So, which hotel is best? Pick either the one that has the most important perks for you personally, or the one that offers you the highest-class room along with your package deal. Hopefully, those will turn out to be the same place!

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Montoursville, Pa.: In April '09, the World Cup equestrian competition (jumping and dressage) will be held in Las Vegas's Mack Center. I've got tickets that cost a mint and want to save as much as I can elsewhere. I'll be there for about a week. How can I "shoestring" my lodging, food, and transportation requirements?

Sara Benson: One of my favorite budget hotels these days is South Point, a short drive or free hotel shuttle ride south of the Strip. With its own equestrian events center, you'll find lots of rodeo folks staying here, too. Spacious, immaculately kept rooms with comfy beds go for as little as $50 on weekdays. If you sign up for the hotel's mailing list, special deals like stay-1-night-get-1-free coupons will be sent to you periodically. If you want to really scrape the bottom of the barrel, boring chain motels line Paradise Rd, east of the Strip.

When it comes to transportation, you usually don't need to rent a car in Las Vegas unless you're venturing outside the city limits. You can get around much more cheaply, if slowly using public buses and the monorail system on the Strip. That said, the Thomas & Mack Center is on the UNLV campus east of the Strip, so unless you're willing to walk quite a distance from the nearest bus stop, rent a car or plan on taking taxis a lot.

Saving money on food in Las Vegas? That's a tough one. At Strip casino hotels, you'll find a few inexpensive food courts like the Village Eateries at New York¿New York and Cypress Street Marketplace at Caesars Palace. Downtown's Fremont St has cheap, but not necessarily good eats. Some tastier locals' restaurants are found east of the Strip along Paradise Rd and in Chinatown, which sprawls in strip malls along Spring Mountain Rd west of I-15.

One last piece of advice about finding hotel rooms so far in advance (i.e., your trip isn't until April 2009). You should search around for a good deal now and make reservations, but also remember to search for bargain hotel room again a few weeks in advance of your trip. If you find an even better deal then, you can often cancel your first hotel reservation. Just be sure check the fine print carefully when you reserve that first hotel room, because some of the best room deals in Las Vegas these days are non-refundable.

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Hunlock Creek, Pa.: Which hotels have the best view of McClaren Airport? I'm looking for a hotel from which I can watch the jets landing and taking off.

Thanks,
Jack

Sara Benson: Now, that's a question I've never heard before. While some high-rise casino hotels on the east side of Strip may have airport views, you can't guarantee that you'll get an upper-floor room facing exactly the right direction when you check in. However, if you love to watch jetliners take off and land, then I've got just the place for you. On the north side of Sunset Rd, east of the Strip between Paradise Rd and Eastern Ave., there's a plane spotters' parking lot that affords perfect views of McCarran's parallel runways. Enjoy!

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New York City, N.Y.: How can I get the cheapest tickets for shows like Love and Bette Midler? I'll be in Las Vegas in early December. Thank you.

Sara Benson: Whew! You've named two of the most popular shows playing in Las Vegas now. It's unlikely that there would be same-day discount tickets available at Tix 4 Tonight (see my answer to Portland, Maine, above) during your trip, and you'd be taking quite a chance by waiting that long—you might miss out on seeing these shows entirely. To be safe, you should probably buy your tickets now and pay full-price. But check online to see if the casino resorts where these shows are playing (Caesars Palace for Bette Midler, the Mirage for Love) are offering any stay-and-play package deals that include discounts on show tickets. That might save you money, although take time to compare these special package offers with the cheapest rates otherwise available for online bookings at those hotels. Sometimes (but not always) Las Vegas casino-hotel packages turn out to be more expensive than the sum of their parts, booked separately.

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Silverthorne, Colo.: We will be visiting Las Vegas on October 8 and 9, 2008. We have never been to a show there and will only have time to attend one. What suggestions do you have? We are three adults and it is a first visit for our adult son. Thank you!

Sara Benson: Personally speaking, I think that most shows in Las Vegas are overpriced, but you definitely get what you pay for. Skimp on tickets to a daytime variety show, and you'll probably walk away disappointed. If you're only going to see one show, go big—see a Cirque du Soleil production (Mystere at TI is usually the least expensive, and sometimes same-day discount tickets are available at Tix 4 Tonight—see my answer to Portland, Maine, above), a famous entertainer like Bette Midler or a Broadway-style production like Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular, which has its own custom-built theater at the Venetian with an on-stage lake and special effects like fireworks and an exploding chandelier. If all of these shows are already sold-out, you can sometimes still get tickets to other Broadway musicals like Jersey Boys or Mamma Mia!. If you're looking for a vintage Vegas experience and don't mind a little kitsch, go see The Rat Pack is Back! at the Plaza downtown on Fremont Street—the Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis, Jr. impersonators are a hoot.

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Silver Spring, Md.: Are there any shows for adults that are not R-rated, other than magic? I'd like to take my husband to see something musical that doesn't distract him from me!

Sara Benson: Fear not: topless girlie shows are only a small fraction of what casino-hotel showrooms and theaters offer these days.

If you like the music of the Beatles, go see Cirque du Soleil's Love at the Mirage. For traditional Broadway musicals, there's Jersey Boys at the Palazzo, Mamma Mia! at Mandalay Bay and Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular at the Venetian. You could also go see Bette Midler at Caesars Palace. For musical celebrity impersonators, Legends in Concert at the Imperial Palace is a less-expensive ticket.

If you just want to hear music without all the trappings of a show, check out what's playing at the House of Blues inside Mandalay Bay; the Pearl at the Palms, west of the Strip; or the Joint at the Hard Rock, east of the Strip.

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Highland, Mich.: Other than the Golden Nugget, are there any other good places to stay in downtown Las Vegas? It always seems kind of "gritty" down there, compared to the Strip.

Sara Benson: I know what you mean, but I've always found Main Street Station to be a good deal, with well-kept rooms and a genial atmosphere. The two-block walk to Fremont Street can be a bit dicey at night, however. See also my answer to Union City, Calif., above.

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Rockville, Md.: My husband and I are going to Vegas for our one-year anniversary. Is there any really good sushi on the Strip? Also, any romantic things you recommend?

Sara Benson: You've hit on two of my favorites things, food and romance.

I'm a sushi fanatic and I used to live in Japan, but until recently, I've found sushi bars in Las Vegas not to be on a par with places nearer the California coast, which makes sense. That said, I recently had one of the most fantastic meals of my life (and this is coming from a veteran travel writer, who always does restaurant reviews anonymously and pays her own way) at SushiSamba inside the new Palazzo casino hotel. They have both authentic Japanese sushi, sake and robatayaki grill dishes, along with South American fusion tastes, plus a vibrant atmosphere that's almost like a nightclub. I've also heard good things about Koi, an LA import at Planet Hollywood, but the place has been fairly empty both times I've stopped by to take a look, so I haven't personally tried it yet. Another under-the-radar sushi bar that attracts a lot of Asian tourists is Shibuya at the MGM Grand. If it's quantity that you're really after, try Todai seafood and sushi buffet at the Miracle Mile Shops, next to Planet Hollywood.

For romance, the possibilities are endless. I always find that "ultra lounges," with their exotic cocktails and super-cool vibes, really heat things up. Mix lounge atop THEhotel at Mandalay Bay has sky-high views of the Strip with all its neon blazing at night. Another thing that could heighten the romantic factor for your trip is to book a sexy suite—I recently stayed at the new Palms Place, west of the Strip, and loved the modern decor, Strip views, in-suite kitchen and uncrowded swimming pool and spa. Other romantic suites that I prefer on the Strip include the Venetian and Palazzo, the MGM Grand (Signature Suites or Skylofts), Wynn Las Vegas and THEhotel at Mandalay Bay. Downtown, the Golden Nugget's Gold Club Rooms are also fantastic, though they're not as roomy as suites, of course.

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Arlington, Va.: Any recommendations on good reasonable restaurants—we are going in October. Thanks!

Sara Benson: See my answer to Conroe, Tex., above.

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Garfield, Ariz.: We will be going to Las Vegas next month for a week. What hotels are the cheapest, but the cleanest? Age doesn't matter; I just need it clean.

Thanks,
Sharon

Sara Benson: See my answers to Port Richey, Fla.; Union City, Calif.; and Lincoln, Nebr.; and Montoursville, Pa.; above.

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Albany, N.Y.: My daughter and I are planning a trip to Las Vegas 11/13 - 11/16/08. She has a credit with Southwest that has to be used by January '09. We have never been to Las Vegas and were hoping to find a decent place to stay (with airport shuttle service) within our budget(flight and hotel around $1000.00). Your expertise would be very helpful. I really enjoy your magazine!

Sara Benson: You've started planning at the right time. Three months before any trip to Las Vegas should be enough advance notice to score some really good hotel deals. Because you're staying over a weekend, expect to pay upwards of $200 per night for a casino hotel on the Strip. You can get a pretty good idea of the going rates by plugging in your travel dates at Travelworm.com and re-ordering the search results by price. Then, pick a few casino hotels that fit within your budget and go directly to their websites to look for the "Special Offers" or "Package Deals" tab. Sometimes, booking directly with Las Vegas casino hotels can save you money, whether you reserve their cheapest online rates or book an entire package deal. By that, I mean a room with extra perks (e.g., discounted show tickets, casino dining credits) and not a flight-and-room combo, as it sounds like you already have your flights sorted out.

Some major casino resorts offer airport shuttle service, but if not, just take a taxi, which should only cost you $15 to $20, maybe a little more.

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Sara Benson: Thanks to everyone for sending in their questions about Las Vegas today. This is Sara Benson, author of Lonely Planet's Las Vegas and Encounter Las Vegas guidebooks, signing off.