Getting There

By plane: Las Vegas' McCarran International Airport is just a mile east of The Strip and 4 miles from Downtown Las Vegas. The cheapest way to your accommodation is by using one of the various shuttle bus services outside arrivals.

By train: There is no direct train service into Las Vegas.

By bus: The city's Greyhound Terminal is a large, 24-hour station located at 200 South Main Street. It has direct connections with western cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco and Phoenix.

Getting Around

On foot: Walking around Las Vegas is the best way to get around the city and most attractions are within walking distance of each other. It is also the best way to get a feel for this unique destination.

By bus: Operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 'The Deuce' bus service is a great way to get up and down 'The Strip. A single journey is $2, but instead buy an all-day ticket which is valid for 24 hours from activation and costs $5.

By monorail: Opened in 2004, the monorail begins at the MGM Grand Hotel at the south end of The Strip and runs parallel to The Strip on its eastern side. There are numerous stops along the way.

Las Vegas' climate is an arid desert climate, typical of the Mojave Desert in which it is located. It experiences very hot summers and mild winters, and there is abundant sunshine year-round. Temperatures can soar to the mid to high 30s in the summer months, with very little humidity. What little rain there is usually falls in winter, between January and March.

Consulates*

UK: +1 310 481 0031
Canada: +1 213 346 2700
Australia: +1 310 229 4800
South Africa: +1 323 651 0902
Ireland: +1 714 658 9832
Germany: +1 323 930 2703
Spain: +1 323 938 0158
Italy: +1 310 820 0622
New Zealand: +1 310 566 6555
France: +1 310 235 3200

*All consulates in Los Angeles

© Image courtesy of Las Vegas News Bureau/LVCVA

Village Eateries, New York New York, 3790 Las Vegas Blvd. If you've been to the Big Apple before, the setting here may seem familiar as this part of the hotel is designed to replicate the city's Greenwich Village. Choose from burgers in 'Broadway Burger' or pizza in 'Sirrico's Pizza'. Open daily from 7am-3am.

A Las Vegas institution Las Vegas buffets Buffets are pretty much obligatory features in Vegas' hotels. Ranging from brilliant to downright awful, they operate in three sittings - breakfast (7am-11am approx), lunch (11am-4pm) and dinner (4pm-10pm). To get the most out of your dollar we advise skipping breakfast and feasting on a buffet lunch. Prices fluctuate between sitting/hotel.

Sahara Buffet, Sahara, 2535 Las Vegas Blvd The food waiting to be devoured by the masses of people here might not make your mouth water, but it's good for what you pay. Dinner is $14.99 and for that you can test the limits of your appetite with pizza, pasta, salad, Asian specialties and whatever you can get from the carving station. Open daily from 7am-10pm.

Spice Market Buffet, Planet Hollywood, 3667 Las Vegas Blvd One of the top buffets in Vegas, dinner here is considerably pricier than others. Lunch (Mon-Fri from 11am-3pm) prices are a lot more enticing and the choice is quite similar to dinner. The omelettes and prime rib are particularly good. Open daily from 7am-10pm.

San Francisco Shrimp Bar, Golden Gate, 1 Fremont St This restaurant in Downtown Las Vegas is best-known for being home to the $1.99 shrimp cocktail. Since introducing them in 1959 they've sold over 25 million of them! Seafood aside, there's a deli too where you can treat yourself to extremely hearty sandwiches. Open 11am-3am.

Fontana Bar, Bellagio, 3600 Las Vegas Blvd. Trying to find a spot among the hordes outside the Bellagio for the nightly fountain show can prove to be somewhat difficult. But this bar provides a good alternative thanks to its balcony overlooking the hotel's celebrated lake. Not only that, they stage live music nightly also. Open daily from 5pm-2am (until 3am Fri & Sat).

Coyote Ugly, New York New York, 3790 Las Vegas Blvd Based on a not-so-memorable movie, shots are this bar's forte, meaning a good night here may not be remembered. It's not the biggest bar in the world, but there's enough room for many men to ogle over the bartenders. Maybe not to everyone's liking, there's still good fun to be had to the bar's singalong soundtrack. Open daily from 6pm-4am.

Studio 54, MGM Grand, 3799 Las Vegas Blvd. Based on the infamous, eponymous New York nightclub, Studio 54 in the MGM Grand is a mix of beautiful people doing their utmost to look beautiful, and others trying not to look at them as they try. There are 4 dancefloors and bars and music ranges from disco to dance. Open Tues-Sat 10pm-close.

Revolution, The Mirage, 3400 Las Vegas Blvd. Inspired by the Beatles as a whole and not just the album the bar is named after, 'Revolution' opened in 2006. Tunes pencilled by the Fab Four aren't all that can be heard from the speakers here - rock, Britpop and house will also entertain you in the psychedelic surroundings. Open daily from 10pm-4am.

Pure, Caesar's Palace,3570 Las Vegas Blvd. Arguably Vegas' #1 club, Pure has three distinct areas, two of which are open to everyday menaces to society (one is a VIP bar) - the main room and the terrace. The plush main room has bed-type seating Open Fri, Sat & Tues 10pm-close.

The Mirage, 3400 Las Vegas Blvd. While it is now one of the older hotels on The Strip, the Mirage boasts numerous reasons to visit. Its signature volcano attraction was revamped and reopened at the end of 2008, while visitors can also marvel at the enormous lagoon with over 50 waterfalls and the aquarium that spans the length of the front desk where sharks, eels and stingrays swim. You can also stroll through the lush rainforest interior inside the front entrance.

Stratosphere Tower, 2000 Las Vegas Blvd. This tower that dominates the Las Vegas skyline isn't just the tallest building in Vegas - it's the tallest building in the western US. At the top, not only can you enjoy unrivalled views of Sin City, you can be shot 160ft over the tower on 'Big Shot', or be hung over the edge on either the 'X-Scream' ride or 'Insanity, the Ride'. Not for the faint hearted. Deck and rides open daily 10am-1am (2am Fri & Sat); admission prices vary.

MGM Grand, 3799 Las Vegas Blvd. With a grand total of 5,690 guest rooms, the MGM Grand is one of the largest hotels in the world. And as the 'MGM' logo is so synonymous with lions, it is only fitting that there is a lion habitat on the grounds. The habitat, which is inside the casino area and which is free to enter, has a unique see-through tunnel where you can get an extremely close look at the graceful animals. Lion habitat open daily from 11am-11pm.

A piece of Venice in Vegas The Ventian, 3355 Las Vegas Blvd. When you see the gondolas floating under the replica of Venice's famous Rialto Bridge outside The Venetian, you know it is something special. Inside, gondolas continue to pass you by on the canals which dissect the shopping area. Other attractions include arguably the city's most opulent reception area and St Mark's Square which has regular entertainment.

Enjoy free food and drink Going to Vegas and not gambling is unthinkable. Granted, you need to cash in a few dollars for your chips, and true, you may lose it all. But there is a small consolation - when sitting at the tables you will be approached by waitresses who will be more than happy to provide you with free food and drink. All you have to do is tip.

Enjoy the 'Fremont St Experience' This nightly light show in Downtown Vegas is the area's biggest drawcard. For the show, neon lights light up a canopy 90 feet above the street that covers 4 blocks. Free concerts are staged nightly also, starting around 6pm and finishing at 11pm.

A sight for sore eyes Catch the Bellagio Fountain Show This iconic water show which draws thousands every 15 minutes each evening (and every 30 minutes during the day) is one of the most beautiful spectacles in Las Vegas. This complimentary show of water, music and light is complimented by a soundtrack that ranges from classical music to Broadway tunes. Get to the railings at least 10 minutes before a show for a good view.

See a circus act for free Open to gamblers, residents and passers-by alike, Circus Circus stage a free circus daily in the world's largest permanent circus. Here trapeze artists fly through the air to the sound of quarters being slipped into slot machines, while acrobats perform wonders in the ring as others try to do similar on the tables.

Go to the 'Sirens of TI' show, Treasure Island, 3300 Las Vegas Blvd. Staged in 'Sirens Cove' at the front of the hotel, this free nightly show opens with a 17th century clash between a group of tempting sirens and a band of renegade pirates. Later on you'll see canons and much more. Shows at 7pm, 8.30pm, 10pm & 11.30pm.