Book a shooting range.
My mate did that and had tremendous fun firing off all manner of guns.

Mark

Good Call, Depends on the state (MT doesn't have sales tax) but Nevada does, depending what you're buying the tax will vary from the standard rate which is about 7% I think, right up to about 13% for lodging and accommodation.

Take your passport whenever you go out.

1 You'll be carded for booze
2 You can get discounts on shopping in the big department stores

Go on that roller coaster on top of the Stratosphere Hotel & tell us what it's like

I hope to Vegas next year for the vintage festival.

From the few months I spent in the US i'd say :
Get a car/cab if you're going more than a few hundred metres away. Most roads don't have sidewalks and the US is really not designed for pedestrians. Petrol is cheap but cars guzzle like crazy.
Change money, I have been stuck in places where VISA wasn't accepted, or get an AMEX.
IHOP , 24hrs dinner, will provide for all your hangover needs. Have the pancakes! Remember to tip 15%.
As others said, prices don't include VAT.
There's a big craft beer thing going on in the US. seek them out

You don't have to tip and I was told by my colleague who lives in LA its a dollar a drink or approx 10% of the bill. There was only one occasion we didn't tip when I went out in January as our waitress was rubbish.

Also when shopping don't forget tax will be added on.

You don't have to tip, but remember that the person serving you makes about 2$ per hour otherwise.

In the UK I tip 10%.
In America I was told 20% was more acceptable where you've had service (eg restaurant), purely because they have lower wages and make their living of tips.

I went by myself in 2004 for 3 nights in the Stratosphere. It's a mind-blowing experience of a town. Food is good and cheap. Everything is subsidised by gambling, so accommo is cheap too. View from the tower is awesome. I pussied out of the rollercoaster. As a single guy walking the strip I got hussled a lot. Everything from sex to fake Rolexs, but common sense gets you everwhere. In a group I imagine it would be less of an issue. From May to October it's roasting, just to bear in mind. I was in shorts and t-shirt at 2200 in early May and still hot walking to Downtown.

Make sure you hit Freemont street and Downtown, not just the strip. Can't think of anything else right now, coz I'm having a very [LIFTED] day.

You'll love it. It's a wondrous town.

I pussied out of going to the edge of the viewing platform.

Vegas is pretty pedestrian-friendly (certainly on the strip) and it's one of the best ways to see it.

The problem with VISA is that in the US they expect it to be a credit card, while here in the UK it can be either a credit or debit card. The Americans don't do debit cards so if your VISA card is a debit one it won't work and will confuse the hell out of them. Get a proper credit card for big purchases and use cash for everything else. Trying to change anything that isn't US Dollar travellers' checks is a complete pain, and even that's less than straight forward. If you feel safe and confident get all our $ cash here in the UK.

Yes the wages of restaurant staff are only $2.85 an hour, so they live entirely off tips. So tips in restaurants need to be higher.

Sounds awesome. I'm already psyched.

I've read about:

- the $20 trick. Not gonna try this but has anyone done it?
- advertising guys promising "porn star quality" girls who turn up with bouncers and basically extort money out of you
- the safe borders/limits of the strip
- firing range

Money - how much would you budget per day?
Flights - who did you go with and how much did it cost?
Police - any problems?

We're going in a group. Provisionally, ten of us. Concerned about one who might be mistaken for an "ay-rab". I think he should be safe in a large group.

Is it possible to take a camera around with you?
How did you guys contact home? I'd probably want to relay that we're safe on a daily basis.
Will UK driver's license be valid for ID or should we carry around passports?

Any other advice about being safe would be great. One of us has been to the US at least once or twice but none of us have been to Vegas.

Carry your passports everywhere. You will definitely need them if ever stopped by the police. It is an offence not to have ID with you at all times.

Also if you are there during the Black hat conference only use cash, and travel at least 10 miles to get to an ATM, and make sure all your cards are in a wifi protected wallet, during that period. Outside that conference you just use normal levels of caution.

Do you say like Wesley Snipes?

Absolutely.