever been up close and personal with a space shuttle, an aircraft carrier, and Concorde?

You can't do all these things in one trip. But if you do some of them, and tear yourself away from the usual tourist circuit of outlet malls and Times Square and Disney{land|world} and the Hollywood Walk of Fame, then you'll have made a holiday that's really one to remember.

Edit: deleted the slam on the Las Vegas Strip. Despite all my ranting about getting out of the cities, I actually really like Las Vegas! It's cheap, it's hilariously fun for all ages, it's full of entertaining side-trips (my personal faves are Dig This, the Gun Store, and the Pinball Museum), it's got a few can't-miss experiences (pro tip: if you're not travelling with kids, have pre-dinner drinks at Hyde in the Bellagio - if you get there around six, you'll be able to get a booth near the window and watch the Bellagio fountains from behind), it's got Penn and Teller who you absolutely must see (pay the extra $20 or so for front-row seats, it's so worth it especially if you get called on stage for one of their acts, I'm just saying(!)), and it's a great base for exploring the natural wonders of California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona.