I've heard that the gambling is a bit looser in downtown Vegas....if that's possible! Anyone know what it costs to take a taxi down there from the strip?

We haven't had much better luck downtown than on the strip in general, but it is worth the trip. It's fun to see "old" LV and get a different perspective. As I remember, a cab was about$15-16 plus tip from midstrip plus tip. Be sure to ask them to take you the "fastest, back street way" because if they take you down the strip for the view it could cost double that - the traffic is terrible. Have fun.

Don't know if it's my imagination, but I always seem to do just a LITTLE better downtown. Rather than take a cab though, I usually bus it for $1.50. Buses are crowded but filled with a mix of locals and tourist and completly safe.
Good luck!

While loose is very general casino term, it's normally much easier to find lower stakes/buy-ins downtown (craps for $1, BJ $2-$5, etc.).

I tend to do better downtown, too. Then again, the people (players as well as most staff) are much nicer, so maybe that makes me more relaxed and therefore of better judgement when I'm playing blackjack.

Ask the taxi driver to take the 15 freeway north to Grand Central parkway to Downtown. That's the quickest and is probably about $15.
For Grand Central, he should get off the 15 at "Charleston West" exit so that you know he's not giving you the runaround long tour.

California Hotel downtown has a great restaurant called the Pasta Pirate, featuring steaks & seafood too.

Nighttime there is a laser light show downtown that's fun to watch.

John, Could you tell me if there is a certain bus number to get Downtown, or is the destination just shown on the front of the bus? Do you know how late the busses run? Thanks.

SUSANP
Can't remember the bus number but they run the strip constantly and I believe the bus will be marked "Downtown" or maybe "Freemont St." Ask anyone waiting at a stop on the srip. There are two types; a "local" which stops at all stops when someone signals and an express which has limited stops but ALL will take you downtown. Some drivers will announce stops---Some won't.
Taking the bus back to the strip, go to the bus center downtown. Though it looks a little seedy it is perfectly safe as there is normally lots of people around and a rent a cop or two walking around. Buses run well into the evening but not as frequently past midnight.
Good luck!

Thanks so much, John, that helps a lot! I haven't decided whether to rent a car while there yet (we'll be getting one when we leave), and if we don't, I want to use the bus.

Thanks for all your input everyone! I think we'll definitely give downtown a try this time around!

unless going out of town, don't rent a car. driving around the strip area is HORRIBLE. takes forever just to move a few blocks. i was just there in march and although driving in vegas has always been a pain, i was shocked how much worse it's gotten. the bus downtown/freemont street is the way to go.

We are headed there this weekend so my husband just checked out the mathematical odds on a website (purchased a subscription) and it looks like most of the odds downtown are not as good as they used to be compared to the strip...at least for blackjack that is. He's always been under the impression that they had a little better odds downtown in order for the old-time Vegas to compete with the new glitz of the Strip. Perhaps that's not the case so much anymore.

I think downtown is a fun place to visit. In the spring, I attended a convention for 5 nights at the Venetian and then my husband and I got a room at Fitzgeralds downtown for 3 more nights. It's clean and comfortable, but not remotely the Venetian. So what. It was fun to spend some time outside the world of high rollers, which we clearly are not. There's a Starbucks with an outside patio on Fremont Street which is the best place to sit and people-watch.

Maybe it was the time of year, but rental cars were really cheap in Vegas compared to other cities. We didn't get a car when we were at the Venetian but did rent one the last few days where we could park it free at the Fitzgerald's indoor lot. There's a lot of beautiful scenery out toward the Hoover dam and also toward Red Rock Canyon (if I remember the name correctly). I wouldn't get a car to drive the strip, as others have said traffic is awful, but if you have time to visit the countryside, it's nice to have for a few days.

Not sure if the odds are truly better downtown or not. I guess it's all a matter of luck choosing the right table or the right machine, right?

Here's a few other tidbits on downtown Las Vegas...

Downtown parking garages... Most are not complimentary. You get a voucher when you pull in and you have to get it validated. It's usually not a big deal- you have to walk through the casino anyway. Just don't forget or it can get expensive. Valet is complimentary, except the tip.

Downtown buses and area... John is correct: the ride and area are both safe, but can seem a little seedy. Just watch out for pickpockets on the bus and on Fremont street, especially during the light show. No more precaution is needed than anywhere else, but the show can make you more distracted. In the evening, try not to wander too far away from Fremont. Many of the streets are not well lit and it can get a bit creepy. There are a lot of mini-skyscraper offices that are deserted at night, so you may feel like the only ones out.

Fremont Street Light show... They just replaced the canopy for the light show- it's now more high-quality. I haven't seen it in person, but the pictures on the news were incredible. They do the light show every hour or half hour, I don't remember. The canopy covers all of the pedestrian part of downtown, so you can't miss it.

Also, a lot of casinos offer cheap (but good) shrimp cocktail- a must for downtown! It's traditional Vegas at its finest. Have a great time- it's quite different from the mainstream Vegas you're used to.

"I guess it's all a matter of luck choosing the right table or the right machine, right?"

--Truer words have not been spoken

Well, it's not really a matter of luck choosing a table or machine when talking about odds. Depending on the rules of a blackjack game, which are clearly posted, you can have either better or worse odds. The same is true to some extent for slot machines and particularly for video poker.

www.cheapovegas.com has some good info on all the different hotels and casinos in Vegas and I find their way of presenting the info very humorous....fun to read.