Any tips for Las Vegas/Yosimite Park/ Death Valley please?

[Appalonia]

Hi all, I'm going to these places end of September. Would love some tips from anyone who has been. I'm a bit freaked out at how expensive Vegas is, so any budgeting tips would be great. Also any shows that you thought were worth seeing? I'm not really a hiker so any tips about Yosimite Park or Death Valley gratefully received! ( and also what to wear ) Thanks in advance!

Not sure if still the case as we went years ago but we were advised that hotel rooms in Vegas are cheaper midweek as Americans tend to go at weekends.

My advice would be to stay in a non Casino hotel as the casino ones all allow smoking .
the helicopter ride that lands in the Grand Canyon was one of the best things of my life.
The brewsog rooftop bar and restaurant has a good sunset view and is less extortionate than most other places .

Agree about the helicopter trip over GC, it was an amazing experience. We stayed at the Luxor, but it did get a bit claustrophobic so yes, a non casino hotel is a good idea. Take flat shoes, the amount of walking is insane 😂

Stay in the older casinos or non casino hotels off strip. The shows are not worth it unless you are a real fan, there free music on offer often on the gaming floors (no under 21’s) look for coupons and deals for food online and remember portions are huge, consider take away and share one portion. Furnace creek is fun to stay at in Death Valley, they tip ice into the pool in summer to cool it down! My main overall tips to keep costs down for USA road trips is to consider taking a few basic things to prep food eg bread knife, butter knife camping plates, tin opener, forks, because you can then make up a basic lunch or buy hot food to go from supermarkets (really common there)

Recommend Dante’s View in Death Valley! Incredible. There are a few “ghost towns” dotted around too (can’t remember what they are called off the top of my head now!) but worth a stop if you’re doing a Death Valley road trip.
Explore getting your own car insurance for hire cars as can work out cheaper (check they will accept it first though).

Valley of Fire is also worth checking out.

A lot of the hotels in LV will have “happy hour” type buffer prices for dining, and they are very good!

The Facebook page Las Vegas Fans UK is worth joining and asking any questions - very knowledgeable and friendly group!

have an awesome time!

Second furnace creek, and stopping by. Walmart for a crate or two of water and food/snacks!

There’s no need to hike in Yosemite (we didn’t)! There’s a network of buses that you can take around the park, or your can drive places and get out for a wander. Parking can be tricky if it is busy when you are there, but I’d think September would be ok. We stayed at Evergreen Lodge which was decent, and from there could drive into the park and see the bits we wanted.

I'm so envious right now, this time 17 years ago we were about to head off on a month long road trip starting in Vegus and ending in LA, my absolute favourite part was Death Valley. We stayed a few nights in Furnace Creek and I loved the pool which was filled from a hot spring, it was very quiet when we were there, I have an illness which causes chronic pain and a day after arriving in Death Valley I had zero pain (it quickly returned in San Francisco). Yosemite was lovely to stay in but rather crowded, we came across an old restored lumber train track which ran tourist trips which we really enjoyed, I can't remember exactly where but near Yosemite, we had lunch there and the volunteers who were all older insisted on gifting me a blanket to remember the place by because they had Irish ancestors (we're Irish) and my husband had worked for Irish Rail so he was overly interested in the place!! (He talks to everyone so these things tend to happen). I'd recommend the helicopter flight into the Grand Canyon, we did the early flight with breakfast in the Canyon, flight back, bus to to river rafting with lunch provided, the entire day was brilliant but we mixed up our days and had just got back to the hotel exhausted when we realised we had tickets to see Cher that night, I wish I had that energy now!! Enjoy your trip, it'll be great

Found it. We stopped here and enjoyed it.
https://ymsprr.com/

I went to vegas in Feb.
what do you want to know?!
highly recommend the zip line at freemont street and pizza afterwards at Evil pizza. (The best pizza I’ve ever had!)

Grand canyon west tour a must- hoover dam a bit disappointing

breakfast at the pepper mill! Delicious! Although it’s a bit far out near circus circus

also the alcohol slushy- called Fat Tuesdays- watermelon slush was incredible!

Eiffel Tower at night to watch the Bellagio fountains was cool..

don’t recommend the high wheel- windows were filthy and so slow! Although if you become a cesars member you can get a free ticket to the high wheel- you need to get the voucher from the hotel cesars desks.
where are you staying? On the strip?

We went about 10 years ago. In vegas definitely consider doing the Grand Canyon and we did the south rim which was a full day trip via plane, further away than the helicopter goes.. amazing !!!
Death valley just drive through in a day, not much to see but worth seeing anyway. Dante’s peak is worth a stop.
Yosemite we stayed for a couple of nights and did the waterfall hike which we enjoyed, but still amazing to see without hiking. A bus takes you round the whole valley.
Im Jealous, it was the best trip!

If you are going to more than 1 National Park, it’s probably worth getting a National Parks Pass (i think they may now be called America The Beautiful cards). (Unlike the UK, there are entry fess to Natiinal Parks).

It was 20 years ago, but we found it cheaper to eat out in diners etc than to self cater.

Yosemite can get snow even that early and it's really, really far from Vegas. If you were thinking of driving, really have a think about this.

I stayed in the Luxor and would recommend staying a bit closer to the main action along the strip. W trip along the Colorado river is well, well worth it. Go to the Hoover Dam, too.

Vegas was one of the best city breaks I’ve ever done and I would go back in a heartbeat. I personally preferred it to NYC (by quite some margin!)

If you’re hiring a vehicle, check that the insurance covers you for Death Valley as some doesn’t. We went years back & hired an rv from Vegas, absolutely excellent but we were specifically excluded from driving in DV. Enjoy!

Buy self catering plastic cutlery and paper plates plus a bread knife in a Walmart.

Ok OP I have been to Vegas about 15 times yearly for work. Last time was in January this year.

Vegas is about the buzz so where you stay is down to what experience you want. Party hotel with big suites is the W. Cheaper and loud MGM grand. You want facilities like a coffee maker etc then The Signature has apartment style rooms.

I am always there for work and I prefer to stay at the MGM Park, non smoking and less noisy. But it’s on the strip so access to everything.

Non casino hotels can be cheaper yes and there are plenty of cheap hotels but having stayed over with a friend at Hooters hotel once for example I wouldn’t, it was like a Frat party.

Nevada has no kettles in rooms unless it’s more of an apartment hotel style, it’s the law, so take a travel kettle if you are a tea person.

Fun bar is the Piano bar in the NYNY, they take requests and play anything. Good steak in the NYNY Gallaghers.
Best shopping is the outlets just a 15 min taxi ride. (There are two so check which shops you want)

Happy to answer any questions.

Oh sorry, forgot to say, the sphere,
definitely go, even if it’s just for the earth show.

My two tips from the two things that went wrong (on two separate trips) are:

Don’t hire the cheapest car you can and then find it can’t cope with hills in the heat of Death Valley.

Don’t be persuaded by your teenagers that leaving early to get to Yosemite means leaving your hotel 40 mins from the park at 9am. By time we got to centre of Yosemite (having stopped a couple of times to look at view), there was nowhere to park and we had to leave.

Other than that we had a great time.

We drove to Death Valley from vegas and the bit we all talk about is the Area 51 alien cafe thing. It was so funny and just like a film.

Death Valley is beautiful. Big blue sky with pinky brown hills. I went to Furnace Creek 25yrs. I recall something about having to get the right car / insurance too. Possibly something that can cope with thrashing the air con.

The Bellagio fountains were brilliant. Total tourist trap but wonderful to watch.

We drove Vegas-death valley-Yosemite. It’s quite a drive. We did an overnight stay in Death Valley, furnace creek is cool and I remember a very warm swimming pool and bats flying around at night. We stayed overnight in a small town called Lee Vining before entering the pass into Yosemite. Keep an eye on the weather, they closed that pass the day after we arrived as it snowed (September). You can hire pushbikes in Yosemite, that was fun and fairly easy cycle. There are hiking routes if you want to do that. We camped there in one of their tents (shack with a canvas curtain pulled across the front) around a lake, basic but fine. The hotel costs a fortune. The bears roam at night and you’ll meet them on the way to the loo or hear them shaking the ‘bear bins’- metal contraptions where you put your food and toiletries. Make sure nothing is left in your car or they’ll rip the doors off.

Also we stayed just outside Yosemite in this gorgeous resort hotel - much barter value than the tatty ones in the park
https://www.visittenaya.com/

The inn at Death Valley is also gorgeous

Furnace creek is great but you need to book and they stop serving food quite early. I’ve stayed in Yosemite and just outside both were fine, again book ahead.

the Luxor in Vegas is usually cheap.