Frommer's lists exact prices in the local currency. However, rates fluctuate, so before departing consult a currency exchange website such as www.oanda.com/convert/classic to check up-to-the-minute rates.
Because Las Vegas is a town built on the concept of separating you from your money, it should come as no surprise that gaining access to money is very easy -- sometimes too easy. There are ATMs (also known as "cash machines" or "cashpoints") conveniently located about every 4 feet (okay, an exaggeration, but not by a lot); and check cashing, credit card-advance systems, and traveler's-check services are omnipresent.
And while Vegas visitors used to require a great deal of change in order to play the slots and other gaming machines, few, if any, still accept coins. Gone are the once-prevalent change carts. All machines now take bills in most denominations, and you get "change" in the form of a credit slip that appears when you cash out. You then take this slip to the nearest cashier's cage to exchange for actual money.
So getting to your money isn't a problem. Keeping it may be.
Las Vegas has grown progressively more expensive, with the concept of a cheap Sin City vacation a distant memory. The average room rate is over $200 a night, those formerly cheap buffets have been replaced by $30-a-person lavish spreads, and top-show tickets easily surpass $100 a head. And then, of course, there are the casinos, a money-losing proposition for the traveler if there ever was one. But there are Las Vegas vacations available for just about any budget.
Beware of hidden credit card fees while traveling. Check with your credit or debit card issuer to see what fees, if any, will be charged for overseas transactions. Recent reform legislation in the U.S., for example, has curbed some exploitative lending practices. But many banks have responded by increasing fees in other areas, including fees for customers who use credit and debit cards while out of the country -- even if the charges are made in U.S. dollars. Fees can amount to 3% or more of the purchase price. Check with your bank before departing to avoid any surprise charges on your statement.
For help with currency conversions, tip calculations, and more, download Frommer's convenient Travel Tools app for your mobile device. Go to www.frommers.com/go/mobile and click on the Travel Tools icon.
What Things Cost in Las Vegas US$
Taxi from the airport to the Strip 15.00-25.00
Taxi from the airport to Downtown Las Vegas 18.00-27.00
One-way Las Vegas monorail ticket 5.00
All-day Deuce bus pass 7.00
Standard room at Bellagio, Fri-Sat 175.00-400.00
Standard room at MGM Grand, Fri-Sat 150.00-300.00
Standard room at Bally's, Fri-Sat 100.00-200.00
Dinner for two at Picasso, prix fixe 226.00
Dinner for two at Austins Steakhouse 75.00
Wynn Las Vegas buffet, weekend champagne brunch 37.00
Main Street Station Garden Court buffet champagne brunch 11.00
Ticket to Cirque du Soleil's Viva Elvis 69.00-175.00
Ticket to Mac King (comedy magic show) 25.00
Domestic beer at Haze 8.00
Domestic beer at the Double Down Saloon 4.00
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
