by Liz Moore

Created on: February 09, 2009

Shows in Las Vegas are wonderfully over the top and can range from the free family-friendly circus acts at Circus Circus to glitzy (and pricey) productions such as the Venetian's "Phantom of the Opera." With a little careful pre-planning, you can enjoy the wide variety of entertainment without breaking the bank.

My advice for those of you planning a trip to Las Vegas is to contact their Convention and Visitors Bureau for a guide to the city. You can also check out the "Events and Shows" guide put out by Nevada Magazine to find out more about who and what are playing in Sin City at any given time. Getting these guides in advance will give you background on the shows and how much they cost and can help you plan which ones you might like to spend your time and money on.

For those of you who are more internet-savvy, you can check out the web sites for the various hotel/casinos to see what's going on at any given time. Most of these sights will also have package deals for travelers staying with them that allow you to get a room, meal(s) and a show for a set price. If you're not sure which hotel has a certain show playing, you can also check web sites like www.lasvegas24hours.com for a general overview of accomodations, restaurants, and shows. Plus, you can find maps that will help you get around the city without to much trouble.

The best thing to do is to plan as much as possible of your trip in advance, including the shows, and then you can pay for the tickets ahead of time. That way, you don't have to worry about that cost at the time of your trip. You can also plan for one big expensive show beforehand and then find smaller, less costly ones, to help fill in your time while you're in town.

On my last trip to Vegas, my daughters and I saw "Phantom of the Opera" at the Venetian and we had a wonderful time. The cost of our three seats was more expensive than the one-night stay in our hotel room, but it was definitely worth the price. The production values of a Las Vegas show are much greater than those in many other locations because the hotel builds the showroom just for that performer or show so the set pieces can be larger and more exciting than what you may have seen in other cities.

I recommend that new visitors to Las Vegas (or even seasoned ones for that matter) do a little pre-planning in order to find the big-name shows that you really want to see. The free and low-cost entertainment options availalbe to you can come as more of a surprise as you're enjoying your Vegas experience.

Best of all...a visit to Las Vegas can be a show unto itself so enjoy every moment that you can.

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