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Long Vegas Stays

Discussion in 'Misc. Vegas Chat' started by SandsFan, Apr 7, 2014.

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  1. SandsFan

    SandsFan VIP Whale

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    Just booked our longest Vegas stay yet. We will be in Vegas for the World Cup Round of 16 and Quarter Finals, a total of 10 days.

    So the question for those who have stayed that long and survived, how do you pace your selves so you don't run out of money, burn out from lack of sleep, run out of clothes or eat too many buffets?

    Thanks,
     
    The 3 P Trip (Paris and Palms)
  2. paperposter

    paperposter MIA

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    ive done 3 weeks and a month a few times, no problem coming from new york vegas is for amatures so it easy
     
  3. BayouBengal

    BayouBengal VIP Whale

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    I started out doing 4 nights years ago but it was due mostly to friend's schedules and they lived in a city with limited flights so they were restricted on the days. I've bumped up to 5 or 6 nights now but I don't think I could do longer until I'm retired or at least no longer in consulting since when I'm on a project there are deadlines. I might could do it if I knew I had a lapse in projects scheduled but I'm just as likely to move from one to the next as I am to have a week or two in between.
     
  4. dankyone

    dankyone VIP Whale

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    Get off the strip, go to GVR or Red Rock for a couple of days in the middle of the trip, or even to Lake Las Vegas where nothing is going on but you have nice cheap hotels to rest.
     
  5. wpete

    wpete High-Roller

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    The longest my wife and I ever done was 5 nights. After the 4th night I was ready to go home. We did the strip, DT and off-strip casinos. Everywhere. It got to the point that on our last night there while playing at the Stratosphere , I went and parked my arse in front of a big screen TV and just watched whatever was on, while my wife played Pai-Gow. The next morning we got on the road for the drive back to California and unlike other trips, we didn't really talk about when the 'next time' would be. Since that trip, we usually stay 3, sometimes 4 nights. That seems to be just right for us.
     
  6. MikeOPensacola

    MikeOPensacola El Jefe

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    The good thing about longer stays, at least for me, is that I don't feel the need to gamble a lot each day. A couple of hours each day quenches my gambling thirst.

    :peace: :beer:
     
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  7. waverunner

    waverunner ------VEGA$------

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    My suggestion is doing what i've been doing for many, many, years.
    Spend as much time OUT of the Casinos during the daytime and enjoy Red Rock Canyon, Mt.Charleston, Valley of Fire, the High Roller, Downtown, etc.

    Vegas isn't just about gambling, fine dining, shows, etc.........but getting out and enjoy the Vegas Valley. You will see ancient petroglyphs, red limestone, the best damn there is Hoover, going to the Bellagio art gallery, etc.

    Then each evening enjoy the nightlife whether it be gambling, going to a 10 star eateries, seeing a show that will blow you away, or all of the above.

    I'll be in Vegas for 6 days in a few weeks, but i never gamble during the daytime, there are so many more things you can do without hitting the casinos, at least till after dinner.

    You will be there for 10 days..........by doing these things i guarantee your trip at the end of 10 days will seem like just a weekend.
     
  8. Auggie

    Auggie Dovahkiin

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    We've had a couple of long stays in Las Vegas (9 days each) and a few thoughts:

    - We slowed our pace down quite a bit. If we are there for 2, 3 or 4 nights we might be gambling for 12-16 hours a day. On long stays we actually put in a lot of pool time, rest in the room alot, take some afternoon or evening naps and try to get out and do a few other things or even just go for a walk and minimal gambling.

    - For money you should definitely think about a daily budget. Doesn't have to be something like "I have $2000 and I am there for 10 days, therefore I have $200 per day" using that example you could work your budget where maybe 4 of the 10 days you only allocate $100 per day, another 4 of the days you allocate $200 per day and then for 2 days you allocate $400 per day. By varying your daily budget you can set up days where you have more money for bigger gambling or finer dining.

    - If you have a good day in the casino, either winning or keeping most of your gambling budget at least, instead of just rolling the whole thing in to the budget for the next day break it down to other days. IE: if you got 5 days left in your stay and end a day with $500 in your gambling budget you could spread it out as $100 over the next 5 days

    - Again with the budget: using something like envelopes or pockets in an organizer or something you should make sure you never reach ahead to another day's money. If its 5pm and you run out of money and all you got left is $20 for dinner at McDonald's then that should be how its going to be. Might be tempting to run up to the room and just grab another hundy or two from the next days money but then you can end up lightening all your future days and possibly run in to a day where you have nothing

    - Think about food and drink. On a 3 day trip I wouldn't think much at all about maybe going to the bar 1-3 times a day and maybe spending $50-75 on some drinks: thats only going to be $150-200 over a short trip, but on a long trip it'll add up and there I'd be thinking more like "do I really need to spend $500-750 just in bar drinks during this trip?" and either go to the bar less or maybe not at all

    - Also with food: when you work out your budget don't think of it just as "I have X dollars per day" but try to think of it like "I have X dollars for gambling today, Y dollars for food, Z dollars for miscellaneous, A dollars for transportation and then B dollars as a 'float' to cover extra/unknown/unaccounted for expenses"

    - And then again with food: if you are willing to put in some time at food courts or look around for cheap dinner options you can really save a lot of money from your trip. We enjoy the occasional nice meal but on a 8-9 day trip its a lot of money if we allocate $100-150 or $200 per day for meals so we can do all our dining in decent sit down restaurants.

    - And then again with food: you might want to get a room with a refrigerator so if you have leftovers from dinner you can keep them good or to stock up on some food and drink at a local grocery store.


    A lot of talk about budgets and money here but I have to say on the long trips thats usually been our biggest concern and when the money is lasting and the winnings are being rolled in to future days and all that Las Vegas is still pretty awesome on the 10th day as it was on the first... but if you start running out of money in the middle of your trip with a few days left those last few days can be a total grind and feel like a real bummer where you want to go and do stuff and be out and be gambling or something, but if you can't and are stuck in the room or having another night of playing video poker at 1c a hand because all you have left is a dollar to gamble with... it can be a real drag, a bad trip and one where you just wish the trip would come to an end right then
     
  9. WHITEJACKET73

    WHITEJACKET73 VIP Whale

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    My longest trip was for 12 days a couple of years ago. I rented a car for the last 6 days. My afternoons were filled with non-gaming activities. I visited the Mob Museum, the Atomic testing museum(on Flamingo, just east of the Strip), Auto museum a the Imperial Palace (now the Quad), Pinball hall of fame and several afternoons relaxing poolside reading a book. I also took a day trip to Death Valley which consumed an entire day (left at 6AM and got back into Vegas in the early evening). I spent an afternoon hiking up at Mt Charleston. My gambling budget was just slightly higher that what I bring for a 4-5 day trip, just spent shorter sessions at the tables. I also took in three shows. I used as many of the LVA and ACG coupons as I could to stretch my Vegas budget. My biggest problem was lack of sleep; I was really dragging the last 3 days. As it turned out, I came back with most of my gambling budget intact. My advice for a prolonged trip is to set a daily gambling loss limit, pace yourself with the alcohol consumption and be sure to get enough sleep each night.
     
  10. bignig135

    bignig135 Low-Roller

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    We come over from Scotland every year for 14 nights although admittedly that is partly down to the jet lag factor! On the one occasion we decided to splash out on a better hotel ( luxury room at Ceasar's), and only stayed 7 nights, we felt rushed! Besides the hotels are so cheap, just the airfare that is expensive.

    I should explain that I suffer from sleep apnea and use a cpap mask, meaning I tire immediately after lunch, so we tend to do 2 activities per day, firstly lasting from early morning to mid afternoon, then after a siesta we go out at night, usually for a show and dinner. On one off occasions, such as a full day trip to Laughlin last visit, I forego an afternoon nap.

    It always amazes me that some people just don't "get" Vegas and we overheard a loud couple proclaim "We just couldn't do Vegas for more than a weekend!" That might be understandable if you are partying and gambling so hard you don't get any sleep but they didn't look like party people.

    Next trip we plan to visit Sam's Town for the first time, mini golf at Circus Circus, go on the High Roller wheel see any new shows that have started up in the meantime, revisit Rock Vault, V, Vegas the Show etc. so I feel a lot of tourists just have one track minds for either drinking or gambling or clubbing and suffer from a severe lack of imagination!

    Chill, people watch and budget wisely, enjoy!!!
     
  11. jackincols

    jackincols Guest

    10 days is my longest as well and is coming up shortly. Breaking it up with an old high school buddy and his wife who've lived in Vegas about 15 years now. Spending 2 days with them, one of which will be a trip to Zion National Park. The other day will be spent just chatting and catching up.

    Even doing that will require strong money management on my part.
     
  12. bubbakitty

    bubbakitty Doing retirement again and happily so....

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    Reread Augie's post. It is spot on especially about breaks and money management. I like to go for 5-6 nights as it is expensive to get there from Texas and makes it more affordable when looking at the cost of the trip. The only thing I would add to his input is about the food. Make sure you eat (like Momma said) your vegetables and fruits. Meat and potatoes over 6 nights is going to be heavy and cause some problems.

    When going for an extended stay you just don't have to do it all in a compressed time frame. As Mr. Roger's said more than once......"Today's word is 'moderation' "......try it and see. (Although you can still go on a heater one or two nights......) Good luck!!
     
  13. sco5123

    sco5123 VIP Whale

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    GREAT question!

    It always baffles me when people wonder how I can stay so long in Vegas without burning out. But that's because I do not consciously think about all the things I do to pace myself. Other folks are used to "live fast" while in Vegas during a 3 day stay. I am no longer used to that way of enjoying Vegas.

    I think it helps that I am solo and I can choose to eat $2 fries as a meal whenever I want to and go back to whatever my business is at the current moment. It's a bit harder as a pair because you have differing interests. One of you may want to eat 2-3 meals a day as a treat while the other can gamble 10 hours and forget to eat. Or, as with me, I spend a lot of my time watching shows and there just aren't enough people in the world interested in that! BUT! 10 days is not too long. I think you will survive it even as a pair.

    I usually take my BR and split it in half. And I tell myself, hey! this first half is all yours to divide over the days of my stay. And then the second half is a "cushion". So I can splurge and go wild with the first half, even though I am cognizant of trying to make it last over the days. If I ever need more, I have my stash. It's psychological...and it WORKS! For me at least.

    I tend to get sleep in Vegas. When you stay in Vegas that long, there are only a few days that you want to stay up that late...and it's usually the weekend when the vibe is amazing. Other than that, the other nights I get a minimum of 5 hours rest, which completely works...for me. On the non-weekend nights, I am usually up until 1am doing something fun with nightlife and then wake up by 6am just in time to see the GORGEOUS morninglife of Vegas (you must see this at least once). On weekend nights, I may be out until 6am or 7am. I don't burn out because I get adequate rest.

    I pack light. But I will usually stay in an "inn" that has a laundry. The cool thing about this is that I get to play while doing laundry haha. Sometimes I hand-wash my clothes and hang it up to dry. However, if you are only staying in one place the whole time, then just bring a suitcase full of clothes so that you don't run out.

    I have a thread on here about the $2 meal challenge. It's not the healthiest list but it's what I use on the days that are not "special" meal days. You may find me dine at Venetian one day and then walk on over to Casino Royale for a $1.99 footlong hot dog the next day. Either way, I eat. If expense is not the issue but health is, buffets are not so bad too if you can be strict enough to focus on the veggies and healthy stuff on the menu.
     
  14. Auggie

    Auggie Dovahkiin

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    I'll also add: what I find for me is when I go for a 3, 4 or 5 night trip when I get home I end up feeling like I need a vacation because we are just on the go go go the whole time there (up and out the door at 8-9AM, maybe not back to the room until 1-2AM with gambling and drinking and running around all day).

    However, when we do a 7, 8 or 9 night trip we end up pacing ourselves and spend more time sleeping in, going to the pool, resting in the room in the afternoon, stuff like that so when we get back home I feel well rested, charged and energized and like I just got back from a vacation.
     
  15. sco5123

    sco5123 VIP Whale

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    I'd like to add too that I am not much of a gambler. I like to party and I try to get on guestlists, which is free for women mostly. Or bars and lounges...which are amazing. But I don't drink though so that is probably what saves me most of my br. I laze away at the pool...in fact, I switch up pools because some are complimentary to women. I always find discounts for everything from food to nightlife to hotels to entertainment. I use shows as both a great time and a way to break up playing. I take day trips and explore off-strip on the local bus. It's a non-stop party everywhere and I do not burn out because there is always something new to do and I find how to do it at the best price.
     
  16. lotso-bear

    lotso-bear VIP Whale

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    I've stayed in Vegas for two weeks straight due to work. Instead of staying at a casino-hotel, I stayed at Vdara in one of their penthouse suites since they come with a kitchen, living room, and dining table. Not having to pass by the casino floor every time and having my own kitchen made it easier for me. The cost of a better room is still cheaper than gambling, depending on your play.
     
  17. DeMoN2318

    DeMoN2318 The DERS

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    Did 11 days in 2012 for NHRA and SEMA...

    take your trip BR and divide it by the number of days and STICK to that daily BR. Our suite had a washer and dryer so clothes wasn't an issue. Pace yourself with the drinking...by the end of my trip my liver was hurting...make sure you drink WATER too
     
  18. numeno

    numeno VIP Whale

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    I find it easier to burn out on 3-4 day trips than it is 10-11 day trips. I get a few days into a long trip and don't feel like I have to go go go. I don't need to stay up until 4am every night. I can head back to my room for a little break in the afternoon.

    You still have plenty of time to gamble though and for this you need at least some way of budgeting. It doesn't have to be a daily budget. I just suggest splitting it into a few chunks. Don't lose half your money in the first 2 days kindof thing.
     
  19. bigdogmom

    bigdogmom VIP Whale

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    I had a 5 night trip in 2006 that turned into a 9 night Vegas stay due to a huge snowstorm that closed the airport in Denver for a couple of days (making things even worse was the fact that this was the week before Christmas :( )

    It just happened that this was the best trip in terms of gambling that I've EVER had. The day we were supposed to leave for home, I was up $700.00 :)

    We had a rental car and were staying at the Orleans. We found other stuff to do: We went to a couple of movies. We spent an afternoon out at Red Rocks. We did a little shopping. I don't remember all the details, but I'm sure we ate a few breakfasts in the room. We probably did eat at too many buffets. I didn't worry much about laundry but I remember washing undies in the room and buying a couple of pairs of socks. The interesting part was begging the Walgreens pharmacy to sell me a couple of Synthroid pills, since I didn't have enough, can't really go without, and my original prescription wasn't at Walgreens. They did finally figure something out but lesson learned: Always have plenty of extra prescription meds on hand.
     
  20. LV_Bound

    LV_Bound VIP Whale

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    10 days of Vegas is rough.
    Most we did was 5-6 nights. Can't remember because it was our first trip.
    The money wasn't the issue.
    It was mostly dealing with the crowds, the people and over stimulation for that many days can wear you out.
    A day or so off strip every couple of days would help.
     
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