People that have never gone to Las Vegas before are usually overwhelmed by the amount of walking that they have to do when they arrive. There are tips that would should know about walking in Las Vegas before you ever step off of the plane. If these tips are followed, you will find that you have more energy, and more fun, then those Las Vegas visitors that do not follow them.
Most people that have never gone to Las Vegas do not realize that the Las Vegas Strip is over four and a half miles long. While many of the casinos are right next door to each other, long distances can separate them. Also, you have to contend with walking in the casino, which could cause for longer walks than you are used to. Along with this, you might also have to deal with extremes in temperature.
Bring Your Comfy Shoes
I cannot count the number of times that I have seen women struggling while walking in high heals as they travel down the Las Vegas Strip. I have also marveled at the travelers that believe that it is sensible to walk for miles in flip-flops while vacationing in Las Vegas. When walking in Las Vegas, foot fashion should not be your goal.
My first tip for walking in Las Vegas is to wear your most comfortable shoes. I once read a statistic that stated that the average Las Vegas traveler walks in excess of six miles a day. With all the times that I have been to Las Vegas, I can agree with this.
Any podiatrist will tell you that an uncomfortable pair of shoes will cause a milieu of types of pain in your body. After waling a long distance, like in Las Vegas, an uncomfortable pair of shoes can cause pain in your neck, shoulders, back, legs, and feet. You can also set yourself up for migraines. Any of these will crimp your ability to have as much fun as possible in Las Vegas.
Wear Appropriate Clothing
Walking around in Las Vegas can confuse your body with differences in temperature. While walking around, your body might experience differences in temperatures that could vary by as much as forty degrees. Preparing for this can prevent you from feeling ill while you are visiting Las Vegas.
In the warmer months, the casinos blast the air conditioning to keep the large buildings cool. Once you leave the casino, you have to deal with the sometimes unbearable temperatures outside. My tip in this case is that you should dress for walking in the extreme heat, and bring something light with you to cover up with in case a certain casino is cooler then you would like.
If you are visiting Las Vegas in the colder months, the casinos will have the heat on to make sure that their patrons are comfortable. Even though you are in the dessert, it can still be a lot colder outside then in the casino. My tip here would be that you should bring a jacket with you to make sure that you stay worm when you travel back outside. Most Las Vegas casinos have a coat check that you can use for free, or for a small fee.
Also, you have to keep in mind that the temperature dips considerably in the evening in Las Vegas. I suggest that people re-evaluate their clothing as it gets closer to the evening to see if they need extra clothing. I will usually go back to my home hotel (the one I am staying at) to do this re-evaluation.
Bring Water With You, Not Alcohol
Extensive walking is a great way to dehydrate the body. We all know the consequences of dehydrating the body. The Las Vegas Visitor’s Guide states that one of the most common medical emergencies in Las Vegas is dehydration sickness.
It is legal to walk around with an open intoxicant while you are in Las Vegas. While walking down the Las Vegas Strip, you will see hundreds, if not thousands of people that are walking, and drinking. I never suggest this. Alcohol dehydrates the body even faster than extensive walking. It also warms the body up which can be dangerous when walking around Las Vegas during the warmer times of the year.
Instead, you should walk around Las Vegas with a bottle of water. During the hotter days of June, July, and August, many of the casinos will give away free bottles of water at the exits as a way to help cut down the amount of people that have to travel to the hospital for dehydration. In extreme cases, this can be a life-saving tip.
Never Jaywalk in Las Vegas
This is another tip that could literally be life-saving. Las Vegas Boulevard (the Las Vegas Strip) is one of the busiest streets in the world. There is constant traffic up and down the road. Many of the drivers spend more time looking to the side at passers-by or the casinos then to the road. I have been in Las Vegas when people were killed trying to cross the street at the wrong location. I have also seen people receive heavy tickets from the police for not crossing appropriately.
If you are walking along the Strip in Las Vegas, you will see crosswalks that take visitors over the Strip. I always suggest using these to cross the street. There are other locations that have street lights with ground crosses. These should be your second choice.
Be Leery of the Surrounding Neighborhoods
While the Las Vegas Strip, and Freemont Street are two of the safest places in the world because of the surveillance and amount of people around, the surrounding neighborhoods are not. There are some very dangerous streets very close to the Las Vegas strip that are not very well lit or traveled. These should be avoided since there are usually some very shady people that congregate or hide here. If you must walk down one of these streets, make sure it is in a very large group.
These Las Vegas tips will not help you break the bank while visiting, but they will make your trip a lot more enjoyable. We all enjoy walking around Las Vegas, but it can be a very daunting task. If you follow these tips as closely as possible, you will find that you have more energy, less issues, and more fun then those that do not.
