Family Trip Deals

Thinking of a trip to the Western United States? I’d wager most Western-bound travelers in the world have heard of Las Vegas, Nevada. It’s not a place seen as kid-friendly by many, but I traveled there with three kids in 2001 and had a wonderful time. It was a great place to vacation because it’s relatively inexpensive to fly to Las Vegas from most major hubs in the United States. It also has great places to stay that are kid-friendly and good food at reasonable prices, many attractions and great weather. Today I’d like to focus on the number one priority: finding a place to stay!

While in Las Vegas in 2001, we were lucky enough to stay with some friends who had a time-share with an extra studio apartment. As this was something they had paid for long ago, we just took them out to dinner to sort of pitch in. Unfortunately, not everyone has such generous friends and will need to find a hotel that their family will enjoy.

One of my favorites is New York-New York. It has an amazing outdoor roller coaster that adventurous parents and older children will enjoy. My then husband and his friend had a great time on it! There is also a fabulous pool and spa to be enjoyed by all. If your family loves water, please keep in mind that the New York-New York’s pool is also outdoor and therefore seasonal.

Another great Vegas hotel is Excalibur. My kids were charmed by the lobby alone because of all the knight and medieval decor, but it also has Merlin’s Magic Motion Machines which are roller coasters where you can take a four minute ride for only $4. These are quite intense little rides and probably not for very small children. They can be kind of scary!

The hotel that most people think of when thinking kids in Vegas is, of course, the Circus Circus. With rooms starting around $37 per night, it is one of the more reasonable hotels as well. The year-round indoor circus act attracts young and old alike. My children were fascinated by the strength of the actors who were performing the acts. They also loved that there were rides that they could all take rather than rides only for older children. I loved that there was no reservation required for the circus acts because I am not always much of a planner!

A less well-known hotel (at least for those traveling with children) is the Mandalay Bay. Not only does this exhibit have an amazing assortment of exotic sea creatures such as jellyfish and sharks, there is also a “touch pool� where everyone is encouraged to pet Southern Rays, Port Jackson Sharks and Horseshoe Crabs. My children are huge pet fans and loved this very much. Be warned that this is not a free exhibit, however, and you will pay $15.95 for adults and $11.95 for children to enter.

If all of your children are over the age of three years old, another hotel you might want to look into is the Luxor. Shaped like an Egyptian pyramid with a light shining far up into the sky, it has interesting architecture that my kids thought was kind of cool. Not only that, but it has a huge IMAX Theatre inside and a huge arcade as well. Kids of any age over three are sure to love both!

In my following articles, I will cover where to dine with your family in Las Vegas as well as cheap and even free attractions. Stay tuned!

Las Vegas, vacation, traveling with kids, New York - New York, Luxor, Excalibur, Mandalay Bay, Circus Circus, IMAX, arcade, roller coaster, touch pool