Great Vegas deals

There's lots of competition among airlines for Vegas, which keeps fares low. When those fares are bundled with hotel rates, you can save even more. Sample rates for Vegas.com air-and-hotel packages for three nights, arriving on Aug. 29, were as low as $320 for stays at the three-star Palace Station and $409 for stays at the five-star Aria, per person, based on double occupancy.

Other ways to get the best deals:

TIMING The days of the week you travel can make a big difference in the amount you spend. The best days to depart are Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Thursday or Friday departures with Sunday returns will bring the highest fares. If you want to spend the weekend in Las Vegas, depart on Saturday and return on Tuesday.

 AVOID RESORT FEES Quite a few hotels in Las Vegas charge a resort fee for certain amenities, and you pay whether you use those amenities or not. The Gold Coast charges a mere $3 a day, while Red Rock Resort charges $24.95. You'll definitely want to know if resort fees apply, so you can see the true cost of your vacation before you book. Some hotels, such as Harrah's properties, don't charge resort fees.

 LOOK FOR FREEBIES You'll get two free show tickets when you book an air-and-hotel package by Aug. 16 with stays at a participating MGM property for three or more nights from Nov. 6 through Feb. 2. Show choices are "Viva ELVIS," "The Lion King," Terry Fator, "KA," "Jabbawockeez," "Zumanity," "Criss Angel Believe" and "Tournament of Kings." Stays are available at 13 hotels, including Aria, Bellagio and MGM Grand. Since you get two free tickets for each reservation, based on double occupancy, it's best to get more rooms if you have more than two people traveling (details at mgmresorts.com).

Meanwhile, if you book a two-night stay at a Harrah's property under the Buffet of Buffets promotion, you can get two free all-day buffet passes with unlimited access to seven Harrah's buffets. These passes normally cost $44.95, and you can get them even when you stay at the Imperial Palace with rates as low as $53 a night (harrahs.com/buffets/index.html).

 GETTING AROUND A good way to tour Las Vegas is to take the Deuce bus. A 24-hour pass costs $7, and you can hop on and off as many times as you like. Compare that to a taxi ride that could easily cost $15 one way (or the $12 Monorail daypass, which covers only the Strip), and you will be happy to ride the Deuce (rtcsnv.com).