When's the cheapest time to fly to Las Vegas?
January, February, and September are all months which tend to see lower than average prices, whereas August will see prices shoot way up, along with the temps! But, as usual, sometimes gems will pop up at any time of the year. Here’s a tip: when searching for 2023 Las Vegas flights with Netflights, scroll through the calendar before picking your dates – see some days highlighted with green? Have a gander at those, because they’re cheaper than average! Hello, you bargain!
When's the best time to book flights to Las Vegas?
Look, we’re gonna give it to you straight: Vegas is popular. It’s Vegas! So we’d really recommend booking those flights at least 10 months before you wanna go. Sounds dead early, we know, but if you’ve got fixed dates in mind and don’t have room to be flexible, it’s always best to get in there early to nab the best price. Last min deals do crop up, but don’t count them as a Hail Mary cause they don’t happen all that often!
How long is the flight from the UK to Las Vegas?
A direct flight from London to Las Vegas clocks in at just under 11 hours. Factor in a layover and this will tick up a little more – New York and Toronto are both really popular places to do this if you like to break up the journey (and squeeze in a holiday inside a holiday!) Direct flights to Las Vegas are most frequent from London Heathrow, but you can also fly direct from London Gatwick and Manchester.
You can fly with a bunch of airlines, including British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, American Airlines and Delta. For those indirect indirect flights to Las Vegas, you can fly with KLM, Air France and Air Canada - all offer flights with a stopover.
Flying to Las Vegas Airport (LAS)
If we’re gonna be all official, its proper name is Harry Reid International Airport, and a whopping 50 million passengers pass through it each year – including you, hopefully!
On arrival and getting around the airport
There’s only two terminals so it isn’t tricky to navigate - being an international visitor, you’ll land into Terminal 3, the newer of the two. Las Vegas Airport has all the usual suspects like restaurants and cafes, currency exchange, and good old duty free. Oh, there’s also slot machines. Well, it is Vegas!
Getting to the city from the airport
From Terminal 3 you can grab two buses, either Westcliff Airport Express (affectionately known as the WAX) or the Centennial Express, both of which’ll drop you in downtown Vegas. There’s also a few shuttles that’ll take you downtown or outside of the centre, if your hotel isn’t right in the thick of it.
A cab into downtown will take around 15 mins, and you can grab one from outside Level 0 if arriving into Terminal 3. Or skip all of that and get straight back at the wheel with a rental car – yep, we do car hire too!
Things to do in Las Vegas
Sightseeing
This is the land where anything is possible, and where you can see the world without leaving Nevada. Eiffel Tower? Tick. Canals of Venice? Tick. The pyramids? Tick, tick, tick. Deciding what you actually want to do can be a little tricky in this town. Our faves? Well, firstly, get yourself in front of that famous Las Vegas welcome sign and snap a photo! Is there anything more iconic? Then there’s Fremont Street, a mall that stretches a whopping five blocks and is home to the world’s largest video screen, fondly named Viva Vision (well you couldn’t name it anything else, really, could you?)
If you wanna catch the famous Bellagio Fountains show, they’re on frequently from 3pm all the way until midnight on weekdays, starting even earlier at the weekend! The water shoots 460 feet in the air, but you know what’s higher? The High Roller, a ferris wheel that’ll whisk you (at a leisurely pace) above the Vegas skyline, all from a nice, climate controlled car.
And, because this is Vegas, the hotels here have rollercoasters. Obvs. The STRAT actually has three: Big Shot is like the Ice Blast at Blackpool Pleasure Beach, whilst Insanity is pretty, well, insane. You’ll dangle from the side of the building more than 900 feet up! The X-Scream, meanwhile, teeter totters you over the edge of the building in a more classic rollercoaster carriage – you’ve probs seen the stomach-dropping videos, so you know what we mean. We reckon a strong cuppa might be in order after…
Eating
If there’s any particular cuisine you’ve got a craving for, then you can probs get it in Vegas, and – even better – in most cases you can get it around the clock! Downtown is the place you wanna go for Italian diners, cheap breakfast joints, and fast food galore, but make your way to one of the lavish hotels and you’ll find out just how much of a hotspot Las Vegas has become for some seriously snazzy dining.
Celeb chefs from across the world have started setting up shop here, from Bellagio’s Lago by Julian Serrano to Bouchon, a wonderful little bistro owned by Thomas Keller - considered one of the very best restaurants in the US. Then there’s plenty of Vegas outposts of famed restaurants like Nobu, Le Cirque, and Pinot Brasserie.
Shopping
There’s hundreds, and we mean hundreds, of shops on great big Las Vegas Boulevard, and you’ve also got the previously mentioned Fremont Street mall, as well as the 1.2 mile retail and entertainment complex known as the Miracle Mile, smack bang in the heart of town. You’ll get familiar names from home, but you’ll also have your pick of some American giants like Sephora and Bloomingdales to play with.
And then there’s The Shoppes.
Did you note the dramatic pause? That’s because The Shoppes aren’t just shops, they’re the shops you’ll find in the super elegant Venetian and Palazzo hotels. We’re talking big name designer stuff! And that’s not all, also in the Venetian you’ll find the Grand Canal Shoppes, chocka with even more of those swanky designer names and – here’s the kicker – it’s linked to the hotel via the beautiful Venetian Canal Network.
Would it be weird to go to Vegas purely for shopping?
And now the serious stuff... let's talk nightlife!
Las Vegas is all well and good (very good, actually!) during the day but, let’s be honest, the party doesn’t really start in this town until night falls. The Strip is where most of the action’s at, especially inside the hotels and their casinos. But there’s more to Vegas nightlife than slots! You’ve got those Bellagio Fountains of course, but there’s also the erupting volcano at The Mirage and the pirate show at Treasure Island – remember that one from Miss Congeniality 2?
When it comes to clubs you’ve got – ahem – a treasure trove of options. There’s OMNIA at Caesars Palace, known for its glam features like antique mirrors and a kinetic chandelier that moves with some seriously cool lighting effects. Then there’s O by Cirque du Soleil, a water show featuring world-class divers, acrobats and synchronised swimmers (open to under 21s!) and the Downtown Cocktail Room for a more laid back and intimate evening. And that’s only scraping the surface of the Viva Las Vegas cake…
Beyond Vegas...here's a couple of day trip ideas
The Grand Canyon
Nope, nothing will prepare you for the moment you see this world wonder for the first time. The Grand Canyon, whether you head out there in the morning, afternoon or evening, is going to leave your jaw hanging. But you best pick it up off the floor and get going cause there's 3 different rims to visit - south, north, and west! The vastness of the canyon can be pretty hard to comprehend, but you defo need to cross it off the list when you're in Vegas.
The Red Rock Canyon
The Red Rock Canyon is a dazzling rock formation formed by a geological fault - where the Earth’s Crust has been literally ripped apart. Blimey! You can take a mesmerising tour of the canyon from Las Vegas for around $20.
Lake Mead
Lake Mead, meanwhile, is a tropical oasis in the middle of the Nevada Desert. You can take an elegant cruise on the waters, and enjoy afternoon tea on board.
Hoover Dam
There's also the mega impressive Hoover Dam. Originally completed back in 1935, this place has a fascinating visitor centre with a stunner of a view of the Black Canyon below.
Don't forget before you fly
If you're travelling under a British passport, you don't need a visa to enter the USA. But you will need to fill out an ESTA application online, to travel under the country’s visa waiver program. It's best to do this at least four weeks before you fly.
